Europe Vocab Flashcards
Meseta
A partially collapsed volcanic vent of Volcán de Fuego
Fjord
A long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between cliffs, as in Norway and Iceland
Massif Central
A mountainous plateau in south central France
North Atlantic Drift
A continuation of the Gulf Stream along the coast of northwestern Europe
Mistral
A strong, cold north wind that blows through the western region of Europe
Sirocco
A hot wind blowing from North Africa to the Mediterranean region
Dike
A long wall or embankment built to prevent flooding from the sea
Polder
A piece of low-lying land reclaimed from the sea or river and protected by dikes
Acid rain
Rainfall made of sufficiently acidic by atmospheric pollution that it causes environmental harm
City-state
A city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state
Benelux
A collective name for Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg
Crusades
A military medieval expedition, one of a series made by Europeans to recover the Holy Land from Muslims
Renaissance
A revival of art and literature under the influence of classical models in the 14th - 16th centuries
Aqueduct
An artificial channel for conveying water
Reformation
A 16th century movement for the reform of abuses in the Roman Catholic Church ending in the establishment of the Reformed and Protestant Churches
Feudalism
The dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service
Nationalism
Patriotic feeling, principles, or efforts
Holocaust
The mass murder of Jews under the German Nazi regime during the period 1941-45
Berlin Wall
A fortified and heavily guarded wall built on the boundary between East and West Berlin in 1961 by the communist authorities
Nordic Countries
A region in the Northern Europe and Northern Atlantic
Euro
Single European currency
Cultural crossroad
A place where cultures interact
Balkanization
Divide into smaller mutually hostile states or groups
Satellite Nations
A political term for a country that is formally independent, but under heavy political, economic, and military influence or control by another country
Anti-semitism
Hostility to or prejudice against Jews
Ethnic cleansing
The mass expulsion or killing of members of an unwanted ethnic or religious group in a society
