"[Europe's] remarkable cultural diversity produces a geographic mosaic of different languages, religions, and landscapes ... Regional differences are also entangled with Europe's troubled past, a history of neighbors warring with each other because of the very same cultural and political differences ... Today, however, a spirit of cooperation prevails as Europe sets aside nationalistic agendas and works toward regional economic, political, and cultural integration through the European Union." (Rowntree, et al., Chapter 8)
- This chapter introduces Europe, one of the world's most densely settled modern regions. An important objective of this chapter is to understand the dynamics that sparked two World Wars and a global Cold War during the 20th century. In the 21st century, changing dynamics will determine the success of the European Union and may see further fragmentation of larger states into smaller, more ethnically distinct states.
- At the conclusion of this chapter, you should be familiar with the physical, demographic, cultural, political, and economic characteristics of Europe. You should also understand the following concepts and models:
- Environmental geography
- Environmental issues: Local and global, east and west; Landform and landscape regions; Climates; Seas, rivers, ports, and coastlines.
- Population and settlement
- Slow natural growth; Migration to and within Europe; "Fortress Europe"; Urban landscapes.
- Cultural coherence and diversity
- Language; Religion, past and present; Globalization and cultural nationalism; Migrants and culture.
- Geopolitical framework
- From empires to nation-states; Redrawing maps through war; Cold War geography; Yugoslavia and the Balkans.
- Economic and social development
- Industrial revolution; Post-WWII economic integration; Euroland; Eastern Europe.
