Regional Study 3 Western and Eastern Europe

1
Regional Study 3Western and Eastern Europe

• A Continent in Transition

2
European Overview

• Covers over 3.8 million square miles
• Second smallest continent
• Separated from Asia by the Ural Mountains of
  Russia and bounded by sea to the north, west, and
  south
• Chain of mountains, the Pyrenees, Alps, and
  Carpathians stretch across the continent west to
  east
• Separates the rugged lands that fringe the island
  filled Mediterranean Sea from the North European
  Plain, a belt of flat land that extends from the
  English Channel to the Urals
• Farther north lie the broad, glacier-carved
  Scandinavian Peninsula and the large islands of
  Great Britain, Ireland and Iceland

3
European Overview

• Europe is located on the western side of the
  Eurasian Plate and beneath Mediterranean Sea, the
  plate is colliding with the African Plate and the
  smaller Anatolian Plate
• Southern Europe has quite a few earthquakes
  because of this movement

4
European Climate

• Polar winds bring cold weather to northern Europe
  but a warm ocean current called the Gulf Stream
  helps create more temperate conditions in the
  west
• Eastern interior experiences more extreme
  weather, very cold winters and hot summers
• Southern Europe is protected from the northerly
  winds by the Alps, so it has warm, dry summers
  and mild, wet winters
• Rainfall is uniformly distributed across Europe,
  but by the time the currents reach Eastern
  Europe, northeast of the Black sea, much of the
  moisture is gone

5
Vegetation of Europe

• Most of western and central Europe were once
  covered with broadleaf deciduous forests of oak,
  ash, elm, beech, and birch
• Boreal forests of fir, spruce, and pine still
  cloak extensive ares of Scandinavia and
  northwestern Russia, giving way in the far north
  to tundra
• Steppe grasslands cover dry areas of the east
• In the far south, on the shore of the
  Mediterranean Sea, the sparse woodlands and scrub
  are common
• Emissions from the many cars, trucks, and
  factories in Europe have led to problems with air
  pollution and acid rain over a large part of the
  continent

6
Pollution in Europe

• Land and water pollution from fertilizers,
  pesticides, and industrial waste is also
  widespread
• Since 1960s, the amount of forest area in Western
  and Central Europe has increased, but nearly 60
  are damaged due to acidification, pollution,
  drought, or fires
• Overfishing, especially in the North Sea, is a
  serious problem for marine ecosystems

7
Pollution in Europe

• 50 out of 69 rivers are in poor ecological
  quality
• 85 of the coastline is threatened by development
• 1/3 of global greenhouse gas emissions,
  especially in Eastern Europe
• Czech Republic has the continents highest levels
  of industrial waste
• Moldovia has the highest levels of organic water
  pollutants
• 260 species are on the brink of extinction and
  the populations of 1/3 of bird species are in
  decline

8
Improvements in Recent Years

• Recent legislation has resulted in significant
  progress in reducing pollution
• Greenhouse emissions have fallen 2 between
  1990-1998
• Carbon dioxide emissions declined 8 in Eastern
  Europe between 1990-2000
• Use of pesticides have declined in Eastern Europe
  and phosphorous discharges have dropped by 50 to
  80 in western Europe in the past 20 years
• Levels of heavy metals, including mercury in seas
  fell by 80 in the 1990s.
• Protected areas grow each year and Western Europe
  legislation has protected over 54 million acres
  of farmland

9
People of Europe

• Europe has a population of about 720 million and
  has been one of the most densely populated areas
  in the world
• Thousands of years of migrations, invasions, wars
  and changing alliances have made the cities
  architecture, art, languages, cultures and people
  diverse
• 42 nations as well as the Eastern Thrace region
  of Turkey and eastern part of Russian Federation,
  often referred to as European Turkey and European
  Russia
• Standards of living tend to be high, particularly
  in the northwest
• Natural resources are high

