The video lesson is dedicated to the topic “Natural Resources of Foreign Europe”. From the lesson you will learn about the natural resource potential of Foreign Europe, and get acquainted with the main resources that various European territories are rich in. The teacher will tell you about the leading European countries in terms of security various types resources.

Topic: Regional characteristics of the world. Foreign Europe

Lesson:Natural resources of Foreign Europe

Europe's resource supply is determined primarily by three circumstances. Firstly, the European region is one of the most densely populated regions on the planet. Consequently, the region's natural resources are used very actively. Secondly, European countries took the path of industrial development earlier than others. As a result, the impact on nature on an industrial scale began here several centuries ago. And finally, Europe is a relatively small region of the planet. The conclusion suggests itself: Europe's natural resources are severely depleted. The exception is the Scandinavian Peninsula, whose resources remained largely intact until the end of the twentieth century. In fact, the active industrial development of Scandinavia began only in the second half of the twentieth century. At the same time, the population of the countries of the Scandinavian Peninsula is small and distributed over a large area. All these features of the Scandinavian subregion are opposite to the properties characteristic of Europe as a whole.

The following resources located within are important for the world economy:

7. Bauxite

Europe has quite large reserves of ore. Iron ore is mined in Sweden (Kiruna), France (Lorraine) and the Balkan Peninsula. Non-ferrous metal ores are represented by copper-nickel and chromium ores from Finland, Sweden, bauxite from Greece and Hungary. There are large deposits of uranium in France, and titanium in Norway. There are polymetals, tin, mercury ores in Europe (Spain, Balkan, Scandinavian peninsulas), Poland is rich in copper.

Rice. 2. Map of mineral resources of Foreign Europe ()

Soils Europe is quite fertile. However, the countries' small area and significant population explain the low population. In addition, under agriculture Almost all available space has already been used. The territory of the Netherlands, for example, is more than 80% plowed. Water resources. Natural waters are one of the most important and scarce natural resources in Europe. The population and various sectors of the economy use huge volumes of water, and the volume of water consumption continues to increase. Qualitative deterioration of water, caused by uncontrolled or poorly controlled economic use, is the main problem in modern water use in Europe.

The modern economy of European countries annually withdraws about 360 km3 from water sources for the needs of industry, agriculture and water supply to populated areas. clean waters. The demand for water and water consumption is steadily increasing as the population grows and the economy develops. According to calculations, only at the beginning of the 20th century. industrial water consumption increased 18 times in Europe, significantly outpacing the growth rate of gross national product production. The situation with water resources in Europe is generally good, with the exception of the southern regions of Italy, Greece and Spain.

Hydropower resources The Alps, Scandinavian mountains, and Carpathians are rich. Agroclimatic resources. European countries have a fairly high agroclimatic potential, since they are located in temperate and subtropical geographical zones and have favorable thermal resources and moisture availability. But the increased population density characteristic of Europe throughout historical eras, contributed to a long-standing and intensive use of natural resources. The low fertility of some types of soil prompted Europeans to pay attention to the development in various ways improving soils and raising their natural fertility. It was in Europe that the practice of artificial enhancement was born chemical composition soil cover with the help of organic and mineral fertilizers, options for crop rotation systems and other agrotechnical measures were developed.

Rice. 3. Agroclimatic map of Foreign Europe

Forest resources. Forests cover 30% of its territory in foreign Europe. On average, every European has 0.3 hectares of forest (in the world this norm is 1 hectare). The long history of economic development of European lands was accompanied by intensive deforestation. Forests not affected economic activity, almost not preserved in Europe, with the exception of the territories of the Alps and Carpathians. Europe is the only part of the world where forest cover has been increasing in recent decades. And this happens despite the high population density and the severe shortage of productive land. The need, long recognized by Europeans, to protect their very limited land resources and fertile soils from erosion destruction and regulate flood flow was expressed in the fact that the environmental protection functions of forest plantations were overestimated. Therefore, the soil and water conservation role of the forest and its recreational value have grown immeasurably in importance; in addition, environmental policy in Europe has contributed to less deforestation. Finland, Sweden, and Norway have the largest reserves of forest resources in Foreign Europe.

