Learning Outcomes 

When we are finished, the student will be able to: 

• Define landforms and list examples 

• Name and recall some details about the major landforms found in Europe 

What Is a Landform? 

A landform is any natural feature of the earth's surface. Landforms can include things like mountains, valleys, canyons, lakes, rivers, coasts, and bays. You can describe lots of things about landforms: their elevation, orientation, slope, or soil type, among others. Topographical maps are used to show landforms because they can include mountains and valleys and also tend to show rivers. 

In this lesson, we're going to discuss the landforms of Europe. Europe is a huge area of land, similar in size to the U.S. There are hundreds of mountains, rivers, valleys, and lakes, so we couldn't possibly talk about them all in a single lesson. Instead, today we're going to talk about the most important ones. 

Mountains, Valleys, & Canyons of Europe 

The mountains of Europe are focused on certain key areas. The biggest mountain range in Europe is the Alps, found where France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany meet, but Turkey is also home to a lot of similarly tall mountains. And smaller mountains can be found in Northern Spain (the Pyrenees), Norway, and even in Greece, Italy, and the Balkans. The three tallest mountains in political Europe are Mount Ararat in Turkey (at 16,854 feet), Mont Blanc in the Alps between France and Italy (15,782 feet), and Monte Rosa in the Swiss Alps (15,203 feet). But all of these mountains are smaller than Mount Elbrus in Russia at 18,510 feet. Western Russia is geographically in Europe, even if most Europeans don't consider Russia to be part of Europe at all. 

There are also many famous valleys in Europe, including the Loire Valley in France (famous for both its castles and for the wine the region produces); the Rhone Valley, also in France, which is home to the Matterhorn; and the many valleys of the Danube River in Germany and beyond. While Europe isn't really famous for its canyons, Montenegro is home to Europe's largest: the Tara River Canyon, which is 4,265 feet deep at its deepest point and has been suggested as a possible World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 

Rivers and Lakes of Europe 

Europe's longest river is the Blue Danube, for which the famous song was written, and has a total length of 1,780 miles. It flows from Germany, through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Romania again, before flowing into the Black Sea. 

The River Elbe in Germany and the Czech Republic is also important and was originally part of the border between East and West Germany. It links important cities and was extremely important for trade. The Loire and Rhine rivers are France's most famous and most important rivers, not only passing through scenic and beautiful areas but also being vital for trade historically. The Rhine River is 776 miles long, going from its source in Switzerland through France and Germany and finally reaching the North Sea in the Netherlands. The Loire River, by contrast, coils itself through France, starting in the Alps and finding its way into the ocean north of the Bay of Biscay. 

Europe has lots of lakes. Although the exact number depends on what you count as a lake. The biggest lake in political Europe is Vanern in Sweden at 5,655 square kilometers. But if you consider the geographical continent of Europe and include Western Russia (though most Europeans don't), that lake jumps down into fourth place by size and is totally eclipsed by Lake Ladoga in Russia at 17,700 square kilometers. The largest lake in Western Europe is Lake Ijsselmeer in the Netherlands at 1,100 square kilometers. 

Lesson Summary 

A landform is any natural feature of the earth's surface. Landforms can include things like mountains, valleys, canyons, lakes, rivers, coasts, and bays. 

The biggest mountain range in Europe is the Alps. Turkey is also home to a lot of similarly tall mountains, and smaller mountains can be found in Northern Spain, Norway, Greece, Italy, and the Balkans. The tallest mountains in political Europe are Mount Ararat in Turkey (at 16,854 feet) and Mont Blanc in the Alps between France and Italy (15,782 feet). These mountains are smaller, though than Mount Elbrus in Russia at 18,510 feet, which is in geographical Europe. 

Famous European valleys include the Loire and Rhone Valleys in France and the many valleys of the Danube River in Germany. Europe's largest canyon is in Montenegro: the Tara River Canyon, which is 4,265 feet deep. 

Europe's longest river is the Blue Danube with a total length of 1,780 miles. The River Elbe in Germany and the Czech Republic links important cities and was extremely important for trade. The Loire and Rhine Rivers are France's most famous and most important rivers. The biggest lake in political Europe is Lake Vanern in Sweden at 5,655 square kilometers, but this is totally eclipsed by Lake Ladoga in Russia, which is 17,700 square kilometers. 

Learning Outcomes 

At the end of this lesson, the student will be able to: 

• Understand the meaning of 'political geography' 

• Recognize the geographical factors affecting politics in Europe 

• Summarize the changing history of the region 

• Run through the modern changes in Europe with respect to the EU 

What Is Political Geography? 

Political geography is the study of the relationships between governments, citizens, and countries, both external and internal, and their effects on those citizens and countries. Studying political geography means looking at the political landscape of an area and considering the factors that have affected or led to that situation. 

In the case of Europe, this is a land with an extremely long history, and most likely, a long future. The relationships between governments, citizens, and countries have continually evolved and changed. The politics of the past have impacted the politics of today and the politics of the future. 

Today, we're going to talk about some of the historical-geographical reasons that have affected the politics of Europe and how those have led to the current political geography. 

