European territory, which is located outside the countries of the former CIS, is usually called "foreign Europe". It consists of four dozen countries connected with each other by a whole bunch of historical and political relations. The territory of foreign Europe is about 5.4 million square kilometers, and the population is more than 500 million people. This area, of course, is one of the centers of world civilization and occupies an important place in world politics. Today we will talk with you on a topic such as the general characteristics of foreign Europe. Grade 11 of the school curriculum involves consideration of this topic. Let's remember what we were taught at school and learn something new for ourselves!
States
The territory we are considering today extends for 5,000 km from north to south and 3,000 km from west to east. Among European countries there are large and medium, but for the most part they are still small. For example, there is a joke that having entered Belgium, you need to have time to press the brake, otherwise you can call in another state. A fast train passes through this country in just 140 minutes. Most of these states in Europe. That is why in many of them there is no such thing as a sleeping car.
As the general characteristics of the countries of foreign Europe show, they, from the point of view of the economic and geographical position, have two main features. The first of these is the neighboring position of countries. With a small (comparatively, of course) size of the territory and its small "depth", states have a well-established system of transport links. The second feature is the coastal position of the main number of European countries. Many of them are located near the busiest waterways. The life of such countries as England, the Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland, Portugal, Norway, Italy and Greece has been closely connected with the sea since ancient times.
During the twentieth century, the political map of Europe underwent significant changes three times: after the First and Second World Wars, as well as in the late 90s. Today in foreign Europe you can meet republics, monarchies, as well as unitary and federal states.
Nature and resources
The industry of foreign Europe was created under the influence of natural conditions, namely the composition of minerals. In the northern (platform) and southern (folded) parts of the region, it differs. The northern part is rich in ore and fuel minerals. The main coal pools are the Ruhr (Germany) and the Upper Silesian (Poland). Among the oil and gas basins, it is worth highlighting Severomorsk. And among iron ore - the pool of Kiruna (Sweden) and Lorraine (France).
The southern part of the region is rich in ore deposits of igneous and sedimentary origin. As for fuel reserves, here they are not as large as in northern Europe.
The general characteristic of foreign Europe in terms of energy shows that its resources are very voluminous, but they are mainly located in mountainous areas, namely: Alpine, Scandinavian and Dinar. In a large number of countries, resources are almost exhausted. The nature of the region allows for active farming. The only problem is the lack of land. Small coastal states are fighting it, expanding towards the seas. For example, the third part of the Netherlands was “recaptured” from the sea with the help of dams and dams. Local residents in this regard say: "God created the Earth, and the Netherlands - the Netherlands." This is unlikely to be written in the section of the book "Geography" (grade 11). The general characteristics of foreign Europe, however, cannot ignore this fact.
The region is in the temperate and subtropical (in the south) zones. In the Mediterranean region, stable agriculture is not possible without artificial irrigation. This is mainly affected by Italy and Spain. The best conditions for forestry can boast Finland and Sweden. No wonder there is a saying: "Finland is without a forest, like a bear without wool." Natural and recreational resources are also represented quite widely.
Now it's time to consider the next item on the topic “General Description of Foreign Europe”.
The population of foreign Europe
The national composition is quite homogeneous. Most peoples belong to the Indo-European family. The dominant religion in the region is Christianity. However, the southern part is also prone to Catholicism, and the northern - to Protestantism. Foreign Europe is considered one of the most densely populated regions of the Earth. The population density here is more than 100 people per 1 square kilometer. Placement is determined mainly by the geography of peoples. Europe also holds high positions in terms of urbanization. On average, about 78% of the population lives in cities. There are countries in which this figure reaches 90%.
Over the past years, the population of Europe has begun to grow too slowly. In 15 states there is a population decline. In addition, its composition is changing - the number of elderly people is growing. This has affected the region’s share in the global mechanism of external migration. Gradually, foreign Europe turns into a hotbed of labor emigration. There are about 20 million workers from abroad. 7 million of them live in Germany.
General characteristics of the economy of foreign Europe
Grade 11 of the school curriculum examines such issues superficially, but we will touch on them in more detail. As an integral region, foreign Europe has world championship in terms of the export of goods, the size of industrial production and the development of tourism. First of all, the economic power of the region rests on such countries as: France, Great Britain, Italy and Germany. Over the past decade, the leader of this four has become Germany, whose economy is developing very dynamically. "Workshop of the world" - Great Britain, began to lose ground. Among the remaining states, the most significant are the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain and Sweden. They, in contrast to the "main four", focus on individual industries.
Industry
The leading industry in foreign Europe is mechanical engineering. It accounts for one third of the region’s products and two-thirds of exports. It's no secret that Europe is famous for its cars. First of all, mechanical engineering gravitates to large cities, including capitals. Moreover, as a rule, each sub-industry is oriented in a certain region of the state.
