Natural conditions and resources of Western Europe. Presentation for a lesson in geography (Grade 11) on the topic: Presentation of the natural resources of Foreign Europe

The natural resources of foreign Europe are quite diverse, but the reserves of many of them are small.

In the distribution of minerals, there is a difference between the northern and southern parts of the region.

In the northern part, located on the platform, fuel minerals (coal, oil and gas) are confined to the sedimentary cover of the platform and its marginal troughs. The location of ore minerals in this part is associated with the presence of the Baltic Shield and the Hercynian folding zone.

In the southern part of foreign Europe, located in geosynclinal regions, various minerals of both igneous and sedimentary (bauxite) origin predominate.

In general, foreign Europe is provided with mineral raw materials much worse than other large regions of the world. This circumstance determines, firstly, the more modest importance of the extractive industries, and secondly, the dependence of industry on the import of mineral raw materials. Foreign Europe imports about half of the energy carriers and a large number of other types of raw materials consumed in its economy.

4. Population of foreign Europe

More than 500 million people, or about 9% of the world's population, live in the region.

Population placement

Foreign Europe is one of the most densely populated regions of the world with an average population density of over 100 people per 1 km. At the same time, the distribution of the population is primarily determined by the geography of cities. The level of urbanization here is one of the highest in the world - 74%, and in some countries up to 80 or even 90%.

Urbanization in foreign Europe has its own distinctive features:

very dense network of cities;

a special Western European type of city (the presence of an “old city” with a main square, a town hall and a cathedral and radial narrow streets radiating from the square, as well as new buildings);

since the 70s of the 20th century, the growth of population concentration in large urban agglomerations has been replaced by the process of suburbanization (the growth of suburban areas and satellite cities); this leads to the "spreading" of the urban population and the formation of vast urbanized areas and zones;

The boundary between urban and rural areas is becoming more and more arbitrary.

National composition of the population

The population of Foreign Europe is characterized by relative national homogeneity, since the vast majority of the peoples of the region belong to the Indo-European language family.

However, the ethnic map of the region is very complex. Along with mono-ethnic states, there are many states with a complex national composition, in which interethnic relations have recently become aggravated.

Religious composition Europe's population is quite complex. The dominant religion is Christianity. In general, we can say that Protestantism prevails in the north, Catholicism in the south, and their different ratio in the center. In addition, Orthodoxy prevails in some countries.

population reproduction foreign Europe is characterized by a very difficult demographic situation with depopulation and "aging of nations". Natural population growth is very low (about 1.5%) and in some countries (Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, etc.) there is even a natural population decline. The population includes a significant stratum of older people. All this led to a change in the role of the region in the system of external migrations of the population: from the main center of emigration, foreign Europe turned into the main world center of labor immigration (12-13 million foreign workers). A significant part of foreign workers is not in the position of citizens, but temporary guests-workers (“guest workers”).

The main directions of labor immigration:

from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the countries of northern Africa in France;

from Spain, Italy, as well as India, Pakistan, Ireland and African countries to Great Britain;

from Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey to Germany.

For employment structures The population is characterized by a large proportion (about 1/3) of the economically active population employed in the service sector. The unemployment rate is very high (in the EU countries it is about 11.5% of the labor force).

1. General characteristics of the physical and economic-geographical position of Europe

Europe is a part of the world with an area of ​​​​about 10 million km² (of which 5.1 million km² fall on Foreign Europe, in relation to the CIS countries) and a population of 740 million people (about 10-11% of the world's population). The average height is about 300 m, the maximum is 4808 m, Mount Blanc.
Features of the geographical location:

1. The length from north to south (from the island of Svalbard to the island of Crete) is 5 thousand km, and from west to east - more than 3 thousand km.
2. Relief "mosaic" of its territory: lowlands and elevated territories. Among the mountains of Europe, most of the average height. The borders pass mainly along such natural boundaries that do not create obstacles for transport links.
3. High degree of indentation of the coastline.
4. Maritime position of most countries. The average distance from the sea is 300 km. In the western part of the region there is no place more than 480 km away from the sea, in the eastern part - 600 km.
5. The "depth" of the territory of most countries is small. So in Bulgaria and Hungary there is no place that would be removed from the borders of these countries by more than 115-120 km.
6. Neighborly position favorable for integration processes.
7. Favorable position in terms of contacts with the rest of the worlds, tk. located at the junction with Asia and Africa, far advanced into the ocean - the "big peninsula of Eurasia."
8. Diversity of natural resources, but non-complex distribution by country, many deposits are largely depleted.

