Modern Europe

Unit Review Sheet

Facts and Definitions

Lesson 1: Introduction to Europe

• Europe features many different terrains: tundra, mountains, fertile plains, and hot, arid regions.
• Europe's climate varies across the continent, and European cultures have adapted differently to different conditions and natural resources.
• Many people have migrated to Europe from other parts of the world.
• Europe has a large and stable population with a high population density. Approximately 774,000,000 people live in Europe. (Geography of the World, page 80)
• The European Union (or E.U.) is a group of European nations that have joined together to promote economic cooperation. The E.U. issues a common currency, called the euro, that is used by many of its member nations. If you travel to Europe, you can use the euro in any of the countries where it is accepted without having to exchange your currency every time you cross national borders.

Lesson 2: Scandinavia and Finland

• Material culture refers to the objects that are created by people within a culture. These might include homes, tools, weapons, artwork, household items, toys, or other objects that exist in the material world.
• Non-material culture refers to the ideas, beliefs, and values that are common to a culture. While a church building is an example of material culture, the ideas about religion that are taught within that building are examples of non-material culture.
• Cultures are always changing. Sometimes they change when ideas from outside the culture are brought in — this spread of ideas from other places is called cultural diffusion. Other times, a new idea emerges within a culture (cultural invention). Then that idea is adopted and incorporated into the culture (cultural innovation). This is how cultures grow and evolve over time, blending old and new ideas.

Lesson 3: The British Isles

• The United Kingdom is made up of Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
• The British monarchy no longer has the power to make and enforce laws in the United Kingdom.
• The Parliament of the United Kingdom is made up of the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Monarchy.
• The United Kingdom's government is made up of the Prime Minister — the leader of the political party that received the most votes in the general election — and 100 MPs (Members of Parliament), usually from the same party as the Prime Minister.

Lesson 4: The Low Countries, Germany, and France

• Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg are known as the Low Countries because their land is mostly flat and low-lying.
• In the Low Countries, Germany, and France, as in much of the rest of Europe, heavy industries like coal mining and steel are in decline and are being replaced by manufacturing and service jobs.
• Germany is made up of sixteen states with a federal system of government, much like the United States. Each state has its own government, but they all work together under the national government.
• France is the largest country in western Europe.

Lesson 5: Spain, Portugal, and Italy

• Spain and Portugal, on the Iberian peninsula, were once ruled by Muslims who were eventually driven out of Europe in the Spanish Reconquista.
• Many people in the countries you'll study today are Catholic, and the feasts and festivals of the Catholic Church are an important part of the cultures of those countries.

Lesson 6: Switzerland and Austria

• The Alps are Europe's tallest mountains, and they define much of the ways of life in Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein.
• Switzerland has remained neutral in international conflicts since 1815 and is home to the European or world headquarters of many international organizations like the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the Red Cross.
• Austria was formerly the center of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
• Tourism is an important part of the economy for the countries in this region.

Lesson 7: Slovenia, Croatia, Belarus, Baltic States

• After World War I, the country of Yugoslavia was created from lands that were once ruled by Austria and Hungary, but that country separated into several independent nations, including Slovenia and Croatia, in 1991.
• Belarus and the Baltic states, like many countries covered in this unit (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Ukraine), along with several countries covered in the unit on Asia, were once part of the USSR or Soviet Union.

Lesson 8: Central Europe

• Central Europe became a predominantly Christian region about 1000 years ago. Today, most people in the region are Roman Catholic.
• The Danube River is a major waterway through central Europe, a region that contains mostly flat land with low mountains in the South.
• Folk music plays important roles in weddings, harvest festivals, family events, and religious celebrations throughout central Europe.

Lesson 9: Ukraine, Moldova, Caucasian Republics

• The USSR sought to eliminate differences among the many groups of people within its borders by requiring the use of the Russian language and suppressing local cultural traditions. Many cultural traditions survived, however, and unique languages and cultures thrive once again now that the former Soviet republics are independent nations.
• Tensions between different various ethnic groups are not uncommon in the Caucasian republics (Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan).
• The Caucasus mountains protect this region from cold winds to the north, allowing for farming and the development of tourism in these countries.

Lesson 10: Southeast Europe

• Southeast Europe is a mountainous region, and several countries from this region, along with Croatia and Slovenia, were once part of Yugoslavia.
• When Yugoslavia broke up into independent nations, tensions among groups were high and wars erupted. A brutal civil war in Bosnia involved a Serb policy in which non-Serbs (Muslims and Croats) were killed or removed. The war resulted in the deaths of thousands of people on both sides.
• While Greece has a history that extends into antiquity, in modern times it only became an independent nation in 1829.

Final Project: A Quick Guide to Europe

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