Southern Europe, general information and information. Southern Europe

Table 4 - Nordic countries

Northern Europe has a favorable economic and geographical location, which is determined by the following features : demarcation of the countries of the region into Western and Eastern Europe; access to the seas of the Atlantic Ocean: the Baltic, North, Norwegian and two seas of the Arctic Ocean - Greenland and Barents; location at the intersection of important maritime and aviation routes from Europe to North America; the land neighborhood with Russia, which provides the prospect of close contacts and a huge sales market, as well as the maritime neighborhood with the Baltic countries influence their political and economic situation; neighborhood on the southern borders with highly developed EU countries (three countries in the region - Denmark, Sweden and Finland - are members of the EU).

There are many similarities in the historical development, geographical location, language and culture of the peoples of the Nordic countries. All countries are members UN: Denmark, Iceland, Norway - NATO members; Since 1814, Sweden has adhered to the principle of non-participation (neutrality) in military-political blocs and military conflicts in its foreign policy.

Natural conditions and resources. The most characteristic peculiarity of the geographical location of the Nordic countries is their location near the sea, which significantly influenced both the nature and economy of the region. Most of Finno-Scandinavia (the area that covers the Scandinavian Peninsula and Finland) is located within the Baltic Shield, so fuel minerals there is no. Reserves oil on the North Sea shelf (Norwegian sector) - 1.2 billion tons, natural gas - 1995 billion m3. Finland has significant peat reserves (25 million tons). Sweden is one of the world's richest uranium raw materials countries in Europe. The crystalline rocks of the Baltic Shield are rich in iron ore with iron content from 25 to 40% (Sweden), copper and lead (Finland).

Mountain rivers are the source hydropower resources . The countries of the region are sufficiently supplied with fresh water. The enormous wealth that is called here “green gold” is forest. Natural and recreational resources very unique, especially in Iceland - a country of geysers and active volcanoes, located near the Arctic Circle. Features of the natural resource potential of the Nordic countries led to the development of industries of international specialization in them, in particular those related to the use of marine (shipbuilding, fish processing), forest (wood processing, pulp and paper industry), and mineral resources (fuel and energy, metallurgical industries).

Population.

By features of population reproduction countries in the region belong to type 1. Growth rate population are positive, but minimal: from 0.2% (in Denmark) and 0.3% (in Finland) to 1.1% (in Iceland). The region has one of the highest in the world life expectancy : in Sweden - 73 years (men) and 79 years (women), in Iceland - 76 years (men) and 81 years (women). The share of children in the total population is constantly decreasing (19%), while that of older people is increasing (16%). In terms of numbers, women predominate over men (51 and 49%, respectively). The peoples of Northern Europe mostly belong to the northern group of the great Caucasian . In the north of Scandinavia, in Lapland, live the Sami, who are classified as transitional laponoid race, which absorbed elements of Caucasoid and Mongoloid race

Ethnic composition largely homogeneous.Residents of the region belong to two large language families - Indo-European and Ural. By religious grounds all countries belong to the Protestant branch of Christianity, which is dominated by Lutheranism. Traditionally, religion significantly influences socio-political life, since the countries of Northern Europe belong to the clerical world, and only citizens of the Protestant religion have the right to hold government positions in them.

Population distribution extremely unevenly, which is primarily due to the natural conditions of the region. The average population density is the lowest in Europe - from 10 to 5 people/km 2 . Northern Europe - urbanized region , the proportion of the urban population ranges from 63% in Finland to 92% in Iceland. Labor resources make up over 13 million people. The labor resources of the Nordic countries are traditionally characterized by a high level of education and professional training. Accordingly, the cost of labor is quite high.

Features of economic development and general characteristics of the economy.

The Nordic countries are one of the most economically developed in the world. They formed a special model of socio-economic development (“welfare society”, so-called “Scandinavian socialism”), defined by the following features : high standard of living, absence of sharp contrasts between rich and poor; significant level of taxes (55% of profits); the average housing area is 400 m2, Sweden ranks 1st in the world in terms of housing supply per capita (445 apartments for every 1000 people); per 1000 inhabitants there are 504 cars (2 cars per family), up to 500 televisions and 681 telephones; high social security: officially the working week is 40 hours, in practice on average it is 37 hours, paid leave is 5 weeks, expenses for children under 16 are paid, loans are provided for apartments.

Highly developed healthcare system: There are an average of 25 doctors per 10 thousand population. Low unemployment rate, which averages 5.3% in the region. The Nordic countries account for about 1% of the population and 3% of the GDP and industrial output of developed countries, but in terms of GDP per capita they belong to the 15 most developed countries in the world. All countries in the region have positive production growth (from 4.8% per year in Finland to 0.7% in Norway) and insignificant average annual inflation. The Scandinavian countries have a very high standard of living.

