Central Europe

Central Europe:
 It is surrounded by the Baltic Sea, North Sea and several countries, such as: Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia, Belgium, etc.
 Most important landforms and bodies of water of this sub-region: Landforms: Alps, Carpathian Mts. Bodies of water: Vistula River, Elbe River, Danube River, Rhine River
 
Divided into:
1.    Germany
2.    Alpine Countries
3.    Polandand the Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia)
4. The Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary
 
GERMANY
Capital City:  Berlin
 
Physical Geography: (transparency N° 26)
§  Location: in central Europe, to the north: Baltic Sea, North Sea, it shares borders with France, Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland.
§  Climate: marine west coast and highland§  Major Landforms: Bavarian Alps, North German Plain
§  Bodies of water:  include the Danube,  Elbe, Rhine and Weser Rivers, Baltic Sea, North sea
§  Natural resources: coal, natural gas, iron ore, copper, uranium, timber and arable land
 
Human Geography
History: they are going to have it by reading from the book p.328
·      Germanic tribes were living in Germania
·      Romans struggled toincorporate Germania in their empire. 
·      After the fall of Roman empire, Franks (Charlemagne) incorporated the German territory
·      Holy Roman Empire: loose confederation of states
·      Hanseatic League (Late Middle Ages): economic alliance of cities
·      Prussia and Habsburg Empire
·      Austro Hungarian Empire
·      Participated in the two world wars
Languages: GermanCurrency:  Euro
Religions: Protestant, Catholic, others
Government: is a Republic
§  Important Cities: Berlin (Transparency N°30), Frankfurt, Munich
Economic activities: manufacture, electronics, medical equipment, chemicals, steel, high tech equipment, industry
§  Its GDP is the 4th largest in the world.
§  Member of the EU.
§  Its economy is diverse: business manufacture machinery, automobiles,electronics, and medical equipment. Chemicals, steel and high the computer equipment. Industrial power due to its coal, iron, ore, and other minerals.
§  Economic activities: manufacturing, mining, agriculture.
§  Ruhr Valley: in western Germany is a major industrial center, has huge coal deposits.
§  Land Use:  Agriculture (potatoes, sugar beet, grains), besides livestock raising andmanufacturing.
 
Issues and Challenges:
§  Discrimination against Turks (immigration problem).
§  Problems in Eastern Germany: pollution, unemployment, low standards of living, and resentment to the people in the west.
§  Population is aging and immigration are changing society, causing tension.
 
ALPINE COUNTRIES
SWITZERLAND :
Location: to the north of the Italian peninsula, surrounded byFrance, Germany, Italy and Austria
Climate: highland (high mountain regions)
Landforms: Mountains cover 60% of the land area with ranges of the Alps in the south and the Jura Mountains in the north. Between the mountains there's a hilly, central plateau.
Bodies of Water: Lake Geneva and Constance, Rhine River, Rhone River
Natural resources: woodlands
Language: French, German, Italian, English,Romansh,
Currency: Swiss Franc
Religion: 60% Roman Catholic, 40% Protestant (Calvinists)
Government: Federal government: confederation of self governed 26 cantons or states.
History: It belonged to the Holy Roman Empire, under Habsburg rule, became independent from Habsburg Rule in 1600s, it did not participate in the World Wars
Economic activities: Timber production, chemicals, pharmaceuticals,watches, farm goods, chocolate, Swiss cheese, international banking and insurance, tourism
Issues: Air pollution
 
AUSTRIA:
 
Location: In the center of Europe, it borders with Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy and Switzerland. It is a landlocked country.
Climate: Highland (high mountains), marine west coast (cloudy mild summers, cool rainy winters) and humid...