Europe is usually divided into Northern and Southern, Western and Eastern, this is rather conditional, especially since not only purely geographical, but also political factors come into play here.

2. European organizations and associations

A single economic, political and financial space is being formed in foreign Europe.
The vast majority of countries are members of the UN. Switzerland joined the UN in September 2002, NATO members - 14 countries, EU members - 15 countries. Most of the countries belong to the industrialized group. Four countries: Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy are part of the "big seven countries of the West". A special place on the economic map of the region is occupied by post-socialist countries or countries with economies in transition.
The Council of Europe is an international organization that promotes cooperation among all European countries in the field of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural interaction. Founded in 1949, the Council of Europe is Europe's oldest international organization. The best-known organs of the Council of Europe are the European Court of Human Rights, acting in accordance with the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the Commission of the European Pharmacopoeia.

3. Political changes in Europe. NATO

After the collapse of the socialist regimes, the situation changed markedly. Most of the countries of the former "socialist camp" reoriented towards Western structures. Currently, more than half of the states of Europe are members of the European Union and NATO, and almost all the rest declare their desire to join these organizations.

4. Changes on the political map of Europe

The following events had the greatest influence on the formation of the political map of Europe: the First World War, the Second World War, the collapse of the USSR and the entire world socialist system. Until the mid-1980s, there were 32 sovereign states, including microstates. Since the beginning of the 90s - about 40 states.

5. Modern political map of foreign Europe

Currently, there are more than 40 states in Europe. Most of the states in the form of government are republics, 12 monarchies. According to the administrative-territorial structure, all countries (except Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland) are unitary. Largest countries by area: France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Finland. Largest countries by population: Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy. Four states of foreign Europe are members of the Big Seven: France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain. Germany is considered the main economy of Europe.

Natural resources of foreign Europe

Europe's resource endowment is primarily determined by three factors. First, the European region is one of the most densely populated regions on the planet. Consequently, the natural resources of the region are used very actively. Secondly, the countries of Europe took the path of industrial development earlier than others. As a result, the impact on nature on an industrial scale began here several centuries ago. And finally, Europe is a relatively small region of the planet. The conclusion suggests itself: the natural resources of Europe are severely depleted. The exception is the Scandinavian Peninsula, whose resources were largely preserved almost intact until the end of the 20th century. Indeed, the active industrial development of Scandinavia began only in the second half of the twentieth century. At the same time, the population of the countries of the Scandinavian Peninsula is small and distributed over a large area. All these signs of the Scandinavian sub-region are opposite to the properties characteristic of Europe as a whole.

1. The share of foreign Europe for certain resources

For the world economy, the following resources located within Foreign Europe are important:

1. Coal
2. Lead
3. Oil
4. bauxites
5. Soil

2. Mineral resources

Deposits of igneous minerals are concentrated in places where ancient crystalline rocks come to the surface - in Fennoscandia and in the belt of ancient destroyed mountains of Central Europe. These are deposits of iron ore in the north of the Scandinavian Peninsula, non-ferrous metal ores in the area of ​​the Baltic Shield and in ancient massifs and mountains.
Europe has significant reserves of fossil fuels. Large coal basins are located on the territory of Germany (Ruhr basin), Poland (Upper Silesian basin) and the Czech Republic (Ostrava-Karvinsky basin). In the late 1960s, huge reserves of oil and gas were discovered at the bottom of the North Sea. Great Britain and Norway quickly became among the world leaders in oil production, and the Netherlands, Norway - in gas production.
In Europe, the reserves of ore raw materials are quite large. Iron ore is mined in Sweden (Kiruna), France (Lorraine) and the Balkan Peninsula. Non-ferrous metal ores are represented by copper-nickel and chromium ores from Finland, Sweden, bauxites from Greece and Hungary. In France, there are large deposits of uranium, and in Norway - titanium. There are polymetals, tin, mercury ores in Europe (Spain, the Balkan, Scandinavian Peninsulas), Poland is rich in copper.

3. Soils

The soils of Europe are quite fertile. However, the small area of ​​the countries and significant populations explain the low population. In addition, almost all available areas have already been used for agriculture. The territory of the Netherlands, for example, is plowed up by more than 80%.

