WESTERN EUROPEPHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

PENINSULA OF PENINSULAS

HOW DIDTHISGEOGRAPHYALLOW BRITAIN TOPRACTICALLYRULE THEWORLD AT ONE TIME?

EUROPE IS OLD, SMALL, AND CROWDED

IT HAS LOST MANY OF ITS NATURAL RESOURCES DUE TO OVERUSE

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES?

RHINE RIVER• MOST IMPORTANT RIVER IN EUROPE• HEADWATERS – GLACIER IN SWITZERLAND• FLOWS THROUGH SWITZERLAND, AUSTRIA,

LIECHTENSTEIN, GERMANY, FRANCE, NETHERLANDS

• EMPTIES INTO NORTH SEA• ONCE HEAVILY POLLUTED (EUROPE’S SEWER)• NOW IMPROVING – RHINE ACTION PROGRAM

RHINE RIVER

STRAIT OF GIBRALTARSEPARATES EUROPE (SPAIN)

ACTUALLY GIBRALTAR IS AN AUTONOMOUS BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY

FROM NORTH AFRICA (MOROCCO)CONNECTS MEDITERRANEAN SEA TO ATLANTIC OCEAN

*STRAIT – NARROW BODY OF WATER CONNECTING TWO LARGER BODIES OF WATER

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

MEDITERRANEAN DISASTER

NORTH SEAMOST OF EUROPE’S OIL AND NATURAL GAS IS FOUND UNDER THE NORTH SEA

ALPSYOUNGISH MOUNTAINS

IN WHAT COUNTRIES ARE THEY LOCATED?

NORTHERN EUROPEAN PLAIN• BROAD COASTAL PLAIN• MANY RIVERS• DENSELY POPULATED• LARGE RIVER TOWNS AND PORT CITIES• EASY TRADE, TRAVEL, AND MIGRATION• MOST IMPORTANT FARMING AREA• MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRIAL AREA

NORTH ATLANTIC DRIFT• WARM ATLANTIC OCEAN CURRENT• MODERATES NORTHWESTERN EUROPE

CLIMATES• BRINGS MILD TEMPERATURES AND RAIN• ORIGINATES OFF NORTHWEST U.S.COAST• FED BY WARM GULF STREAM WATERS

WOOHOO FOR FARMERS!!!

NORTH ATLANTIC DRIFT

POLDER

LAND CLAIMED FROM THE SEA

POLDER

• BUILD A DIKE• PUMP WATER OUT • INSTALL WINDMILL• HAUL DIRT IN• PLANT, BUILD, ETC

POLDERGEMAAL – MODERN

PUMP

WINDMILLS – NOT USED MUCH ANY MORE