Europe

1. Europe Peninsula of Peninsulas

2. North Atlantic Drift • Carries warm water from the tropics to Europe’s west coast, then the prevailing westerlies blow warm air over Europe. • The effects are felt very far inland (mild/warm climate and adequate rainfall), until they reach the Alps. • The Alps create a physical barrier, and the climate is more harsh, and they are less densely populated

3. Deforestation • Much of Europe has suffered from deforestation due to its long history of being inhabited, and the population boom that demanded farm land • Due to the North Atlantic Drift, and the humid continental climate further inland, much of Europe is good for farming

4. The Mediterranean • No Surprise, the Mediterranean climate and coastline here is great for tourism. It is also good for growing grapes, olives, citrus, and wheat • Just beyond the coast there are mountains which block the Mistral (cold, dry wind from the North)—France is the exception • The Sirocco is a hot, steady wind that blows in from Africa during the Summer

5. Land of the Midnight Sun • In the furthest northern reaches of Europe, near the Arctic Circle, there is an area where there are some days that the sun never sets. • The climate type is tundra, the land is permafrost. • No tress grow here – only mosses and lichens