The document provides an overview of Europe, describing its four main subregions: Western Europe, Northern Europe, Mediterranean Europe, and East Central Europe. It outlines the natural environments, economic activities, and historical developments of each subregion. The key industries and economic focuses of some of the larger countries in each subregion are also summarized.

1. EUROPE
World Regional Geography

2. EUROPE IN GENERAL
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
 Western coastal countries – oceanic temperate climate
(mild winters and warm summers). From Norway to Spain.
 Winter (-1ºC-4ºC), summer (15-27ºC)
 Mediterranean Sea coastland countries – subtropical winter
rain climate.
 Winter (4-10ºC), Summer (21-27ºC)
 Central and Eastern Europe – continental temperate
climate (winter can be severe cold).

3. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
 Impacts on industrialization
 The Industrial Revolution pollute major rivers.
 Thames River of England revived only in the 1990s.
 Acid pollution along Czech, Poland and East German (Black Triangle)
 Energy sources
 Coal and oil caused great pollution.
 Global Environmental Action
 Global effort to reduce pollution include Rio Earth Summit 1992 and
Kyoto Protocol 1997.
 Mediterranean Sea
 Pollution due to increase population growth crowding coastal location,
industrialization and industrialization.

4. THE RISE OF EUROPEAN GLOBAL POWER
 Capitalism : free market origins of Mediterranean and
western Europe. A practice of individual and corporations
owning businesses and keeping profit.
 The Era of Colonialism and Imperialism : eg, Portuguese
and Spanish discovered and conquered new lands.
 Industrial Revolution
Mid 1700s
From Great Britain  Netherlands Belgium Northern France 
Western Germany
 Nationalism and Wars
World War 1 in 1914 (war between European powers)

5.  AFTER 1945
 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
 The cooperation between noncommunist nations (Western,
Northern and Mediterranean) NATO in 1949.
 Later established European Economic Community (EEC) now
known as European Union (EU).

6. SUBREGION I: WESTERN EUROPE
Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg,
Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Switzerland, United
Kingdom.
 France & U.K : most powerful countries.
 Netherlands, Belgium & Luxembourg : the low countries
(below sea level).
 Austria, Switzerland & Liechtenstein: Alpine countries.
 Germany : younger nation-state, existed 1871. Was divided
into West & East Germany.

7. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ii. Sophisticated manufacturing;
a) Automobile, example:
 French – Renault, Peugeot-Citroen
 Italian – Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini
 Swedish – Volvo, Saab
 German – Volkswagen, Porsche, BMW, Audi, Daimler-Benz (Merc)
 British – Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Bentley, MG Rover
c) Airplane – Airbus
s Service Industries
 Producer services – market research, advertising, accounting,
legal, banking, insurance.

8. SUBREGION II: NORTHERN EUROPE
Denmark, Faeroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland,
Norway, Sweden.
(SCANDINAVIAN)
 Sweden: the largest and strongest.
 Denmark :
 although the smallest but has strong global connections.
 Most parts are inhibited.
 Rely mostly on fishing.
 Norway:
 mountainous country.
 Known for “VIKING” heritage.
 Discovered oil and gas in the 1970s.

9. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
 Four (4) largest Scandinavian countries:
Sweden is the most industrialized
u Finland is known for new industries like Nokia
w Denmark is known for its high tech industries
s Norway is known for its oil and gas

10.  Sweden – the most industrialized in Northern Europe
 SKF, Ericsson, ABB
 Automobile VOLVO, SAAB
 Service sector: financial, educational, medical services
 Sawmill industry
 Finland
 Nokia
 Glassware, metal, machinery, shipbuilding
 Denmark – major agriculture country
 dairy & livestock products
 LEGO toy
 Fishing (largest in EU)
 Timber, mining industries
 Norway
 Fishing and shipping

11. SUBREGION III: MEDITERRANEAN EUROPE
Four large : Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain.
Five small : Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City, San Marino, Malta

12. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
3) Agriculture
 Olive
 Grapes
 Citrus Fruits and figs
 Grains for pasta
 Portugal is the world’s largest cork producer
5) Tourism
 Italy & Spain : 40-50 million tourist per year
 Portugal & Greece :12-13 million tourist per year.
 Venice : more tourist than residents
 Face problem due to the rising of sea level.

13. SUBREGION IV: EAST CENTRAL EUROPE
Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Estonia, Macedonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia.
 Least developed compared to other subregions.
 Communism.
 Breakup of “Yugoslavia” later known as Serbia and
Montenegro.
 Ethnic tension – war and massive human rights violations.
 Ethnic cleansing
 Genocidal rape

14. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
 After WWII – imposed communist economic policies.
 Under Soviet control till 1989
 Agriculture
 Later industrialised
 Joseph Stalin insisted on specialization
 Northern part focuses on industry
 Southern part focuses on agriculture
 After 1989 adopts capitalist practices (Poland, the Czech
Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Baltic countries)

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