Europe

Europe

The Black Triangle

• covering a region of Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic

• term coined in the 1980s

• area with extremely high levels of pollution

• caused by the rapid industrialization of the area after WWII

• area rich in natural resources like lignite (soft coal), easy to mine

• lignite became the "fuel" for many of the factories

black triangle

"Shatter Belt" region

• region of Eastern Europe

• considered an area of consistent fracturing and splintering

•  process of fragmentation or division of a region into smaller regions that are often hostile or non-cooperative with each other

• characterized by people living in ethnically unified villages that are intertwined

Major Historical Impacts

• industrialization of the late 1800s and early 1900s

• major influences from WWI and WWII

• dismantling of the Austria-Hungarian Empire

• communist control of Eastern European countries

European Union

• The European Union is a unified trade and monetary body of 27 member countries.

• It eliminates all border controls between members. The open border allows the free flow of goods and people.

• The EU's purpose is to be more competitive in the global marketplace.

Multiple Choice

An example of the devastating impact that pollution has had on Eastern Europe's environment can be seen in a region known as the...

• shatter belt region

• black triangle

• acid rain

• emission zone

Open Ended

What is the purpose of the European Union?

Multiple Select

Which of the following significantly impacted the political, economical and cultural aspects of European countries? (Check all that apply.)

• World War I

• World War II

• Rise and fall of the Soviet Union

• Industrialization