Europe’s Physical Geography
Alfredo Allan Andrew
The Peninsula of Peninsulas
Geography of Europe
Europe is surrounded by more than 3 water bodies, which classifies Europe as a peninsula. Since Europe is a peninsula, and has many peninsulas, it is called the Peninsula of Peninsulas. Most locations in Europe are no more than 300 miles from an ocean or sea, which makes the life of a European involve using these bodies of water for both business and pleasure.
Geographical Effects of Trade
The Geography of Europe effects the exchange of goods and information positively and negatively. The mountain chains in Europe makes trade and information difficult to exchange. However, the rivers help make up for the mountains. These rivers are used to transport goods between coastal harbors and the inland region, aiding economic growth. The Rhine and Danube rivers connect to the seas surrounding Europe, making trade a little easier.
Resources Shape Europe's Economy
Europe has a variety of resources spanning across the continent. Two that are abundant are coal and iron, which help their industrialized economy. Having both these resources make it possible to produce steel, which make industrialization and transportation easier. However, the region suffered from industrialization pollution as a result.
Oil and natural gas were found beneath the North Seas Floor in 1959. Energy companies began to tap gas fields between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The north Sea oil fields are major sources of petroleum for the world.
About 33 percent of Europe's land is suitable for agriculture. The land produces a variety of crops: grains, grapes, olives, and even cork. Timber is cut from vasts forests on the Scandinavian Peninsula and is the Alps.
Oil and natural gas were found beneath the North Seas Floor in 1959. Energy companies began to tap gas fields between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The north Sea oil fields are major sources of petroleum for the world.
About 33 percent of Europe's land is suitable for agriculture. The land produces a variety of crops: grains, grapes, olives, and even cork. Timber is cut from vasts forests on the Scandinavian Peninsula and is the Alps.
Migration (Problems) of Europe
Due to how close European Countries are, citizens of the 27 member states of the European Union are given EU citizenship, which means you could move to another EU state without a passport or visa. Unfortunately, their is a problem with this system. Africans are migrating into EU states Greece, Italy, and Spain, which basically means that they can go to any state since there is no border patrol on many states.
Population Density
The map to the right shows that Europe’s population is highly concentrated along the coastlines and in a corridor reaching from the Southern and Central parts of the United Kingdom to the Netherlands, Belgium down the Rhine valley and to northern Italy (see the red areas). There are very large rural areas of thinly populated space in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Greece Central France and Central Spain. Low population density can be also found in North-eastern Germany and in most of the Baltic States.
Geography and Greek Mythology
The Geography of the Mediterranean area effected the beliefs of Empires such as the Greeks. An example of this is their beliefs that volcanic eruptions of Mount Etna were caused by gods that were put in Hephaestus's prisons which were located under volcanoes. When the gods get angry, the volcano erupts.
2000 years of European Changes in Under 2 Minutes!
2000 Years Of European History
Essential Question
How has Europe's physical geography affected it's citizens socially and economically?