Cultural Geography

Thursday, November 9th

 Warm Up
The Answer Is

EASTERN EUROPE
 Poland
Central Plains
Land near the coast is rocky and has a lot of
lakes.
Few people live here.
Masurian Lakeland is east of the Vistula
River.
Pomeranian Lakeland is in the west.
Great Poland Lakeland is west of Warsaw.
 Poland
Central Plains
Gdansk Polands largest port at the mouth of
the Vistula River.
Solidarity a shipbuilding trade union formed
in Poland during the Soviet Union.
Lee Walesa was the head of the union and
demanded changes in the 1980s. He was the first
President of Poland after the collapse of the
Soviet Union.
 Poland
Southern Uplands
Hills and mountains in the south of
Poland.
Minerals include zinc, lead, sulfur,
copper, silver and coal.
 Poland
Southern Uplands
Galicia Southeastern Poland with hills
and low mountains and some farming.
Krakw is the third largest city of Poland
and was once the capital. Its known for
its castles and medieval architecture.
 Poland
Southern Uplands
Auschwitz the largest Nazi death
camp during the Holocaust of WWII.
2.5 million Jews and Poles were killed
because Hitler saw them as inferior.
 Poland
Southern Uplands
Silesia The Sudeten Mountains are located
on the southwest border of Poland.
The Oder River flows from the mountains
and into the Baltic Sea.
The land is very productive farmland and has
been disputed for centuries.
 Poland
Southern Uplands
Worclaw an industrial city that
processes minerals.
Most of the people here were Germans
until the Soviets took over after WWII.
Most Germans left and Poles resettled
the area.
 Baltic States
Includes the countries of Estonia, Lithuania
and Latvia.
Known for low, rolling hills and shallow lakes.
Farmers grow rye, potatoes and raise cattle.
They received independence after WWI, but
were incorporated into the Soviet Union after
WWII.
 Baltic States
While part of the Soviet Union, they
received a lot of help developing their
infrastructure and economy.
They were the first of the 15 republics to
declare independence from the Soviet
Union in 1989.
Lithuania
 Lithuania
Largest of the Baltic States.
50% is cultivated, while 30% is forest.
80% of the people are ethnic
Lithuanians, Poles and Russians make up
6%
80% of the people are Roman Catholic.
 Lithuania
During the Soviet Unions rule over the
country, the government was atheist and
opposed all religion.
Devout Catholics rebelled by setting up
crosses on the Hill of Crosses.
Displays the nationalist and religious
feelings of the country.
 Lithuania
At one point, Lithuania was part of
Poland after their king converted to
Catholicism and married the heir to the
Polish throne in.
Roman history documents Lithuania as a
region where they would by amber.
 Lithuania
The country trades with Western Europe
and joined NATO and the EU in 2004.
Its warm water port, Klaipeda, helps it
transport goods and materials for trade.
Industries include machinery, fabrics,
transportation equipment and paper.
They grow potatoes and wheat.
 Lithuania
Capital: Vilnius
Language: Lithuania, Polish, Russian
Population: 3,415,000
Colorado 5,474,000
Latvia
 Latvia
Geography includes plains, forests and a
few hills.
The country has over 12,000 rivers and
3,000 lakes.
The Daugava River divides the country
in half and provides hydroelectric power.
 Latvia
Capital: Riga
Population: 2,290,000
58% of people are ethnic Latvians and 30% are
Russians from the Soviet era.
Official language is Latvian, but Russian is
widely used.
Latvian language is required for citizenship.
 Latvia
Latvia joined NATO and the EU in 2004
and trade primarily with Western
Europe.
Crops: potatoes, sugar beets, wheat and
barley.
Industries: transportation, agriculture
and electronics.
Estonia
 Estonia
Marshy lowlands and few hills.
Has rich resources of oil shale, which
meet their energy needs.
Bordered by the Baltic Sea and Lake
Pskov.
 Estonia
Capital: Tallinn, also the countrys major
port.
Population: 1,330,000
Contains 1,500 islands with the two
largest, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa,
containing cities.
 Estonia
Closely aligned to Finland, their
language of Estonia is very similar. Many
people understand Finnish.
Estonian language is a requirement for
citizenship.
Ethnic Estonians make up 70% of the
population with another 25% Russian.
 Estonia
The country was under the control of
Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and
Russia but gained their independence in
1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union.
 Estonia
Main industries: electronics,
telecommunications and engineering.
Crops: barley, potatoes and wheat.
Joined NATO and the EU in 2004.
Continue Activity 6.1