10
Language Groups of Western Europe

• 2 chief Indo-European language groups Romance
  and Germanic
• French and Italian are Romance languages along
  with Spanish, Romanian and Portuguese
• German, English are Germanic
• Slavic Languages are separate category

11
Western Europe

• Ireland, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden,
  Iceland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, France,
  Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain Norway,
  Greece, Portugal, Denmark, Austria
• 3 sides by water North by Arctic Ocean, South
  by Mediterranean Sea and East by Atlantic Ocean.
• North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Celtic Sea, English
  Channel and Bay of Biscay flow into one another
  off of the west coast of Europe and the Baltic
  Sea separates Germany from Sweden

12
Western Europe

• North European Plain Region (UK, German, most of
  France, some of Spain, part of Norway and all
  countries between Germany and France) have a
  marine west coast climate
• Temperatures fairly warm and rainfall steady
• Mediterranean Climate (southern France, southern
  Italy, southern Spain, Portugal and Greece) hot,
  dry summers and mild, moist winters

13
Religions of Europe

• Primarily Catholic in Western Europe France,
  Spain, Italy, Ireland, Poland
• Protestant in most of Germany (where Reformation
  began), Scandinavia region, Great Britain
• Orthodox in Russia, Greece
• Sunni Islam Turkey, Middle East

14
Human Impact on Europe

• Early population growth and subsistence farming
  began around 4000 BC increased with the iron plow
  and commercial farming in the Middle Ages
• Grew with industry of 18th Century, known as
  birthplace of the Industrial Revolution
• Humans have removed over half of the continents
  original forest, along with large areas of
  natural steppe grasslands
• Humans have modified about 65 of Europes
  surfacedouble of any other continent

15
Abundant Resources

• Europes resources include fossil fuels, reliable
  supplies of fresh water, and arable land
• Fertile in west, center and southeast produce
  large amounts of cereals (20 of worlds supply),
  root crops (including 2/3 of worlds potatoes),
  fruit, and livestock products
• Dairy and beef cattle dominate in the north
• South has farms of olives, grapes, citrus fruits,
  sheep and goats
• Half of the worlds steel, 1/3 of chemicals and
  many consumer goods
• ½ of the worlds exports and imports

16
Western European Economies

• Benefited from close proximity to water
• Shipping and trade significant along with
  colonization
• Unified by geography, cooperative banking system,
  a shared transportation system, no trade barriers
  and under European Union it is hoped to unify
  currency with Euro Dollar

17
European Economies

• Western Europe is a consolidation of high tech,
  market-driven, globally connected economies
• Manufacturing and commercial agriculture are
  dominant
• Crucial to continental economic integration is
  the European Union of 25 member nations whose
  combined economic power is in line with US and
  Russia

18
British Isles

• United Kingdom (UK) are the three countries of
  England, Scotland and Wales plus northern Ireland
• Great Britain are England, Scotland and Wales
• England is the central power of UK- monarchy and
  parliament based here (London)

19
Englands Climate

• Cool and moist
• Sky often gray
• Rains Regularly
• 3 areas Highlands, hills that run along
  Englands west coast, Midlands most densely
  populated and a lot of coal, Lowlands southern
  and eastern England fertile soil and home of
  farms and cow pastures
• Center of Industry, London is a natural seaport
• River Thames that runs through London polluted as
  a result

20
Scotland and Wales

• Honor Queen and send representatives to
  Parliament
• Certain degrees of independence such as language
• Scotland has own system of laws and educational
  system
• Scotland has Highlands with moors (plains) and
  bogs. Fishing and sheep herding in this area.
  Central Lowlands most populous

21
Wales and Northern Ireland

• Has Highlands and Lowlands as well, but more rain
• Economy Wales mining and industry along with
  computers
• Northern Ireland source of religious conflict
  with Catholics and Protestants leading to rise in
  independence