Do not forget that the territory of Foreign Europe is rich in unique recreational resources. The recreational resources of France, Spain, Italy and other European countries are of global importance.

Homework

Topic 6, P.1

1. What are the features of the placement of mineral resources in Foreign Europe?

2. Give examples of countries in Foreign Europe and their characteristic resources.

References

Main

1. Geography. Basic level. 10-11 grades: textbook for educational institutions / A.P. Kuznetsov, E.V. Kim. - 3rd ed., stereotype. - M.: Bustard, 2012. - 367 p.

2. Economic and social geography of the world: Textbook. for 10th grade educational institutions / V.P. Maksakovsky. - 13th ed. - M.: Education, JSC "Moscow Textbooks", 2005. - 400 p.

3. Atlas with a set of contour maps for grade 10 Economic and social geography of the world. - Omsk: FSUE "Omsk Cartographic Factory", 2012 - 76 p.

Additional

1. Economic and social geography of Russia: Textbook for universities / Ed. prof. A.T. Khrushchev. - M.: Bustard, 2001. - 672 p.: ill., map.: color. on

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books and statistical collections

1. Geography: a reference book for high school students and those entering universities. - 2nd ed., rev. and revision - M.: AST-PRESS SCHOOL, 2008. - 656 p.

Literature for preparing for the State Exam and the Unified State Exam

1. Thematic control in geography. Economic and social geography of the world. 10th grade / E.M. Ambartsumova. - M.: Intellect-Center, 2009. - 80 p.

2. The most complete edition of standard versions of real Unified State Examination tasks: 2010: Geography / Comp. Yu.A. Solovyova. - M.: Astrel, 2010. - 221 p.

3. The optimal bank of tasks for preparing students. Unified State Exam 2012. Geography. Tutorial./ Comp. EM. Ambartsumova, S.E. Dyukova. - M.: Intellect-Center, 2012. - 256 p.

4. The most complete edition of standard versions of real Unified State Examination tasks: 2010: Geography / Comp. Yu.A. Solovyova. - M.: AST: Astrel, 2010.- 223 p.

5. Geography. Diagnostic work in Unified State Exam format 2011. - M.: MTsNMO, 2011. - 72 p.

6. Unified State Exam 2010. Geography. Collection of tasks / Yu.A. Solovyova. - M.: Eksmo, 2009. - 272 p.

7. Geography tests: 10th grade: to the textbook by V.P. Maksakovsky “Economic and social geography of the world. 10th grade” / E.V. Baranchikov. - 2nd ed., stereotype. - M.: Publishing house "Exam", 2009. - 94 p.

8. Textbook on geography. Tests and practical tasks in geography / I.A. Rodionova. - M.: Moscow Lyceum, 1996. - 48 p.

9. The most complete edition of standard versions of real Unified State Examination tasks: 2009: Geography / Comp. Yu.A. Solovyova. - M.: AST: Astrel, 2009. - 250 p.

10. Unified State Exam 2009. Geography. Universal materials for preparing students / FIPI - M.: Intellect-Center, 2009 - 240 p.

11. Geography. Answers to questions. Oral exam, theory and practice / V.P. Bondarev. - M.: Publishing house "Exam", 2003. - 160 p.

12. Unified State Exam 2010. Geography: thematic training tasks / O.V. Chicherina, Yu.A. Solovyova. - M.: Eksmo, 2009. - 144 p.

13. Unified State Exam 2012. Geography: Model exam options: 31 options / ed. V.V. Barabanova. - M.: National Education, 2011. - 288 p.

14. Unified State Exam 2011. Geography: Model exam options: 31 options / ed. V.V. Barabanova. - M.: National Education, 2010. - 280 p.

Materials on the Internet

1. Federal Institute of Pedagogical Measurements ().

2. Federal portal Russian Education ().

5. Website of natural and social sciences ().

European countries (without countries former USSR) occupy an area of ​​487 million hectares, but are home to more than 30 states with a population of almost 500 million people. European countries are very heterogeneous in terms of natural conditions, the size and volume of natural resource potential.

