CHAPTER 16

CENTRAL--WESTERN EUROPE

CHAPTER 16-SECTION 1

• FRANCE

• CALLED A “HEXAGON”– IF YOU STRAITEN IT OUT IT HAS 6 SIDES

• WATER SURROUNDS THIS COUNTRY ON 3 SIDES

– ENGLISH CHANNEL– ATLANTIC OCEAN– MEDITERRANEAN SEA

REGIONS AND ECONOMICS

• NORTHERN FRANCE

• CAPITAL--PARIS– CENTER OF POLITICS AND INDUSTRY

• PARIS BASIN– ENTIRE SEINE RIVER REGION

• LILLE--INDUSTRIAL CITY NEAR PARIS– PRODUCES STEEL, TEXTILES, CHEMICALS

FRENCH REGIONS BY NAME

VINEYARDS OF THE SOUTHWEST

• WARMER AND DRIER REGION

• NOTED FOR GRAPE VINEYARDS AND THE PRODUCTION OF WINE

• BORDEAUX REGION– PRODUCES FAMOUS BORDEAUX

WINE,COGNAC, BURGUNDY WINES

SOUTHERN FRANCE

• BORDERED BY 2 MOUNTAIN RANGES– MASSIF MOUNTAINS– ALPS MOUNTAINS

• REGION BISECTED BY THE RHONE RIVER• MASSIF REGION--LIMITED INDUSTRY AND

AGRICULTURE• ALPS REGION-BORDER TO ITALY

– NOTED FOR TOURISM--SKI RESORTS

SOUTHEASTERN FRANCE

• ALONG THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

• NOTED TOURIST AREA– RIVERIA RESORT AREA

• CANNES--FAMOUS FILM FESTIVAL

• MARSEILLES--CHIEF SEAPORT– CONNECTS TO ALL THE

MEDITERRANEAN SEA PORTS

EASTERN FRANCE-INDUSTRIAL AREA

• RHINE RIVER VALLEY--RHINE RIVER– PART OF BORDER WITH GERMANY

• ALSACE AND LORRAINE – CHIEF RESOURCE REGION– STRASBOURG-CHIEF PORT– BOTH GERMANY & FRANCE WANTED THIS

REGION DURING WW I AND WW II

HISTORY OF FRANCE

• INITIALLY CALLED GAUL

• CONQUERED BY ROMANS IN 100 B.C.

• CHARLEMAGNE TURNS FRANCE INTO DOMINANT EMPIRE IN 800 A.D.

• BECAME A KINGDOM OF FRANCE-1500’S

• 1870-1940 GERMANY INVADES FRANCE THREE TIMES.

HISTORY OF FRANCE

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1lreM8e6EM

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eUfcZ1r5aE

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By7LvganKGY&NR=1

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

• STRONG NATIONAL IDENTITY

• ONE LANGUAGE-DIFFERENT DIALECTS– VARIATIONS OF LANGUAGE

• FAMOUS FOR ACHIEVMENTS IN:

• ART--IMPRESSIONIST PAINTING

• PHILOSOPHERS--VOLTAIRE & DESCARTES

• FAMOUS MUSEUM--THE LOUVRE

• THEATER, BALLET, OPERAS, ETC

FRANCE TODAY

• NATIONALIZED MANY BUSINESSES– CONTROLLED BY THE GOVERNMENT

• JOINED THE ECONOMIC ALLIANCE– EUROPEAN ECONOMIC UNION

• FACED RECESSION IN 1990’S-2000

• HAS REFUSED TO JOIN OR HELP THE U.S. IN IRAQ.

CHAPTER 16--SECTION 2

• GERMANY

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqjlIgK0bXg&feature=related

GERMANY-A HISTORY OF BEING DIVIDED

• 800 AD, PART OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE– BROKEN INTO INDEPENDENT STATES

• EMPIRE FURTHER DIVIDED BY PROTESTANT / CATHOLIC SPLIT IN 1500’S

• BECAME THE GERMAN CONFEDERATION IN 1700’S

GERMANY IN WW. I• AS PART OF TRIPLE ALLIANCE• FOUGHT IN WWI WITH THE CENTRAL

POWERS– GERMANY, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, OTTOMAN EMPIRE

(TURKEY)

• LOST THE WAR-FORCED TO PAY REPARATIONS– PAYMENTS TO “REPAIR” THE DAMAGES

• CAUSED INFLATION, LED TO A DEPRESSION IN GERMANY.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41KXZHmIn-o

GERMANY 1939-1945

• RULED BY ADOLF HITLER• CONQUERED FRANCE & EASTERN EUROPE• RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HOLOCAUST • FELL TO THE ALLIES IN 1945• OCCUPIED IN EAST BY SOVIET UNION AND IN

THE WEST BY U.S., ENGLAND, AND FRANCE.• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=lesNQAf0F0I&feature=related

GERMANY 1949-1990

• GERMANY SPLIT INTO 2 SECTIONS– FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF WEST GERMANY– GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC-EAST

• BERLIN WALL BUILT TO SEPARATE CITY

• WALL TAKEN DOWN BY 1990

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZCwlKiiZrs&feature=related

REGIONS OF GERMANY

• NORTHERN PLAIN--FARMING AREA• CAPITAL CITY OF BERLIN.• ELBE RIVER IS THE CHIEF RIVER OF THIS

AREA. • LARGEST PORT--HAMBURG

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICrLx5aoo9w

CENTRAL GERMANY

• CHIEF INDUSTRIAL AREA– RUHR VALLEY (IRON & STEEL PRODUCTION– LIGNITE (SOFT COAL)