22
Nordic Nations

• Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark
• Called Scandinavia or Norden
• Mostly Lutheran
• Arctic conditions
• Midnight Sun summers last for 20 hours and
  short, winters are long and dark
• Climate moderate west coast due to warm currents
  of the North Atlantic
• Moderate temperature below Arctic Circle

23
Nordic Nations

• Iceland Land of Ice and Fire very volcanic and
  a lot of ice
• Use geothermal energy
• Standard of Living in these nations highest in
  the worldall have mixed economies, high taxes,
  but government provides day care, health care and
  college education
• Neutral nations in international disputes
• Fishing and agriculture very important,
  particularly whale hunting in Norway

24
European Unity

• Economies of Europe are intertwined
• Railroads, highways and waterways run across
  borders
• The Chunnel, 31 mile long tunnel that was dug
  beneath the English Channel. People can travel
  by high-speed train from England to France
• These things along with the European Union has
  made Europe closer to one another
• Some are afraid of losing national identity and
  inequalities of EU members

25
France

• France has mixed economy, name comes from Franks,
  Germanic tribe
• Paris artistic, economic, and political capital
  of France
• Diverse regions remain united by language and
  culture
• Each region has its own specialty and contributes
  to French economy
• Recently unemployment reached 14 due to
  immigration of many North Africans

26
France

• Paris is not just the capital of France, but a
  world capital for style and fashion
• 1800s art style called impressionism was born in
  Paris. Monet, Renoir and Degas painted natural
  everyday scenes and worked outdoors. They tried
  to catch first impressions

27
Germany

• After World War I economic decline and racism led
  to rise of Hitler and Nazis
• After World War II, Germany divided by Berlin
  Wall, part of Iron Curtain and reunited in 1990
• Land rugged mountains in the south, hills, low
  mountains and tall plateaus in the center and
  flat plains in the north
• Central Ruhr Valley is base of Germanys
  industrial activity, manufactures steel, iron,
  uses coal to power factories, which causes
  pollution, particularly in the east.

28
Germany Economy

• One of first industrialized nations
• Center of culture, art, music, philosophy and
  science
• Capitalism
• Western Germany used loans from U.S. to rebuild
  quickly after World War II and produced steel,
  automobiles, machinery, electronics and chemicals
• Reunification there was a fear that Germany
  would build up its military
• Eastern German factories tend to be old and many
  do not have jobs, economy as a whole has weakened
  because the west has been giving aid

29
BENELUX Countries

• Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg (BE NE LUX)
• Low countries
• Belgium call selves the Walloons-French
  speaking people that make up 30 of population
• Largest group in Belgium Flemish 55
• Flemish and French official languages
• Government decentralized to regional power
• BENELUX Economic Union is a trade pact owned by
  Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg

30
Netherlands

• Holland
• 1/3 of country below sea level sometimes called
  Dutch
• Elaborate system of canals that allow them to
  drain water from the land, pump it out to sea and
  then block its return with huge dikes
• Reclaimed land is called polders
• Rotterdam and Amsterdam are port cities on
  polders
• 2 capitals in Amsterdam and the Hague

31
Luxembourg

• Smallest country-smaller than Rhode Island
• 2nd highest per capita GNP in the world
• Manufacturer of steel and diversified economy in
  manufacturing, computers and services
• Hydroelectric

32
Switzerland and Austria

• Both neutral and not part of NATO
• Both are in the Alps
• Switzerland very ethnically diverse-Confederation
  of 26 cantons each have particular religions,
  customs, economic activities and languages
• Majority speak German, but many speak French and
  Italian
• Hydroelectric
• Dairy farming importantchocolate and watches
• Has more than 3,000 miles of railroad
• Austria high in iron ore, hydroelectric