12% of the world's fuel and energy potential is concentrated in the depths of Europe, including 20% ​​of the world's fossil coal reserves; large reserves of metal ores (mercury, lead, zinc and others), native sulfur, potassium salts and a number of other types of minerals. But almost all European countries depend to one degree or another on the import of raw materials, especially fuel and energy.

A variety of mineral resources are concentrated in the depths of foreign Europe. Some types of mineral raw materials form quite large concentrations and can fully meet the needs of the pan-European economy (fossil coals, natural gas, mercury, lead-zinc ores, potassium salts, graphite, etc.). However, most of the mineral resources in Europe are quantitatively insignificant and among them are oil, manganese and nickel ores, chromites, and phosphorites. Therefore Europe is large quantities imports iron and manganese ores, tin, nickel, uranium concentrates, copper, tungsten and molybdenum, bauxite, and oil. The need for mineral raw materials for European industry continues to grow steadily, although the scale of European consumption and processing of minerals far exceeds its specific raw material supply.

Europe as a whole concentrates in its depths about 1/5 of the world's coal reserves and significant natural gas resources, but Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland are either completely deprived of these types of fuel or are insufficiently provided with them. Great Britain is forced to import bauxite and non-ferrous metal ores; Germany - iron ore, natural gas, oil.

The territory of Europe has favorable climatic resources for growing many crops. In Europe, it is possible to grow a wide range of temperate and subtropical crops: early ripening grains, vegetables and grass mixtures in the north, and olives, citrus fruits and even cotton in the south.

Europe's land area (excluding water bodies) is small - 473 million hectares, of which 30% (140 million hectares) is arable, 18% (84 million hectares) is grazed, 33% (157 million hectares) is forested, and the rest is 92 million hectares (19%) - occupied by settlements, highways, mining, rocky outcrops, and glaciers.

The modern structure of using the land fund of Europe has evolved over many centuries, so it reflects the features historical development economy of this part of the world.

Agricultural development of the territory in the north, center and south of Europe differs significantly. The highest coefficient of agricultural use (CUI) is in Romania, Poland, Hungary, eastern Germany, Denmark - more than 80%. In the west Central Europe There is less arable land: in western Germany and France - 50%, in Great Britain - 40, in Ireland - only 17% of the agricultural fund. In the subtropical south, where there are few plains, arable lands occupy only 1/3 of the land used in agriculture. For example, in Italy, plantations occupy up to 17% of all agricultural land, in Spain - 16%, in Portugal - 14%.

There are few reserves for expanding the area of ​​arable land in foreign Europe; according to an FAO survey, only 6 million hectares.

Natural waters are one of the most important and scarce natural resources in Europe. The population and various sectors of the economy use huge volumes of water, and the volume of water consumption continues to increase. Qualitative deterioration of water, caused by uncontrolled or poorly controlled economic use, is the main problem in modern water use in Europe.

The total reserves of water concentrated on the surface or in the depths of Europe are quite significant: their volume approaches 1,600 thousand cubic kilometers.

The modern economy of European countries annually takes about 360 cubic kilometers of clean water from water sources for the needs of industry, agriculture and for water supply to populated areas. The demand for water and water consumption is steadily increasing as the population grows and the economy develops. According to calculations, only at the beginning of the 20th century. industrial water consumption increased 18 times in Europe, significantly outpacing the growth rate of gross national product production.

European countries have a fairly high agro-natural potential, since they are located in temperate and subtropical geographical zones and have favorable thermal resources and moisture availability. But the increased population density characteristic of Europe in all historical eras contributed to the long-standing and intensive use of natural resources. Low fertility prompted Europeans to pay attention to the development of various ways to improve soils and increase their natural fertility. It was in Europe that the practice of artificially improving the chemical composition of soil cover with the help of organic and mineral fertilizers was born, and options for crop rotation systems and other agrotechnical measures were developed.

Forests cover 157.2 million hectares in foreign Europe, or 33% of its territory. On average, every European has 0.3 hectares of forest (in the world this norm is 1.2 hectares). The long history of economic development of European lands was accompanied by intensive deforestation. There are almost no forests left untouched by economic activity in Europe.

