Physical Geography of Europe Importance of Water Europe is almost completely surrounded by water. There are only a few countries that are landlocked. There are many large rivers in Europe. These make it very easy to trade throughout Europe Mountains There are five main mountain ranges in Europe: The Alps, The Balkans The Carpathians, the Pyrenees, and the Ural Mountains The Ural is the dividing line between Europe and Asia The other ranges form a barrier between northern and southern Europe Pollution Many of Europes water ways are very polluted. This has only increased over the years as populations and tourism have grown. Many countries are trying to solve this problem Increase of recycling services Waste treatment facilities Less fertilizer Chernobyl Video Climate Europe has a very mild and warm climate despite though it is in the upper latitudes Some places are above the Arctic Circle This is because of the warm North-Atlantics Current that brings warm water and weather to the region Marine West Coast Characterized by two features: mild temperatures and abundant precipitation Both are great for farming Deciduous and coniferous forests Humid Continental Cooler summers, colder winters, less rain and snow Mostly deciduous trees Mediterranean Hot summers, warm wet winters Some places in Spain and Italy experience a rain shadow effect making the areas even more dry Subarctic and Tundra The tundra is vast plains of evergreen trees Very cold winters, during the winter some places experience only 4 hours of daylight Highland Climate changes depending on elevation Found in the Alps and Carpathians