33
Mediterranean Europe

• Spain and Portugal form Iberian Peninsula
  separated from rest of Europe by Pyrenees Mts.
• Very close to Africa, 30 miles Strait of
  Gibraltar, where ships go through to get to
  Mediterranean
• Spain and Portugal colonized extensively
• Spain territory varied North coast rains after
  Sirocco, hot wind that blows over SE Spain from
  N. Africa makes region semi-arid
• Much of Spain has plateaus, many rivers, but only
  a few are navigable or deep enough for ships
• Spain is 1 of 4 European countries with
  coastlines on Mediterranean Sea along with
  France, Italy and Greece
• Madrid is central hub, has one of largest
  ranching and grazing areas in Europe
• Focus on industry

34
Basques and other Ethnic Groups in Spain

• NE region of Spain
• About 1 million
• Basque Language not related to any other
  language in Europe
• Many want separation from Spain
• Around Barcelona are the Catalonians who speak a
  mixture of French and Spanish
• Portugal, capital Lisbon is in coastal country,
  fairly damp, fertile soil and has also shifted to
  industry

35
Italy

• Once center of Roman Empire
• After fall of Rome, many independent city-states
  until mid 1800s, united in 1861
• Northern Italy European Italy
• Alps, Venice and fertile agricultural center of
  the Po Valley10 of work force
• Central Italy is where Rome, Florence, Bologna
  and Vatican City are located
• Vatican City separate country because it is the
  center of the Roman Catholic Church and home of
  the Pope
• Florence birthplace of the Renaissance
• Bologna is a food and agricultural center

36
Italy

• Central and Southern Regions of Italy volcanic,
  Alps block the cold
• Southern Region Mezzogiorno, largest city is
  Naples
• Some of the worst unemployment in Europe in
  Southern Italy

37
Greece

• Athens once home of Greek Civilization
• Middle AgesTurkish Empire controlled it until
  1830 when Greece became independent
• Many mountains and rocky soil
• Wheat and grains can grow on coastal plains
• Economy relies on sea, fishing, shipbuilding and
  trade
• One of worlds largest commercial fishing fleets
  and ailing important transportationGreece has
  many tiny islands
• Largest island is Crete where Minos civilization
  was
• Island result of tectonic activity
• Susceptible to volcanic activity and earthquakes
• Solar energy used extensively
• 1/3 of population lives in and around Athens

38
Eastern Europe

• Area of ethnic fighting
• Centrally located
• After World War II, location of Eastern Europe
  between Soviet Union and Western Europe forced
  nations of region to act as a buffer
• 2/3 are descended from Slavs who settles around
  Carpathian Mts. 2,000 years ago
• Magyars arrived in Hungarian Basin from Asia
• Breadbasket of Europe is eastern Hungary

39
Eastern Europe

• Variety of religions Muslim, Orthodox
  Christian, and Roman Catholic
• Languages are Slavic
• 1989 Reunification of Germany and the breaking
  up of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia
• Czech Republic and Slovakia, Yugoslavia, Serbia,
  Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and
  Slovenia
• Communist governments oppressive, restrictive and
  closed borders

40
Danube River

• 4 capital cities of Eastern Europe formed along
  Danube River Vienna, Austria, Bratislava,
  Slovakia, Budapest, Hungary, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
• Important to Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary
  and Macedonia because they are landlocked

41
Russia and the New Republics

• Before 1917, agricultural
• Expansive grassland, known as steppes, farming
• Russia biggest country in the world
• Entire United States could fit into Russia with
  room left over for Western Europe
• North to South covers 2,800 miles
• East to West covers 5,600 miles
• Stretches 11 time zones
• People in west are waking up when the eastern
  edge is having dinner
• Huge, low plains divided by Ural Mts.
• Russia has polar climate in far north and full of
  ice most of the time
• Permafrost, land never melts

42
Russia

• Most of Russia has a continental climate that is
  the seasons are sharply different
• Simmers are warm but short
• Winters are long and very cold
• Just enough rain for forests
• In north most trees are evergreens, south are
  elms and maples
• Ports of Russia freeze in winter and this has
  limited Russias contacts with the world and
  restricted trade and economic growth
• Land expansion goal was to get control of
  warm-water ports