4. Water resources.

Natural waters are one of the most important and scarce natural resources in Europe. The population and various sectors of the economy use huge volumes of water, and the amount of water consumption continues to increase. Water quality deterioration due to uncontrolled or poorly controlled economic use is the main problem in modern water use in Europe.

The modern economy of European countries annually takes about 360 km3 of pure water from water sources for the needs of industry, agriculture and for the water supply of settlements. The demand for water and water consumption is steadily increasing as the population grows and the economy develops. According to calculations, only at the beginning of the XX century. industrial water consumption increased 18 times in Europe, significantly outpacing the production of the gross national product in terms of growth rates. The situation with water resources in Europe is generally favorable, with the exception of the southern regions of Italy, Greece and Spain.

5. Hydropower, forestry, agro-climatic, recreational resources

Alps, Scandinavian mountains, Carpathians are rich in hydropower resources. Agro-climatic resources. The countries of Europe have a fairly high agro-climatic potential, as they are located in the temperate and subtropical geographical zones, have favorable thermal resources and moisture supply. But the increased population density, characteristic of Europe in all historical epochs, contributed to the long and intensive use of natural resources. The low fertility of certain types of soils prompted Europeans to pay attention to the development of various ways to improve soils and raise their natural fertility. It was in Europe that the practice of artificially improving the chemical composition of the soil cover with the help of organic and mineral fertilizers was born, variants of crop rotation systems and other agrotechnical measures were developed.

6. Forest resources

Forests cover 30% of its territory in foreign Europe. For every European, on average, there are 0.3 hectares of forest (in the world this norm is 1 ha). The long history of the economic development of European lands was accompanied by intensive deforestation. There are almost no forests not affected by economic activity in Europe, with the exception of the territories of the Alps and the Carpathians. Europe is the only part of the world where forest area has been increasing in recent decades. And this is happening despite high population density and a severe shortage of productive land. The need long recognized by Europeans to protect their very limited land resources and fertile soils from erosional destruction and to regulate flood runoff resulted in the overestimation of the environmental protection functions of forest plantations. Therefore, the soil and water protection role of the forest, its recreational value, have immeasurably grown in importance, in addition, environmental policy in Europe has contributed to less deforestation. Finland, Sweden, Norway have the largest reserves of forest resources in foreign Europe.

7. Recreational resources

The territory of Foreign Europe is rich in unique recreational resources. The recreational resources of France, Spain, Italy and other European countries are of world importance.

European population

The population of Europe is more than 500 million people. The region has a rather complicated demographic situation.
1. Birth and death rates

Recently, the population of foreign Europe began to grow very slowly. This is explained by the fact that the reproduction of the region's population is characterized by a difficult demographic situation. In some countries, there is even a natural population decline. At the same time, the age composition of the population is changing, and the proportion of older people is growing.

2. Population reproduction

Almost all European countries are characterized by the modern type of population reproduction. Countries with minimal rates of natural increase (population loss): Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary.

3. National composition

All this led to a sharp change in the share of the region in the global system of external migration of the population. Having been the main center of emigration since the time of the Great geographical discoveries, foreign Europe has become the main world center of labor immigration. Now there are 18-20 million foreign workers here, a significant part of whom are not citizens, but temporary guest workers (in German, "guest workers").
In terms of national composition, the population of foreign Europe is relatively homogeneous: the vast majority of the 62 peoples of the region belong to the Indo-European language family. At the same time, the related languages ​​of the Slavic, Romance, Germanic groups have significant similarities. The same is true for the languages ​​of the Uralic family. Nevertheless, the ethnic map of the region, which has evolved over thousands of years, is not so simple. Along with single-ethnic states, there are many states with a complex national composition.

Types of state by national composition:

• mononational (i.e. the main nationality is over 90%). Most of them are in Europe (Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Austria, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Italy, Portugal),
• with a sharp predominance of one nation, but with more or less significant minorities (Great Britain, France, Spain, Finland, Romania);
• binational (Belgium);
• multinational countries with a complex and ethnically diverse composition (Switzerland, Latvia, etc.).

In many countries there are complex problems of interethnic relations: Great Britain, Spain (Basques), France (Corsica), Belgium, Cyprus, etc.
The most common languages ​​in Foreign Europe are French, German, Italian, English.

