Social. Studies: Western Europe Lesson 1. Physical Geography of Western Europe.
What runs through the rock under the water?
A tunnel. Called the CHUNNEL, it houses a high-speed train that connects Britain to mainland Europe.
Fun Fact! (May need to know) Connects to up above!
In some places the melting glaciers left behind fertile soil, but also thick layers of sand and gravel. Ocean waves, currents, and winds have eroded these deposits into sand dunes along some of the North Sea coastline. The glaciers also left behind areas of poorly drained wetlands along the North Sea and Atlantic coasts in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
What country occupies all but Northeastern section of the island of Ireland?
Ireland, or Eire.
Fun facts about mountain heights! (May need to know)
Pico de Aneto-the tallest mountain in the Pyrenees- reaches a height of 11,169 feet (3,404 m). The average height of the Pyrenees, however, is only about 5,300 feet (1,615 m).
What things have broken dikes?
Stormy seas, however, have broken dikes and caused flooding in recent times.
Fact! (May need to know)
The Netherlands sits at a low elevation-25% of the country is below sea level.
The North Sea is part of what ocean?
The North Sea is part of the ATLANTIC OCEAN but shallower.
What sea is separating The island of Britain from the rest of Europe?
The North Sea, is a rough, dangerous body of water to navigate.
Much of Western Europe lies within in a area called?
The Northern European Plain. France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and most of Germany are located on this plain.
What mountain range form a natural barrier between France and Spain?
The Pyrenees
What mountain range to the east lie in the alps?
The Pyrenees
Alps fact! (May need to know)
The alps are much larger and higher than the Pyrenees.
How far do the Alps extend?
The alps extend about 750 miles (1,207 km) along the southeastern border of France through Switzerland, Austria, and Germany.
What are polders?
This land is used for farming and settlement.
Fun fact! (May need to know this) Connects to up above!
This mountain range stretches 270 miles (435 km) from east to west.
In addition to the ships that travel the route, what else passes beneath this waterway?
Trains pass beneath this waterway.
The English Channel is a busy sea route connecting the North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. True or false?
True
Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg are often referred to as the Benelux Countries. True or false?
True.
The Alps and Pyrenees are geologically younger than other mountainous areas in Western Europe that have been worn down by glaciers. True or false?
True.
The Dutch call the land they reclaim from the sea polders. True or false?
True.
The North Sea also has a rich fishing ground for the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. True or false?
True.
To ADAPT the Dutch have build DIKES. True or false?
True.
What is are dikes?
Dikes are walls or barriers to hold back the water.
Fun fact! (May need to know) Connects to up above!
Both mountain ranges did use the cooler climates of the North form the warm, dry climate of the Mediterranean region to the south.
How were the alps created?
Like the Pyrenees, the Alps were created by the folding of rocks as a result of plate tectonics. Then these mountains were further shaped by glaciers.
What shaped most of Northern European Plain?
Massive sheets of ice shaped Northern European Plain during the last ice age, which ended about 11,000 years ago.
What is the tallest mountain in the alps?
Mont Blanc, at 15,771 feet (4,807 m).
What 2 mountains and highlands separate Western Europe from neighboring nations in Southern Europe?
Pyrenees, and the Alps.
Just off the Northern coast of France lie?
The British Isles, or the Atlantic Archipelago-the islands of Britain and Ireland.
Which ocean is the English Channel part of?
The English Channel is part of the ATLANTIC OCEAN that separates southern England from northern France.
The North Sea has helped but also hindered the Dutch, the people of the Netherlands. Tue or false?
True.
The North Sea has long been important for trade between the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. It is also the location of large oil and natural gas reserves. True or false?
True.
The most extensive is a plateau called the Middle Rhine Highlands in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. It's highest elevations are about 3,000 feet (914 m). True or false?
True.
Western Europe also includes the tiny countries of Monaco and Liechtenstein, which have a combined population of fewer than 70,000 people. True or false?
True.
Western Europe comprises the following nations: Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, and Switzerland. True or false?
True.
Western Europe has long, irregular coastlines that touch many bodies of water, including the Atlantic Ocean and the North, Baltic, and the Mediterranean seas. This closeness to the sea has long shaped European life. True or false?
True.
Western Europes landscapes consists of what?
Western Europes landscapes consists of plains with mountains cutting through some places. Shaped by wind, water, and ice, these landforms have influenced the lives of the regions peoples.
Are each main island is its own country?
You might think each main island is its own country, but that's not the case. There are 4 parts of the United Kingdom: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, is the northeastern section of Ireland.