There are 138 million hectares of exploited forests in Europe with an annual increase of 452 million cubic meters. They perform not only production, but also environmental protection functions. According to FAO and UNECE forecasts, forest production in Europe in 2000 will reach 443 million cubic meters.

Europe is the only part of the world where forest cover has been increasing in recent decades. And this happens despite the high population density and the severe shortage of productive land. The need, long recognized by Europeans, to protect their very limited land resources and fertile soils from erosional destruction and to regulate flood flow resulted in the overestimation of the environmental protection functions of forest plantations. Therefore, the soil and water conservation role of the forest and its recreational value have increased immeasurably in importance.

Europe has a dense water transport network (navigable sections of rivers and canals) with a total length of over 47 thousand kilometers. The network of waterways reached almost 9 thousand kilometers in France, more than 6 thousand kilometers in Germany, 4 thousand kilometers in Poland, and 6.6 thousand kilometers in Finland.

The largest river in Europe is the Danube; it crosses the territory of eight countries and annually transports over 50 million tons of cargo. Its drainage basin is climatically and morphologically complex. The most difficult section of the Danube in the Carpathian breakthrough area was the most difficult to pass. In the early 70s, the Djerdap complex hydroelectric complex (a dam, two hydroelectric power stations and shipping locks) was built, which improved the transport capabilities of the river.

The Rhine River, crossing the territory of five countries, is the main transport artery Western Europe. The Rhine and its tributaries pass through large industrial centers of Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia, Frankfurt am Main, etc.), France, Switzerland, so cargo transportation along the river exceeds 100 million tons per year.

There is a trans-European system of shipping canals connecting the rivers of the Central European Plain - the Bug, Vistula, Odra, Elbe, Weser.

More from school lessons Geography, I remember well that the bulk of mineral resources lie in central Europe. In addition, during the lesson the teacher specially focused attention on the mineral resources of the Scandinavian Peninsula - its intensive development began relatively recently, in the third quarter of the 20th century. However, the deposits in Europe are the longest developed and are approaching depletion.

Mineral resources in foreign Europe

For a long time Europe was the “center of the world” and, accordingly, the natural resource deposits located there began to be developed a long time ago. Despite the emergence of cheaper energy sources for heating, such as gas, Europe continues to use “the old fashioned way” those resources that it is rich in and that can still be mined, for example, brown coal. The leaders in production are the following minerals:

• Brown coal.
• Iron ore.
• Potassium salts.

The leaders in mineral extraction are primarily developed countries Central Europe, Eastern European countries either do not have sufficient capabilities, or the deposits on their territory are not very rich.

For example: the same Romanian Rompetrol is ¾ dependent and produces production with the help of foreign partners. Thus, although the mineral resources of European countries are diverse, they are not numerous and are unevenly distributed across its territory.

Mineral resources of Europe in historical perspective

Basically, Europe has always been rich in metal ores, because it is not for nothing that even the great Russian scientist M.V. Lomonosov went to Sweden to study mining.

The transition to a heating system from wood fuel to brown coal was also invented by Europeans and they still use this method. The paradox for Europe has always been that technology has developed rapidly, but the provision of resources has not kept pace with such a pace. For example, since the beginning of the century, Europeans have been using imported energy for heating. The same gas produced by the Scots on the sea shelf is not enough even for Great Britain itself.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE RF

Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution

higher professional education

"SOUTHERN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY"

FACULTY OF GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY

Department of Physical Geography, Ecology and Nature Conservation

COURSE WORK

On the topic: “Natural areas of Western Europe, development dynamics and current state”

Completed by: 2nd year student, 3rd grade. Stefanov V.A.

Checked by: Associate Professor, Candidate of Geographical Sciences

Dotsenko I.V.