• MOST POPULATED AREA• 2 MAJOR RIVERS OF THE AREA

– RHINE RIVER– ELBE RIVER

• FRANKFURT--BANKING CENTER OF GERMANY

SOUTHERN GERMANY

• DOMINATED BY THE ALPS

• RHINE AND DANUBE RIVER

• MUNICH--CHIEF CULTURAL CENTER

GERMANY TODAY

• LEADING INDUSTRIAL NATION OF EUROPE• 5TH IN THE WORLD IN GDP• PART OF THE EUROPEAN UNION• FAMOUS FOR:• INDUSTRY• BEER AND WINE• THE AUTOBAHN• PROBLEMS OF GERMANY:• OLDER POPULATION• UNEMPLOYMENT• POLLUTION

THE AUTOBAHN

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYPCLtA-ETk&feature=related

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbdH-J6UoYI&feature=related

CHAPTER 16 SECTION 3THE BENELUX COUNTRIES

• BELGIUM, NETHERLANDS, LUXEMBOURG

• ALSO CALLED THE LOW COUNTRIES

• SMALL LAND AREA BUT DENSE POPULATION. (26.4 MILLION PEOPLE)

THE NETHERLANDS

• MOST OF LAND SURROUNDED BY EMBANKMENTS OF EARTH & ROCK– DIKES BUILT BY DUTCH AND ROMANS

• RECLAIMED LAND BY PUMPING OUT WATER--LAND CALLED “POLDER”

• 1/3 OF THE LAND IS BELOW SEA LEVEL. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-

zDauA9QEkQ

MAKING USE OF THE LAND AND LOCATION

• 16 MILLION PEOPLE IN SMALL AREA• 50% OF LAND USED IN AGRICULTURE• RANDSTAD--METROPOLIS OF 4 CITIES

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cZmLj90fPo&feature=fvsr

• LAND CANNOT BE WASTED• PORT CITIES MAKE IT LEADING TRADE

NATION OF EUROPE!• CAPITAL IS AMSTERDAM (THE HAGUE IS

WHERE THE GOVERNMENT IS LOCATED)

BELGIUM• A LAND OF DIFFERENT CULTURES

• 30% SPEAK FRENCH--WALLOONS

• 55% SPEAK FLEMISH--(DUTCH)

• ONLY ALLOWED THE WALLOONS TO HOLD GOVERNMENT JOBS

• CAPITAL CITY OF BRUSSELS

• GOVERNMENT DECENTRALIZED

• DIVIDED INTO 3 REGIONS:

• WALLONIA, FLANDERS, BRUSSELS

FACTS ON BELGIUM

•  Belgium has a literacy rate of 99%• The life expectancy is 78.6• 85% of Belgians live in towns and

cities• Nearly 80% of the population of

Belgium is Roman Catholic

LUXEMBOURG• ONLY 990 SQUARE MILES

– SMALLER THAN RHODE ISLAND

• 3 MAIN LANGUAGES• FRENCH, GERMAN, LUXMBOURGISH• VERY HIGH STANDARD OF LIVING.• STEEL AND HIGH TECH INDUSTRY• MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION• CAPITAL CITY IS ALSO “LUXEMBOUR

G”

SECTION 4--SWITZERLAND AND AUSTRIA

• ALPS MAKE UP HALF OF THESE COUNTRIES

• BOTH COUNTRIES POLITICALLY NEUTRAL

• NEITHET BELONG TO NATO

SWITZERLAND

• HAS 3 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

• GERMAN (64%)

• FRENCH (19%)

• ITALIAN (ROMANASCH)

• OFFICIAL NAME IS “CONFEDERATION HELVETICA”

• CAPITAL CITY IS “BERN”

SWITZERLAND-PAST HISTORY AND PRESENT CULTURE

• FORMED IN 1291 WHEN 3 CANTONS OR (STATES) COMBINED--SWISS CONFEDERATION.

• SWITZERLAND HAS NOT BEEN IN A WAR SINCE 1798--BEEN NEUTRAL!

• TODAY COUNTRY HAS 26 CANTONS!

• EACH CANTON IS SELF GOVERNING

SWITZERLAND’S ECONOMY

• NO RESOURCES-NO HEAVY INDUSTRY

• SKILLED LABOR PRODUCTS

• SWISS WATCHES

• MICROSCOPES

• MEDICINES

• SWISS BANKING WORLD FAMOUS

• RELY HEAVILY ON TOURISM TO THE SWISS ALPS

AUSTRIA• ONCE WAS PART OF LARGE AUSTRIA-

HUNGARY EMPIRE.

• DEFEAT IN WWI COST AUSTRIA LARGE AMOUNTS OF LAND

• TODAY DOMINATED BY THE ALPS.

• MOST OF THE POPULATION LIVES IN EASTERN LOWLANDS

AUSTRIA’S ECONOMY• LIKE SWITZERLAND, CONCENTRATE ON

SPECIALIZED INDUSTRY.• MACHINE TOOLS, CHEMICALS, TEXTILES

• AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES:• DAIRY FARMIMNG

• MINERAL RESOURCES INCLUDE IRON ORE IN EASTERN ALPS, ALUMINUM, MAGNESIUM, COPPER, LEAD.

• STRIP MINING

VIENNA-CAPITAL CITY

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZBUHZxtDJM&feature=related