Tour around Europe

Ldl-lesson by Härkävehmas schoolFinland

Tour around Europe by Härkävehmas school

Area: 131 957[1] km²

Population: 10,815,197

Capital: Athens

Largest cities: Thessaloniki and Patras

Currency: Euro

Official languages: Greek

Anthem: Imnos eis tin Eleftherian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_u5NfDR7AA

Religion: Orthodoxy 98%, Islam 1,3%, other 0,7%

Greece

History PLACES TO VISIT:

Athens

Rhodes

Rhodes Crete Athens Santorini Delphi

Greece was born in the third and second millennium BC. The earliest high cultures were Minoan and Mycenaean culture.Early cultures followed the collapse of the Greek dark centuries, but after the Greek city-states a new and thriving culture of ancient Greece was born.

Turkey

Listen to the national anthem of Turkey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnCOe5Y3p-0

See traditional dancing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASlXQZcL_MM

Learn from Turkish history:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JATywUPo5sA

Population: 74 million Official name: Republic of Turkey Capital: Ankara Currency: Turkish lira Religion: Islam Area: 783,562 km² Official languages: Turkish Primary industries: textiles, agricultural products Climate: Mediterranean temperate Wild life: bears, wolves, foxes, lynxes, wild boars,

birds, Van cats Largest cities: Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa and Adana

FACTS ABOUT TURKEY

THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS10 of the most magnificent places you need to experience:

• Aspendos Theater, Antalya Province• Patara Beach, Patara • Pamukkale, Denizli Province• Bodrum Castle, Bodrum• Mount Nemrut, southeastern Turkey• Olüdeniz, the Aegean Sea• Blue Mosque, Istanbul• Library of Celsus, Selçuk• Göreme Fairy Chimneys,

Cappadocia• Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

TRADITIONS OF TURKEY

Turkey has strong traditions in dance, food and clothing. For example lokum, aka. Turkish delight, is a sweet marmelade dusted in powdered sugar.

Folk dances are performed at weddings, engagement ceremonies, when sending young men off to perform their military service, at national and religious festivals, after victories, going to and coming back from from the high plateaus and at meetings such as ferfene, yaren talks, barana or sira gezmesi.

Turkish people are keen on tea as well as coffee, and that might be the reason why Turkish coffee and tea are considered high quality in particular.

Romania

Facts about Romania

- Location: (Southeastern) Central Europe - Area: 92,043 sq. miles (238,391 sq. km) - Population: 19,350,000 (2012) - Ethnic Groups: Romanian 89%, Hungarian 6.5%, Gipsy 3.2%, - Ukrainian, German, Other 1.3% - Religions: Christian Orthodox 78%, Greek-Catholic 10%, Roman Catholic 5%, Protestant 5%, Jewish, Unitarian - Official Language: Romanian - Capital: Bucharest (București) - Romania is a member state of the European Union and NATO

HistoryIn the Middle Ages two major principalities emerged from the area: the principality of Moldavia and the Principality of Wallachia. In the 1500s they were conquered by the Ottoman Empire only to unite again under Alexander Cuza in 1859.After World War I, Romania gained the area of Transylvania, but changed sides for World War II joining Hitler's Nazis Germany. In 1944, the government was overthrown in a coup led by King Mihai. Romania then changed sides to join the allies against Germany.After the War, the Soviet Union occupied Romania for some years and turned the country into a communist puppet state under dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. However, in 1996 the communists were removed from power allowing Romania to join the European Union in 2007.

Climate & Nature

The rivers of Romania are virtually all tributary to the Danube, which forms the southern frontier from Moldova Nouă to Călărași. Nearly two-fifths of the total Danubian discharge into the Black Sea is in fact provided by Romanian rivers.

Places to visitThe Peles Castle The Turda Salt Mine The Sphinx of Bucegi

Poland

Dan and Tuomas 8.b

Official name Republic of Poland

Capital Warsaw

Population 38 501 000 (2011)

Area 312 679 km²120 696.41 sq mi

Official languages Polish

Primary industries Husbandry, Manufacturing

Currency Złoty (PLN)

Climate:Polands climate is mostly temperate. Summers are generally warm with temperatures from 18°C to 30°C (average). Winters are rather cold, around 3°C in the northwest and 6°C in the northeast.

Animals:Many animals that have died in other parts of Europe have still survived in Poland, such as the wisent, the brown bear, the gray wolf and the Eurasian lynx. In the forests one can encounter game animals, such as red deer, roe deer and wild boars. Poland is also the most important ground for breeding European migratory birds.

Polands most famous sights

The city of Zamość is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Centennial Hall in Wrocław is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

History

Poland between 1922 and 1938

• 1025 - Boleslaw I proclaims the Kingdom of Poland

• 1793 Polands independence was lost

• 1918 Polands independence was restored

• 1939 - Nazi Germany invades Poland

• 1998 - The EU opens talks on Polish membership

• 1999 - Poland joins Nato• 2004 May - Poland is one of 10 new

states to join the EU• 10 April 2010 Bronisław

KomorowskiBecame the president of Poland

The Tatras

Warsaw

Polish culture

Lithuania(Lietuvos Respublika)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNJddcq_NUI

Aleksiand

Joonas

FactsOfficial name: Lietuvos RespublikaCapital: VilniusPopulation: about 2,9 millionArea: 65,300 km2

Official languages: Lithuanian(80%), Russian(8%), Polish(6%)Primary Industries: agriculture(3,7%), industry(28.3%),

services(68%)Currency: Lithuanian litas (Lt)Religion: Roman Catholic – 77.2% (2.35 million), Orthodox – 4.1% (125,200), Orthodox