Rostov-on-Don

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..3

1. Natural conditions and resources of Western Europe……………………....6

1.1.Natural conditions…………………………………………………………….....6

1.2.Natural resources………………………………………………….8

2. Western Europe………………………………………………………...11

2.1.Latitudinal zoning…………………………………………………………11

2.1.1. Tundra and forest-tundra zone..…………………………………..12

2.1.2. Zone of mixed and deciduous forests……………….13

2.1.3. Evergreen forest zone……………………………………...14

2.2.Altitudinal zonation……………………………………………………………15

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….16

References………………………………………………………18

Introduction

Natural zones are natural complexes that occupy large areas and are characterized by the dominance of one zonal type of landscape. They are formed mainly under the influence of climate - the distribution of heat and moisture, their ratio. Each natural zone has its own type of soil, vegetation and animal life. The appearance of a natural area is determined by the type of vegetation cover. But the nature of vegetation depends on climatic conditions - thermal conditions, moisture, light, soil, etc. As a rule, natural zones are extended in the form of wide stripes from west to east. There are no clear boundaries between them; they gradually transform into one another. The latitudinal location of natural zones is disrupted by the uneven distribution of land and ocean, relief, and distance from the ocean.

Table 1. Natural areas.

Natural area	Climate zone	Temperature
Permanently wet forests	Equatorial	above +24°C
Variably humid forests		20°-+24°C and above	1000-2000 mm (most in summer)
Savannas and woodlands	Subequatorial, Tropical	20°+24°C and above	250-1000 mm (most in summer)
Tropical deserts and semi-deserts	Tropical	8+16°С in winter; +20+32°С and above in summer	less than 250 mm
Hardleaf forests	Subtropical	8+16°С in winter; +20+24°С and above in summer
Steppes and forest-steppes	Subtropical, Temperate	16+8°C in winter; +16+24°С in summer
Broadleaf forests	Moderate	8+8°С in winter; +16+24°С in summer
Mixed forests	Moderate	16 -8°C in winter; +16+24°С in summer
	Moderate	8 -48°C in winter; +8+24°С in summer
Tundra and forest-tundra	Subarctic, Subantarctic	8-40°C in winter; +8+16°С in summer
Arctic and Antarctic deserts	Arctic, Antarctic	24 -70°C in winter; 0 -32°С in summer	250 or less

1.Natural conditions and resources of Western Europe.

1.1. Natural conditions.

Western Europe is widely represented by lowlands, hilly plains and young high mountains of alpine folding, which form the main watershed of the continent. There are mountains that are small in area and height: the French Massif Central, the Vosges, the Black Forest, the Rhine Slate Mountains, the Northern Scottish Highlands, etc. The Alps are the highest mountains in Europe, their length is 1200 km, width - up to 260 km. The folded structure of the Alps was created mainly by movements of the Alpine age. The highest peak is Mont Blanc (4807 m). The high axial zone of the mountains is formed by ancient crystalline (gneisses, schists) rocks. The Alps are dominated by glacial topography and modern glaciation (up to 1,200 glaciers with a total area of ​​more than 4,000 km2). Glaciers and eternal snows drop to 2500-3200 m. The mountains are cut into valleys, inhabited and developed by people, railways and roads are built through the passes. Lowland areas are located mainly in coastal areas. The largest lowlands are the North German, Polish, etc. Almost 40% of the area of ​​the Netherlands is below sea level, these are the so-called “polders” - low-lying lands characterized by high fertility. The climate is temperate, partly subtropical Mediterranean (France, Monaco). The presence of active western transport of humid Atlantic air masses makes the climate mild and favorable for life and economic activity (including agriculture). The average temperatures of the coldest month are -1 .. +3 °С, the warmest ones are +18 .. +20 °С. The annual amount of precipitation generally decreases from west to east. In the Atlantic regions and on the windward slopes of the mountains it is 1000-2000 mm, in the other - 500-600 mm. Maximum precipitation occurs in the summer months.

