| World Regional Geography: The New Global Order Update, 2/e Michael Bradshaw,
College of St. Mark and John
Europe
Chapter OutlineUse this outline to increase
your understanding of the important characteristics of Europe. - First World Core -- The
modern world economic system was established in this region. Trading
and colonial activities spread European culture and political systems globally.
Europe's countries are divided into six subregions.
- Challenge and Change
-- The process of overcoming economic, political, cultural, and environmental
challenges made Western Europe into a region of great significance.
- Division and Integration
-- Early groups, like the Celts, Greeks, Romans, Germanic tribes, and Moors,
laid the foundations of national borders and territories.
- Europe Goes Global
--The Vikings, feudalism, and exploration and discovery of the wider world
were important to Europe.
- Industrial Revolution
-- Increased trade, growing demand, and technologic advances in Europe expanded
industry into new products and increased production.
- World Wars and Global
Economic Changes -- Damage from the world wars was substantial and the United
States and Japan became new economic leaders, but Europe remains very significant.
Heavy industry is replaced by light industry and services.
- Expanding Europe --
Efforts to create links between European countries lead to a series of organizations
including NATO and the European Union. Negotiations concerning membership
for countries in Eastern and Balkan Europe are recent issues.
- World Issue: European
Union -- The EU grew out of the desire to prevent another major war by linking
European economies together. Economically very successful, member countries
are dealing with the issue of how much political and social control to give
up to the EU.
- Natural Environment --
The natural environment changes rapidly over short distances.
- Midlatitude West Coast
Climates -- Climate is strongly affected by the closeness of seas and the
ocean. Global warming and rising sea levels are a concern for the Netherlands
and Venice, Italy.
- Geologic Variety --
Geologic action has created many mountain ranges and other highlands.
- Long Coastlines and
Navigable Rivers -- The many peninsulas and seas create a very long, irregular
coastline. Rivers are useful for transportation. The Rhine river is the
world's busiest, has been made more navigable by canals, and suffers from
heavy pollution. The Danube River is less important even though it flows
through more countries.
- Forests, Fertile Soils,
and Marine Resources -- Forests and fish catches have been much reduced.
- Natural and Human Resources
-- Resources formed the basis of a series of technological advances, which
in turn, fostered more and more new ideas.
- Environmental Issues
-- Deforestation, soil erosion, air and water pollution, and waste management
are environmental concerns for all of Europe, but especially Eastern Europe.
- Western Europe -- The
earliest and most significant set of core countries in the world economy.
- Countries -- France,
Germany, and the United Kingdom are the leading countries of the industrial
core.
- People -- High population
densities, very low birth rates, aging populations, and reactions against
immigrants and guest workers are intertwined characteristics. Urbanization
levels are very high.
- Economic Development
-- Better technology and EU price supports in agriculture produced a surplus
of food production that now is trying to be curtailed. Changes in manufacturing
vary by location and by industry. Manufacturing technology has not been
updated as fast as in the U.S. and Japan. Western Europe is the world leader
in trade. Multinational corporations are important. Services became more
important, especially producer services and tourism. Each country has its
own set of economic development issues, like Germany dealing with the costs
of reunification. Regional development programs are significant, shifting
from different ones in each country to a unified EU program.
- Living in Germany --
Life in affluent Germany is similar, yet different, to life in the United
States.
- Northern Europe -- This
region is sparsely populated, but very prosperous.
- Countries -- Each of
the five countries has different characteristics. Greenland and the Faeroe
Islands are associated with Denmark and included in this region.
- People -- Cold climates
have kept populations small and pushed people to live in cities located
toward the southern edges of this region. Lutheran is by far the most common
religion.
- Economic Development
-- The region has very high per capita GDP levels. High-tech manufacturing,
North Sea oil, mineral deposits, and forests contribute to economic success.
Finland was affected by its closeness to the former Soviet Union.
- Alpine Europe -- The
Alps dominate the character of this region.
- Countries -- Austria
is a remnant of a larger empire, whereas Switzerland has remained neutral
for centuries. The Swiss can be considered the wealthiest people in the
world.
- People -- Like the
rest of Europe, population growth is slow and urban.
- Economic Development
-- High quality manufacturing, finance and banking, and tourism lead the
Swiss economy. Vienna is one of Europe's great cities and Austria's tourism
now surpasses Switzerland's.
- Mediterranean Europe
-- Increased assistance from membership in the EU is helping this region catch
up with Western Europe.
- Countries -- Greek
ideas, the Roman Empire, and Spanish and Portuguese colonization played
important roles in the development of Europe.
- People --Italy and
Spain have the lowest fertility rates in the world. Cultural differences
between the countries and within the countries are important.
- Economic Development
-- Economic differences between northern and southern Italy and between
rural and urban Spain remain substantial. The Po River Valley (Italy) is
the most important industrial area. Tourism is significant throughout the
region.
- Eastern Europe -- These
countries are changing from state to market capitalism and increasing ties
with the rest of Europe.
- Countries -- Includes
the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovak Republic.
- People -- Some areas
are losing population because death rates are higher than birth rates. The
region lacks cities of global importance. Most of the peoples are Slavic.
- Economic Development
-- Before 1991, industrialization, a modest service sector, and trade with
each other and the Soviet Union were typical. Now these countries struggle
to compete in the world economy and have suffered declines in income.
- Balkan Europe -- Long-standing
ethnic differences and political instability characterize this area.
- Countries -- Past relations
between the Soviet Union and the Balkan countries varied from Bulgaria's
loyalty to Yugoslavia's independence.
- People -- The population
is becoming much more urbanized. Ethnic conflicts stem from Serbian desires
to continue to dominate the region and from resistance on the part of Muslims,
Croats, and Albanians in Bosnia and Kosovo.
- Economic Development
-- Slovenia and Hungary are doing relatively well, but Albania, Bulgaria,
and Romania struggle to put their communist pasts behind them.
- Living in Croatia --
Warfare, refugees, Serbian minority, strategically impossible territorial
shape, and lack of support from Western Europeare problems facing
Croatia since declaring its independencein 1991. Conditions are somewhat
calmer in the late 1990s.
- Landscapes of Europe
-- Urban planning and government policies affected urban land use patterns
throughout Europe. The rural economy became more diversified as urbanites
moved to the countryside.
- Future Prospects -- EU
restrictions, government intervention, slower adoption of new technology,
high energy and transportation costs, competition with other core regions,
and problems with incorporating the former Communist countries of Eastern
and Balkan Europe are issues for Europe in the coming decades.
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