Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________

Physical Geography of Europe

Section 1

Landforms and Resources

Terms and Names
fjord a steep, glacier-carved, U-shaped valley that connects to the sea
upland a hill or low mountain that may also contain a mesa and high plateau
Meseta central plateau of Spain
Massif Central uplands in France; about one-sixth of French land
peat partially decayed plant matter found in bogs; it is used as fuel

Before You Read

In the last chapter, you read about issues regarding resources and politics
in Latin America. In this section, you will learn how Europe’s landforms
and resources shape Europe’s economy and life.

As You Read
Use a chart to take notes on the landforms and resources of Europe.

PENINSULAS AND ISLANDS boot-shaped Italian Peninsula. The Balkan

(Pages 273–274) Peninsula is very mountainous. The
Why might Europe be called a Adriatic, Mediterranean, and Aegean seas
“peninsula of peninsulas”? surround it.
Europe is a large peninsula west of Europe also has many islands. The
Asia. It contains many smaller peninsulas. larger islands are Great Britain, Ireland,
Europe is sometimes called a “peninsula Iceland, and Greenland. The smaller
of peninsulas.” Most locations in Europe islands include Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily,
are no more than 300 miles from the sea. and Crete.
In the north is the Scandinavian 1. What are the five major peninsulas of
Peninsula. It is home to Norway and Europe?
Sweden. The Norwegian Sea, the North
Sea, and the Baltic Sea surround this Europe
peninsula. Glaciers moved across the Norway germany
Scandinavian Peninsula during the last Ice sweden denmark
Age. In Norway, the glaciers carved out
fjords, deep U-shaped valleys connected MOUNTAINS AND UPLANDS
to the sea. (Pages 274–275)
Across from Scandinavia is the Jutland Why might the mountains and uplands
Peninsula. Jutland forms the largest part of of Europe be viewed as walls?
Denmark and a small part of Germany. The mountains and uplands of Europe
Southern Europe contains three major separate groups of people and make
peninsulas. The Iberian Peninsula is home travel difficult. These landforms also
to Spain and Portugal. Italy occupies the influence the climate. For example, the

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Section 1, continued

Alps block cold winds, which makes 3. How have rivers affected life in
Italy warmer. Europe?
The Alps arc across France, Germany, better transport to receive things from
Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and the different parts of the world.
northern Balkan Peninsula. The Alps cut
Italy off from the rest of Europe.
The Pyrenees make it hard to move
from France to Spain and Portugal. The FERTILE PLAINS: EUROPE’S
Apennine Mountains divide the Italian BOUNTY (Page 275)
Peninsula from east to west. The Balkan Where does Europe grow its food?
Mountains separate the Balkan Peninsula One of the most fertile regions of the
from the rest of Europe. They also isolated world is the Northern European Plain. It
the region’s various ethnic groups from has good farmland that has produced vast
each other. quantities of food over the centuries. But
Europe also has several regions of the plain’s flatness allowed invaders to use
uplands. Uplands are hills or low it as an easy route into Europe.
mountains that may also contain mesas or Smaller fertile plains exist in Sweden,
high plateaus. The Meseta, Spain’s central Hungary, and northern Italy. These, too,
plateau, is an upland region. So is the are farming regions.
Massif Central, which makes up about 4. Why has the Northern European Plain
one-sixth of France. been both useful and dangerous?
2. How do mountains and uplands affect becuase that is where most people
the movement of people and goods? was put to rest and all battles took
place there.
mountains have alps.

RESOURCES SHAPE EUROPE’S

ECONOMY (Pages 276–277)
RIVERS: EUROPE’S LINKS (Page 275) What are Europe’s primary resources?
What are two of Europe’s major Europe has abundant supplies of coal
rivers? and iron ore. Having both of these
The rivers that cross Europe help resources makes it possible to produce
bring people and goods together. Rivers steel. One negative result is that regions
are used to transport goods to the coast. with industry often suffered from pollution.
This aids economic growth. Historically, In 1959, oil and natural gas were found
they have also aided the movement of beneath the stormy North Sea. Even so,
ideas. technology made it possible to build oil
The Danube and Rhine rivers have rigs there. Now the North Sea is a major
served as waterways for centuries. The source of petroleum.
Rhine flows 820 miles from the center of About 33 percent of Europe’s land can
Europe to the North Sea. The Danube be used for farming. The land produces
touches 9 countries over its 1,771-mile crops such as grains, grapes, olives, and
length. It links Europe to the Black Sea. cork. Timber is cut from vast forests.
These rivers helped to connect Europe to These forests are on the Scandinavian
the rest of the world. Peninsula and in the Alps.

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Section 1, continued

5. How did the presence of coal and The distribution of resources causes
iron contribute to pollution in some differences between regions. Ireland lacks
regions? energy sources. In Ireland, peat beds are
to use as gas and warmth cut up and burned for fuel. In contrast,
coal is plentiful in other parts of Europe.
For example, Poland has had coal mines
for generations.
6. How do resources affect the jobs
RESOURCES SHAPE LIFE (Page 277)
people have?
Why do the Irish cut peat?
The resources found in Europe helped becuase some can be called
shape the lives of Europeans. Resources dangerous.
affect food, fuel, jobs, and housing.

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Section 1, continued

Use the chart below to take notes on the landforms of Europe.

Landforms of Europe
1. northern peninsulas 2. southern peninsulas

3. islands 4. mountain chains

5. uplands 6. rivers and fertile plains

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144 Guided Reading Workbook