Having a relatively small population, the Nordic countries are characterized by a high level of industrial development and intensive agriculture. The sectoral structure of their national economies fully corresponds to the modern structure of the economies of other highly developed countries (the share of agriculture and mining industry in the structure of GNP ranges from 2 to 4%, only in Iceland it reaches 15% due to the intensive development of fishing and sheep breeding); manufacturing and construction on average in the region account for 28% of GNP; service sector - 67%, since a shift occurred in the structure of GNP of the Northern European countries, similar to structural changes in general in the world economy: the share of the service sector in GNP increased, the share of agriculture decreased, and the importance of the latest knowledge-intensive industries increased. The share of R&D costs in the structure of GDP is constantly increasing and amounts to 3.3% in Sweden, 2.4% in Finland, 1.8% in Denmark and Norway, and 1.4% in Iceland. Sweden has become the world leader in recent years in terms of the share of R&D expenditures in GDP, ahead of the United States (2.5%) and Japan (2.7%), while Finland took fifth place.

IN MGRT countries of the region represented by individual sectors of the fuel and energy complex (oil and hydropower), non-ferrous metallurgy; aluminum, copper, mechanical engineering (production of ships, cars, electrical products and communications equipment), a highly developed forestry complex (production of lumber, pulp, paper), food industry (fish processing, meat processing, dairy and butter and cheese).

IN agriculture Intensive livestock farming predominates (dairy and beef cattle breeding and pig breeding). In areas located above the Arctic Circle, reindeer are bred, and in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, sheep are bred. Agriculture (mainly in the southern regions of the region) is represented by fodder crops; potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, barley and rye are grown. Fishing and maritime commercial shipping have long been of great importance in the life of countries.

Industry.

In the countries of the region it predominates manufacturing industry with significant share of electricity, mineral extraction and forestry (except Denmark and Iceland). In the global division of labor, the main sectors of specialization are energy, metallurgy, timber processing, and mechanical engineering.

Agriculture- one of the most productive sectors of the economy of the countries of the region. Agricultural productivity high in all countries. According to statistics, one Danish farmer can feed 150 people (American and English - 60, German and French - up to 40 people). In the region's agriculture there is clearly livestock a direction that accounts for 70-80% of agricultural products. Crop production is of secondary importance.

Transport.

The countries of the region and their regions are connected to each other (except Iceland) by all modes of transport, which form a complex transport network. Sea transport - main in the region. Railway transport It ranks 2nd in freight turnover and plays a major role in long-distance domestic transport in Sweden and Finland.

Lake transport developed in Sweden and Finland, where lakes are connected by canals and have access to the sea. Motor transport creates significant competition for rail transport. Air Transport developed, SAS, an association of airlines from Scandinavian countries, plays an important role in international air transportation. Directly from North Sea offshore platforms underwater pipelines oil is transported to the UK and natural gas to Germany.

The countries of the region are quite active subjects foreign economic relations. They produce 2 % industrial products of developed countries and account for 5% of their exports. The main trading partners are the countries of the European Union and the USA. The foreign economic interests of the countries of the region also reach Ukraine: significant volumes of its exports go to Finland and Sweden. Norway and Denmark, and the largest amount of imports to Ukraine comes from Finland, Denmark, and Sweden. The Nordic countries have significant resources for development tourism and recreational activities .

Southern Europe includes 8 countries and one dependent territory - Gibraltar (possession of Great Britain) (table). Feature region is the location of the smallest state-city of the Vatican, whose territory is 44 hectares, and the oldest republic in the world - San Marino

Table 5 - Southern European countries

Important peculiarity of the economic and geographical position of the countries of Southern Europe , located on the peninsulas and islands of the Mediterranean Sea, is that they are all on the main sea routes from Europe to Asia, Africa and Australia, and Spain and Portugal also to Central and South America. All this, since the time of the great geographical discoveries, has affected the development of the region, the life of the countries of which is closely connected with the sea. No less significant is the fact that the region is located between Central Europe and the Arab countries of North Africa, which have multilateral ties with Europe. The former metropolises of Portugal, Italy and Spain still retain influence over some African countries. All countries (except the Vatican) are members of the UN, the OECD, and the largest are members of NATO and the European Union. Malta is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, led by Great Britain.

Natural conditions and resources.

The region is located on the peninsulas of the Mediterranean Sea- Iberian, Apennine and Balkan. Only Italy is part of mainland Europe. The Mediterranean Sea largely determined the similarity of the natural conditions of the region. There is an acute shortage of fuel in the region. useful fossils. There is almost no oil, very little natural gas and coal. However, the rich are deposits of various metals, especially colored ones: bauxite(Greece belongs to the top three European leaders), mercury, copper, polymetals(Spain, Italy), tungsten(Portugal). Huge reserves building materials - marble, tuff, granite, cement raw materials, clay.

In southern European countries it is underdeveloped river network. Large massifs forests preserved only in the Pyrenees and the Alps. The average forest cover of the region is 32%. Natural and recreational resources are extremely rich. These are warm seas, many kilometers of sandy beaches, lush vegetation, picturesque landscapes, numerous sea and mountain resorts, as well as areas favorable for mountaineering and skiing, etc. There are 14 national parks in the region. The unique natural resource potential of the region has contributed to the significant development of the agricultural sector and tourism and recreational activities in its countries.

