Vocab Words 1
A form of energy conversion that captures heat energy from within the earth
geothermal energy
Fine, yellowish, brownish topsoil made up of particles of silt and clay, carried and deposited by the wind.
loess
A very rare heavy-metal element essential to high-tech industry, mined along the Pyrenees.
tungsten
Northern Europe is made up of which countries?
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland
An arctic tundra is characterized by what?
Poor soil quality, minimal vegetation, extremely cold temperatures, and frozen ground
Why is acid rain a serious problem in Northwestern Europe?
It destroys forests and it pollutes rivers and lakes, threatening those biomes.
What are the main characteristics of a Mediterranean climate?
Hot, dry summers and cool, mild winters
The practice and business of recreational travel based on concern for the environment
ecotourism
A foreign laborer living and working temporarily in another country.
guest worker
A river in southern Europe that flows through Spain and Portugal.
Ebro River
At over 1,300’ thick, _____ is Europe’s largest glacier and covers about 8% of Iceland.
Vatnajökull
What is the Northern European Plain?
An area of plains and grasslands known for its rich soil, that runs from France through Germany.
A humid-continental climate is characterized by what?
Cold, wet winters and hot, humid summers.
What was the Renaissance?
A period of renewed learning and culture that originated in Italy beginning around 1350
A long steep-sided glacial valley now filled by seawater.
fjord
A dry wind that blows from the leeward sides of mountains, sometimes melting snow and casing avalanches; term used mainly in Europe.
foehn
A body of mountain ranges formed by tectonic forces.
massif
What is the world’s largest island?
Greenland
What are the Alps?
Europe’s primary mountain range, that runs through France, Italy, Germany and eastern Europe. It is among the most famous mountains in the world.
How does the North Atlantic Current (the Gulf Stream) affect the climate of Northwestern Europe?
It is a warm-water current that warms the climate in Northwestern Europe.
Algae blooms are a major problem in the Adriatic Sea. What are the causes and effects of these blooms?
It deoxygenates the water, killing the fish
A process by which accumulated masses of snow form into ice and spread.
glaciation
A large mass of ice, snow, or rock that slides down a mountain.
avalanche
An independently governed community and surrounding lands, such as ancient Athens and Sparta.
city-state
Who were the Norsemen and why is the period of time from 793 – 1050 AD known as the Viking Age?
They were the Vikings and it was a time when they built ships of war and raided parts of western & eastern Europe.
How has the Netherlands managed their environment in a country where 25% of the land is below sea level?
Through their use of dikes, polders, and levees to control the sea-level.
Spain, Portugal, and Andorra are found on what landform?
The Iberian Peninsula
The city-state of Athens introduced the concept of _____ to the world.
democracy
A state that assumes primary responsibility for the social well-being of its citizens.
welfare state
A strong northerly wind from the Alps that can bring cold air to southern France.
mistral
The period of cultural rebirth beginning in Italy during the 1300s.
Renaissance
Why is overfishing a major problem in Northern Europe?
Several commercial species, such as cod and mackerel, are on the point of collapse.
What was the Holocaust?
The mass-murder (genocide) of over 6.6 Million Jews during WWII.
Why are Southern Europe’s rivers generally unsuited to transportation?
They are too shallow
The Italian Renaissance produced several great artists. Among them, _____ and _____ are perhaps the greatest of them all.
Michelangelo and da Vinci