43
Siberia

• Twice the size of European Russia
• Cold winters and short summers
• Forests
• Siberia used as a prison
• Many resources coal, tin, oil, iron, diamonds
• Steel mills, chemical factories and science
  centers

44
Russia

• Russians are Slavic and Vikings settled there too
  and adopted Slavic customs
• Rurik, Viking prince source of Russian name by
  many, others say a Slavic group Rukhs-as
• First kingdom in late 800s in Kiev on Dneiper
  River
• Mongols invaded in A.D.1238 and ruled for 250
  years
• Muscovy or Moscow grew as Mongols weakened in 1480

45
U.S.S.R.

• Ivan the Third called himself Czar or emperor
• By 1800s, Czar ruled empire from Arctic Ocean to
  the Black Sea
• 1917 Communist Revolution and government
  controlled lifecollective farms
• Revolution came about because of the oppressive
  rule of the czars
• Communist changed the name of Russia to the Union
  of Soviet Socialist Republics or U.S.S.R
• Soviets feared outside forces so concentrated on
  army and to ensure no enemies from within
  organized the secret police, Committee of State
  Security, KGB

46
New Revolution

• 1980s economy was failing in U.S.S.R
• 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev came to power and tried to
  change the Soviet system
• Glasnost openness for people to say what they
  thought without fear
• Perestroika restructuring people could start
  private business
• Ethnic groups grew restless
• 1992 elections held and Communists lost power
• Republics began declaring independence
• New Commonwealth of Independent States
• Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia did not join

47
St. Petersburg

• Considered crown jewel of Russia and is a
  cultural center
• Home of Russias ballet dancers and writers
• Czar Peter the Great ordered its construction in
  1703 and became capital in 1712 for 200 years
• Peter the Great named it for the patron saint
• During WWI, the name changed to Petrograd and
  Soviets named it Leningrad
• 1991 changed back to St. Petersburg

48
Former soviet States

• Soviet Union was made up of 15 separate republics
  or states
• 12 of these formed the Commonwealth of
  Independent States
• To establish common rules for all states in areas
  of economics, foreign relations and military
• There is a current push for privatization of
  farms, factories and businesses

49
Baltic States

• Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on edge of Baltic
  Sea
• Milder climate than Russia and ports do not
  freeze and are open for trade all year
• Most developed areas of Soviet Union
• All 3 have well educated work force and ½ of
  people live in cities

50
Baltic States

• Latvia Russians and Belarussians make up about
  39 of population
• Estonia Russians are a large minority
• Russian is widely spoken
• Latvia has no natural resources, so it imports
  raw materials
• Latvia produces steel, ships, cement, fertilizer,
  and textiles
• Estonia is near Finland and most of the people
  are Finns
• Estonia has high standard of living and strong
  agriculture
• Lithuania was part of Poland once and about 7
  are Polish, most are Roman Catholic
• Lithuania has shipbuilding and manufacturing

51
Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova

• Ukraine Little Russia Belarussians related to
  Russians
• Belo in Russian is white
• Belarus and Ukraine are agricultural Potatoes,
  beets and other roots grow in Belarus, sometimes
  called the land of potatoes
• Minsk is important in production of machines,
  tools and goods

52
Ukraine

• 3rd largest republic
• 2nd highest population
• Wheat and grains known as breadbasket of the
  Soviet Union due to rich dark soil called
  chernozem
• 25 of Soviet Unions industrial goods produced
  in Ukraine
• Rich resources oil, natural gas and iron
• Hydroelectric power

53
Ukrain

• 12.3 million acres of land affected by radiation
  that leaked into the air and land at Chernobyl
• Vegetation and people as far as Germany affected
  including genetic mutations, birth defects and
  cancer

54
Moldova

• Ruled by Turks and then Russians
• Joined Romania briefly after World War I
• Most Moldovians call themselves Romanian
• Language is Romanian
• Large population of Ukrainians and Russians