Population.

Traditionally, Southern Europe is characterized by a high birth rate, but natural population growth is low: from 0.1% per year in Italy to 0.4-0.5% in Greece, Portugal and 0.8% in Malta. Women account for 51% of the region's population. The majority of the population belongs to the southern (Mediterranean) branch of e Caucasian race. During the era of the Roman Empire, most of them were Romanized, and now people belonging to the Romanesque group predominate here Indo-European language family(Portuguese, Spaniards, Galicians, Catalans, Italians, Sardinians, Romansh). Exception are: Greeks(Greek group of the Indo-European family); Albanians(Albanian group of the Indo-European family), represented in Italy; Gibraltar (Germanic group of the Indo-European family); Maltese(Semitic group of the Semitic-Hamitic language family).

Consider that Maltese is a dialectal form of Arabic; Turks(Turkic group of the Altaic language family) - there are many of them in Greece; Basque(in the rank of a separate family) - live in the historical region of the Basque Country in northern Spain. Population composition in the countries of the region is predominantly homogeneous. High indicators of mononationality characteristic of Portugal (99.5% Portuguese), Italy and Greece (98% Italians and Greeks, respectively), and only Spain has a significant weight (almost 30%) of national minorities: Catalans (18%), Galicians (8%), Basques (2.5%), etc. The majority of the population is Christians . Christianity is represented by two branches: Catholicism(west and center of the region); Orthodoxy(east of the region, Greece). In Southern Europe there is the spiritual and administrative center of the Roman Catholic Church - the Vatican, which exists in the 4th century. Some Turks, Albanians, Greeks - Muslims.

Population posted unevenly. Highest density- in fertile valleys and coastal lowlands, the smallest in the mountains (Alps, Pyrenees), in some areas up to 1 person / km 2. Level urbanization in the region is much lower than in other parts of Europe: in Spain and Malta alone, up to 90% of the population lives in cities, and, for example, in Greece and Italy - more than 60%, in Portugal - 36%. Labor resources are about 51 million people. In general, 30% of the active population is employed in industry, 15% - in agriculture, 53% - in service sector. Recently, many employees from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe come to Southern Europe for the fruit and vegetable harvest season, who cannot find work in their own countries.

Features of economic development and general characteristics of the economy.

The countries of the region still lag economically behind the highly developed countries of Europe. Although Portugal, Spain, Greece and Italy are members of the EU, all of them, except Italy, lag behind the leaders in many socio-economic indicators. Italy is the economic leader of the region, belongs to highly developed industrial-agrarian countries, with a clear tendency to form a post-industrial type of economy. At the same time, the country still has significant contrasts in the development of many industries and production, in the social sphere, and in the socio-economic conditions of the North and South.

Italy lags behind many highly developed countries in terms of scientific and technological development. While ahead of some Western European countries in terms of net profits from tourism, it is inferior to them in the scale and intensity of international trade and financial transactions. Spain. This is the second country in the region in terms of socio-economic development. The public sector plays a significant role in the Spanish economy, accounting for up to 30% of the country's GDP. The state carries out economic programming, controls the railways, the coal industry, a significant part of shipbuilding and ferrous metallurgy.

In the second half of the 80s. XX century. Portugal experienced significant economic growth. The average GDP growth during this period was one of the highest in the EU and amounted to 4.5-4.8% per year; in 2000, GNP was equal to $159 billion. Greece has a larger GNP than Portugal (181.9 billion in 2000). The country's industry is significantly monopolized by large local and foreign capital (mainly the USA, Germany, France and Switzerland). Up to 200 companies receive over 50% of all profits. Greece has fairly high inflation rates for EU countries (3.4% per year). Government measures to reduce it (cutting government subsidies, freezing wages, etc.) predetermine social instability.

IN MGRT countries of the region are represented individual branches of mechanical engineering (production of cars, household appliances, technological equipment for the light and food industries), furniture industry, production of construction products and equipment, light industry branches (fruit and vegetable canning, oilseeds - production of olive oil, winemaking, pasta, etc.) . Agriculture is dominated by agricultural sectors - growing a variety of subtropical crops: citrus fruits, wood oils, grapes, vegetables, fruits, essential oil plants, etc.

Due to the insufficient feed supply, livestock farming is dominated by sheep breeding and, to a small extent, beef cattle breeding. The countries of the region are actively developing merchant shipping and ship repair. They are the undisputed leaders in the development of international tourism. The warm sea, Mediterranean climate, rich subtropical vegetation, numerous monuments of ancient culture and architecture are the main factors thanks to which Southern Europe is a favorite place of recreation and entertainment for many recreationists in the world, the largest tourist center.

5. General characteristics of the countries of Eastern (Central) Europe

The countries of Eastern (Central) Europe began to be distinguished as a socio-political and economic integrity in the 90s of the twentieth century. This is due to the collapse of the former USSR and the socialist system and the formation of independent states. The region covers 10 countries (Table 6).