The distribution of river flow in the region is uneven: it decreases from west to east and from north to south. The largest rivers are the Danube, Rhine, Loire, Seine, Elbe, Meuse, Rhone, Thames, etc. In the west, the rivers are fed predominantly by rain, they do not freeze, or have short, unstable ice cover. In the eastern territories, rain feeding also predominates, and on the rivers of the high mountain regions of the Alps, rain and snow feeding is supplemented by glacial feeding. Here in summer there are large floods, in winter there is very little or no flow. Some countries are constantly engaged in hydraulic engineering construction and “war against the sea.” Thus, in the Netherlands, 2,400 km of dams and 5,440 km of canals were built. A significant part of the lakes are located in tectonic depressions (basins, grabens), characterized by a very indented coastline, significant depth, and elongated shape. There are many such lakes in Switzerland: Geneva, Zurich, Constance, Neuchâtel, etc.

1.2.Natural resources.

The subsoil of Western Europe in the past had a high potential for mineral raw materials, but due to long-term industrial use they have been significantly depleted.

The region accounts for more than ¼ of Europe's coal reserves. The largest coal basins and regions are: in Germany - the Ruhr and Saar, in France - the Lille Basin and the Massif Central, in Great Britain - the north of England and Scotland, in Belgium - the Liege region. Germany has brown coal - the Cologne basin and Saxony.

The situation with oil and gas reserves improved after the discovery of huge natural gas deposits in the Netherlands in the early 60s (1929 billion m3 - 1st place in Europe in production), and subsequently oil and gas in the British offshore sector North Sea(proven oil reserves amount to 0.6 billion tons, gas reserves - 610 m3).

Ireland has significant peat reserves. Great Britain is the only one of the four leading industrial countries in Europe that is completely self-sufficient in energy resources.

Relatively large deposits of iron ore in France (Lorraine), Luxembourg, polymetals - in Germany and Ireland, tin - in Great Britain (Cornwall peninsula), bauxite - in France (Mediterranean coast), uranium - in France (Massif Central, where the largest Europe reserves).

Among non-metallic raw materials, there are noticeable reserves of rock salt (Germany and France), very large reserves of magnesite and graphite (Austria).

Hydropower resources are very significant. The alpine regions (Switzerland, Austria, France) and the mountainous regions of Scotland, and the Pyrenean regions in the south of France are especially rich in them. France, Austria and Switzerland account for more than 2/5 of the countries' hydro resources.

The region is poor in forests, which cover only 22% of its territory. Significant forest areas are in Austria (forest cover is 47%), Germany (31%), Switzerland (31%), France (28%). In most countries, artificial forests predominate, with many cultivated tree plantings that perform environmental, sanitary, hygienic and recreational functions.

Agroclimatic and land resources are favorable for farming. Almost all suitable land has been plowed: from 10% in Switzerland to 30% in France, Germany and Great Britain. The most common soils are of medium and low fertility in their natural state. But everywhere they are significantly improved thanks to the high level of agricultural technology. The climate is favorable for growing many crops.

Natural recreational resources are very rich and varied: from the Alps, the highest mountains of Europe, to the Netherlands, the lowest in Europe, from the subtropical Mediterranean of France to the cool and humid Ireland. The region has a large recreational and tourist area. Attractive areas are the Cote d'Azur in France, the Alps, the Thuringian Forest, etc.

The countries of the region have a large number of nature reserves, reservations, and national parks (91) protected by law. They cover large areas. For example, in France, the entire 2,500 km long coastal Atlantic strip has been declared a protected area, in Great Britain - almost 5% of its territory, etc.

The diversity of natural conditions and resources in different areas of the region led to the formation of various types of economic activities, and, accordingly, their certain specialization.

Foreign Europe has quite diverse resources of fuel, mineral and energy raw materials.

But it must be taken into account that almost all known mineral deposits in European territory have long been known and are on the verge of exhaustion. Therefore, this region needs resource imports more than others in the world.

Features of the relief of Europe

The relief of foreign Europe is quite diverse. In the east they predominate lowland plains, which stretch in a wide strip from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. In the south, hills dominate: Oshmyany, Minsk, Volyn, Crimean mountains.

The territory of the western part of Europe is highly dissected. Here, as you move from north to south, mountain ranges alternate with stripes of plains and lowlands. In the north are the Scandinavian Mountains. Further to the south: Scottish Highlands, high plains (Norland, Småland), lowlands (Central European, Greater Poland, North German, etc.). Then again there follows a mountainous strip: these are Sumava, Vosges and others, which alternate with the plains - Lesser Poland, Bohemian-Moravian.

