FACT SHEET FOR BROCHURES

GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS COVERED:

o West-Central Europe
o Northern Europe
o Russia
A. WEST CENTRAL EUROPE-GEOGRAPHY, WATER, AND CLIMATE
Physical geography of West-Central Europe-important landforms:
o Northern European Plain stretches from Atlantic coast to
Eastern Europe
o Central Uplands stretch from the Massif Central plateau
region in France, the Jura Mountains on the French-Swiss
border to the Black Forest of Germany
This area is also known for having productive
coalfields which make the Central Uplands a difficult
area to farm
Major water features
o North Sea and English Channel to the north
o Bay of Biscay and Atlantic Ocean to the west
o Mediterranean Sea to the south
o Major Rivers that cross the region include
Danube
Rhine
Navigable rivers such as these allow ships to pass
through them due to their width and depth
Climate of this region
o Contains a warm ocean current that flows along Europes
northwestern coast-this is known as marine west coast
climate
o At higher elevations, the clmate is colder and wetter
o Southern France has a Mediterranean climate
o Climate is an important natural resource of this area
Energy and minerals are not evenly distributed across the region
Besides climate, the Alps serve as another important natural
resource due to the number of tourists who come to hike and ski

B. NORTHERN EUROPE-GEOGRAPHY, WATER, AND CLIMATE

Physical Geography of Northern Europe

o Two regions make up Northern Europe
British Isles
Include Republic of Ireland, and the UK (Scotland,
England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
Scandanavia
Includes Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and
Denmark
o Different Types of Terrain
Hills and Mountains-rough rocky hills and low mountains cover
much of Northern Europe
Farmlands and Plains-fertile farmland and flat plaains stretch
across Northern Europe; Ireland has green rolling hills and
England has wide valleys
Glaciers have impacted the lakes and coastlines of Northern
Europe by causing great fjords to form; an example is Norways
Sogne Fjord which is over 100 miles long and miles deep
o Natural Resources
Primary resources of Northern Europe include energy resources,
forests and soils, and surrounding areas
Energy: energy sources include
oil and natural gas from under the North Sea
hydroelectric energy produced by lakes and rivers
geothermal energy produced in Iceland due to the steam
from the hot springs
Forests and Soils: forests produce timber and the soils produce
fertile land used for farming
Seas and Oceans: fishing is a major natural resource that
benefits much of Northern Europe
o Climate
Much of Northern Europe is above the Arctic Circl and has high
latitudes
However the North Atlantic Drift causes for this region to have
fairly mild climates
Much of Northern Europe has a marine west coast climate like
Denmark, the British Isles and western Norway
Central Norway, Sweden and southern Finland have a humid
continental climate

C. RUSSIA-GEOGRAPHY, WATER, AND CLIMATE

A. Landforms:
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o
o
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o
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o
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Ural Mountains are the mountain range in Russia where

Europe and Asia meet
Europe is West and Asia is East
Russia is the worlds largest country
The capital of Russia is Moscow
East side of Russia has a rising plain that forms the Ural
Mountains
West side of Russia contains the Northern European Plain
South of the Northern European Plain are the Carpathians
mountain range
Moscow is the fertile plain in between the Ural Mountains and
Europe where most Russians live.
It is also the nations
capital.
Siberia is the vast area between the Ural Mountains to the west
and the Pacific Ocean to the east
Ring of Fire is part of the Russian Far East or Eastern Siberia,
the area circling the Pacific; it is known for its volcanoes and
earthquakes

B. Major Bodies of Water:

o Volga River is the longest river in Europe and it winds
southward to the Caspian Sea, forming the core of Russias
river network
o Ob, Yenisey and Lena Rivers flow northward toward the
Arctic Ocean
o The rivers are frozen for much of the year making shipping
and trade difficult and causing for Russias ports to close for
part of the year.
o Lake Baikal, in south-central Siberia, is the worlds deepest
lake and deep enough to hold all five of the American Great
Lakes
C. Climate
o Known for having long snowy winters and short summers
o Northern coast is tundra and much of the ground is frozen,
called permafrost
o Most of the regions moisture comes from the Atlantic Ocean
o South of the tundra is the vast forest of evergreen trees
called taiga
D. Natural Resources
o Northern European Plain and steppe provide rich fertile soil
for farming
o Taiga provides wood for building and paper products

Metals like copper and gold are also found here

o Main energy resources of Russia are coal, hydroelectric

power, natural gas and oil. Oil comes from large oil fields
and from under the Caspian Sea