The economic and geographical position of Eastern Europe is distinguished by the following features:

Demarcation in the west with highly developed countries, and in the east and southeast - with Russia and the countries of South-Eastern Europe - potential markets for Eastern Europe;

Passage of trans-European transport routes of meridional and latitudinal directions through the region.

Over the past 10 years in EGP(economic-geographical position) of the region the following took place changes:

The collapse of the USSR, the formation of the CIS and new countries;

German reunification;

The collapse of Czechoslovakia, as a result of which two independent states were formed: the Czech Republic and Slovakia;

The appearance on the southern borders of “unstable” neighbors in relation to the military-political state - the Balkan countries, Yugoslavia.

The video lesson allows you to get interesting and detailed information about the countries of Southern Europe. From the lesson you will learn about the composition of Southern Europe, the characteristics of the countries in the region, their geographical location, nature, climate, and place in this subregion. The teacher will tell you in detail about the main country of Southern Europe - Italy. In addition, the lesson provides interesting information about a tiny country - the Vatican.

Topic: Regional characteristics of the world. Foreign Europe

Lesson:Southern Europe

Rice. 1. Map of subregions of Europe. Southern Europe is highlighted in green ()

Southern Europe- a cultural and geographical region, which includes states located on the southern peninsular and island parts of the region.

Compound:

1. Spain.

2. Andorra.

3. Portugal.

4. Italy.

5. Vatican.

6. San Marino.

7. Greece.

8. Croatia.

9. Montenegro.

10. Serbia.

11. Albania.

12. Slovenia.

13. Bosnia and Herzegovina.

14. Macedonia.

15. Malta.

16. Cyprus is sometimes included in Southern Europe

Southern Europe is washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

The climate in most of Southern Europe is subtropical Mediterranean.

Almost the entire territory of Southern Europe is located within rigid-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs.

The region's population exceeds 160 million people.

Countries in Southern Europe with the largest populations:

1. Italy (61 million people).

2. Spain (47 million people).

3. Portugal and Greece (11 million people each).

At the same time, the population of the Vatican is less than 1000 people, and the population density is almost 2000 people. per sq. km.

The most numerous peoples of Southern Europe:

1. Italians.

2. Spaniards.

3. Portuguese.

The region's religious composition is diverse. In general, the southwestern countries of the region profess Catholicism, the southeastern ones - Orthodoxy, Albania and partly in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Islam.

Rice. 2. Map of religious denominations in Europe (blue - Catholicism, purple - Protestantism, pink - Orthodoxy, yellow - Islam). ()

According to the form of government, Spain, Andorra, and the Vatican are monarchies.

The most powerful economies in the region are Italy and Spain.

All countries of Southern Europe are characterized by a modern type of population reproduction.

The highest levels of urbanization are in Spain (91%) and Malta (89%).

In most countries, mining, agriculture, mountain pasture husbandry, the production of machinery and instruments, fabrics, leather, and the cultivation of grapes and citrus fruits are widespread. Tourism is very common. Spain and Italy occupy leading places in the world in tourism. The main branch of specialization, in addition to international tourism, is agriculture, in particular, this area is rich in grapes, olives, quite high rates in the cultivation of grains and legumes (Spain - 22.6 million tons, Italy - 20.8 million tons), as well as vegetables and fruits (Spain - 11.5 million tons, Italy - 14.5 million tons). Despite the predominance of agriculture, there are also industrial areas, in particular the cities of Genoa, Turin and Milan are the main industrial cities in Italy. It should be noted that they are located mainly in the north, closer to the countries of Western Europe.

Italy. Population - 61 million people (4th place in foreign Europe). Capital - Rome.

The full name is the Italian Republic. It borders with France in the northwest, Switzerland and Austria in the north, and Slovenia in the northeast. It also has internal borders with the Vatican and San Marino. The country occupies the Apennine Peninsula, the Padana Plain, the southern slopes of the Alps, the islands of Sicily, Sardinia and a number of small islands.

Italy has a variety of mineral resources, but their deposits are mostly small, scattered throughout the territory, and are often located in an inconvenient location for development. Italy is a developed industrial-agrarian country. It is characterized by a combination of highly developed industry in the north and backward agriculture in the southern regions. The economy is dominated by powerful industrial and banking monopolies. In agriculture, especially in the south, remnants of feudalism are strong and backward forms of agriculture dominate. A lot of land still belongs to large landowners. Peasants rent tiny plots of land and pay for it up to half of the harvest. Italy is poor in coal and iron ore, but in its depths there is a lot of mercury, pyrites, gas, marble, and sulfur. About 40% of the electricity consumed by Italian industry comes from hydroelectric power plants. The most powerful of them are built on northern rivers. Italy became the first country in the world to widely use the heat of groundwater to produce electricity. Several nuclear power plants have been built. Mechanical engineering occupies a leading place in industry. Italian factories produce cars, motorcycles, airplanes, and sea vessels.

