U4 WG self tests

How did Rotterdam's location at the mouth of the Rhine River give it an advantage as a trading port?

Merchants used the river to transport goods

Which Western European nations contain humid subtropical climates?

Italy and Austria

The rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman knowledge sparked a period of rebirth known as the

Renaissance

Where education is compulsory, children

must attend school for a certain number of years

Which nation has the lowest percentage of students in secondary school?

Italy

An improved wooden plow developed in Italy in 200 B.C.might have appeared in Denmark 20 years later thanks to

cultural diffusion

Which of the following countries has the densest population?

the Netherlands

Which Western European nations are unlikely to have large commercial fishing industries?

Switzerland and Austria

Where is the North European Plain located?

in France, Germany, and other countries to the east

Western Europe's rivers provided travelers and merchants with access to interior lands. This access encouraged

cultural diffusion

The European Union was formed by a group of Western European

countries in order to improve their economies

What is one major effect of Western Europe's economic success?

People from all over the world have migrated to the region looking for work

Western Europe is one of the world's

most heavily industrialized regions

Why was coal a key resource for countries during the Industrial Revolution?

Coal fueled the steam engines that powered factories

How do ocean currents and winds affect the climate of Europe?

They make its climate mild

Most of the original forests of Western Europe

have been cut down

What should a tourist expect to find in most large European cities?

a cathedral

The average literacy rate in Western Europe is most likely

over 90 percent

The Alps are a

range of mountains bordering northern Italy

What economic activity is common in the northernmost parts of Western Europe?

nomadic herding

The Nordic nations all have

mixed economies

What allowed an inland city like London to become a great shipping port?

The Thames River is an estuary

What type of energy accounts for the large share of power used for heat and electricity in Iceland?

geothermal

what is a moor

a treeless plain dotted with bogs

In Ireland, conflict between Catholics and Protestants led to

cultural divergence

What is a fjord?

a flooded valley with steep sides

Northern Ireland includes

six counties that are part of the United Kingdom

What problem did many factories in Wales have by the mid-1900s?

They lacked modern technology

Where would you be most likely to meet someone who speaks fluent Welsh?

the mountains of northern Wales

Where do most people in Scotland live?

the Central Lowlands

In Sweden, you would expect the government to

provide compensation to the unemployed

What is the main use for peat?

fuel

What economic activity do the Scottish Highlands and Southern Uplands have in common?

sheep herding

Which of these events happened most recently?

The Potato Famine hit Ireland

As coal deposits were used up, Britain turned to

oil and gas

What area is home to the high-tech area known as the

Silicon Glen?

Scotland

Why do Nordic countries receive more than 20 hours of sun in midsummer but fewer than 4 hours in midwinter?

the tilt of the earth on its axis

Where did the Industrial Revolution begin?

England

What ties the Nordic nations together as a region within Europe?

They share climate, location, and history

What area is part of the United Kingdom but not part of Great Britain?

Northern Ireland

The river that forms part of the border between France and Germany is the

Rhine

Why has Marseille become a center of trade?

It is centrally located on the Mediterranean Sea, close to North Africa and Southwest Asia

What region of France is the main manufacturing center?

the Paris Basin

Which city links Europe and the rest of the world because of its location along the region's largest inland waterway?

Rotterdam

How long has Austria had its present borders?

since the end of World War I

A tunnel through the Alps connects France and

Italy

What was the leading industrial country in Western

Europe in 1999?

Germany

Would you expect to find many English words appear in French dictionaries?

Explain.

No—The French are determined to preserve the purity of their language

How did decentralizing the Belgian government help resolve a conflict among its cultures?

Each cultural region could now make more of its own decisions about rights

What are the two main languages of Belgium?

Flemish and French

What is a polder?

land that was reclaimed from the sea

Who was the leader of Germany during its invasion of Poland in 1939?

Adolf Hitler

How does Austria's economy differ from that of Switzerland?

Austria has some mineral resources

In economic terms, the opposite of nationalize is

privatize

What German city was divided into two after World War II?

Berlin

How did reparations affect Germany after World War I?

Germany suffered economically

What happened to Germany immediately after World War II?

It was divided into East Germany and West Germany

What fact would help you conclude that the Swiss have developed a productive and efficient economic system?

They have a high standard of living, in spite of a lack of natural resources

What is a confederation?

a loose union of states

Which country is a center of banking because of its neutrality?

Switzerland

Which of the following industries is important in Greece?

shipbuilding

Which area was under the rule of Muslim Moors for more than 700 years?

Castile

Farmers in Spain's Meseta region must use dry farming methods because

the plateau lies in a rain shadow

Portugal once had colonies in

South America and Africa

What is a sirocco?

a hot wind from northern Africa

Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece all have

a Mediterranean climate

Italy's most productive farmland is

in the Po River valley

Many people from southern Italy have moved to Naples and northern Italy because they hope to

find economic opportunity

The terms grabens and subsidence both relate to the

sinking or dropping down of land

Where are most Italian factories located?

in northern Italy

What was the Renaissance?

a time of great art and learning

Which of the following has Greece always depended on for trade?

the sea

Which capital city is home to the Acropolis?

Athens

How do the climates of Spain and Portugal differ?

Portugal is wetter

Where would you most expect to experience seismic activity?

in the Appenines

How are the Basques different from other people in Spain?

They speak a language that is not related to other languages of Europe

In the 1400s, Portugal explored new sea routes to

East Asia

What mountains separate the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe?

the Pyrenees

What was the key to Italy's industrial boom after the 1950s?

joining the European Union

An island is inhabitable if it has

support permanent residents.