Historical Factors 

Europe is a continent full of history. Regular people in Europe pass buildings every day that are older than the United States itself. So summarizing the historical factors is difficult. But there are some factors that are too important not to mention. Europeans have shaped ideas about citizenship and government globally and had a huge impact on the whole world. 

Going all the way back to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, their ideals and systems of government affect Europe and the world to this day. Greece, with its democratic city-states, is described as the birthplace of democracy. Since the political bodies, there were made up of citizens, this was the birth of the entire concept of citizenship, which is so important in a modern democracy to this day. 

Ancient Rome is also important because it gave Europe many of its ideas about law, government, and military force. European empires (the British, French, and Spanish empires) are heavily influenced by the Roman Empire and their approach to governance. 

Much later, World War I and II were significant political events in Europe's history. After World War I, the Ottoman and Hungarian empires were broken down into lots of small countries. This completely re-wrote the borders of Europe and is very heavily responsible for many of the borders that persist to this day. 

Though those borders were further shaken up during World War II, where a total of 43 million Europeans died. The British and French lost significant worldwide influence due to the heavy costs of the war. The British, in particular, spent so much money and lost so many citizens, it was effectively the last nail in the coffin of the British Empire. Politically, this experience has also affected European sensitivity to racism and fascism: Pledges of allegiance, ID cards (or show-me-your-papers laws), overuse of national flags, and racial slurs tend to worry Europeans to this day. 

The United States and USSR rose to ascendancy and became more politically important than Europe. But Europe remained a key battleground even in the competition between these two nations. During the Cold War, the Iron Curtain was the border between western European countries that held similar values to the United States (many of the same values that began in Ancient Greece and Rome) and the eastern European countries influenced by the USSR. This barrier was so extreme, it even cut through the center of a city, splitting the German capital of Berlin into an east and west side. In the 1980s, the Soviet Union fell, but the political geography of Europe remains affected to this day. 

Current Political Geography of Europe 

The aftermath of the Cold War can be seen in the modern political geography of Europe. Eastern Europe was far more tied to Russia, both culturally and politically. Gradually, the West influenced these eastern countries, but the process was slow and gradual. Many of them have large ethnically Russian populations even today. 

But even while the Cold War was ongoing, new peacetime political structures were being developed. In 1957, in the aftermath of World War II, the European Economic Community (or EEC) was set up between several prominent European countries. The idea was to promote free trade, common cause, and common social, environmental, economic, and military policies. This only grew over the years, and after the fall of the USSR, the idea expanded into the European Union (EU) we know today. 

The Maastricht Treaty that officially set up the EU was signed in 1993. The modern European Union is a political and economic union of 28 member states that promotes free trade and cooperation. Key bodies of the European Union include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Central Bank, the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, and the European Parliament. It also includes the European Court of Human Rights. 

The European Parliament is elected by EU citizens every five years. It has been highly successful and has grown rapidly. They've even developed an optional currency that some countries have adopted, called the Euro. It is arguably the second-most important currency in the world today. 

While the idea of the European Union seems great, there remains to this day a lot of political controversy about it. Some politicians in member countries gain votes by campaigning against the European Union, saying that they want to leave the EU or regain sovereign powers signed away in the various treaties that established it. Having to bail out struggling countries like Greece during the economic crisis of 2008 increased tensions dramatically. Immigration from poorer, eastern European countries is also a source of tension, and racism remains rampant, especially in the United Kingdom and France. 

But there's little double that it has helped stabilize Europe politically. To gain the benefits of membership in the EU, you must have a stable, democratic government, an economy based on the free market, and a commitment to the rule of law. The EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for these influences. 

Lesson Summary 

Political geography is the study of the relationships between governments, citizens, and countries, both external and internal, and their effects on those citizens and countries. 

The ideals and systems of government from Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome affect Europe and the world to this day. Greece is described as the birthplace of democracy and is the source of the entire concept of citizenship. Ancient Rome gave Europe many of its ideas about law, government, and military force. European empires are heavily influenced by the Roman Empire. 

Much later, World War I led to the Ottoman and Hungarian empires being broken down into lots of small countries, which completely re-wrote the borders of Europe and is very heavily responsible for many of the borders that persist to this day. World War II put an end to the remnants of the European empires and led to the creation of the Iron Curtain, which was the border between western European countries that held similar values to the United States and eastern countries influenced by the USSR. In the 1980s, the Soviet Union fell, but the political geography of Europe remains affected to this day, with many eastern European countries still culturally and politically influenced by Russia. 

In 1957, the European Economic Community (or EEC) was set up. This eventually led to the official establishment of the European Union (EU) in 1993. The modern EU is a political and economic union of 28 member states that promotes free trade and cooperation. It encompasses many bodies, including the European Central Bank, the Court of Justice, and the European Parliament. The European Parliament is elected by EU citizens every five years. 

Political controversy about the EU remains to this day. Having to bail out struggling countries like Greece during the economic crisis of 2008, the loss of sovereign power, and immigration from poorer, eastern European countries are the main sources of tension. But there's little double that it has helped stabilize Europe both economically and politically. 

Influence of Geographic Factors on Politics in Europe Overview