United Kingdom

Official name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Often called Great Britain
Four regions: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
English Channel separates Great Britain from Europe
England:
o Fertile plains
o Thames River helps with trade in London
Scotland, Wales: rough highlands and mountains
o Poor soil and cold climate=difficulties in farming
o Herd sheep
Economy:
o industrial and trading center
o Manufactured goods and machinery
o Service industries: banking, healthcare
o Energy sources: coal, oil, and natural gas
Government: constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy
Culture:
o 60 million people
o live in cities
o Speak English, Welsh, and Scottish Gaelic
o Protestant Christians along with Islam, Sikhism, and Hinduism
o Culture spread through the British Empire into Australia, Caribbean, and South Asia

Republic of Ireland:

Island of Ireland: British control Northern Ireland (Protestants) and Republic of Ireland rules
itself after winning independence in 1922
Lowland plain with rolling hills
Coastal areas: rocky highlands, cliffs
Regular rainfall: green fields
o Called Emerald Isle
Lots of peat; dug from bogs
Raise sheep and cattle
Grow vegetables, such as potatoes and sugar beets
Manufacturing: clothing, pharmaceuticals, computer equipment
Ancestry: Celts
Languages: Irish Gaelic and English
60% live in cities with 1/3 in Dublin
Culture: music, folk dancing
Strong Catholics want to unit with Protestant neighbors in Northern Ireland

Scandinavia

 Five nations: Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland

High standard of living
o Agriculture, manufacturing, and service industries
o Produce food the countries need
o Fishing (especially Iceland and Norway)
Mild climate as whole
o Northern Scandinavia is cold
Plains, mountains, forests, lakes
Less densely populated
o Some parts are too cold or mountainous
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland share many customs

Mainly Protestant Lutheran

Denmark, Norway, and Sweden are constitutional monarchies
Finland and Iceland are republics
Welfare states
Iceland:
o sits on two tectonic plates, creating hot springs and geysers
o About 200 volcanoes
o Geothermal energy
o Hydroelectric power

Norway:
o has many fjords, which provide fish
o oil, natural gas
Finland:
o Hydroelectric power
o Shipbuilding
o Wood
Sweden
o Nuclear energy, oil
o Iron ore
o Wood
Denmark
o Shipbuilding
o Center of trade
o High population density

France

Has the Northern European Plain, high mountain ranges, and the Loire and Seine Rivers
Mild climate and rich soil=good farming
o Grow grapes
o Use milk to make cheese (famous)

Industry: cars, chemicals, textiles, processed foods, computers

Tourism: Alps, castles, beaches
Ancestors: Celts, Romans, and Germanic peoples
Religions: Roman Catholic, Islam
60.7 million people
Live in urban areas, with 1o million in Paris
Culture: cooking, fashion, film, art, museums, and more
Democratic republic: president (elected by people) appoints the prime minister

Benelux Countries: Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg

Flat, low land

Densely populated
Live in cities, work in factories or businesses
High standard of living
Parliamentary democracies; monarchs are heads of state
Belgium: little resources, trade, manufacturing
o Three regions: Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels (bilingual)
o Brussels: capital of European Union
Netherlands: people are called Dutch
o 25% of country is below sea level so build banks of soil to control it
o Have rich farming soil in polders
o Amsterdam is capital
o Service industries, trade, manufacturing
Export cheese, vegetables, and flowers
Luxemburg: small
o Center of finance and trade
o Home to multinational companies
o Mixed French and German background

Germany

Flat Northern European Plain

Rocky highlands: rich coal deposits
Majestic Alps: forests threatened by acid rain
Rivers transport raw materials and manufactured goods
Danube River and Elbe River and Rhine River*
Deeply involved in Europes wars
Sparked twp. world wars in effort to dominate Europe
Federal republic
Elected president is head of state, but chancellor (chosen by parliament) is real head of
government
82.5 million people
90% live in urban areas

Berlin: largest and capital with museums ,concerts, and theaters

Bach and Beethoven are from here
Mostly native Germans
Global economic power in EU
Highly productive agriculture: fertile land, mile climate
Industry: leading producer of steel, chemicals, cars, and electrical equipment
Challenge: reunification of East and West Germany in 1990:East had less experience with
modern technology so many businesses closed

Alpine Countries: Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, and more

Liechtenstein: only 62 square miles; 40,000 people

Switzerland:
o stable democratic government
o rugged mountains isolates people
Each town has unique traditions
o German, French, Italian, and Romansch are four national languages
o Few natural resources
o Lots of industry: hydroelectric power, electronics, chemicals, fine clocks and watches;
excellent chocolate and cheese
o banking
o Neutrality during wars
Austria:
o Alps cover most of it; little farmland
o Attracts skiers
o Valuable timber and iron ore
o Hydroelectric power
o Produce machinery, chemicals, metals, vehicles
o Strong banking and insurance companies
o Speak German and are mainly Catholic
o Vienna: 1/5 live there ; center of culture and learning
o Concerts, historic palaces, churches

Spain

The Meseta (dry plateau surrounded by mountain ranges) covers most of Spain
o Poor soil and scarce rain
o Use dry farming to grow wheat and vegetables
Use irrigation to grow citrus fruits, olives, and grapes
Manufacturing and service industries are important
o Foods, clothing, steel, cars, and footwear
Tourism: castles, cathedrals, beaches on the Mediterranean
Cultural traditions: bullfighting, flamenco dancing
Speak Spanish
Some distinct groups

Ruled by dictator; became democracy in late 1970s

43.5 million people
Madrid, Barcelona (seaport, industrial center)
Mainly Roman Catholic and growing number of Muslims

Portugal

Low coastal plain

Grow crops: grapes, oak trees
Live in small villages on coast near Lisbon and Porto
Fishing
Sea power
Democratic government
Economy is growing stronger with subsidies
Manufacturing and service industries are more important

Italy

The Alps, Apennine Mountains, and volcanoes are found throughout Italy
Po River valley in northern Italy: good farming
o Grow grapes and olives; raise livestock
Industrial economy: cars, clothing, appliances, and more
Southern Italy: less industrialized; mountainous; few minerals
58.7 million people
Live in urban areas
Democratic republic
Speak Italian
Mainly Roman Catholic
o Vatican City is within Romes boundaries, but is a separate country

Greece

Mainland with 2,000 islands

Has earthquakes
Mountains and poor soil=little farming
Raise sheep and goats in highlands
Grow some wheat and olives in plains and valleys
Industries: footwear, chemicals, textiles, shipping
Tourism: Parthenon and other historic sites
60% live in urban areas; 1/3 in Athens (capital)
Greek Orthodox
Democratic republic