| A | B |
|---|
| fijord | A long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between steep slopes. |
| uplands | Hills or very low mountains that may also contain mesas or high plateaus. |
| Meseta | The central plain of Spain. |
| Massif Central | The uplands of France, which account for about one-sixth of French lands. |
| peat | Partially decayed plant matter found in bogs, sometimes used as fuel. |
| North Atlantic Drift | A current of warm water from the tropics. |
| sirocco | A hot steady south wind that blows from North Africa across the Mediterranean Sea into southern Europe, mostly in spring. |
| mistral | A cold, dry wind from the north. |
| dike | An earthen bank used to direct or prevent the passage of water. |
| polder | Land that is reclaimed from the sea or other body of water by dyking and drainage. |
| seaworks | A structure used to control the sea's destructive impact on human life. |
| terpen | High earthen platforms used in seaworks. |
| Zuider Zee | Former inlet of the North Sea in the Netherlands. |
| Ijsselmeer | A freshwater lake separated from the North Sea by a dike and bordered by polders. |
| city-state | An autonomous political unit made up of a city and its surrounding lands. |
| republic | A government in which citizens elect representatives to rule on their behalf. |
| Crusades | A series of wars launshed by European Christians in 1096 to capture the Holy Land (Palestine) from Muslims. |
| Renaissance | A time of renewed interest in learning and the arts that lasted from the 14th through 16th centuries; it began in the Italian city-states and spread north to all of Europe. |
| aqueduct | A structure that carries water over long distances. |
| Benelux | The economic union of Belgium, the netherlands, and Luxembourg. |
| Reformation | A movement in western Europe beginning in 1517, when many Christians broke away from the Catholic Church and started Protestant churches; this led to mutual hostility and religious wars that tore apart Europe. |
| feudalism | A political system prevailing in Europe from about the 9th century to about the 15th centuries in which a king allowed the nobles the use of his land in exchange for their military service and their protection of the land. |
| nationalism | The belief that people should be loyal to their nation, the people with whom they share land, culture, and history. |
| Berlin Wall | A wall erected ny East germany in 1961 to cut the capital of berlin in two, and later dismantled in 1989. |
| wadlopen | Mud walking, a popular pastime in the Netherlands. |
| Nordic countries | The countries of northern Europe, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. |
| parliament | A representative lawmaking body whose members are elected or appointed and in which legislative and executive functions are combined. |
| Silicon Glen | The section of Scotland between Glasgow and Edinburgh named for its high concentration of high-tech companies. |
| euro | A common currency proposed by the European Union for its member nations. |
| cultural crossroads | A place where various cultures cross paths. |
| balkanization | The process of breaking up a region into small, mutually hostile units. |
| satellite nation | A nation dominated by another nation. |
| market economy | A type of economic system in which production of goods and services is determined by the demand from consumers. Also called a demand economy. |
| folk art | Handmade items, such as pottery, woodcarving, and traditional costumes, produced by rural people with traditional lifestyles, instead of by professional artists. |
| anti-Semitism | Discrimination against Jewish people. |
