Physical Geography of Europe

Physical Geography of Europe

• Europe is largely coastal, with most of the land within 300 miles (483 km) of a seacoast
• 25% of the Netherlands lies below sea level
• The Dutch have built dikes to control water levels and reclaim land.

Seas, Peninsulas, and Islands

• Many European countries and cities are located near the coast
• The Scandinavian Peninsula is mountainous
• Glaciers from the Ice Age carved out fjords along the coastline of the Scandinavian Peninsula, creating thousands of lakes
• Denmark's Jutland peninsula is mostly flat
• The Iberian Peninsula is primarily a plateau, located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea
• The Pyrenees Mountains form a border between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe
• The Apennine Peninsula in Italy is boot-shaped, with a mountain range, and includes Mount Vesuvius, an active volcano
• The Balkan Peninsula has diverse mountain ranges and valleys, making travel difficult.
• Iceland is south of the Arctic Circle, and has volcanoes, hot springs, and geysers.
• The British Isles, including Ireland and Great Britain, are cool, hilly, and rainy.
• Greece has over 2000 islands with a Mediterranean climate and a rugged landscape
• Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Crete are Mediterranean islands with volcanic mountains and rugged terrain.

Mountains and Plains

• Northwestern Europe has old rock formations, with peaks eroded by glaciers
• Southern Europe has younger, higher, and more jagged mountains.
• Mont Blanc, in the Alps, is the highest peak in Europe (over 15,771 feet/4,807 m)
• The Carpathian mountains are located in Eastern Europe.

Plains Regions

• The North European Plain is fertile land stretching from southeastern England to Western Russia and is an important agricultural region
• Europe's largest cities are often located in the plains regions.
• The Great Hungarian Plain is fertile, located from Hungary to Croatia and Serbia.

Water Systems

• Rivers flow from inland mountains and highlands toward coastal areas.
• Canals have been built for transportation and irrigation.
• Scandinavian rivers are short
• Iberian Peninsula rivers are shallow and narrow
• The Rhine River flows through France and Germany to the Netherlands.
• The Danube River flows from Germany's Black Forest to the Black Sea. It's a major river in eastern Europe, and the Main-Danube Canal connects the North Sea to the Black Sea.
• The Thames River is in Britain, and allows ships to enter London.

Natural Resources

• Peat is composed of mosses.
• Natural resources in Europe include coal, gas, nuclear and hydroelectric power, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, gold, and silver.

Rivers in Europe

• The Danube River is the second longest river in Europe and flows through ten countries.
• The Rhine River flows through four countries before emptying into the North Sea.
• The Volga River is the longest river in Europe and flows entirely within Russia.
• The Seine River flows through Paris.
• The Thames River flows through southern England.

Water and Land

• Climate in Europe is affected by distance from the sea
• Areas closer to the Atlantic Ocean and warm currents tend to have milder temperatures

Western Europe

• Western Europe has deciduous and evergreen trees in its forests.
• Mountainous areas, like the Alps, experience a Highland's climate with colder temperatures and more precipitation.
• Dry winds can cause avalanches in mountainous areas.
• Most of Europe was once forested, but much of the forest was lost by the early 20th century. Ireland lost nearly all its forest cover by 1922
• Governments have promoted forest reforestation.

Southern Europe

• Southern Europe has a Mediterranean climate; warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.
• The Alps have less precipitation than other parts of Europe thanks to winds that carry moisture away from Southern Europe.
• Winds like the Mistral can bring cold air into southern France.
• Winds like the Sirocco can bring hot air from North Africa.

Eastern and Northern Europe

• Eastern and Northern Europe has a continental climate with cold, snowy winters and hot summers.
• Temperatures vary more widely than in Western Europe due to lack of proximity to warm ocean currents
• This region has grasslands in Hungary and Romania, and deciduous and coniferous forests.

Scandinavia

• Scandinavia has a subarctic and tundra climate.
• Winters are bitterly cold and summers are short and cool.
• The ground is frozen below the surface, limiting plant life.