4. Religious composition

In all countries of foreign Europe, the dominant religion is Christianity. In Southern Europe, Catholicism sharply prevails, in Northern Europe - Protestantism; and in the Middle they are in different proportions. Rome is home to the world center of Catholicism - the Vatican. Orthodoxy is practiced in the southeastern and eastern countries of Foreign Europe. Islam is practiced in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

5. Placement and migration of the population

Foreign Europe is one of the most densely populated regions of the world. At the same time, the distribution of the population in it is primarily determined by the geography of cities. The level of urbanization here is one of the highest in the world: on average, 74% live in cities, and in some countries more than 80% and even 90% of the total population. The total number of cities is measured in many thousands, and their network is very dense. Gradually, over thousands of years, a Western European type of city developed, the roots of which date back to the times of the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages.

A characteristic feature of the urbanization of foreign Europe is a very high concentration of the population in cities and urban agglomerations. The largest of them are London, Paris and Rhine-Ruhr. In the 70s. after a period of rapid growth of cities and agglomerations, an outflow of the population from their centers (cores) began, first to the near and far suburbs, and then to more remote small towns and to the countryside (“green wave”). As a result, the number of residents in the central areas of London, Paris, Hamburg, Vienna, Milan and many other cities either stabilized or even began to decline. This process has received in science the name suburbanization.

The largest number of migrants go to the following countries: France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria. In addition, foreign Europe is characterized by migration within the region - and east to west.

Exercise:

Using the textbook endpaper data and table No. 2 in the Appendix, put on states with a monarchical and republican system of government.

Presentation for the lesson

Foreign Europe has quite diverse resources of fuel, mineral and energy raw materials.

But it must be taken into account that almost all known mineral deposits in the European territory have long been known and are on the verge of depletion. Therefore, this region more than others in the world needs to import resources.

Features of the relief of Europe

The relief of foreign Europe is quite diverse. In the east, low-lying plains predominate, which stretch in a wide strip from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Uplands dominate in the south: Oshmyany, Minsk, Volyn, Crimean mountains.

The territory of the western part of Europe is strongly dissected. Here, as you move from north to south, mountain ranges alternate with stripes of plains and lowlands. In the north are the Scandinavian mountains. Further south: Scottish Highlands, elevated plains (Norland, Småland), lowlands (Central European, Greater Poland, North German, etc.). Then the mountain strip follows again: these are Sumava, the Vosges and others, which alternately alternate with the plains - Lesser Poland, Bohemian-Moravian.

In the south - the highest European mountain ranges - the Pyrenees, the Carpathians, the Alps, then again the plains. At the southernmost extremities of foreign Europe, another mountain belt extends, which is made up of such massifs as the Rhodopes, the Apennines, the Andalusian Mountains, the Dinars, and the Pindus.

This diversity determined the uneven occurrence of minerals. In the mountains and on the Scandinavian Peninsula, the reserves of iron, manganese, zinc, tin, copper, polymetallic ores, and bauxite are concentrated. Significant deposits of brown and hard coal, potash salts have been discovered in the lowlands. The coast of Europe, washed by the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, is an area of ​​oil and gas deposits. Especially a lot of fuel resources lie in the north. The development of the shelf of the Arctic Ocean is still a priority.

Types of minerals

Despite the diversity of minerals in foreign Europe, the reserves of only some of them can be estimated as significant shares in the world reserve. In numbers, this can be expressed as follows:

. hard and brown coal— 20% of the world stock;

. zinc— 18%;

. lead— 14%%

. copper— 7%;

. oil, natural gas, iron ore, bauxite — 5-6%.

All other resources are presented in insignificant volumes.

By production hard coal Germany is in the lead (Ruhr, Saar, Aachen, Krefeld basins). It is followed by Poland (Upper Silesian basin) and Great Britain (Wales and Newcastle basins).

The richest deposits brown coal are also located on the territory of Germany (Halle-Leucipg and Lower Lausitz basins). There are rich deposits in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary.

Every year, for example, 106 billion tons of coal are mined in Germany, and 45 billion tons in Great Britain.

Potassium salts commercially mined in Germany and France.

uranium ores- in France (fields: Limousin, Forez, Morvan, Chardon) and Spain (Monasterio, La Virgen, Esperanza).

Iron ores- in France (Lorraine Basin) and Sweden (Kiruna).

Copper- in Bulgaria (Medet, Asaral, Elatsite), Poland (Grodzetskoye, Zlotoryyskoye, Presudetskoye deposits) and Finland (Vuonos, Outokumpu, Luikonlahti).

Oil- in Great Britain and Norway (water area of ​​the North Sea), Denmark and the Netherlands. Currently, 21 oil and gas basins have been discovered, with a total area of ​​more than 2.8 million sq. km. Separate oil fields - 752, gas - 854.

Gas in the UK, Norway, the Netherlands. The largest deposit is Gronigen. More than 3.0 trillion tons are mined here annually. cubic meters.

bauxites- in France (Mediterranean province, La Rouquet), Greece (Parnassus-Kiona, Amorgos), Croatia (Rudopolje, Niksic), Hungary (Halimba, Oroslan, Gant).

Natural resources of foreign Europe

Features of Europe's resource supply can be explained by three factors:

1. This is a relatively small area, therefore, the volume of natural resources is small.

2. Europe is one of the most densely populated regions in the world, so resources are used very actively.

3. Europeans were the first in the world to follow the path of industrial development, which led not only to a significant depletion of all types of resources, but also to environmental degradation.

Land and forest resources. The land area of ​​foreign Europe is small - about 173 million hectares, of which 30% is allocated for arable land, 18% - for pastures, 33% is occupied by forests. The highest land use ratio is in the Netherlands, Romania, Poland and Denmark - 80%, in France, Germany - 50, but in Italy and Portugal - 14-16%.

There is approximately 0.3 ha of forest per 1 European, while the world average is 1.2 ha. Long-term use has led to the fact that there are practically no natural forests left, those that are available are planted forests. About 400 million cubic meters of timber are mined annually in Europe, mainly in the Scandinavian Peninsula. The rest of the territory is dominated by protected forests that are not subject to felling, which means that they are not resources.

Water resources. Natural water is a scarce resource in Europe. Most of the water is used by industrial enterprises and agriculture. Long-term uncontrolled use of water resources has led to their depletion. To date, an extremely unfavorable ecological situation has developed - most European rivers and lakes are heavily polluted. In all countries of foreign Europe there is an acute shortage of fresh water.

Europe is the second (after Australia) smallest part of the world by area. However, its strategic location in relation to Asia and Africa, as well as navigable rivers and fertile soils, have made Europe the dominant economic, social and cultural power over a long period of history.

Water resources

Water is an essential component of life on our planet. Ecosystems, societies and economies need enough water to thrive. However, the need for water resources exceeds its availability in many parts of the world, and some regions of Europe are no exception. In addition, a large number of water bodies are in poor ecological condition.

Oceans and seas

Europe is washed by two oceans: in the north - by the Arctic Ocean and in the west - by the Atlantic Ocean; as well as the following seas: North, Baltic, Mediterranean, Black, Azov, Barents, Norwegian, White, Kara and Caspian.

Rivers

A large number of rivers flow through Europe. Some of them form the borders between different countries, while others serve as a valuable source of water for agriculture and fish farming. Most rivers in Europe are rich in dissolved minerals and valuable organic compounds. Many of them also have interesting physical properties and create waterfalls and canyons. European rivers are, in fact, an extremely important part of the continent. The longest rivers in Europe are: the Volga (3,692 km), the Danube (2,860 km), the Urals (2,428 km), the Dnieper (2,290 km), the Don (1,950 km).

lakes

Lakes are water bodies with stagnant fresh water, although they can also be brackish, i.e. slightly salty. They are characterized by physical features such as area, depth, volume, length, etc.

On the territory of Europe there are more than 500,000 natural lakes larger than 0.01 km² (1 ha). Between 80% and 90% of them are small, with an area of ​​0.01 to 0.1 km², while about 16,000 are larger than 1 km². Three quarters of the lakes are located in Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Karelian-Kola part of Russia.

24 lakes in Europe have an area of ​​​​more than 400 km². The largest freshwater lake in Europe - Lake Ladoga - covers an area of ​​17,670 km² and is located in the northwestern part of Russia, next to the second largest Lake Onega, with an area of ​​9,700 km². Both lakes are significantly larger than other European lakes and reservoirs. However, they are only 18th and 22nd in the world in terms of area. The third largest is the Kuibyshev reservoir, with an area of ​​6,450 km², located on the Volga River. Another 19 natural lakes, more than 400 km² in size, are located in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, the northwestern part of Russia, as well as in Central Europe.

Demand and provision of water resources

Although fresh water is generally plentiful in Europe, water scarcity and droughts continue to affect some water bodies at certain times of the year. The Mediterranean region and most of the densely populated river basins, in different parts of Europe, are hotspots where water is scarce.

In winter, about 30 million people in Europe live in conditions of water scarcity, while this figure is 70 million in summer. This corresponds to 4% and 9% of the total population of this part of the world.

About 20% of the total population of the Mediterranean region live in conditions of constant water scarcity. More than half (53%) of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean countries during the summer are forced to experience water shortages.

46% of rivers and 35% of groundwater provide more than 80% of the total water demand in Europe.

Agriculture requires 36% of water from total consumption. In summer, this figure increases to about 60%. Agriculture in the Mediterranean region accounts for almost 75% of the total agricultural water consumption in Europe.

Public water supply accounts for 32% of total water use. This puts pressure on renewable water resources, especially in areas with high population density. The small resort islands of Europe are in severe conditions of water shortage caused by the influx of tourists, which is 10-15 times the number of local residents.

forest resources

In Europe, about 33% of the total land area (215 million ha) is covered by forests, with a positive trend towards increasing forest areas. Other forest lands cover an additional area of ​​36 million hectares. About 113 million hectares are covered with coniferous forests, 90 million hectares with deciduous forests and 48 million hectares with mixed forests.

The use of forest resources is an important industry in Europe. The timber industry generates more than $600 billion in revenue annually. The forestry and wood processing industry employs about 3.7 million people and accounts for 9% of Europe's gross domestic product (GDP).

The most important branches of the forest industry in Europe are: woodworking, pulp and paper, building materials and furniture products. This part of the world is known for exporting high quality goods such as paper, furniture and wood panels.

In Europe, non-timber forest resources are also in demand, which include the collection of mushrooms and truffles, honey, fruits and berries, as well as the cultivation and collection of medicinal plants. Europe accounts for 80% of the total production of fellema (cork fabric) worldwide.

Map of the percentage of forests to the area of ​​European countries

The largest area of ​​forest resources is occupied in Finland (73%) and Sweden (68%). The forest cover of Slovenia, Latvia, Estonia, Greece, Spain and the European part of the Russian Federation exceeds 49%.

The smallest amount of forests is found on: the Isle of Man (6%), the island of Jersey (5%), the island of Guernsey (3%) and the island nation of Malta (1%). Gibraltar, Monaco, San Marino and Svalbard and Jan Mayen have less than 1% forest cover.

Land resources

The earth is the basis for most biological resources and human activities. Agriculture, forestry, industry, transport, housing and other forms of land use are an important economic resource. The earth is also an integral part of ecosystems and a necessary condition for the existence of living organisms.

Land can be divided into two related concepts:

• vegetation cover, which refers to the biophysical land cover (eg, crops, grasses, broadleaf forests, and other biological resources);

• land use indicates the socio-economic use of land (eg agriculture, forestry, recreation, etc.).

Forests and other woodlands occupy 37.1% of the total area of ​​Europe, arable land makes up almost a quarter of the land resources (24.8%), grasslands - 20.7%, and shrubs - 6.6%, while water areas and wetlands lands occupy 4.8%.

Agricultural land use is the most common land use in European countries and accounts for 43.5% of the total land area. The areas used for forestry occupy 32.4% of the territory, while 5.7% of the land is intended for housing and recreational purposes. Industry and transport account for 3.4%, and the remaining land is used for hunting and fishing, or is under protection or has no apparent use.

Europe has many different vegetation and land uses that reflect historical changes. In recent years, some of the most important changes in land use have included the decline in agricultural land use and the gradual increase in forest areas (driven by the need to meet global environmental obligations due to climate change). The construction of roads, highways, railways, intensive agriculture and urbanization have led to land fragmentation. This process negatively affects the flora and fauna of Europe.

Mineral resources

Europe has significant reserves of metal resources. Russia is the main supplier of oil, which gives it a strategic advantage in international negotiations. Outside of Russia, there is relatively little oil in Europe (with the exception of fields off the coast of Scotland and Norway). Peat and potash are also important to the European economy. Zinc and copper are the main elements used in almost all European countries. Iceland is a leader in alternative energy sources. Since the Baltic countries are poor in mineral resources, they depend on other states, for example, on Sweden.

Map of the mineral resources of Europe

Mineral resources of the Nordic countries

The mineral resources of Northern Europe mainly include metals such as bauxite (aluminum is extracted from it), copper and iron ore. Some northern European countries (such as Denmark) have oil and natural gas reserves. Scandinavia is relatively rich in oil and natural gas.

Mineral resources of the countries of Southern Europe

Italy has significant reserves of coal, mercury and zinc. Croatia has a limited amount of oil and bauxite. Bosnia and Herzegovina has reserves of bauxite, coal and iron ore. Greece has some iron ore, bauxite, oil, lead and zinc.

Mineral resources of Western European countries

Spain and France share reserves of coal, zinc, as well as copper and lead. France also has bauxite and uranium. Germany has large reserves of coal, as well as nickel and lignite (or brown coal, similar to peat). The UK has some offshore deposits of oil and natural gas, as well as significant reserves of coal, and small reserves of gold. Iceland is a leader in hydropower and geothermal energy production. Portugal has some gold, zinc, copper and uranium. Ireland has significant reserves of natural gas and peat.

Mineral resources of Eastern European countries

Ukraine and Russia are rich in natural gas and oil. The Baltic countries are poorer in terms of mineral resources, although Latvia has begun to exploit the hydropower potential. Poland is endowed with coal, natural gas, iron ore and copper, and has limited silver reserves. Serbia has some oil and natural gas, copper and zinc, and limited reserves of gold and silver. Bulgaria is rich in alumina and copper. Kosovo is probably the most blessed country of all Eastern European countries, as it has huge reserves of gold, silver, natural gas, bauxite, nickel and zinc. Finally, Russia has an abundance of natural resources: it has a large percentage of the world's oil and natural gas reserves, as well as vast reserves of almost all of the most important minerals.

biological resources

The biological resources of Europe include all living organisms that inhabit the territory of this part of the world, including: animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms that are used by people for personal needs, as well as wild representatives of flora and fauna that have a direct or indirect impact on the ecosystem.

animal husbandry

Spain, Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy are the largest livestock producing countries in Europe. In 2016, the largest number of pigs were recorded in Spain and Germany (28.4 and 27.7 million heads respectively), in France 19.4 million heads of cattle were raised, and in the UK 23.1 million heads of sheep. Also in Europe, goats and birds (chickens, ducks, geese, etc.) are raised. Animal husbandry provides Europeans with food, including milk, meat, eggs, etc. Some animals are used for work and driving.

Fish farming

Fish farming is an important livestock industry. Europe represents approximately 5% of the world's fisheries and aquaculture. Fishing for wild fish occurs mainly in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Major fish species include: Atlantic herring, sprat, blue whiting and Atlantic mackerel. The leading fishing countries are: Spain, Denmark, Great Britain and France. These countries account for about half of all fish catches in Europe.

crop production

In Europe, crops are grown, including wheat, spelled, barley, corn, rye, etc. This part of the world is the leading producer of sugar beet in the world (about 50% of the world's reserves). Oilseeds are grown here: soybean, sunflower and rapeseed.

The main vegetables grown in Europe are: tomato, onion, carrot. The most important fruits are: apples, oranges and peaches. About 65% of the world's viticulture and winemaking is concentrated in Europe, while the leading producing countries, which account for 79.3% of the total production, are: Italy, France and Spain.

Europe is also the world's largest producer of olive oil, accounting for nearly 3/4 of the world's production. The Mediterranean region produces 95% of the world's olive trees. The main countries producing this oil are: Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal.

Flora

Probably 80 to 90% of Europe was covered with forest. It stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Arctic Ocean. Although more than half of the forests have disappeared due to deforestation, more than 1/4 of the territory is still covered by forests. Recently, deforestation has slowed down and many trees have been planted.

The most important tree species in Central and Western Europe are beech and oak. In the north, the taiga is a mixed spruce-pine-birch forest; further north, within Russia and extreme northern Scandinavia, the taiga gives way to the tundra. In the Mediterranean, many olive trees have been planted which have adapted very well to the characteristic arid climate; Mediterranean cypresses are also widespread in Southern Europe.

Fauna

The last ice age and the presence of humans influenced the distribution of European fauna. In many parts of Europe, most large animals and predators of the best species have been exterminated. Today, large animals such as wolves and bears are endangered. The reason for this was deforestation, poaching and fragmentation of the natural habitat.

The following species of animals live in Europe: the European forest cat, the fox (especially the red fox), jackals and various types of martens, hedgehogs. Here you can find snakes (such as vipers and snakes), amphibians and various birds (such as owls, hawks and other birds of prey).

The disappearance of pygmy hippos and pygmy elephants has been linked to the earliest human arrival on the islands of the Mediterranean.

Marine organisms are also an important part of European flora and fauna. Marine life mainly includes phytoplankton. Important marine animals that live in European seas are: mollusks, echinoderms, various crustaceans, squid, octopuses, fish, dolphins, and whales.

The biodiversity of Europe is protected by the "Bern Convention for the Protection of Wild Fauna and Flora and Natural Habitats".

The bowels of foreign Europe contain many types of mineral raw materials: oil, coal and natural gas, ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals (iron, lead, bauxite, gold, zinc, mercury), "potassium salts, native sulfur, marble and other minerals. However, numerous and deposits of various profiles as a whole do not meet the needs of the region in the most important types of energy carriers and metal ores.Therefore, the European economy is largely dependent on their imports.

The European region is located in a temperate and subtropical climate zone, has favorable temperature and moisture regimes for many branches of agriculture. Mild winters and a long growing season in the middle and southern parts of the region contribute to the almost year-round vegetation of many crops - cereals, herbs, vegetables. The Atlantic part of the region is characterized by excessive moisture, and the Mediterranean countries are characterized by a lack of precipitation in summer. The Mediterranean climate is the most favorable for human life.

Forests in foreign Europe occupy more than 20% of the territory, and in most countries (except Sweden and Finland) these are artificial tree plantings. Of all parts of the world, Europe is the most "civilized". Only 2.8% of its territory is free from any traces of human activity.

The region has significant water resources. The Rhine, Danube, numerous rivers of the plains, as well as canals are convenient transport routes, and the rivers of Scandinavia, the Alps and other mountain systems have a large hydropower potential.

In Europe (without the CIS countries) in 2017, about 753.8 million people lived (including 100.4 million - residents of the European part of Russia) or about % of the world's population. This is a region of ancient settlement and development, one of the most densely populated in the world: an average of about 100 people per sq. km. km (more only in Asia - about 127 people per sq. km). From a hotbed that gave flows of emigrants to all corners of the world, Western Europe turned into a magnet for emigrants - "guest workers", refugees, residents of former colonial empires. Germany dominates in terms of the number of foreigners.

For foreign Europe is characterized by a very motley ethnic composition of the population. More than fifty large and small peoples live here. Most of them have developed in the nation, some are national minorities.

The peoples of foreign Europe speak mainly the languages ​​​​of the Indo-European linguistic family, represented here by three main groups: Germanic, Romance and Slavic. The peoples of the Germanic group, whose languages ​​have similar features, inhabit mainly the northern and central parts of Europe. They are divided into two subgroups: the western one, in which the Germans, the British, the Dutch, the Flemings, and the Austrians are the most numerous, and the northern one, which unites the Scandinavian peoples.

The peoples of the Romance group include Italians, French, Spaniards, Portuguese, Romanians.

The peoples of the Slavic group are represented by two subgroups: Western Slavs, which include Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, and Southern Slavs inhabiting the Balkan Peninsula - Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Macedonians and Montenegrins.

The languages ​​belonging to the Indo-European family are also spoken by the Irish, Greeks, and Albanians.

The Uralic family of languages ​​includes Hungarian and Finnish.

Europe is the most urbanized region in the world. In EU countries, the share of the urban population ranges from 63-68% (Southern Europe) to 74-92% (the "core" of the EU). Only in the XX century. the area of ​​urban landscapes has increased 10 times. Only within the EU, there are 36 millionaire cities (of which 14 are capitals). Some of the European capitals have important international functions. In Paris, London, Geneva, Brussels, Vienna, Madrid are the headquarters of major international organizations, including the UN. Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg are the "capitals of the EU", where its leading bodies are located. The embodiment of urbanized Europe has become the European megalopolis - a giant cluster of cities stretching from Manchester and Greater London in the extreme north-west of Europe through the Dutch Ranstadt (includes the effectively merged Amsterdam - The Hague and Europort No. 1 - Rotterdam) and further through the Ruhr and Frankfurt to Germany, Paris in France as far as Milan in the south. Because of the shape, curved from northwest to southwest, this megalopolis is called "banana". The European "banana" is the world's most saturated metropolis with modern infrastructure. From the high-speed British railways and the London airport to the continent is opened in 1994 the Eurotunnel under the English Channel, through which the flow of cars and high-speed trains "Eurostar" moves. The journey from London to Paris, which had previously taken five hours, was reduced to three hours. On the continent, this line joins the unified European network of motorways and high-speed railways.