In second place is the chemical industry. Germany is distinguished by particular success in this direction. The chemical industry of the region before World War II focused mainly on coal (stone and brown), salts (cookery and potash) and pyrites. Then there was a reorientation of industry to hydrocarbons. The largest petrochemical centers are located on the estuaries of the Seine, Thames, Elbe, Rhine and Rhone. Here, this industry is intertwined with oil production.
Natural gas and oil produced in the fields of the North Sea are sent to different countries through a huge system of trunk pipelines. Gas from Algeria is transported in methane tankers. An important role is also played by Russian gas, which is bought by 20 European countries.
The next largest industry is metallurgy. It was formed here before the start of the scientific and technological revolution. Ferrous metallurgy is most widely developed in Germany, England, Spain, France, the Czech Republic and Poland. A large share is also occupied by aluminum and non-ferrous metallurgy. Aluminum is smelted not only in states with vast reserves of bauxite, but also in countries with developed electricity production.
The forest industry is concentrated mainly in Finland and Sweden, and light industry - in southern Europe. Italy is the second country in the world for the manufacture of shoes, after China. And Portugal is considered the main "seamstress" of the region. In most countries, national traditions for the production of musical instruments, furniture, glass products are still preserved.
Agriculture
The general characteristics of the economy of foreign Europe were touched upon above, now let’s talk more specifically. Most countries in the region fully provide themselves with agricultural products and actively sell them abroad. After World War II, the region moved from small-scale peasant farming to specialized high-commodity farming. The main industries - crop and livestock, spread throughout Europe and are closely intertwined. Natural and historical conditions caused the formation of these types of agriculture: North European, Central European and South European.
Northern European economy is widespread in Finland, Scandinavia and Great Britain. It is characterized by intensive dairy farming, which is served through the cultivation of gray breads and fodder crops. In the Central European type, the main role is played by meat and dairy farming, as well as poultry farming.
The South European type is characterized by a predominance of crop production. Crops are mainly aimed at grain crops, however, the international specialization of southern Europe is the production of grapes, olives, citrus fruits, tobacco, nuts and etheronos. The main "garden" of Europe is the Mediterranean coast. Usually each state has its own specialization in agriculture. For example, Holland is famous for growing flowers, France and Switzerland - for the production of cheese, and so on.
Tourism
General characteristics of foreign Europe cannot do without tourism. Europe was, is and will be the main region of international tourism. Here he is manifested in all directions. The most popular are France, Italy, Spain, Great Britain and other large countries. And in small states such as Andorra, Monaco and others, tourism is a currency-forming industry. The main types of tourism in foreign Europe are mountain and sea.
Transport connection
Today we give a general description of foreign Europe, and without a transport system it is impossible. Europe is inferior in terms of transportation distance to America and Russia, however, in terms of provision with a transport network, it is a leader in the whole world. The traffic density is very high. The main role in the transport of passengers and goods is played by road transport. The railway network in most states is actively reduced.
The land transportation network has a complex configuration. It is formed by highways of meridian and latitudinal directions, the bulk of which is of international importance. River ways are also oriented towards these directions. The Rhine River plays a special role. Over two hundred million tons of cargo are transported annually. In places where land and waterways intersect, transport hubs have emerged, which over time have turned into real port-industrial complexes. For example, the port of Rotterdam annually ships about 350 million tons.
Western Europe is an example of how huge natural barriers cease to be an obstacle to the transport system. Rail and road routes, as well as pipelines cross the Alps in all necessary directions. The shores of the Baltic, Mediterranean and North Seas are connected by ferry services.
General characteristics of foreign Europe: science and money
In Europe today there are many technopolises that make it one of the world centers of science. The largest of them are located in the vicinity of Munich and Cambridge. And in the southern part of France, the "High Technology Road" has formed.
Europe has the lion's share of the largest banks in the world. The standard of banking was Switzerland. About 50% of securities from around the world are stored in the safes of her banks.
Environment protection
The general characteristic of foreign Europe shows that the issue of nature protection is resonant in its territories. Due to the high population density and the active development of industry, Europe has long been faced with a number of environmental problems. Some of them are associated with the extraction and processing of coal. Others - with an abundance of petrochemical and metallurgical plants in large cities. Still others - with an increasing number of cars on the streets. Fourth - with the development of tourism, which leads to the degradation of nature. Well and so on.
All countries located in the region have an active environmental policy. As a result, more and more decisive measures are being taken: propaganda of bicycles and electric vehicles, active restoration of vegetation, etc.
Conclusion
Today, the topic of our conversation was the general characteristic of foreign Europe. Grade 11 is a time when a huge load falls on the shoulders of schoolchildren, so they lose sight of many fundamental things. We reminded ourselves of everything that could have been forgotten, and learned something new on the topic “General Description of Foreign Europe”. Presentation (grade 11) using this article will be a simple task for any student.