Over the past twenty years, 6 million Italians have left in search of work in other countries. The army of the unemployed is constantly replenished by bankrupt peasants. In Italian agriculture, the leading place belongs to agriculture. Dairy and meat farming is developed only in the northern regions. Among the grains, the most common are wheat and corn.

Grapes are grown everywhere. The area occupied by vineyards is greater here than in any country in the world. Italy exports a lot of wine, as well as oranges, lemons, and vegetables. There are many large industrial cities in the north. The most significant of them is Milan. It is the economic capital of Italy. Industrial areas surround the city in a continuous ring. Milan's plants and factories belong to several trusts that control a significant part of the country's industry.

On the shores of the Ligurian Sea, in Northern Italy, lies the country's largest seaport - Genoa. Genoa is a large industrial city. The country's largest shipyards, oil refineries, metallurgical and machine-building plants are located here.

Of all developed countries, Italy has the sharpest territorial contrasts in the level of industrialization. In Southern Italy, less than 15% of the economically active population is employed in industry, while in the North-West it is about 40%. The vast majority of the most advanced high-tech industries are also concentrated here.

The regional policy pursued by the Italian government and the EU is aimed at eliminating the economic backwardness of a number of Central and Southern regions of the country. The industrialization carried out in these areas involves the construction of small enterprises in the light and food industries in small and medium-sized cities in Central and Southern Italy. There is an accelerated development of coastal industrial centers (Ravenna, Taranto, Cagliari in Sardinia, etc.) based on the use of imported raw materials, in particular oil.

In the structure of Italian industry there is a constant increase in the share of manufacturing - the basis of Italian industry. The leading place in the manufacturing industry is occupied by the machine-building complex, whose share exceeds 35%. These include: general mechanical engineering; production of vehicles; production of electrical and electronic equipment; metalworking and production of metal products.

There is some lag in Italy from other industrial countries in terms of scientific potential, so the country in the MGRT specializes in the production of machinery and equipment of medium and low science intensity, supplying a fairly wide range of engineering products to the world market. In particular, it is one of the largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery, electrical appliances, packaging and food processing equipment, machine tools, textile equipment, rolling stock and other vehicles.

Italy is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of consumer goods characterized by high quality and exquisite design.

Fuel and energy complex. Italy is extremely poor in energy sources and has an unfavorable energy balance. On average, only 17% of needs are covered from own resources. Almost 70% of the energy balance comes from oil. According to this indicator, Italy is comparable among post-industrial countries only to Japan: about 15% for natural gas, 7 - 8% for coal, hydro and geothermal energy. Own oil production is small - 1.5 million tons per year. Italy purchases 98% of all oil consumed abroad (over 75 million tons). Oil comes from Saudi Arabia, Libya, Russia. Italy has the largest oil refining industry in Western Europe in terms of installed capacity (200 million tons), but its utilization rate is very low. Gas is imported from Russia, Algeria, and the Netherlands. Italy purchases about 80% of solid fuel. Hard coal is imported from the USA and South Africa.

Over 3/4 of the electricity is generated at thermal power plants that use mainly fuel oil. Therefore, electricity is expensive, and imports of electricity from France are high. After the Chernobyl accident, it was decided to stop the operation of existing nuclear power plants and not build new ones. The main goals of the state energy program are saving energy consumption and reducing oil imports.

The Italian ferrous metallurgy operates on imported raw materials. Own production is insignificant - 185 thousand tons per year. Coking coal is entirely imported from abroad, mainly from the USA. Italy is a major exporter of scrap metal, as well as alloy metal ores.

The import of raw materials for the industry predetermined the location of the largest metallurgical plants on the sea coast in Genoa, Naples, Piombino, Taranto (the latter, the largest in the EU, with a capacity of 10 million tons of steel per year).

On the global market, Italy specializes in the production of thin, cold-rolled steel and steel pipes. The main products of non-ferrous metallurgy: aluminum, zinc, lead and mercury.

The country ranks second in the EU and sixth in the world in rolled metal production, accounting for 40% of ferrous metal production in the EU.

The Italian chemical industry specializes in the production of petrochemicals, polymers (especially polyethylene, polypropylene) and synthetic fibers.

The industry is highly monopolized and dominated by large firms. The ENI company ranks first in Europe in the production of acrylic fibers, second in the production of plastics, and third in the production of fertilizers. Montadison provides 1/4 of the country's chemical fertilizer production. SNIA specializes in the production of chemical fibers, plastics, dyes, plant protection products, and medicines.

Italy ranks fifth in the world in drug production.

The oldest and most important region of the chemical industry is the North-West. Due to the worsening environmental situation, lack of free space, and difficulties with power supply, this region specializes in the production of fine chemicals. Major centers are: Milan, Turin, Mantua, Savona, Novara, Genoa.

North-Eastern Italy specializes in the production of bulk petrochemical products, fertilizers, synthetic rubber (Venice, Porto Marghera, Ravenna).

Profile of Central Italy - inorganic chemistry (Rosignano, Follonica, Piombino, Terni and others).

