Ch. 12- Europe “The Peninsula of Peninsulas”

Ch. 12.1 “Landforms and Resources” • Peninsulas and Islands 1. Northern Peninsulas (Norway & Sweden) – Fjords: steep u-shaped valleys, cut by glaciers, provide excellent harbors for fishing boats Jutland Peninsula

2. Southern Peninsulas Iberian Peninsula Italian Peninsula Balkan Peninsula

Great Britain 3. Islands Iceland Greenland *Both Iceland and Greenland were settled by Scandinavians: people who are from Norway and /or Sweden

Mountains and Uplands 1. Mountains in Europe separate groups of people • Alps

Mountains and Uplands Cont.

2. Uplands: • Hills or very low mountains that may also contain mesas and high plateaus 1.

2.

3.

4.

Kjolen Mountains (Scandinavia) Brittany (France) Meseta (Spain) Massif (Central France) Meseta Mountains

Rivers “Europe's Links” • Rivers used to transport goods and ideas between coastal harbors and inland • Two major rivers:

Rhine River Danube River

Fertile Plains • Northern European Plain – One of the most fertile agricultural areas of the world • Stretches across France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Poland

Resources • • • Two most abundant are coal and iron ore.

– Ruhr Valley (Germany) – Alsace-Lorraine (France)

North Sea Floor

holds deposits of oil and Natural Gas

Peat

: partially decayed plant matter that is found in bogs

12.2 “Climate and Vegetation” • Westerly Winds control the cold temp on Atlantic coast of Europe –

North Atlantic Drift

: warm water flows near Europe’s West Coast • Alps create harsh climate zone by trapping weather systems – high elevation = colder climate

Mediterranean • From Southern Spain to Greece • Mistral: cold dry wind from north • Sirocco: hot steady wind blows from N. Africa to S. Europe

Land of the Midnight Sun • Northern Scandinavia • Land is permafrost • No trees, moss or lichen • Winter nights long, days short • Summer days long, nights short

12.3 “Human Environment Interaction” • Dutch Netherlands – Much of land is below sea level therefore prone to floods

Netherlands – Seaworks: structures used to control the sea • Dikes: earthen dams • Polders: process that reclaim land by diking and draining • Terpens: platforms that provide safety during floods or high tides – Zuider Zee- arm of the N. Sea, now freshwater lake Terpens

Venice • Movement of people and goods is dependent upon using the 150+ canals • • Weight of buildings is compressing the ground forcing the city to

sink Pollution

from sewer, boats, saltwater

Deforestation • Forests cleared for fuel, or for building structures • Acid Rains, by product of waste emissions (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide)