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Lesson
6.12 The Physical Features of Europe

FACTS Europe is a highly developed continent. Europe’s
to Understand three geographical divisions hold own unique
features in landforms, climate, soil and vegetation.
The lakes, navigable rivers, plateaus and mountains
have been the precious properties of Europe.

Europe lies in the northern hemisphere. Its latitudinal location is 35°N to 72°N and
latitudinal location is 24°W to 60°W. This continent is surrounded by the Arctic Ocean
in the north, the Atlantic Ocean in the west, Asia in the east and the Mediterranean
Sea in the south, Ural Mountain and the Ural River are the natural boundaries which
separate Europe from Asia.
Europe is the second smallest continent. It is a peninsula as it is surrounded by oceans
and seas on three sides. There are several smaller peninsulas along its highly irregular
coastline like the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Iberian Peninsula and the Italian and
the Greek Peninsulas. Europe has many peninsulas, so it is called a “Peninsula of
Peninsulas”. Due to its long coastline, most of the countries in Europe have access to
seas or oceans but there are a few landlocked countries in Europe.

Europe can be divided into three main physical features based on its landforms.

1. The North Western Highlands

It lies in the north and north-west extending from Norway and Sweden in
the east to Scotland in the west. These highlands are also called the Scandinavian
Highlands. They are made up of very hard ancient crystalline rocks and once were
very high and rugged. The continuous effect of winds, rain and water have destroyed
them and now only four of them exist in Scandinavia, Scotland, Iceland, Ireland
merely as highland. Most of the part is covered with snow.

2. The Central Plain

The central plain lies to Do You Know
the south of North-western
Highlands. It extends across
central Europe from Atlantic Europe is named after the Phoenician Princess
Coast in the west to the Ural Europa of Greek myth which was seduced by Zeus
Mountains in the east. It is disguised as a bull.
a vast triangular undulating
plain. It is also called the
Russian Plate. This region covers the vast area of Russia, Poland, Germany, Belgium,
Northern France, etc. with the depositions due to eroded glaciers and rivers like Don,

227 Dynamic Social Studies - Book IX