55
Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan

• Rural villagers in the Caucasus Mts.
• Tend to live long lives, many live to be more
  than 100 years old
• Historically these republics have been more
  influenced by Turkey and Iran than Russia
• Most are not Slavic

56
Georgia

• Georgians have been warriors and hunters, most
  Kartvelians with some turke, Greeks, Armenians,
  Ossets and Kurds
• Most are Georgian Orthodox
• Farmers with orchards of cherries, apricots,
  grapes and other fruit
• Grain and dairy as well

57
Armenia

• First kingdom to make Christianity its official
  religion in A.D.314
• Education important
• Large pool of trained, educated workers
• Physics Institute and other science centers
• Soviet doctors, engineers and astronomers trained
  here
• Long conflict with Azerbaijan over religion
  because Azerbaijan is Muslim
• 1988 Armenia had a devastating earthquake

58
Azerbaijan

• Between Armenia and Caspian Sea
• Mostly Azeris, Turkish people with strong ties to
  Persia (Iran)
• Crafts such as carpet weaving, metalworking, wood
  carving and jewelry making

59
Central Asian Nations of Former U.S.S.R.

• Kazakstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzsten
  and Tajikistan
• Mostly TurkishAzeir, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkish,
  Uzbek, Yakut
• Russians a minority in all
• Low-lying grassland and desert
• Nomadic herding tradition and living in huge,
  round tents called yiuts
• Forced to live in villages under Soviets and work
  in industries

60
Poland

• Nationalism high
• Homogenous
• Polish and Roman Catholic
• Many Jews in Poland before WWII
• Ghetto minority group forced to live in
  confined area
• 1980 Solidarity Labor Union pushed for reforms
• 1989 Communism fell and new President elected in
  1990
• High unemployment and inflation
• Resources Coal and sulfur
• 75 of work in factories
• Countryside fertile soil

61
Balkan Peninsula

• 4 Climate Regions Mediterranean along water,
  Humid Subtropical north, Marine West Coast, Humid
  Continental in east
• Thick forests
• High acid rain in north due to industry
• Alps along Adriatic Sea and Hungarian Basin
• Temperate grasslands in west
• Includes countries of Croatia, Albania, Bulgaria,
  Montenegro, F.Y.R.O. Macedonia, Greece,
  Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia

62
Balkan Peninsula

• Balkanize to break up into small, mutually
  hostile political units
• Serious ethnic conflict
• Yugoslavia mad up of hostile ethnic groups after
  World War I
• Soon after Yugoslavia turned from Communism in
  1990, violence erupted
• Nations of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia,
  Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro formed
• Serbia and Montenegro remained together and
  referred to selves as Yugoslavia
• Slovenia wealthiest of republics and first to
  secede from Yugoslavia

63
Balkan Peninsula

• 1992 brutal ethnic clash with Serbians, Croats
  and Bosnians in Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Ethnic Cleansing of Bosnians lasted until 1996
  by Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic because he
  did not want Bosnian region to secede from
  Yugoslavia
• Kosovo in Serbian followed and Milosevic attacked
  Albanians in Kosovo

64
Albania

• Europes Hermit
• Self-imposed isolation from rest of the world
• Transition from Communism very difficult and
  people extremely poor
• 1990s food scarcity caused bread riots

65
Czech and Slovak Republics

• Communist Czechoslovakia after World War II
• Velvet Revolution election of democratic
  parliament to replace Communist rule without a
  struggle in 1993
• First Prime Minister of Czech Republic
  philosopher and playwright, Vaclav Haval
• Free Market System
• Economy based on industry which causes pollution

66
Slovakia

• Manufacturing and agriculture
• Redistributing land to people biggest challenge
• Both areas fairly mountainous
• Eastern region of Czech republic known as Bohemia
• Western half of Czech Republic is Moravia
• Divided in half by mountains
• Rest of land plateaus
• Carpathian Mts. Define Czech Republics northern
  border