Geography - Case Study Europe

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering the European Union's structure, history, and treaties, key human and physical landmarks across Europe, and European tourism trends and statistics.

Europe (Continent)

A geographic continent consisting of $44$ countries, distinct from political entities such as the European Union.

European Union (EU)

A political and economic union of European nations whose governments work together; members pay fees primarily through taxes and follow agreed rules in exchange for benefits. As of 2020, it comprises $27$ member countries following the departure of the United Kingdom.

European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)

An agreement proposed in $1950$ by France and Germany to pool coal and steel resources among six nations (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) to prevent future war.

Treaty of Rome (1957)

The treaty that created the European Economic Community (EEC), which laid the institutional foundation for the modern European Union.

Maastricht Treaty (1992)

The treaty that formally established the European Union, introduced European citizenship, laid the groundwork for the single currency (the euro) and a central banking system, and established common foreign and security policies.

European Commission

The executive institution of the European Union responsible for drafting and proposing new European laws and managing the EU budget.

European Parliament

The directly elected legislative body of the European Union responsible for debating and voting on proposed EU laws.

European Council

The EU institution where the heads of state or government of member nations assemble to define general political directions and priorities for the European Union.

European Union Citizenship

A status granted to citizens of EU member states granting rights such as free movement and residence across member states, the right to vote and run in local and EU elections where they live, diplomatic protection from other member states' embassies, and access to the European Ombudsman and European Court of Justice.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

A cultural or natural landmark officially recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as holding universal value to humanity and warranting legal preservation.

UNESCO Geopark

A unified geographical area recognized for containing geological sites and landscapes of international geological significance.

Eiffel Tower

An iron landmark standing $320\,\text{m}$ ($1{,}050\,\text{ft}$) tall and weighing roughly $10{,}000\,\text{tonnes}$ on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France; built by Gustave Eiffel as the entrance arch for the $1889$ World's Fair.

Venice

A city in northeastern Italy built across a cluster of more than $100$ islands, featuring over $170$ canals and $471$ bridges, known for artisanal glass and lace and facing ecological challenges such as regular flooding.

Colosseum

The largest amphitheatre in the world, measuring $189\,\text{m}$ by $156\,\text{m}$ and $50\,\text{m}$ high, built in Ancient Rome between $72\text{ A.D.}$ and $80\text{ A.D.}$ under Emperor Vespasian to host up to approximately $50{,}000$ spectators.

La Sagrada Família

A large basilica in Barcelona, Spain, designed by architect Antoni Gaudí with nature-inspired architecture; began construction over $150$ years ago, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in $1984$, and is the tallest religious building in Europe.

Brandenburg Gate

A neoclassical stone monument on Pariser Platz in Berlin, Germany, designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans with $12$ columns, five walkways, and a crowning quadriga statue; became a major symbol of European freedom after the fall of the Berlin Wall in $1989$.

Big Ben

The $13.7\,\text{tonne}$ bell that sounds at the musical note E, housed inside the $96\,\text{m}$ tall Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London; designed by Edmund Beckett Denison and first sounded in $1859$.

Cliffs of Moher

A $300\text{ million-year-old}$ sedimentary rock formation extending for $8\,\text{km}$ along the coast of County Clare in Ireland, rising between $120\,\text{m}$ and $200\,\text{m}$ above the Atlantic Ocean; designated a UNESCO Geopark in $2011$.

Cairngorms National Park

The largest national park in Britain, situated in the Scottish Highlands; it contains five of Scotland's six highest mountains and the largest continuous expanse of land above $1{,}000\,\text{m}$ in Britain.

Verdon Gorge

A $25\,\text{km}$ long canyon in the Provence region of southeastern France known as the 'Grand Canyon of France', carved out of limestone by Alpine rivers with canyon walls reaching heights of up to $700\,\text{m}$.

The Dolomites

An Alpine mountain range across northeastern Italy formed of light-coloured dolomitic limestone, containing $18$ summits over $3{,}000\,\text{m}$ and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in $2009$.

Norwegian Fjords

Deep, sea-water flooded valleys formed by retreating glaciers in Norway, reaching depths of up to $1{,}308\,\text{m}$ below sea level and remaining largely ice-free because of the warming Gulf Stream.

Black Forest

A forested mountain range in Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany, spanning $160\,\text{km}$ in length and up to $60\,\text{km}$ in width, renowned for spas and cuckoo clock production dating back to the $1700\text{s}$.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia's largest national park covering $73{,}350\,\text{acres}$, established as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in $1979$, consisting of $16$ cascading lakes linked by streams, waterfalls, and timber footpaths.

The Matterhorn

A $4{,}478\,\text{m}$ pyramidal Alpine mountain situated in the Pennine Alps on the Swiss-Italian border, famous for its four faces oriented towards the compass points and its appearance on Toblerone chocolate packaging since $1960$.

European Tourism Industry

A major economic sector that contributed nearly $782\text{ billion euro}$ to the EU's Gross Domestic Product ($\text{GDP}$) in $2018$ and provided employment for approximately $14.4\text{ million}$ workers.

International Tourist Arrivals to Europe (1990–2017)

The continuous growth metric of foreign visitors entering Europe, which increased from $261.1\text{ million}$ visitors in $1990$ to $670.6\text{ million}$ in $2017$.