World Regional Geography

GEG 101 ONLINE!

CHAPTER 1: Europe
~/~ HOME~/~ SYLLABUS ~/~ SCHEDULE ~/~ CHAPTERS ~/~ ASSIGNMENTS ~/~ DISCUSSION ~/~ REVIEW ~/~ TEXTBOOK WEB ~/~ ONLINE LECTURES MENU ~/~

Studying the Chapter:

  • Read and study the textbook. (See "Textbook Notes" below.)
  • Read and study the Online Lecture

Map Quiz 9 - Chapter 1:

Review Activities:

 

For All Realms:

Keep these in mind as you read and study EACH REALM (chapter).

  • Defining a Realm: Know the physical, cultural, economic, and/or historical criteria (characteristics) used to define the realm.
    • Why are the boundaries drawn where they are?
      • Are there any physical barriers (oceans, seas, mountains, deserts, dense forests) at the realm border?
      • Are there physical, cultural, economic, and historical differences on either side of the realm boundary?
      • Do the realm boundaries tend to run through areas of sparse population?
    • How do the physical, cultural, economic, and historical characteristics of the realm differ from these characteristics of neighboring realms?

     

    • You may want to do the following FOR EACH REALM to help your learning:
      • print this realm worksheet and keep track of the characteristics in the chart as you read and study the chapter.
      • You may want to review the lecture on REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY
      • Use the Goode's Atlas maps, especially the world maps at the beginning, to see differences between realms

     

    • Here are SOME of the physical, cultural, economic, and historical characteristics that you should consider
      • physical geography
        • landscapes
        • climate
        • precipitation
        • major physical features
        • physical barriers at the realm boundaries (oceans, seas, mountains, deserts, dense forests)
      • cultural geography
        • religion
        • language
        • politics
        • other
      • economic geography
        • level of development - IMPORTANT: SEE TABLE G-1 (pp. 34-41)
        • per capita income (GDP)
        • population growth rate
        • % urban population
        • life expectancy
        • other measures of development - IMPORTANT: SEE TABLE G-1 (pp. 34-41)
      • historical Geography
        • culture hearths
        • colonization - who colonized
        • other

 

  • Know where most people live in the realm. See the population density map in your Goode's Atlas and Figure G-9 (pp. 18-19) in your textbook. Also, assess how well the 5 reasons explain the population distribution. Do they apply to this realm or not?

 

  • Know the CONCEPTS, IDEAS, and TERMS listed on the first page of each chapter and the italicized words within the chapter. ALSO, know EXAMPLES of the terms from the realm being studied. It is strongly suggested that you make a list of these terms with their definitions and examples. Each unit exam will have a question where you DEFINE and GIVE EXAMPLES of these terms.

 

  • You must understand map SCALE. Know the difference between a large scale map and a small scale map. Each unit exam will have a question about map scale. See Figure G-3.
    • Large scale = large detail = small area
    • Small scale = small detail = large area

Textbook Notes:

[Some maps may be difficult to read. To see a clear image, RIGHT CLICK on the image and select VIEW IMAGE]

BRIEF OUTLINE / 4 CLASS THEMES

Chapter 1
EUROPE

DEFINING THE REALM 44

  • PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY: Landscapes and Opportunities 40
  • HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY: The Revolutions of Modernizing Europe 48
    • The Agrarian Revolution 48
    • The Industrial Revolution 49
    • Political Revolutions 52
  • ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY: Contemporary Europe 52
    • Spatial Interaction 53
    • An Urbanized Realm 55
    • A Changing Population 56
  • CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY: Europe's Modern Transformation 59
    • European Unification 59
    • New Money 61
    • Momentous Expansion 62
    • Regional Issue 63
    • Centrifugal Forces 64
    • From Coast to Coast? 64

 

REGIONS OF THE REALM 66

  • Western Europe 68
    • Dominant Germany 68
    • France 70
    • Benelux 74
    • The Alpine States 75
  • The British Isles 75
    • The United Kingdom 77
    • The Republic of Ireland 79
  • Northern (Nordic) Europe 80
  • Mediterranean Europe 82
    • Italy 84
    • Iberia 85
    • Greece and Cyprus 89
  • Eastern Europe 91
    • The Geographic Framework 92
    • Countries Facing the Baltic Sea 92
    • The Landlocked Center 94
    • Countries Facing the Black Sea 96
    • Countries Facing the Adriatic Sea 98

 

DETAILED OUTLINE

Chapter 1
Europe

MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIES OF THE REALM

DEFINING THE REALM

Question:

  • Why do the textbook authors say that it is appropriate to begin the study of the world's realm with the study of Europe even though Europe is one of the territorially smaller realms?

