Geography of Northern Europe

Scandinavia (including Iceland) and the British Isles

If You Lived There…

• Your family is planning to visit friends in Tromso, Norway. It is a city on the Norwegian Sea located 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. You imagine a landscape covered in snow and ice. When you arrive, however, you discover green hills and ice-free harbors.

• What might explain the mild climate?

Northern Europe

West Coast of Norway

Coast of Scotland

Ireland

England

Fjords

Check Your Understanding

• Which island, northwest of the British Isles, is considered a part of Scandinavia?

• Iceland

• How does the land in the northern part of the region differ from the southern part?

• South – rolling hills, farmland and plains

• North – rugged hills, mountains and rocky soil

• Why do you think more people live in the southern part of the region than in the north?

Iceland’s Geothermal Energy

Scandinavian Forests

Check Your Understanding

• Which country has a large supply of geothermal energy?

• Iceland

• Why are the seas and oceans of Northern Europe considered a natural resource?

• They provide fish

North Atlantic Drift

The North Atlantic Drift and the Gulf Stream are part of the same system of currents that cross the Atlantic Ocean from the Americas to Western Europe. The warmer waters of this current help keep northern and western Europe’s climate milder than other places at the same latitudes.

North Atlantic Drift

For example, the average temperature in Reykjavik (Iceland’s capital) in January is 31°F. This is about the same as New York City or Boston and is actually warmer than Kansas City (27°F) or Chicago (22°F).

Check Your Understanding

• How do temperatures in Northern Europe differ from those in similar latitudes?

• They are warmer

• What is the name of the ocean current that causes Northern Europe’s mild climates?

• North Atlantic Drift (Gulf Stream is widely understood, but technically incorrect)

Recap

• What are the major physical features of Northern Europe?

• What role did glaciers play in shaping the physical geography of Northern Europe?

• What is geothermal energy?

• How do people in Northern Europe benefit from the surrounding seas?

• What climates exist in Northern Europe?

• How might the climates of Northern Europe be different without the North Atlantic Drift?