WBBSE Geography Chapter 11 Continent Of Europe Introduction
The industrial revolution is an era that represents the development of various industries based on modern technology, equipment and machinery. The industrial revolution took place in the continent of Europe for the first time.
A number of coastal countries of Europe had conducted trade expeditions around the world. These European countries had established colonies in which they traded. For example, many countries of the world were colonized by England, Portugal, Spain, Holland and France.
A plateau that is formed due to the continuous process of weathering and erosion is called a dissected plateau. The Meseta of Spain, Central Massif of France, and Don Massif of Russia are some examples of the dissected plateaus that are separated by the river Seine, river Rhine and river Elbe respectively.
Finland, a small country in Europe, is known as the country of thousand lakes as there are more than 35 thousand lakes in the country. The temperate grasslands that are. found in the continental climate of Russia and Ukraine i.e. in central and eastern Europe are called the Steppe grasslands.
The industrial region that is formed at the confluence of the Rhine River and its two tributaries-the Ruhr and the Lippe in Germany is called the Ruhr Industrial Region. It is one of the best and the largest industrial zone of the whole of Europe. Calcium-rich black-coloured soil that is formed in warm, temperate and moderate rainfed grasslands is known as the Chernozem soil. The main crops produced in this soil are wheat, maize, etc. This soil is found in the south of the Rhine River.
Acidic and organic matter-rich soil that is formed in the cold temperate coniferous forest area is known as the Podsol soil. Podsol soil is grey in colour. The main crops that are grown in this soil are potatoes, oat, vegetables, etc. This soil is found in the north of the Rhine River.
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A forest that is protected from any kind of hunting and poaching is known as a reserve forest. This forest is judicially protected by the government. A forest that is maintained without planting new trees for the well-being of the environment and for living organisms is known as a planned forest.
Mixed farming is an agricultural practice where farmers use the same piece of land for the production of agricultural crops as well as animal husbandry with the help of a favourable physical and economic environment. The London Basin is situated on the bank of the river Thames. London, the capital of the United Kingdom is situated here.
The part between two mountains is known as a gap or pass. For example, the gap between the White Horse and the Chiltern Mountain is known as the Goring gap. The Thames river flows through this gap. To meet the extensive demand for food of the urban people, a large number of vegetables are grown along the roadways that are a little away from the city. The vegetables that are grown here are sent to the market by truck.
So, this type of cultivation is called truck farming. For example, truck farming is very common in the London Basin region. The Netherlands, initially known as Holland, is a small country of the north-west of Europe near the Gulf of Zuider Zee in the North Sea. The term ‘Polderland’ means land reclaimed from the sea. In the north-western part of the Netherlands and in the shallow part of the Gulf of Zuider Zee, the vast lowlands that have been reclaimed by pumping out seawater, and constructing concrete dams are called ‘polderland’.
Zuider Zee is a shallow bay adjacent to the North Sea. The Netherlands has more than 3000 polders of different sizes. Amongst these, Zuider Zee is the largest. A special type of glasshouse that is made to trap solar energy for the cultivation of vegetables in cold areas is called ‘greenhouse’ or ‘glasshouse’.