Southern Italy specializes in the production of organic synthesis products, mineral fertilizers (Brenzi, Augusta, Jele, Torto Torres and others).

Mechanical engineering is a leading branch of Italian industry. It employs 2/5 of all industrial workers, creates 1/3 of the total value of industrial products and 1/3 of the country's exports.

The industry is characterized by a high share of transport engineering in production and exports. Italy occupies one of the leading places in the world in car production. The largest automobile company is Fiat (Italian car factory in Turin). It is multidisciplinary and produces locomotives and wagons, tractors, ship and aircraft engines, road transport vehicles, machine tools, and robots. Fiat's capital is Turin, where the Mirafiori headquarters and largest plant are located; automobile factories were also built in Milan, Naples, Bolzano, and Modena. The company has its branches in many countries around the world. In the 1960s participated in the construction of the giant VAZ plant in Tolyatti. Fiat is one of the top ten largest car manufacturers, accounting for 5.3% of global production.

Rice. 4. FIAT car from 1899. ()

Ferrari is famous for producing racing cars.

Italy's international specialization is the production of not only cars, but also motorcycles, scooters, mopeds and bicycles.

Shipbuilding is a crisis branch of transport engineering; The tonnage of ships launched annually does not exceed 250 - 350 thousand tons. reg. t. Shipbuilding centers: Monofalcone, Genoa, Trieste, Taranto.

The products produced by the electrical industry are varied - refrigerators, washing machines, televisions. The industry is highly concentrated in Milan, its suburbs and the neighboring cities of Varese, Como and Bergamo.

The production of electronics products is growing. Italy produces personal computers and electronic components.

Light industry developed in Italy. The country is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of cotton and woolen fabrics, clothing and footwear, furniture, jewelry and earthenware, etc. Italy ranks second in the world in footwear production after China. Italy is famous for its designer houses.

Rice. 5. Giorgio Armani - Italian fashion designer ()

Services sector. Tourism and banking play a leading role in the industry. The most important source of income is tourism. Over 50 million tourists visit Italy every year. More than 3/4 of the total turnover of the Italian tourism business comes from three cities: Rome, Venice and Florence. Almost all tourists arriving in Rome visit the unique state of the Vatican. The so-called shopping tourism is also developing, attracting wholesalers of products from Italian small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as individual consumers of Italian clothing and shoes.

All types of transport are well developed in Italy. More than 90% of passengers and 80% of cargo are transported by cars. The main transport artery of the country is the “motorway of the sun”, connecting Turin and Milan through Bologna and Florence with Rome. In external cargo transportation, sea transport predominates; 80 - 90% of imported goods are delivered by sea. The largest ports: Genoa (cargo turnover 50 million tons per year) and Trieste (35 million tons per year). The main coastal port of the country is Naples.

Agriculture is dominated by crop production. The main crops are wheat, corn, rice (1st place in Europe; over 1 million tons per year), sugar beets. Italy is one of the world's largest and Europe's leading producers of citrus fruits (over 3.3 million tons per year), tomatoes (over 5.5 million tons), grapes (about 10 million tons per year; over 90% is processed into wine) , olives. Floriculture and poultry farming are developed.

Vatican located on Vatican Hill in the northwestern part of Rome, a few hundred meters from the Tiber. The Vatican is surrounded on all sides by Italian territory. The Vatican has a non-profit planned economy. Sources of income are primarily donations from Catholics around the world. Part of the funds comes from tourism (sale of postage stamps, Vatican euro coins, souvenirs, fees for visiting museums). The majority of the workforce (museum staff, gardeners, janitors, etc.) are Italian citizens.

Almost the entire population of the Vatican is subjects of the Holy See (Vatican citizenship does not exist).

The status of the Vatican in international law is an auxiliary sovereign territory of the Holy See, the seat of the highest spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. The sovereignty of the Vatican is not independent (national), but stems from the sovereignty of the Holy See. In other words, its source is not the population of the Vatican, but the papal throne.

Homework

Topic 6, P. 3

1. What are the features of the geographical location of Southern Europe?

2. Tell us about the Italian economy.

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Materials on the Internet

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The article contains geographical characteristics of the region. Describes the economic characteristics of the countries of Southern Europe. Contains interesting historical facts.

Briefly about the countries of Southern Europe

Southern Europe is the cradle of the greatest ancient civilizations, as well as the birthplace of the champion of Christianity throughout Europe. This region has produced the world's greatest explorers and conquerors. Southern Europe has a grandiose history. Architectural structures and art monuments can serve as evidence of this.

The region's economy is based on:

• mining industry;
• livestock farming;
• agriculture;
• manufacturing of machines and instruments;
• skin;
• textiles;
• growing agricultural and horticultural crops.

The main branch of specialization is agriculture. In addition, tourism infrastructure is actively developed in Southern Europe.

Rice. 1. San Marino.

The largest industrial centers are located in the northern regions of the region.

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Rice. 2. Italy on the map.

The region also includes a state entity - the Order of Malta, the current territory of which consists of only one mansion in Rome and a residence in Malta.

