European Sub-regions - Indian Hills Community College

[Pages:16]GEO 121: World Regional Geography

Learning Unit 2: Handout

European Sub-regions

Geographers divide Europe into four different sub-regions. These regions are separated from one another based on a combination of physical, political and cultural characteristics. The sub-regions are Western Europe, Northern Europe, Mediterranean Europe and East Central Europe. Western Europe is the most developed and economically advanced region, including the 3 largest current national economies of Europe ? Germany, France and Great Britain. Northern Europe is the home to the Scandinavian peoples and the Finns, whose culture has been heavily influenced by the neighboring Swedes. Mediterranean Europe is home to some of the older centers of European civilization that originated with the Greeks and Romans, as well as the influential Portuguese and Spanish cultures. Finally, East Central Europe consists of countries that were for much of the twentieth century dominated by communist governments. Some of these countries have a proud history of what were at times powerful kingdoms, while other states are new creations that have not existed as independent political entities until the modern era.

The sub-region of Western Europe includes Great Britain, Ireland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria. The physical geography of this region varies greatly, from the warm Mediterranean coastline of France to the cold highlands of Scotland. Some countries, such as the island nation of Great Britain and the mainland country of France have long coastlines, while others such as Austria and Switzerland are landlocked. The climate of this

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GEO 121: World Regional Geography

Learning Unit 2: Handout

region is heavily influenced by the North Atlantic Drift, a continuation of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream which helps some areas of Western Europe to maintain a Middle Latitude West Coast Climate. The climate of northern and central Germany is also influenced by the warm ocean and sea currents, but the eastern and southern interior of Germany experiences much more of a middle latitude continental climate. The climate of the landlocked states such as Austria and Switzerland are much more continental in nature, and are also influenced by the relatively high elevations that exist in these countries.

The destinies of

European peoples, like

people around the world,

have been shaped to

some extent by the

physical geography of

their surroundings.

Europe is one giant

peninsula sticking out

from the Eurasian

continent, with many

smaller peninsulas jutting

out from this large one.

Many European states

thus have extensive

coastlines, especially

island and peninsular

states, influencing the

orientation of the people toward economic

The North Atlantic Drift (Gulfstream)

activity on the water. Fishing,

trade and commerce are an important element of almost every major European state. Some countries

have also benefited from having a significant natural resource base upon which development could

occur. For instance, the Industrial Revolution began in England at least in part because the English were

dependent upon coal as a source of energy.

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GEO 121: World Regional Geography

Learning Unit 2: Handout

Western Europe is a highly

developed and overall

prosperous region.

Germany and France, as a

result of their economic

power within the EU, and

historical importance of

these two large states,

heavily influence the

current direction of the

European Union. Germans produce the largest economic output in Europe, and the

A young "drawer" pulling a coal tub along a mine gallery. The British passed laws in 1842 and 1844 that improved working

German GDP is number four

conditions in mines.

in the world. France is not

that far behind Germany however at number five in the world and the United Kingdom of Great Britain

is number seven. Germany is one of the most heavily industrialized and technologically highly advanced

systems in the world. France also has a very advanced economic system, but a significant percentage of

the French economy is also based on the productive French agricultural sector. For much of the 19th

century Great Britain had the largest economy in the world, however the British industrial system has

aged and declined for most of the twentieth century.

Germany has many major urban industrial zones as well as several other very large urban centers. Hamburg in the north, Frankfurt in west central Germany, Stuttgart in the southeast and Munich in the southern province of Bavaria are all important highly urbanized industrial regions. However, the largest metropolitan area and a very heavily industrialized region is the area of Rhine-Ruhr along the Rhine River. This area includes the large cities of Dusseldorf, Cologne and Bonn.

Hamburg

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GEO 121: World Regional Geography

Learning Unit 2: Handout

Germany is known for its iron and steel production, chemical plants, auto industry, machinery and textiles. The Stuttgart region is known as the high tech center of Germany, with the highest density of scientific, academic and research organizations in the country. Germany is a federal republic with sixteen different states (lander). These range from the heavily Catholic province in the south, Bavaria to what was the center of the Prussian Kingdom, and the state of Brandenburg where the capital city of Berlin is located, although the capital city is itself is now a separate state within Germany.

Following its defeat in WWII the territory of Germany was reduced by the victorious powers and Germany was divided into four occupation zones. The eastern zone under the control of the Soviet Union was established as the separate communist state of East Germany and the three other zones were combined to form West Germany. East Germany was able to maintain a highly industrialized communist state however the Western German economy did even better, rapidly become once again one of the largest economic systems in the world. In 1989 the communist systems of Eastern Europe began to fall apart and that same year the Berlin Wall was torn down. In 1990 the two German states were re-unified into the modern Republic of Germany. Initially there was a flood of Ossies (Eat Germans looking for work) that flooded into the west. Although the transition from two separate states to one was at times difficult Germany has attained a new equilibrium and Germany is once again a great economic power.

Vineyards near the French castle Carcassonne.

France was Germany's historic rival and is one of the oldest states of Europe. France is slightly larger than Germany in size but has a smaller population. Unlike Germany, France does not have a large number of major urban centers. Besides the capital city of Paris which has a metropolitan population over ten million strong, the only other city in France with more than a million people is Lyon. With such a large urban population and as the center of French government, finance and economics the city of Paris is a perfect example of what geographers call a primate city.

