World Geography / Unit 7: Europe and Russia
7.1 Physical Geography of Europe and Russia
Notes
Europe is a large peninsula of Eurasia with many smaller peninsulas (Iberian, Italian, Scandinavian, Balkan).
- The North European Plain stretches from France through Germany and Poland into Russia; it is the most heavily farmed and populated area.
- Mountains: Alps (central Europe), Pyrenees (France-Spain border), Carpathians, Caucasus (Mount Elbrus is Europe's highest peak by the usual definition) and the Ural Mountains, which traditionally separate Europe from Asia.
- Rivers: the Volga (longest in Europe), the Danube (flows through many countries to the Black Sea), the Rhine (busy trade river), the Seine, the Thames.
- Seas: Mediterranean, North, Baltic, Black and Caspian. Norway's coast has deep fjords.
- Russia includes Siberia; Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world.
Practice
Which mountain range traditionally marks the boundary between Europe and Asia in Russia?
The Urals run north-south through Russia.
Which landform stretches from France across Germany and Poland and is the heart of European farming and population?
It is flat, fertile and well-watered.
Which river is the longest in Europe?
The Volga flows through Russia into the Caspian Sea.
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