World Regional Geography 2015-2016

GE 176 course looks at the world for the regional features, landmarks, cultures, and changes over time, space, and place. Any Pulsipher Editions give excellent reference maps and text for World Regional Geography.

Dr. Linda Davis-Stephens, Instructor

Text online study pages
http://bcs.whfreeman.com/pulsipher5e

"Finding a sense of place in a digital world"

Student groups post their digital productions here based on class topics discovered, explored, and presented; topics relevant to biogeography, the nature of a place—flora and fauna, on land or off shore.

Image of map
Brief summary paragraphs (3-5)
2 URL

Next student post here.

Dani Roberson- The Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest can be roughly described as the area east of the Pacific Ocean and west of the Rocky Mountains; Alaska is sometimes included in this definition. Some of the regions that fall into the Pacific Northwest are the U.S states of Washington, Oregon, northern California, western Idaho and Alaska, but the Pacific Northwest also includes the Canadian province of British Columbia. Geography in the Pacific Northwest includes everything from arid plateaus, high altitudes of the many majestic mountain ranges, and beautiful expansive coastlines. Of all the Geographic features in the Pacific Northwest, there in an exceptional number of mountain rangers above all other features.

The Pacific Northwest holds the Rocky Mountains (as stated before), the Cascade Range, the Olympic Mountains, the Coast Mountains, and the Columbia Mountains. Within the Cascade Range lies one of the most famous volcanoes, Mt. St. Helens, which erupted in 1980. If one were to look east of the Cascade Range you would see a large plateau that slowly tapers off towards the north and grows larger as on its south side. Columbia River flows through this plateau, creating what is known as the gorge.

Since the Pacific Northwest is known for its rain, it would be to no surprise that much of the area is covered in forests. One of the more commonly found trees in Oregon would be the Douglas fir, while in northern California it would be the redwoods. Within the Pacific Northwest you can find many different animals such as wolves, grizzly bears, moose, black bears, coyotes, river otters, and deer. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place with many different features spread throughout it, all of which very worthy of a visit.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r6/home
http://countrystudies.us/united-states/geography-21.htm

Alex Boswell-Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is located in the north central region of Colorado in the United States. It is a massive park consisting of smaller parks that offer a wide range of tourism opportunities for families, hikers, motorcycle riders, campers, photographers, and many, many more. Aside from the numerous mountains, lakes, and rivers, RMNP is home to many species of plants and animals

In this massive park, 60 species of mammals call this place home. Animals range from big animals like elk, moose, and black bears, all the way down to mountain lions, bobcats, and coyotes. These animals have grown accustomed to the constant attention the park receives, and you’ll notice when you see a family of deer walking around town, or black bears taking a swim in the pond behind a restaurant. They seem to care less about humans being near by, and this fascinates tourists who have never before seen such an animal up close and personal.

RMNP is home to over 900 species of plants. One of the main species (in my opinion) is trees. The mountains have thousands of trees of different types. Some of these include the ponderosa pine, douglas fir, and lodgepole pine trees. These trees consume the mountains in a beautiful scenery of tall trunks ending in beautiful green at the top. Another aspect of the park is snow. At high altitudes and right conditions, tourists will see snow and maybe get to experience skiing.

This information is only a fraction of what there is to see or know, but that is up to the tourists to go see and experience for themselves. Pictures and information don’t do justice to the true beauty there is to experience at this park in Colorado.

http://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/nature/plants.htm
http://www.ohranger.com/flora-fauna

Trevor Smeeton & Sydney Ajanga
Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico, also know as the Island of Enchantment is about 1,000 mi. south of Miami, Florida. Its total area is about 3,515 sq. mi. including 56 sq. mi. of inland water. Puerto Rico is home to about 3,912,054 people.

The three main ethnic strands are from the heritage of Puerto Rico. There are the Taino Indians who fled after the Spanish conquest. There are the black Africans whom were imported as slaves under Spanish rule. Then there are the Spanish themselves. Since 1917 Puerto Rico have been considered as US citizens. Even though they are considered US citizens they do not play federal income tax to the US and they do not vote in US presidential elections.

