World Geography Europe & Russia Notes

1. World Geography Europe & Russia Notes

2. Physical

3. Peninsulas and Islands • Europe is a large peninsula of Asia • also has its own smaller peninsulas: a “peninsula of peninsulas” • most places are within 100 miles of the ocean or a sea

6. Northern Peninsulas • The Scandinavian Peninsula includes Norway and Sweden - bounded by Norwegian, North, and Baltic Seas • Glaciers created fjords - steep U-shaped valleys connected to sea & filled with seawater (provides harbors for fishing boats) • Jutland Peninsula forms large part of Denmark, small part of Germany

7. Norway Glaciers

8. Southern Peninsulas • Iberian Peninsula - Spain & Portugal • Italian Peninsula - Italy • Balkan Peninsula - bordered by Adriatic, Mediterranean, Aegean seas

9. Islands • Large - Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, & Greenland • Smaller - Corsica, Sardinia Sicily, & Crete

11. Russia & the Republics • Russia and the Republics cover 1/6 of earth’s land surface • 8 1/2 million square miles • Three times the land area of U.S. - Russia spans 11 time zones • Distance decay—long-distance communication, transportation are hard

13. Mountain Chains • The Alps - Europe’s most famous mountain chain - crosses France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, & Balkans - cuts Italy off from rest of Europe

14. Mountain Chains • Ural Mountains - separate Northern European & West Siberian Plains - some see them as dividing line between Europe and Asia - some consider Europe and Asia as single continent—Eurasia

16. Rivers • Network of rivers encourage trade and travel - allows goods inland from coastal harbors, aids economic growth • Rhine - flows north 820 miles from interior to North Sea • Danube - flows east 1,771 miles, through 9 countries, to Black Sea

18. Rivers • Volga River- longest river on the European continent - flows 2,300 miles south from Moscow & drains into the Caspian Sea basin - carries 60% of Russia’s river traffic

20. Lakes • Caspian Sea - largest inland sea in world - 750-mile-long (north to south) saltwater lake

23. Lakes • Aral Sea - east of Caspian, is also saltwater - has lost 80% of water volume since 1960 due to irrigation

25. Lakes • Lake Baikal - Deepest & oldest lake in the world - a mile from surface to bottom at deepest point - 400 miles long, holds 20% of world’s fresh water - very clean lake, home to 1,200 unique plant & animal species

26. Polders: Land from the Sea • dikes—earthen banks that hold back the sea • polder—land reclaimed by diking and draining • Seaworks—structures like dikes that control sea’s destructive force

27. Polders: Land from the Sea • terpen—high earthen platforms that provide safe ground during floods • Zuider Zee—arm of North sea the Dutch turned into a fresh-water lake - saltwater eventually replaced by fresh water - lake is now called Ijsselmeer

29. The Northern European Plain • One of the most fertile agricultural regions in world • Stretches over 1,000 miles from the western border to the Urals • Flat agricultural land produces vast quantities of food - chernozem—world’s most fertile soil is abundant in area

33. Natural Resources • Fueling Industrialization - Coal and iron ore are needed to create steel for industrialization • Energy - Oil, & natural gas found in North Sea in 1959 • Agricultural Land - 33% of Europe is suitable for agriculture ( world average only 11%) • Irish burn peat for fuel- partially decayed plant matter from bogs

34. Natural Resources • Many of Russia’s resources are in Siberia - frigid, arctic Russian area of Asia • Hard to get at & move resources due to climates, terrain & distances • taiga—largest forest on earth located in Russia - Produces 1/5 of the world’s timber

38. Westerly Winds Warm Europe • Marine west coast climate - : warm summers & cool winters - Spain, France, Poland, British Isles & coastal Scandinavia • North Atlantic Drift - warm-water tropical current flows by west coast of Europe • prevailing westerlies carry current’s warmth, moisture inland • Enables France to be a major agricultural producer

41. Harsher Conditions Inland • Not Reached by Westerly Winds • Continentality - Distance from sea decreases precipitation -moisture from Atlantic Ocean is lost further inland • Humid continental climate: cold, snowy winters; warm or hot summers

43. Special Winds • Mediterranean coast of France is not protected by mountains • mistral—a cold, dry winter wind from north • Sirocco—hot North African wind carries sea moisture or desert dust

46. Land of the Midnight Sun • Tundra climate in far northern Scandinavia, along Arctic Circle - permafrost with no trees, only mosses & lichens • South of tundra is subarctic climate - cool with cold, harsh winters - little growth except stunted trees • Region’s sunlight varies sharply: long winter nights & summer days - area north of Arctic Circle the Land of the Midnight Sun - some winter days have no sun, some summer days have no night

47. Russia’s Climate • Humid continental and subarctic climates dominate region • Continentality - effect the region’s enormous size has on its climates -Distance from sea decreases precipitation • -moisture from Atlantic Ocean is lost further inland • Distance from sea also creates extreme temperatures

48. Russia’s Climate • Siberia – average temperatures are usually below 50 degrees F - Siberian temperatures can drop below –90 degrees F • Region has layer of permafrost that can reach depths of 1,500 feet • Buildings on permafrost sink and fall when their heat thaws ground - buildings must be set off ground on concrete pillars