Question:

  • What was the COLD WAR?

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

  • Realm borders:
    • North, South, and West: water
    • Where is the eastern border?
      • European Continent: Ural mountains in Russia
      • European Realm: At the Russian border
        • Why?

        Question:

        • Differentiate between the following (i.e. WHERE are they?):
          • the "Eurasian continent"
          • the "European realm"
          • "European Russia"?

        Question:

        • Where is the eastern border of the European realm?
        • What is the physical geography of this boundary (mountains, deserts, seas, etc.)? Is this boundary a physical barrier to transportation and migration?
        • Why was the eastern border of the realm placed where it was? (i.e. what is different to the west {Europe} and to the east {Russia} of the border?

  • Climate
  • Even though Europe is significantly further north than the United States, it has a moderate climate caused by the warm waters of the North Atlantic Drift ocean current

Why did Europe have such an impact on the rest of the world or what geography factors aided Europe's development?

 

  • Europe's Relative Location at the heart of the land hemisphere creates maximum efficiency for contact with the rest of the world

  • Every part of Europe is close to the sea which facilitates contact with the rest of the world

  • Navigable Waterways facilitate contact with the rest of the world

  • Moderate distances due to its small size facilitate contact with the rest of the world


    [map projection showing true relative size of land masses]

  • large and varied store of natural resources

    Question:

    • Why did small Europe have such an impact on the rest of the world or what geographic factors aided Europe's development?

HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY

 

Industrial Revolution

 

Political Revolution

ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY:

 

 

 

Question:

  • How does the European realm rank compared to other realms on the common measures of economic development?

CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY

 

REGIONS OF THE REALM

 

 

  • Italy
    • Most populated of Mediterranean countries
    • Best connected to the European core
    • Most economically advanced
    • Displays a sharp north/south contrast (Ancona Line)
    • Milan
      • " Italy's Largest City And Leading Manufacturing Center
      • " Also The Country's Financial And Service-Industry Center
    • Rome
      • Founded about 3,000 Years Ago
      • Attained an estimated population of 1 million before the end of the 1st century AD
      • Only 30,000 people by the 13th century
      • Became Italy's capital in 1870
      • Now has about 2.6 Million
    • Vatican City
      • An enclave within Rome
      • The headquarters of Roman Catholicism
      • Functions as an independent entity

       

  • Iberia
    • Iberian Peninsula
    • Spain and Portugal
    • Devolutionary pressures:
      • Basque region: own language and culture
      • Catalonia in northwestern Spain: own language and culture
      • Gibralter: British territory at the southern tip of Spain
      • Exclaves of Spain in Morrocco in northern Africa: Ceuta and Melilla

 

  • Greece and Cyprus
    • Greece: recent economic success story
    • Cyprus: Greek majority, Turkish minority; civil war in 1974, Turkey invaded and controls about 40% (irredentism example)
    • Greek-side joined the EU in 2004

 

 

  • Countries Facing The Black Sea
    • Bulgaria: Liberated By Russia In 1878
    • Romania: A Former Roman Province; Raw Materials (Coal, Iron Ore, Oil, Natural Gas)
    • Moldova: Agricultural
    • Ukraine: Largest And Most Populous; Agricultural And Natural Resources Available

 

  • Countries Facing The Adriatic Sea
    • Slovenia: First To Secede; Ethnically Most Homogeneous
    • Croatia
    • Bosnia: Centrally Positioned
    • Serbia: Largest And Most Populous
    • Macedonia: 65% Macedonian, 21% Albanian
    • Serbia-Montenegro
    • Albania: Remnant of Turkish Ottoman Empire; 70% Muslims; Lowest economic ranking in Europe