Spanish and English are the official languages of Puerto Rico, but Spanish remains dominant among the residents. The climate of Puerto Rico is one of the tropical locations in the world. San Juan (the capital) has a normal daily mean temperature of 80 degrees F. Rainfall varies by region but on the south coast it only averages 32 in. a year, while the highlands average 108 in. San Juan’s average rainfall is 54 in. Health conditions in Puerto Rico have improved remarkably since 1940, when the average life expectancy was only 46 years. A resident of Puerto Rico born in 2006 is expected to live 78.4 years (74.46 years for males, 82.54 years for females).

https://annexx51.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/puerto-rico-map-physical.jpg
http://d15s74raupkmp7.cloudfront.net/sites/im/images/im-pr-Puerto-Rico-SR-fly-by.jpg
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Puerto_Rico.aspx

Beau Brown
Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is a national park located on the Olympic Peninsula. The Olympic Peninsula is part of Washington State. There are three ecosystems in this small area they are: subalpine forest and wildflower meadow, temperate forest and the rugged pacific shore. The Olympic National park was declared as a biosphere reserve by the united nations. There are some animals that have only evolved in this region. The Olympic mountain milkvetch, Olympic marmot, Olympic Mazama pocket gopher, Olympic mud minnow, Beardslee, and crescent trout are animals that have only evolved in this area and nowhere else on Earth. The mountain goat that was not originally from this area was introduced around the 1920s and has been damaging the meadows. The park staff is making efforts to control this boom in mountain goats. The plants in this area include conifers that can reach over 20 stories tall. Because the region has three different ecosystems it means there are many types of plants that can grow in this small region. Over 1450 types of plants grow in the national park which is about as many as some places with 30 times the size of the park.

http://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/plants.htm
http://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/animals.htm
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/olympic-national-park/

Derek Queen
Saguaro National Park

The Saguaro National Park, located near Tucson AZ, at the foot of the Rincon Mountain Range is a very interesting and historical place. It is a smaller part of the Sonoran Desert, a very hot and dry location.This doesn’t mean it doesn’t have plenty of wildlife though! Although it doesn’t receive much moisture it does get rain showers and even a little bit of snow of snow, depending on the time of year. It was signed into existence in March of 1993, by President Hoover. The need for this establishment was long overlooked however. When the park was founded it was almost entirely diminished. It used to be full of a particular species of cactus known as the Saguaro, but cattle and careless people had destroyed many young cacti over the years. With the population dying off rapidly something needed to be done. Now, 20 years later the cacti forest is growing in strength and returning to it’s original state. These cacti provide habitat to many species of birds, and shelter to other species of desert plants. Some of the most common animals in the national park are as follow: Coyotes, mountain lions, rabbits, roadrunners, woodpeckers, rattlesnakes, skunks, javelinas(wild pig), scorpions, and a plethora of other wildlife; many of which are endangered species. The park serves not only as a safe haven for wildlife but also a popular tourist destination. Tourists can bike, or walk through the paved park on foot. I haven’t been able to bike through it yet but I’d sure like to. I would encourage anyone that visits Tucson to go see it as well, as the desert is truly a beautiful, exciting place!

http://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm
http://www.saguaronationalpark.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro_National_Park

Hannah Duncan
Haiti

The country of Haiti is part of an island that also homes the Dominican Republic. The census from July of 2015 is 10,110,019 for this small country. 20% of the Population lives in the countries capital, Port-au-Prince. It is a third world country which means it is in extreme poverty with 80% of the population living in poverty. This contributes to a high infant mortality rate with 10% of children dying before age of five. It has been shown that the average daily earnings for a worker in Haiti is $2.75. Every five years a new president is elected. Christopher Columbus discovered this country in 1492 and named it "Hispaniola". In 1697 France took control of the country. In 1804 Haiti gained its independence, it is the second oldest independent nation in the western hemisphere after the United States. In 2010 not only did a devastating earthquake destroy most of the country and caused many fatalities, but it also was stricken with a cholera outbreak which is still present today.
The terrain is mountainous and the tempetarue is warm and tropical. The population is shown to be 95% black or mixed and only 5% white. There is a strong sense of culture in this country. It is show that over half the country practices voodoo, which is a combination of african slave traditions and catholic values. Many families live together with extended family. Their diet consists of fruits, vegetables and some spiced meats. Haiti produces coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum, and wood. Most of the population is poorly educated with only 10% of the students that attend elementary school going on to graduate high school.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/17/world/americas/haiti-fast-facts/
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/haiti/#haiti-girls-running.jpg
http://facts.randomhistory.com/haiti-facts.html

TIFFANY HAMILTON
Central High Plains
Map

Summary
Two URL

Fatoumatta Darboe
bhakta jay
Singryd Valadares

mapa

summary
This beach is anchored at one end by the famous 700 foot Pão de Açucar(Sugarloaf Mountain) that sits just off the coast, and on the other end by the old Copacabana Fort.
The 2.5 mile long beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is one of the most recognizable beaches in the world. Made famous by the nightclubs, casinos, and hotels in the 1950s - Copacabana Beach is lined from one end to the other with tourist class and luxury hotels, indoor and outdoor restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.

