Unit 5 Europe: Physical Geography Terms & Definitons 2023/24

Arctic Ocean

is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately 5.427 million square miles and an average depth of 3,406 feet and is known as one of the coldest of oceans an took shape approximately 65 million years ago.

Atlantic Ocean

A body of salt water covering approximately one-fifth of Earth's surface and separating the continents of Europe and Africa to the east from those of North and South America to the west. In Europe, the Atlantic Ocean borders four countries, Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal.

Adriatic Sea

A body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea and is noted for its stunning blue and green hues, and its waters are home to a diverse range of marine life. Since ancient times, the Sea has played an essential part in the Croatian history, acting as a crucial transit and trading route.

Black Sea

A large inland sea situated at the southeastern extremity of Europe. It is bordered by Ukraine to the north and Turkey to the south. The roughly oval-shaped Black Sea occupies about 163,000 square miles with a maximum depth of more than 7,250 feet

Mediterranean Sea

A large, almost landlocked arm of the Atlantic Ocean touching Europe, Asia, and Africa, it covers an approximate area of 965,000 square miles with an average depth is 4,920 feet with the deepest recorded point is about 3.27 miles. It is one of the world's most culturally important bodies of water and for centuries, it has been the home and primary source of food for millions of people.As a result of its location between Africa, Asia and Europe, it is a primary trade route.

Alps Mountains

A mountain range in south-central Europe, Alps are the highest and most extensive mountain range that is entirely in Europe, stretching approximately 745 miles across eight Alpine countries: Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.

North Sea

A shallow, northeastern arm of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the British Isles and the mainland of northwestern Europe and covering an area of 220,000 square miles with an average depth of 1,000 feet

Northern European Plain

A vast lowland, tt occupies space in multiple European countries, mostly in Southern Scandinavia, Germany, Belgium, Poland, and the Czech Republic and is part of a larger geographical feature, called the European Plain. Its elevation is 500ft. below sea level, making it one of the lowest places in Europe.

Bay of Biscay

A wide inlet of the North Atlantic Ocean indenting the coast of western Europe. Forming a roughly triangular body with an area of about 86,000 square miles , it is bounded on the east by the west coast of France and on the south by the north coast of Spain. Its maximum depthis 15,525 feet

Baltic Sea

An arm of the North Atlantic Ocean, extending northward from the latitude of southern Denmark almost to the Arctic Circle and separating the Scandinavian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe and covers about 149,000 square miles

Iberian Peninsula

Europe's second-largest peninsula after the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the Pyrenees Mountains . Comprising of the countries of Spain and Portugal and has a total are 225,196 square miles and its highest elevation is 11411 feet

Thames

Flows through southern England including London and at 215 miles, it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom.

Seine River

Flows through the heart of Paris for 482 miles through France and into the English Channel. In Paris, the banks of the Seine are connected by a total of 37 bridges, including the Pont de l'Alma near the Eiffel Tower.

English Channel

Is a narrow arm of the Atlantic Ocean separating the southern coast of England from the northern coast of France and is 20.5-miles wide

Tagus River

It starts in Spain, flows through Portugal, and ends in the Atlantic Ocean. With a length of 626 miles, the Tagus River is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula.

Balkan Mountains

Name of the mountain range south of the Danube River, spreading across most of Bulgaria.They spread out eastward for about 330 miles into several spurs, rising to 7,795 feet at Botev peak, and breaking off abruptly at Cape Emine on the Black Sea.

Pyrenees

The Pyrenees mountain range separates the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe, stretching more than 267 miles between Spain and France and rising higher than 11,000 feet in elevation.

Strait of Gibraltar

This is the only natural link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. It is a narrow waterway that separates Spain (Europe) and Morocco (Africa)Europe from Africa by 8 miles and acts as a gateway into the Mediterranean Sea.

Danube River

This is the second-longest river in Europe and It flows for some 1,770 miles through much of Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest south into the Black Sea

Aegean Sea

an arm of the Mediterranean Sea located between the Greek peninsula on the west and Asia Minor on the east. About 380 miles long and 186 miles wide, it has a total area of some 83,000 square miles and the maximum depth of the Aegean is to be found east of Crete, where it reaches 11,627 feet