(Old Believers) – 0.8% (23,300), Evangelical Lutherans – 0.6% (18,400), Evangelical Reformists – 0.2% (6,700), Other religions – 0.8% (24,900), No religion -6.1% (186,700), Did not specify - 10.1%

Flag of VilniusCoat of arms of Vilnius

History

Lithuanians settled in Lithuania before the birth of Christ. The independent

Lithuanian state was established in 1236, becoming one of the largest and

most powerful European states. The country was absorbed by tsarist Russia in

1795. Independence was restored in 1918. Lithuania was admitted into the

League of Nations in 1922. Nazi Germany and Soviets signed secret protocols

dividing up Lithuania and other independent states in 1939. Lithuania was

invaded and annexed by the USSR on August 3, 1940, when the Soviet Union

formally annexed Lithuania, declaring it to be the fourteenth republic of the

USSR. (Lithuania was then invaded by Nazi Germany in 1941, and was

reoccupied by the USSR in 1944.) The government of Lithuania was not in

existence during most of World War II. Sajudis reform movement founded in

June, 1988. Sajudis declares its goal of establishing an independent, neutral

Lithuanian state in February, 1989. Sajudis candidates win two-thirds of seats

in parliamentary elections held in February, 1990. Parliament votes

unanimously to re-establish Lithuanian independence on March 11, 1990.

The original 20 members of the Council of Lithuania after signing the Act of Independence of Lithuania, 16 February 1918.

Famous peopleVirgilijus Alekna is the most successful Lithuanian discus thrower.Žydrūnas Ilgauskas is a Previous NBA player with the Miami Heat

Violeta Riaubiškytė is a pop singer and TV show host.Salomėja Nėris is one of the best known Lithuanian female writers

Culture and CuisineNational dance: http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTrwt5WEmU8

National cuisine: http://www.vug.lt/comenius-projektas/277-traditional-foods-of-lithuania

Lithuanian national costume

Places to visitTrakai Castle Gediminas CastleKaunas Castle Vilnius Cathedral

Spain

Facts about Spain

Area Population Head of state Currency Capital and largest

city Other citys

505,992 km2 46,704,314 Juan Carlos I Euro Madrid Barcelona and

Valencia

1808 - Napoleon I of France invaded Spain and captured Madrid. Spanish, English, and Portuguese forces did not drive the French from Spain until 1814.1810-1825 - Most of Spain's American colonies won their independence.1898 - Spain lost the rest of its important overseas possessions following the Spanish-American War.1931 - King Alfonso Xlll fled from Spain, and the country became a republic.1936-1939 - Spanish Nationalist forces led by General Francisco Franco defeated Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War. Buoyed by strong economic growth, the government eased censorship restrictions. Protests erupted in Barcelona and Madrid, and regional separatist groups gained strength.1975 - Franco died and was succeeded by King Juan Carlos. Spain became a constitutional monarchy.1980s - Spain joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Community (now the European Union), increasing its ties with the rest of Europe.1992 - The Summer Olympic Games were held in Barcelona.1994 - Spain threatened to block expansion of the European Union until a compromise guaranteed protection of Spanish fishing rights.1999 - Spain became a founder member of the single European currency, the euro.2000 - Renewed campaign of violence by ETA. Popular Party won general election led by Jose Maria Aznar.2002 - Introduction of euro notes and coins.2004 - Madrid train bombings. Change of government. Troops withdrawn from Iraq.

History

The cultures of Spain are European cultures based on a variety of historical influences, primarily that of Ancient Rome, but also the pre-Roman Celtic and Iberian culture, and that of the

Phoenicians and the Moors. In the areas of language and religion, the Ancient Romans left a lasting legacy. The subsequent course of Spanish history added other elements to the country's

culture and traditions.The Visigothic Kingdom left a sense of a united Christian Hispania that was going to be welded in the Reconquista. Muslim influences were strong during the Middle Ages. The Spanish language derives directly from Vulgar Latin and has minor influences from pre-Roman languages (Iberian

and Celtic) and other languages such as Gothic and Andalusian Arabic. Another influence was the minority Jewish population in some cities. After the defeat of the Muslims during the Christian Reconquista ("Reconquest") period between 718 and 1492, Spain became an almost entirely Roman Catholic country. In addition, the nation's history and its Mediterranean and Atlantic environment have played a significant role in shaping its culture, and also in shaping other

cultures, such as the culture of Latin America through the colonization of the Americas.By the end of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Spaniards made expressions of cultural diversity easier than it had been for the last seven centuries.[clarification needed] This occurred at the

same period that Spain became increasingly drawn into a diverse international culture.Spain has the third highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, with a total of

44

Culture

Places to visit Bilbao

Santiago de Compostela

San Sebastian

Atlantic climate of northern coast. Average temperatures here are 9ªC in winter and 18ªC in summer. This is the

wettest part of the peninsula with annual rainfall between 800-1500mm, brought by a successive

depressions from the Atlantic , particularly in autumn and winter. Although summers are cooler and wetter

here than the rest of Spain , there is a marked summer drought and plenty of warm, sunny weather. Continental

Mediterranean climate of interior central plateau (mesetas). Low temperatures in winter, with

temperatures under -15ºC not uncommon, and under -20ºC regularly occurring. Summer an average 24ªC.

Annual rainfall under 400mm. Heavy snowfalls in winter. As the Castilians say " nueve meses de invierno y tres meses de infierno. " "nine months of winter and three months of hell". Mediterranean climate proper. Eastern

and southern coast and much of the Guadalquivir Valley . Average temperatures of 11ºC in winter and

23ºC in summer. Annual rainfall between 250 mm and 600 mm.

Nature and Climate

Food

Spanish anthem http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WNaHuAH

KFU