As a rule, the region is dominated by a subtropical Mediterranean climate.

List of Southern European countries and their capitals

Southern Europe is a region of the globe that is located in the southern European latitudes.

Rice. 3. Maltese representative office in Rome.

The states that make up the region are located mostly on the Mediterranean coast.

Belgrade received city status in the 2nd century. This happened during the period of the Roman Empire. Around 520, Slavs began to inhabit the city.

The total population is close to 160 million people.

Southern European countries and their capitals:

• Albania - Tirana;
• Greece - Athens;
• Bosnia and Herzegovina - Sarajevo;
• Vatican - Vatican;
• Italy Rome;
• Spain Madrid;
• Macedonia - Skopje;
• Malta - Valletta;
• San Marino – San Marino;
• Portugal - Lisbon;
• Slovenia - Ljubljana;
• Serbia - Belgrade;
• Croatia - Zagreb;
• Montenegro - Podgorica.

The geographical specificity of the countries of Southern Europe, which are located on the peninsular and island areas of the Mediterranean, is that they are located on the main sea routes from Europe to Asia, Africa, and Australia. All states in the region are both historically and economically closely connected with the sea.

There are different classifications for dividing countries into regions. There are geographical ones, there is a UN classifier, there are copyright ones. Therefore, there is only one doubt that Southern Europe is the one near the Mediterranean Sea, because this sea washes precisely the south of Europe. We will include in Southern Europe:

• Andorra, southern Spain and Portugal
• Monaco,
• states located on the Apennine Peninsula (Italy, Vatican City, San Marino),
• Greece,
• island states of Malta and Cyprus.

Sometimes Southern Europe also includes Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the southern regions of Ukraine and the European part of Turkey. But if memory serves, we have already entered them into .

Important peculiarity of the situation in the countries of Southern Europe, which are located on the peninsulas and islands of the Mediterranean Sea, is that they are on the main sea routes from Europe to Asia, Africa and Australia, and Spain and Portugal are also ports on the way to America. All these countries, their history and economy are closely connected with the sea.

Equally important is the fact that the region is located between the rest of Europe and the countries of North Africa. Although the countries’ connections are carried out across the sea, these connections are multilateral and centuries-old. There were times when people from Africa claimed dominance in this region, then vice versa - northern Africa became colonies of Portugal, Italy and Spain. And Malta is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, led by Great Britain, i.e. still a colony (to put it bluntly).

The relief of the region is an alternation of lowlands, hilly ridges and individual mountain ranges up to 1000 m high.

Southern Europe. Climate

Southern Europe is a region with a predominant subtropical climate. The coast here is dry and hot, especially in summer. There is practically no vegetation on the coast, bare earth and rocks. The waters of the Mediterranean Sea will delight you with pleasant temperatures starting in May. The average temperature in summer is about +24 °C, in winter it is quite cool - about +8C. Precipitation is about 1000-1500 mm per year.

Inland waters

Southern Europe has mountainous terrain and a subtropical climate with dry summers that create unique conditions for the formation of a river network. Rivers, as a rule, have a large slope and a shallow bed. Many of them, especially on the Iberian Peninsula, have rapids in their lower reaches. The amount of water in rivers fluctuates greatly throughout the year. In winter, during rains, the rivers are quite muddy due to suspended matter from the banks and the bottom of the riverbed. In summer, rivers become shallow, and some in southern Italy and Greece dry up completely in the summer.

Flora and fauna

Even the names themselves are unusual: strawberry trees, holm oaks, myrtles, olives, grapes, citrus fruits, magnolia, cypresses, chestnuts, junipers. Fauna: roe deer, servals, horned goats, foxes, monitor lizards, wolves, badgers, raccoons. But the places where all this grows or runs around to look for it - as was written above, especially on the coast, the area is deserted of vegetation.

Population and economic activity

Traditionally, Southern Europe has a high birth rate, but natural population growth is low. Peoples: Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, Greeks. Population density, from 10 or more people per km² (someone wrote that this is high density!?). The predominant religion is Catholicism.

In most countries, agriculture, mining, animal husbandry, and the production of machinery and instruments, fabrics, and leather are widespread. Of course, grapes are grown here. Tourism is still popular, but if refugees from Arab countries occupy the territory, the situation may change.

The countries of Southern Europe are distinguished by their location on large peninsulas - the Iberian, Apennine and Balkan, which jut deep into the Mediterranean Sea. The largest states in this part of Europe are Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. In addition to them, in Southern Europe there are several of the smallest, “dwarf” states in the world. (What do you know about them?)

Indicate the main features of the geographical location of the countries of Southern Europe. Find the capitals of the countries named in the text. Remember the main features of the nature of Ancient Italy and Ancient Greece.

The countries of Southern Europe have much in common in nature and in the economic activities of the population.

Italy is one of the oldest countries in the world, distinguished by its rich history and typically Mediterranean nature. It occupies the Apennine Peninsula, large islands in the Mediterranean Sea - Sicily and Sardinia, as well as part of the mainland.

