European Geography

1. European Geography 6th Grade Social Studies

2. Satellite View of Europe

3. Europe!

4. Regions of Europe

5. Modern Europe Regions

6. Summarizing Europe Geography • Almost nowhere in Europe is far from the sea and Europe connects with the land like no where else on Earth. • WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? • No place in Europe is very far from anyplace else on the continent, although nearby places are often sharply different from each other.  • Short distances and large differences make for much interaction which is typical of European geography over the past 1000 years

7. Europe’s Influence • Europe’s influence extends well beyond its geographic boundaries.  • Europe has long been a place of contact between peoples and cultures resulting in the circulation of goods and ideas. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??? • European influences, innovations, empires, and revolutions, have transformed the world despite wars, loss of colonial empires, and the impact of external competition 

8. European Climate • http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=317698 • Europe’s mild and temperate in climate (for the most part) • At first glance it would appear to be a harsh and cold climate, due to its northerly position on the globe   • The reasons for Europe’s mild climate are due to two factors: prevailing westerly winds and the North Atlantic Drift ocean current • Most European climate falls under two classifications;  Marine West Coast and Mediterranean • Marine West Coast: Mostly around the West Coast of the Continent; It covers most of the Northwestern Europe areas • Mediterranean: Most of Southern Europe; Rainy Winters and Mild, nice summer temperatures; Great climate for agriculture

9. Climate: North Atlantic Drift • The North Atlantic Drift is a warm water ocean current, an extension of the Gulf Stream, that originates in the tropical Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico.  The current moves northeastward towards the British Isles and Scandinavia • The warm water of the North Atlantic Drift warms the air masses that invade Europe from the west and provides enough moisture that gives much of Europe beneficial precipitation

10. Europe’s Latitude v. US

12. Continents By Square Kilometers Around 6,175,186 mi.

13. This is the size of the former Soviet Union compared to the size of the current United States. What do you notice about the sizes of the two countries?

14. European Geography Over Time • http://www.euratlas.net/history/europe/index.html • Homework Question: • Look at these maps. What can you learn about Europe’s history from looking at maps over time?

15. Europe: A Peninsula of Peninsulas? OR A Peninsula of Asia?

16. Learn 360 Video • http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=317696

17. Europe:An Asian Peninsula?

18. Northern Peninsulas Scandinavian Peninsula Jutland Peninsula

19. Southern Peninsulas CrimeanPeninsula Iberian Peninsula Italian Peninsula Balkan Peninsula AnatoleanPeninsula

20. Peninsulas Scandinavian Pen. JutlandPen. Crimean Pen. Italian Pen. Balkan Pen. Iberian Pen. Anatolean Pen. Peloponnesian Pen.

21. Rivers Volga R. Don R. Thames R. Elbe R. Vistula R. Oder R. Rhine R. Dnieper R. Seine R. Loire R. Danube R. Po R. Tagus R. Tiber R. Ebro R.

22. The Mediterranean Sea: Mare Nostrum Strait of Gibraltar & the“Pillars of Hercules” • 2,400 miles long & 1,000 miles wide • “Crossroads of 3 Continents” Caesarea on the Israeli coast

23. The Danube River Where Buda & Pest Meet Biking Along the Danube • Flows through the 12 countries of Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Ukraine.

24. The Danube River 1770 miles

25. The Rhine River • http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=317695 • The Rhine is the longest river in Germany

26. Facts about the Rhine • The Rhine is one of the world's busiest commercial waterways and an invaluable economic asset. • It is a cheap, efficient means of transportation • The river aided the development of numerous cities along its banks. • These include Basel, Switzerland's only port; Strasbourg in France; Mannheim, Mainz, Koblenz, Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Duisburg in Germany; and Rotterdam, one of the world's busiest ports, in the Netherlands. • In its upper course the Rhine is a source of hydroelectric power. • Since 1800 several major canals, linking the Rhine system to the Ems, Rhone, and Marne rivers, have been built. In 1992, the Rhine River system was linked to the Danube River. This established an inland waterway stretching from the North Sea to the Black Sea.

27. The Rhine River: It’s Importance • Since ancient times it has been of historic importance: defensive frontier and as a chief inland trading route • Defensive: • The Romans, and later the Franks, fortified its banks and used it to hold back the barbaric Germanic peoples to the east. • From 1800 into the 20th century, the river played an important role as a frontier between France and the German states. The breakdown of defenses along its eastern banks marked the beginning of Germany's collapse in World War II • Trading: • In the Middle Ages the Rhine was a major communications route between northern and southern Europe • The importance of the Rhine is more than economic. In music and literature the river is strongly tied to the German people. It is the subject of several songs, including a national song, Die Wacht am Rhein, "The Watch on the Rhine."

28. The Volga River • The longest river in Europe --> 2,300 miles.

29. The Volga River • The river is so polluted that the sturgeon catch has been decreased by 60%.

30. Bodies of Water in Europe…Are They Important?? • How does water impact European Economy? • Does water have a cultural influence? If so, how? • What impact would water have on jobs in Europe? • Do you think water impacts the development of cities in Europe? Why or why not? • How do the various water ways of Europe affect its relations with other countries? • How have water ways helped/hurt Europe during times of war?

31. Why are most of the capitals of Europe on major rivers??

32. Capitals on the Rivers (1) Paris, right bank of the Seine London on the Thames Prague on the Vltava Budapest on the Danube

33. Capitals on the Rivers (2) Moscow on the Moscow River Berlin on the Spree Rome on the Tiber Vienna on the Danube

34. Answer: They are Europe’s lifeline!

35. Moutains&Peaks Ural Mts. Carpathian Mts. Caucasus Mts. Alps Mts. Pyrennes Mts. Dinaric Alps Apennines Mts. Mt. Vesuvius ^ Mt. Olympus ^ Mt. Etna ^

36. Elevation Urals Caucasus Pyrennes Carpathians Alps Apennines

37. Overview of European Mountains • http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=317697

38. The Alps • Cover most of Switzerland, Austria, and parts of Italy and France.

39. Mt. Blanc in the Alps • Highest mountain in the Alps: 15,771 feet

40. The Caucasus Mountains • The origin of the word Caucasian.

41. Transylvaniain the Carpathian Mountains • Home of Vlad Tepeš, theDrakul (“Count Dracula”)

42. The Ural Mountains

43. Norwegian Fjords • Glaciers cut deep valleys in the ocean during the Ice Age.

44. Earthquake Zones

45. Reykjavik, Iceland:“The Youngest Oldest Country” • Volcanoes • Hot Springs • Geysers

46. Mediterranean Islands • Generally rugged & mountainous. • Mediterranean Sea so polluted (will take 1000 years to clean up). Sardinia Cyprus Malta

47. Mt. Etna, Sicily • An active volcano

48. Mt. Vesuvius, Italy • Pompeii, 79 CE • Herculaneum, 79 CE • 1944 eruption

49. http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=227299