Geographic Features of Europe

Geographic
Feature

Information
Located in south-central Europe, they extend for almost 700 miles from the
coastline of southern France (near Monaco) into Switzerland, northern Italy and
Austria, then southeast through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina as the
(Dinaric Alps). They end in Albania on the rugged coastline of the Adriatic Sea.

Alps

Apennines

Known for stunning scenery, glaciers, lakes and valleys and the best skiing
conditions on the planet, they're the source of many rivers and tributaries including
the Danube, Po, Rhine and Rhone.
The highest point is Mont Blanc at 15,771 ft. (4,807 m)
The source of almost all rivers in Italy including the Arno, Tiber, and Volturno, the
Apennines Mountains (Ital. Appennino) 830 miles (1,350 km) in length, form the
backbone of the country, and run the entire length of the Italian Peninsula, ending
on the island of Sicily.
The highest point is Mt. Corno at 9,560 ft. (2,914 m).
These mountains extend from Yugoslavia across Bulgaria. Additional ranges run
through Albania, Greece and Macedonia.

Balkan
Mountains

Its most famous mountain is Mt. Olympus, the highest and most awe-inspiring peak
in all of Greece. In ancient times it was the mythical home of Zeus, and was
declared the first national park in Greece in 1939. It stands at 9,568 ft. (2,918 m).
The Black Sea is an inland sea located between far-southeastern Europe and the farwestern edges of the continent of Asia and the country of Turkey.
It's bordered by Turkey, and by the countries of Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia
and Georgia.

Black Sea

Many rivers flow into the Black Sea but the two most important include the Danube
and the Dnipro.
Over many centuries the Black Sea has been of critical importance to regional
commerce. Today this body of water serves as a primary highway for the transport
of energy to Europe from Russia and western Asia.

Danube
River

It is one of the world's busiest waterways.

Beginning in the Black Forest region of Germany, it flows across central Europe and
the countries of Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Yugoslavia. It then forms the border
between Romania and Bulgaria, turning north across Romania to eventually end in
the Black Sea.
It's (1,771 miles) (2,850 km) in length, and one of the most significant commercial
waterways on the continent.

English
Channel

Mediterrane
an Sea

North
European
Plain

North Sea

Norwegian
Sea

Pyrenees
Mountains

Rhine River

Rhone River

The English Channel, often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the
Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the
North Sea to the Atlantic

This inland sea is bordered on the north by Europe, the east by Asia, and in the
south by Africa. This 969,100 sq. mile body of water is approximately 2,300 miles in
length, and has a maximum depth of 16,896 ft. Major subdivisions include the
Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, Balearic Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Ionian Sea and Ligurian
Sea.
The fertile North European Plain slopes to the north-northeast from the Alps,
extending to the Baltic Sea, and on into Denmark and southern Finland, Norway and
Sweden. It continues east for almost 2,500 miles (4000 km), on into the Russian
Federation.
The land is largely flat with smaller areas of hills, including the Central Russian
Uplands. Farming is prevalent and agricultural communities dot the landscape.
The North Sea - a part of the Atlantic Ocean - is bordered by Norway and Denmark,
Scotland and England, (and in the southeast) by the Frisian Islands and Germany,
the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

The Norwegian Sea, a part of the North Atlantic Ocean, is positioned (generally) to
the northwest of Norway and to the southeast of Greenland. It merges with the
Barents Sea off the northern coast of Norway, and with the waters of the North Sea
to the southeast of the Faroe Islands.
The strong currents and temperate waters here keep the Norwegian Sea ice-free
throughout the year. Within its waters oil and gas production are a major business
for Norway and the United Kingdom (UK), and its fishing grounds are some of the
most productive on the planet.
These mountains form the natural border between France and Spain and extend for
about 270 miles from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea. The highest point
is Pico de Aneto at 11,168 ft. (3,404 m)

Forming in the mountains of southeastern Switzerland, this legendary river flows

west, forming Switzerland's northeastern border with Germany, then runs directly
north through western Germany forming part of that country's border with France,
then finally dissecting the Netherlands and ending in the North Sea.
Begin high in the Swiss Alps, this fast moving river flows into the eastern end of
Lake Geneva, then south through south-eastern France, emptying into the
Mediterranean Sea.
Small branches run in all directions, and in overall length, it's (300 miles) (485 km).

Scandinavia
n Shield

An ancient area of rocky earth peppered with granite rock that was literally ground
down by receding glacial ice sheets. It's a rolling area of land covered with
thousands of lakes (mostly small), linked by rivers.

T he river runs for 776 km (482 miles) through France and into the English Channel
at Le Havre and Honfleur (Belgium). Its source is in the French region of Burgundy,
and its mouth is the English Channel.
Seine River

Thames
River

In Paris, the banks of the Seine are connected by a total of 37 bridges, including the
Pont de l'Alma near the Eiffel Tower, the Pont des Arts, and the Pont Neuf.
The river's name originates in the latin word, "sequana", which some believe relates
to a Gaelic name that would have been attributed by the earliest Celtic settlers.
There is no consensus on the etymology, however.
flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the
second longest in the United Kingdom, after the River Severn.

Volga River

The Volga is the largest river in European Russia in terms of length, discharge, and
watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national
river of Russia. It's 3,692 km (2,294 mi) long

Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is positioned in Northern Europe and bordered by Sweden (a part of
the Scandinavian Peninsula), Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
northeastern Germany, and eastern Denmark and its numerous islands.

Kjolen
Mountains

Ural
Mountains

This jagged mountain system runs along the border of eastern Norway and western
Sweden. The highest point is Mt. Kebnekaise, standing at 6,965 ft. (2,123 m)

The Urals are 1,640 miles (2,640 km) in length and extend from the northern-edge
of the Russian Federation down through Kazakhstan. They form a natural border
between Asia and Europe.
The highest point is Mt. Narodnaya at 6,214 ft. (1,894 m)