Exploring Northern Europe: Geography, Culture, and Language

Northern Europe

UK, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. Northern Europe consists of two regions: the British Isles and Scandinavia. In the far north lies the scenic Scandinavian Peninsula. The Jutland Peninsula forms the mainland part of Denmark and extends into the North Sea. Flat plains or low hills make up most of the peninsula's interior.

Great Britain

Largest island in Europe. The UK comprises four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

England

Largest division in the UK.

English Channel

Separates the island from continental Europe.

Ireland

Added in 1801. Northern Ireland stayed.

The Channel Tunnel

The Eurotunnel is a railway tunnel that connects Folkestone with Coquelles beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. It is the only fixed link between the island of Great Britain and the European mainland.

Characteristics of the Scandinavian Peninsula: Fjord

A long, narrow ocean inlet of the sea between high cliffs (Norway and Iceland).

Sognefjord

Longest fjord in Norway. The Scandinavian Peninsula comprises the mainland of Sweden, the mainland of Norway, and the northwestern area of Finland. Norway has a mountainous interior and a narrow coastline.

Norway: Oslo.
Sweden: Stockholm. Sweden has more lowlands than Norway. There are forests and swamps. The Scandinavian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in Europe.

Iceland

The land of “Fire and Ice”. Island country in the North Atlantic Ocean. The capital and largest city is Reykjavik. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. Many Icelanders believe in elves and trolls. About 11% of Iceland is covered by glaciers. The Northern Lights can be seen in Iceland from September to March. Over 200 volcanoes.

Northern Europe Climate Types

Marine west coast, Humid Continental, Subarctic, Tundra, and Icecap.

Language

A language family is a group of related languages that developed from an earlier language. The Indo-European family has several branches in Europe. Subdivisions of a language family are called branches. For example: Romance languages come from Latin.

Indo-European Family

• Roman: French, Spanish, Italian, Catalan, Portuguese, and Romanian.
• Germanic: English, Dutch, German, Swedish, Icelandic, Afrikaans.
• Baltic: Lithuanian, Latvian.
• Slavic: Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Bulgarian.
• Celtic: Welsh, Breton, and Cornish.

Dikes and Polders

A dike is a barrier used to regulate or hold back a body of water. Baltic Sea and North Sea.

Fjords

A long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Glaciation: process in which snow accumulates over time and turns to ice and spreads.

Polder

Area of lowland that was once under the sea but that has been separated from it by dykes.