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GEO 121: World Regional Geography

Learning Unit 2: Handout

Paris of course is also an important tourist attraction with sites such as the famous boulevard the Champs-Elysees, the cathedral of Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. Long a favorite destination of newlyweds the city has been called the "city of love."

Although not as highly industrialized as Germany the French have developed a productive economic system. This system includes a productive agricultural sector, and of course the French are known for their wine producing regions that are scattered across the country. The French economy also benefits from many resort beaches and tourist destinations along the French Riviera. In addition to being the political and financial center of the country the city of Paris is also a leading industrial region of France. The northeastern region of the country that shares borders with Belgium and Germany is also a heavily industrialized zone. France has developed an advanced aerospace industry, a high speed rail system known as the TGV, and the French were telecommunications industry put in place a well-integrated fiber optics system. Perhaps because of the relative lack of coal or other fossil fuels the French invested heavily in nuclear power and now get more than seventy-five percent of their power from this industry. Along with Germany the French have also played an active role in expanding the size of the European Union.

Belgian Communities:

Flemish Community / Dutch language area Flemish & French Community / bilingual language area French Community / French language area German-speaking Community / German language area

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GEO 121: World Regional Geography

Learning Unit 2: Handout

Belgium is another highly developed Western European state. Along with the Netherlands and Luxembourg these countries are referred to as the Low Countries. The Belgian state is a relatively new creation, established as an independent kingdom in 1830 when separating from the Netherlands. Together these lands were a part of the Spanish and Hapsburg Empires throughout the late Middle Ages and up until the 16th century. Almost sixty percent of the Belgian population are called Flemish and speak Dutch, while almost forty percent are French speaking Walloons. The capital city of Brussels sets along the dividing line between these populations with the Flemish population concentrated in the northern part of the country while the Walloons are found mostly in the western and southern areas. A German speaking minority lives along the eastern border. The capital city is predominantly French speaking but is officially bilingual. Political and cultural conflict between the Walloons and Flemish has arisen and some have called for the creation of two separate countries. The economy of the Flemish regions tends to be more dynamic than that of the Walloon region. Belgium developed a heavily industrialized economy in the nineteenth century but like many developed countries the service industry has become increasingly important more recently.

The Netherlands won their independence from the Spanish in the 16th century. In the early seventeenth century the Dutch population developed a prosperous commercial economy and developed one of the largest commercial fleets in Europe. The Dutch also embarked upon a colonization effort, establishing Dutch communities in the Americas, Africa and the East Indies. The Dutch economy is still very dependent upon overseas trade and the Dutch port city of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe. An advanced industrial economy in the Netherlands provides a high standard of living and the Dutch highly mechanized agricultural system provides a boost to the export oriented economy.

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe, both in size and population with only slightly over five hundred thousand people. It has a predominantly German speaking population however French is also an official language. An independent principality in the Middle Ages the territory was at times under the control of more powerful neighbors in the early modern era and only becoming a separate state again in the late nineteenth century.

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GEO 121: World Regional Geography

Learning Unit 2: Handout

The mountainous country of Switzerland has been an independent state dating to the Middle Ages. Mountainous terrain has allowed the Swiss to maintain a politically neutral stance and this has contributed to the economic success of the country as a financial center, especially for wealthy individuals attempting to protect some of the money from higher taxes in their native land. When thinking of Switzerland one can't help but think about Swiss army knives, high quality Swiss made watches, and chocolate.

Austria is also a mountainous country that was the center of a large empire from the fifteenth to the early twentieth century. The German speaking Austrians controlled a multiethnic population until the end of WWI when new nations were created following the defeat of the empire. This empire was known in different eras by different names, from the Hapsburg Empire to the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy.

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GEO 121: World Regional Geography

Learning Unit 2: Handout

The sub-region of Northern Europe includes the countries of Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark, as well as the former Danish colonies of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. With the exception of the Finns the people of these countries trace their heritage to the spread of the Germanic speaking cultures across Europe. This is the land of the Vikings from the Middle Ages, who used their long boats to pillage and plunder the coastlines and rivers of Europe. The population of Finland speaks a Finno-Ugric language, related to Estonian and more distantly related to Hungarian but related to the Indo-European languages of Europe. Today the political and economic systems of Northern Europe have been heavily influenced by socialism. The Norwegians enjoy one of the most prosperous economies in Europe, based at least in part on the wealth generated by their North Sea oil reserves. Sweden was a once powerful kingdom in Scandinavia, however more recently Sweden has pursued a more neutral stance in world affairs. The people of Sweden also benefit from one of prosperous economic system and their socialist values contribute to a system where the wealth is shared more equally, with fewer millionaires but also very few extremely impoverished people as well. In general taxes are high in Northern Europe relative to some developed countries like the United States; however the social safety net is much more supportive with relatively free healthcare and education systems. Iceland, Norway and Denmark are NATO member states, while Sweden and Finland continue to maintain a politically neutral stance.

Mediterranean Europe consists of the nations of Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Malta, San Mareno, Monaco, Andorra and Vatican City. Many of these countries struggled to develop or maintain democratic political systems in the twentieth century when most of Western Europe was democratic. Mediterranean Europe also never quite achieved the overall

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