Geography of Western Europe

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Geography of Western Europe

• The continent and its climate

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Western Europe

• Europe and Asia are both called continents,
  although they are both located on the same great
  landmass. These two continents are separated by
  the Ural Mountains. The landmass is called
  Eurasia. Europe is a peninsula of Eurasia.

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Europe

• Map

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Western Europe

• Even though Europe is a small continent, it has a
  long coastline because of its shape. Several
  smaller peninsulas extend into the seas from the
  larger peninsula of Europe. Italy forms a
  boot-shaped peninsula. Spain and Portugal are on
  the Iberian Peninsula. The Balkan peninsula is
  divided into six countries Greece, Albania,
  Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia.

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Western Europe

• Scandinavian peninsula is made up of Norway and
  Sweden. Jutland is a smaller peninsula made up
  of Denmark.

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Western Europe

• Most of the lands that make up Western Europe are
  located on the western part of the mainland, but
  some are not. Some are islands. Great Britain,
  Ireland and Iceland are islands in the Atlantic.
  Malta and Cyprus are islands in the Mediterranean
  Sea.

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Western Europe

• Term Western Europe grew out of history rather
  than geography. After World War II, the continent
  was divided. The countries of Western Europe
  remained free of Soviet control.

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Western Europe

• Because of the continents shape, no place is
  more than 300 miles from the sea. Ships can enter
  through the Strait of Gibraltar. Here only about
  ¾ mile separates Europe from Africa. Ships can
  sail from the Aegean Sea through the Dardanelles
  and Bosporus into the Black Se. The North and
  Baltic seas provide routes to Northern Europe.

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Western Europe

• The Alps-largest group of mountains in Western
  Europe. The Alps from parts of France,
  Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, and
  Yugoslavia. Waters from the Alps flow into four
  of Europes major rivers the Rhine River, the
  Rhone River, the Po River, and the Danube River.

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Western Europe

• Physical map

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Western Europe

• Pyrenees-forms a mountain wall between the
  Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe. They
  are not as tall as the Alps, but are very rugged.

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Western Europe

• Natural resources-forests
• Deciduous trees (leaves fall off)
• Coniferous trees (cones)
• Black Forest- large forest in Germany
• North European Plain has an abundance of good
  soil and plentiful rainfall.

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Western Europe

• Minerals
• Coal, iron, lead, zinc, copper, salt, oil, and
  limestone
• Limestone is necessary for making concrete. Oil
  was discovered offshore in the North Sea.

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Western Europe

• Mining and manufacturing

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Western Europe

• Ocean currents affect the climate of Western
  Europe.
• Gulf Stream flows north and east from the warm
  waters of the Gulf of Mexico into the North
  Atlantic. Air blowing over Western Europe from
  off the North Atlantic usually keeps winter
  temperatures warmer.
• Altitude also affects climate. Places at high
  elevations, such as the Alps, are cooler than
  places at low elevations.

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Western Europe

• Climate map