Chapter 11 Western Europe Today

Section 1 The United Kingdom and Ireland

United Kingdom (UK) is a parliamentary democracy, where representatives are elected to a lawmaking body. UK is also a constitutional monarchy, in which king or queen is head of state, having little power and representing public events. Ireland is rich in peat, wet ground with rich plants that can be dried for fuel. The peat is dug from bogs, low swampy lands.

Section 2 France and The Benelux countries

Frances many rivers are navigable, wide and deep enough for ships to travel through France is a republic, run by elected leaders. Netherlands pump wetlands into rich drained lands called polders. Luxembourg is small, but its prosperous, it has multinational companies, businesses in different countries. People in Luxembourg are multilingual, speaking many languages

 Germany has superhighways called autobahns. Germany is a federal republic where state and national government share powers. Reunification was a big challenge, bringing two parts under one government. Because of its location in the alps, Switzerland practices neutrality, not taking sides and remaining peaceful. Switzerland is the continental divide of Europe, high place where rivers flow in different directions.

Germany, Switzerland, and Austria

Section 4 The Nordic Countries

Norway has a lot of fjords, steep sided glacial cut valleys of water. Swedens high economy makes it a welfare state, where there are high tax rates to help needy, poor, disabled, and old Heavy industry, manufactured machinery has driven Finland's economy. Finns enjoy saunas, wooden rooms heated by water sizzling on hot stones. Iceland has geysers, springs shooting hot water and steam. Iceland uses geothermal energy, heat produced by natural underground sources.

Section 5 Southern Europe

Spain uses dry farming to grow crops, irrigation is not used land is unplanted every few years to gather moisture. Portugal is a parliamentary republic, the president is the head of state In spring and summer Italy has hot dry winds called siroccos. Italy has many coalition governments where two or more parties work together