In the south are the highest European mountain ranges - the Pyrenees, the Carpathians, the Alps, then again the plains. At the southernmost tips of foreign Europe there is another mountain belt, which consists of such massifs as the Rhodope Mountains, the Apennines, the Andalusian Mountains, the Dinara Mountains, and the Pindus Mountains.

This diversity determined the uneven occurrence of minerals. Reserves of iron, manganese, zinc, tin, copper, polymetallic ores, and bauxite are concentrated in the mountains and on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Significant deposits of brown and hard coal and potassium salts have been discovered in the lowlands. The coast of Europe, washed by the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, is an area where oil and gas fields occur. Especially a lot of fuel resources lie in the north. Development of the Arctic Ocean shelf still remains a priority.

Types of minerals

Despite the diversity of minerals in foreign Europe, the reserves of only some of them can be assessed as significant shares in the world reserve. In numbers this can be expressed as follows:

. hard and brown coal— 20% of the world reserve;

. zinc— 18%;

. lead— 14%%

. copper— 7%;

. oil, natural gas, iron ores, bauxite — 5-6%.

All other resources are presented in insignificant quantities.

By production coal Germany is in the lead (Ruhr, Saar, Aachen, Krefeld basins). It is followed by Poland (Upper Silesian Basin) and Great Britain (Welsh and Newcastle Basins).

The richest deposits brown coal also located in Germany (Halle-Leizipg and Lower Lausitz basins). There are rich deposits in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.

Every year, for example, 106 billion tons of coal are mined in Germany, and 45 billion tons in the UK.

Potassium salts It is mined on an industrial scale in Germany and France.

Uranium ores- in France (deposits: Limousin, Forez, Morvan, Chardonnay) and Spain (Monasterio, La Virgen, Esperanza).

Iron ores- in France (Lorraine Basin) and Sweden (Kiruna).

Copper- in Bulgaria (Medet, Asaral, Elatsite), Poland (Grodzetsky, Zlotoryysky, Presudetskoye fields) and Finland (Vuonos, Outokumpu, Luikonlahti).

Oil- in Great Britain and Norway (North Sea), Denmark and the Netherlands. Currently, 21 oil and gas basins have been discovered, with a total area of ​​more than 2.8 million sq. km. There are 752 separate oil fields, 854 gas fields.

Gas- in Great Britain, Norway, the Netherlands. The largest deposit is Gronigen. More than 3.0 trillion are mined here annually. cubic meters

Bauxite- in France (Mediterranean province, La Ruquette), Greece (Parnas-Kiona, Amorgos), Croatia (Rudopole, Niksic), Hungary (Halimba, Oroslan, Gant).

Natural resources of foreign Europe

The peculiarities of Europe's resource supply can be explained by three factors:

1. This is a relatively small area, therefore, the volume of natural resources is small.

2. Europe is one of the most densely populated regions in the world, so resources are used very actively.

3. Europeans were the first in the world to follow the path of industrial development, which led not only to a significant depletion of all types of resources, but also to environmental deterioration.

Land and forest resources. The land area of ​​foreign Europe is small - about 173 million hectares, of which 30% is allocated for arable land, 18% for pastures, 33% is occupied by forests. The highest land use ratio is in the Netherlands, Romania, Poland and Denmark - 80%, in France, Germany - 50, but in Italy and Portugal - 14-16%.

There is approximately 0.3 hectares of forest per European, while the world average is 1.2 hectares. Long-term use has led to the fact that there are practically no natural forests left; those that exist are planted forests. Every year about 400 million cubic meters of timber are mined in Europe, mainly on the Scandinavian Peninsula. The rest of the territory is dominated by protected forests, which are not subject to felling, and therefore are not resources.

Water resources. Natural water is a scarce resource in Europe. Most of the water is used by industry and agriculture. Long-term unsupervised use water resources led to their exhaustion. To date, an extremely unfavorable environmental situation has developed - most European rivers and lakes are heavily polluted. In all countries of foreign Europe there is an acute shortage of fresh water.