European Geography, History, and Energy Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key geographical landforms, political entities, socio-historical events, and energy management terms across Europe.

Peninsula of Peninsulas

The physical geographic term used to describe Europe due to its main landmass and numerous surrounding peninsulas.

Ural Mountains

Mountain range running North to South in Russia that serves as the geographical boundary dividing Europe from Asia.

Pyrenees

Mountain range that forms a natural border dividing France and Spain.

Fjords

Long, narrow ocean inlets with steep cliffs formed by glacial erosion, found extensively in Scandinavia.

Massif Central

An elevated region of mountains and plateaus located in south-central France.

North Atlantic Drift

A warm ocean current and continuation of the Gulf Stream that keeps European temperatures mild enough for human habitation.

Mistral

A cold, powerful wind coming from the northwest that brings clear weather to parts of Europe.

Sirocco

A hot, dusty wind that blows from the Sahara Desert across the Mediterranean Sea.

Polders

Usable pieces of land in the Netherlands reclaimed from the sea (Zuiderzee) by constructing dikes and pumping out water.

Autobahn

German highway network famous for containing sections without speed limits.

Romance Languages

Latin-rooted language family that includes Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese.

Centrifugal Forces

Forces that pull a country or region apart, such as ethnic disputes, religious differences, and economic inequality.

Centripetal Forces

Forces that bind a country together, such as shared national culture, common faith, and shared national goals.

Balkanization

The fragmentation of a region into smaller, mutually hostile political units.

Yugoslav Wars

1990s conflicts triggered by the collapse of Tito's military dictatorship, causing Yugoslavia to violently break apart with ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, and Kosovo.

The 4 Freedoms

Core European Union principle establishing the free movement of People, Goods, Services, and Capital.

Maastricht Treaty

The $1992$/$1993$ treaty that officially created the European Union and Single Market.

European Commission

The executive branch of the European Union that proposes and enforces laws, acting as the 'guardian of treaties'.

European Parliament

Directly elected legislative body of the European Union comprising $751$ members who vote on laws and budgets.

European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

Advisory body within the European Union representing organized civil society, such as employers, workers, and civil interest groups.

Copenhagen Criteria

The set of entry requirements for new member states joining the European Union, including democratic stability, a functioning market economy, and acceptance of all EU laws.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

Mutual defense military alliance created in $1949$ to protect Western Europe from Soviet aggression under the principle that an attack on one member is an attack on all.

Core Trilemma of Energy Policy

The necessity for national policy to balance competing energy priorities: Affordability, Security, Speed, and Emissions.

Curtailment

The action of instructing a renewable energy generation facility to stop producing power due to grid congestion, timing mismatches, or stability risks.