AP European History Introduction to Geography 1.

Europes classification as a continent is not very accurate because it is the only continent that is a Peninsula, while all of the others are free-floating. There is no geographical reason to explain why Europe is a continent and the Indian subcontinent, which is the same in size as Europe, is not a continent, except for the matter of culture. Europes differences in culture with Asia are perceived to be quite prominent, which is why Europe is views as a cultural concept by many. 2. In terms of influence, Europe has certainly shaped history in ways that include expansion, cultural diffusion, and globalization. Europe is small compared to the majority of continents and is only slightly larger than Australia. Regarding wealth and power, several European countries are international superpowers and have been throughout history, and, despite recent financial trouble, have also been very wealthy nations. 3. The Mediterranean Sea has played the role of both a passageway for goods and people to travel on, and a barrier that separates nations. It is possible to travel from Europe to Asia through a part of the Mediterranean, as well as from Europe to Africa, so it was beneficial in cross continental travel. 4. Mountains have proven to provide natural barriers and protection to nations, but also cause isolation. This was evident with the Alps in Italy and the Pyrenees in Spain. Plains, on the other hand, do not offer any protection or barrier, but are good for traveling. 5. The European rivers are worthy of note because most are navigable, and they are access points to the sea. Also, their valleys are places that are suitable for civilizations, as history has shown. 6. The winters have affected Europe positively because they are cold enough to kill certain pathogens that can only survive in warmer climates. Summers are of the temperature that can produce an annual cycle of agriculture. On the negative, the cold winters have caused Europeans to spend a lot of money on housing and heat.

7. I disagree with this because I believe that geography is destiny and believe that Palmers acknowledgement of the fact that the environment and climate set limits and provide opportunity proves this point. Since climate and environment are largely based on geography, and limits and opportunities can easily determine a nation or continents future (or its destiny), geography, in turn, is destiny. It is true that natural resources vary with the state of technology, but history has repeatedly shown us that sufficient natural resources could, in fact, be the key to a nations state of technology. 8. I would probably eliminate the mountains that exist in Europe because during times where there were no planes, mountains were a hindrance to countries because it isolated them. While they do serve as protection, there is no use for them today because if a country wanted to invade another one that was so-called protected by mountains, they could simply fly over. If there were no mountains years ago, it is likely that war would have taken place because certain territories wanted to expand. While war, of course, is not a good thing, it is probable that European unity would be increased today if expansion and spread of a single culture by a country through war had taken place a long time ago. 9. I would leave the rivers unchanged because I think that is the most beneficial geographical feature in Europe. They provide water and a means for transportation and many cities that originally were started near rivers are now some of todays most significant places. 10. I agree with the authors statement because Europe has been favored for human habitation. I think this is largely due to its geographic features such as location which influences temperature, rivers which are good for transportation, and mountains, which provide protection.