FSSE 202: Places, Landscapes, and Economy of Europe

FSSE 202: Places and Landscapes in a Changing World

• This course aids in understanding concepts, dynamics of people, and activities worldwide.
• It describes locations and patterns of human activity via historical lens.
• Aims to explain the relationship between the natural environment and human behavior.

Course Outcomes

• Pre-service teachers will demonstrate knowledge of places and landscapes globally.
• They will understand the process, patterns, and relationship between the natural environment, and human behavior.
• Participants will show an understanding of the concepts, dynamics, and activities of people.

Economy of Europe

• The service industry, especially banking, is Europe’s most important economic sector, accounting for 73% of the EU’s economy.
• Manufacturing is the second biggest sector, responsible for 25% of the EU’s economy.
• Agriculture utilizes much of the remaining portion of the GDP.

Europe's Resources

• Europe has different natural resources including wood, soil, water, fish, natural gas, coal, and iron.
• The Mediterranean Sea is a source of fish and water.
• Due to abundant bodies of water, water is an abundant resource in/near Europe.
• Timber, peat, and potash are all important natural resources.
• A well-developed fishing industry exists in Europe.
• Zinc and copper are primary resources shared by almost all European countries.

Economy of Africa

• Consists of trade, industry, agriculture, and human resources.
• Approximately 1.3 billion people lived in 54 countries in Africa as of 2019.
• Africa is a resource-rich continent.
• Growth in sales of commodities, services, and manufacturing drives recent economic growth.

Africa's Resources

• Africa is rich in natural resources containing arable land, water, oil, naturals gases, minerals, forests and wildlife.
• The continent holds a huge proportion of the world’s natural resources, both renewables and non-renewables.

Economy of Australia

• Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country.
• Includes the mainland of the Australian continent, Tasmania, and smaller islands.
• It is the largest country by area in Oceania and the world’s sixth-largest country.
• The service sector dominated the Australian economy in 2017 comprised 62.7% of the GDP and employed 78.8% of the labor force.
• The tenth-highest total estimated value of natural resources, valued at US$19.9 trillion as of 2019.
• Resource commodities make up six of Australia’s top ten goods: iron ore, coal, natural gas, gold, aluminum, and petroleum.
• The resources sector has invested around $720 billion since 2005, accounting for >40% investment.

Europe Overview

• It is the second smallest continent and is often described as the “Peninsula of Peninsulas”.
• Known as the Peninsula of the supercontinent “Eurasia”.
• Europe is bordered by Arctic Ocean to the North, Atlantic Ocean to the west, and Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas on the South.
• Ural Rivers, Caspian and Black Seas, divided Europe and Asia, forming a separate continent.
• Main peninsulas in Europe are Iberian, Italian, and Balkan in the South, and Scandinavian and Jutland in the North.

Highlighted European locations

• The Azores, Portugal is located 900 miles off the coast of Libson, noted for verdant sea-side cliffs, hydrangea and waterfalls
• Caucasus Mountains, Georgia, which is attracting those tired of crowded mountain trails and reservation-only vineyards due to infrastructure
• Las Salinas de Torrevieja, Spain is a rose-tinted lake that has pink water and home to thousands of flamingos during breeding season
• Cliffs of Moher, Ireland are natural cliffs which reach 702 feet high
• Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland has hexagonal basalt columns rumored to be a causeway for Giants

Largest Country in Europe

• The largest country in Europe based on land mass is Russia.
• Russian families are generally hospitable and open-minded and like to spend time together.
• Families tend to live in apartments in towns and cities,.
• Single-family homes are more common in rural areas
• A babushka and dedushka (grandma and grandpa) play a special role in family life.
• Weekends and holidays may be spent at the family's country cottage.
• Russian parents are mostly very protective of their kids
• Shoes are removed when entering a house, and slippers or bare feet are common.
• People change into comfortable clothes as soon as they come home.
• Tea holds a particularly special place in Russian culture that means a long heart to heart chat.

Africa Overview

• Africa is the second largest continent and is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean.
• The continent of Africa is divided almost equally in half by the Equator.
• Africa's physical geography, environment, resources, and human geography can be considered separately.
• The continent has eight major physical regions: the Sahara, the Sahel, the Ethiopian Highlands, the savanna, the Swahili Coast, the rainforest, the African Great Lakes, and southern Africa.
• Some of these regions cover large bands of the continent, such as the Sahara and Sahel, while others are isolated areas, such as the Ethiopian Highlands and the Great Lakes.
• Unique animal and plant communities can be found in each of these regions.

Highlighted Locations in Africa

• Victoria Falls is considered among the greatest in the world which straddles the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and chief reservoir of the Nile River
• Sahara is the world largest hot desert which makes up 25% of the continent
• Sahel a narrow band of semi-arid land that forms a transition zone between the Sahara to the north and the savannas to the south.
• Ethiopian Highlands began to rise 75 million years ago and are home to 80 percent of Africa's tallest mountains.

Largest Country in Africa

• The largest country in Africa based on land mass is Algeria.
• Traditional values still remain strong although there are efforts to modernize Algerian society.
• The daily life of an average Algerian is permeated with the atmosphere of Islam.
• Islam has become identified with the concept of an autonomous Algerian people and resistance to Western imperialism.
• Supporting traditional values is more characteristically aligned with Islam and not a revolutionary ideology.
• The Muslim clergy has opposed the emancipation of women.
• Algerians traditionally consider the family headed by the husband and women are expected to be obedient.
• Men and women in Algeria generally have constituted two separate societies with their own attitudes and values.
• Daily activities and social interaction normall occur between members of the same gender

Australia Overview

• Australia is smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth.
• Positioned between the Pacific and Indian oceans in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Canberra is Australia’s capital, located in the southeast between the larger economic and cultural centers of Sydney and Melbourne
• Given the titles “The Oldest Continent", “The Last of Lands,”, “The Last Frontier.”

Highlighted Locations in Australia

• Uluru is a sandstone rock formation 440 km south-west of Alice Springs
• Cradle Mountain rises above the glacially formed Dove Lake with 4 summits.
• About The 12 Apostles has varying accommodation facilities in Port Campbell.
• Daintree Rainforest is Australia's largest continuous tropical rainforest.

Daily life and social customs in Australia

• Drinking and gambling have long been aspects of Australian culture, despite government regulation.
• Beer has been the traditional drink of choice, but wine production has altered patterns.
• Since World War II, laws generally have been liberated in favor of "civilized drinking."
• An older generation turned to the pub for socializing.
• Many of the young are likely to seek out the disco or trendy bar or restaurant

Cultural Institutions in Australia

• Australian culture in urban areas benefited from state subsidies for the arts.
• Sophisticated cultural facilities have been developed.
• Most capital cities have acquired new art galleries and museums/expanded existing ones.
• Performing arts centers have been built, namely the Sydney Opera House.