Mountains stretch across almost the entire territory of the country. The northern part is occupied by the largest mountain system in all of Europe and Italy - the Alps. Their mountain peaks on the northern border reach almost 5 thousand m (Mount Blanc - 4807 m). This is an area of ​​young folding at the boundary of lithospheric plates. It coincides with the European-Asian seismic belt. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur here. The most famous of the volcanoes is Vesuvius. Mount Etna is located on the island of Sicily. Earthquakes are most frequent in Central and Southern Italy.

The Apennines are inferior in altitude to the Alps and do not exceed 3000 m above sea level. They do not have eternal snow. The Apennines are composed of limestone and sandstone, which is favorable for the formation of caves and grottoes.

There are few lowlands in Italy; they stretch in a narrow strip along the coasts. The largest, the Padan Plain, is located along the Po River valley. This is the main breadbasket of the country, where there are orchards and vineyards, grain crops and sugar beets everywhere.

Rice. 107. In the mountainous regions of Italy

Italy is comparatively poor in mineral resources, with the exception of mercury ore and sulfur. There are small deposits of polymetallic ores. But there are a lot of different building materials - marble, granites, volcanic tuffs.

The large extent of the country from north to south, protection from the north by high mountains and the influence of a warm and ice-free sea determine the climate of the country. The further south you go, the warmer it becomes. The climate on the Padan Plain is moderately warm, with hot summers but cold and foggy winters.

Most of the country has a Mediterranean climate with long, hot summers and warm, wet winters. The average January temperature is above O °C. In winter it often rains and the sky is covered with clouds. Snow falls very rarely on the Apennine Peninsula.

Rice. 108. In the south of the Balkan Peninsula. Greece

The climate of the Alps is typical of the mountains. It varies from the foothills to the peaks, from moderately warm to cold. In the mountains, the snow does not melt for several months, and the tops of the mountains are covered with eternal snow. The Alps receive particularly high precipitation, up to 3000 mm in the western, highest part. They are brought by moist westerly winds.

The rivers of Italy are short and fast flowing. Unlike other rivers in Europe, they flood in winter. The longest and deepest river is the Po. It carries a huge amount of suspended particles and forms a delta when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. On the Apennine Peninsula, the largest river is the Tiber, on which the capital of the country, Rome, is located.

There are many relatively large lakes of glacial origin in the Alps. Resorts of world significance have been created on their beautiful shores.

The soils of Italy are favorable for agriculture, growing fruit trees and grapes.

Italy is located in a zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs, but almost no forests have survived. The hillsides and foothills are covered with dense thickets of evergreen shrubs and low trees. On the plains, the land is used for various agricultural crops.

National parks have been created to protect flora and fauna in the high parts of the Alps and Apennines. Floods are common in Italy, causing great damage to the local population. Enterprises located on the coast pollute the Mediterranean Sea.

Population. In terms of population in foreign Europe, Italy is second only to Germany. The main population is Italians, their language belongs to the Romance group. The highest population density is in the north of the country, where there are many cities, and around Naples. Relatively rare population in the mountains. Many Italians live and work in neighboring Switzerland and Germany. More than half the population lives in cities.

Italy is an industrial country. Most of the population is employed in factories and factories. Since our own mineral resources are insufficient, imported raw materials are mostly used. The country produces a variety of cars, among which the production of automobiles stands out; Italy ranks among the first in the world in their production. There are many factories that process oil into fuel and chemical products - plastics, synthetic fibers, fabrics made from them, yarn, varnishes and paints. Almost all oil is imported from abroad, mainly from Southwest Asia and North Africa. Many industrial enterprises are located on the sea coast. Modern ships are being built in port cities. Italian motorcycles and scooters are also known. Italy is the birthplace of motor scooters.

High temperatures in summer and warm, wet winters favor the cultivation of a wide variety of crops. Cereals can produce two harvests a year, but dry summers require artificial irrigation in many places. The main grain crop is wheat. Everyone knows the traditional Italian dish made from wheat flour - pasta, of which there are several dozen types. On the irrigated lands of the Padan Plain, large areas are occupied by rice and vegetable crops.

Rice. 109. On the Mediterranean coast

Italy is called the “main garden” of Europe, because of the variety of fruits grown - apples, pears, peaches, apricots, cherries, figs. In the southern part of the country and especially in Sicily, there are plantations of oranges, tangerines, lemons, and vineyards everywhere. Italy is second only to Spain in olive harvesting.

A large number of sunny days, beautiful nature, a warm sea, and an abundance of historical monuments attract millions of tourists from around the world to Italy. In Rome, a city with almost three thousand years of history, buildings and ruins of buildings built at the beginning of our era have been preserved. Part of the city is occupied by the “dwarf” state of the Vatican, where the head of the Catholic Church is located.

1. What changes have the economic activities of the population brought to the nature of Italy?
2. Find the country's largest cities on a comprehensive map of Western and Southern Europe.
3. Find areas where grains, rice, and fruits are grown.