Some people think that "Copa" has seen its better days, but you wouldn't know it based on the thousands of people who flock here every month from all over the world. Copacabana is especially popular with foreigners, many of whom "winter" in Rio de Janeiro.
The beach itself is quite wide in places and much more flat than in neighboring Ipanema Beach. On the east end it transitions into Leme Beach and ends with the 300 foot (115m) Morro do Leme (Leme Mountain). The streets turn inland at Morro do Leme, which has no coastal road or path around it. Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf) can be seen just off the coast on this end of the beach.

This beach in Brazil is marked by Postos 2 - 6 (life guard posts) about every kilometer. Copacabana Beach is illuminated at night by very large lights, giving the entire scene a surreal look and feel. Despite being well lit, it is considered not safe to walk the beach at night, and it's better to stay on the hotel side of the sidewalk late at night.
You can bring your camera to take pictures, but it's not as safe here as in Ipanema Beach. For more information visit our Rio de Janeiro Photo Tips page.
Most of the tourists and Cariocas (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil residents) congregate from just east of the famous Copacabana Palace Hotel at Posto 2, down to about Posto 5.
In front of the Copacabana Palace Hotel, is the well established gay section of the beach. It's marked by the rainbow flag and is a hive of activity on sunny days.
The most popular sport on this beach is soccer, and you can find games being played every few hundred yards throughout the day into the early evening.
Further down at Posto 6, it's a calmer area and caters to the affluent crowds of beach goers who stay at the expensive hotels on the west end of Copacabana Beach.
Also at Posto 6, is what's left of a small fishing village. This very special place is best visited early in the morning as fishermen head out to sea in their small boats, and in the early evening when they return to clean and sell their catch right on the beach.

Copacabana Beach is also the site during the year for large music concerts featuring Brazilian bands and such international acts as the Rolling Stones. For these concerts, large sound stages are set up right on the beach, and hundreds of thousands of people will show up for the all day and into the evening party.

This is also the sight of perhaps the largest New Year's Eve party in the world. Every year, Revéillon is celebrated on the beach with many thousands of people wearing traditional white, enjoying spectacular fireworks at midnight, and partying until dawn to watch the sunrise.
And swimming! This Rio de Janeiro Brazilian beach has calmer waves and waters than neighboring Ipanema Beach, which makes for great wading, swimming, and body surfing. Vendors line the beach renting umbrellas, lounge chairs, and all manner of drinks and snacks.

You can also get more information and picture by just clicking the link below
http://www.rio.com/practical-rio/copacabana-beach
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/brazil/rio-de-janeiro/sights/beaches-islands-waterfronts/copacabana-beach
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/brazil/copacabana-beaches

2URL

shay-ann
The Bahamas

The Bahamas is a coral-based archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, comprising 700 islands and cays that range from uninhabited to resort-packed. The northernmost, Grand Bahama, and Paradise Island, home to the sprawling Atlantis resort, are among the best known. Scuba diving and snorkeling sites include the massive Andros Barrier Reef, Thunder ball Grotto (of James Bond fame) and the black-coral gardens off Bimini. The Islands of The Bahamas lie between 20 and 27°N latitude and 72 and 79°W longitude. Separated from the North American Continent by the Florida Channel and cooled in the summer by the northeast trade winds, The Bahamas enjoys a moderate climate. During the summer, temperatures rarely rise above 90°F, while the lowest winter temperatures vary between 40 and 50°F. Rainfall ranges between 40-60 inches a year. The Bahamas extends over 100,000 square miles of sea, with slightly less than half lying in the Tropics. The Tropic of Cancer crosses the lower part of Long Island. Contrary to popular belief, The Bahamas is not in the Caribbean, but is in the Atlantic Ocean. The Bahamas stretch over a distance of some 760 miles from northwest to southeast and includes 30 inhabited islands, 661 cays, and about 2,387 exposed reefs. The total land area is approximately 5,380 square miles, about the size of Wales or two-thirds the size of Massachusetts. The largest island is Andros, with an area of 2,300 square miles and the smallest inhabited island is Spanish Wells, with an area of one-half mile. The highest point is 206-foot high Como Hill on Cat Island. Some of the most beautiful beaches and lagoons in the world are located in The Bahamas. Over 50 varieties of trees can be found here, including such exotic species as the African tulip, the casuarina, the cork tree, several varieties of palm trees, and about 40 varieties of fruit trees. In addition, large varieties of shrubs, climbers, vines, vegetables, and herbs are found here. There are no significant seasonal changes requiring winter clothing or central heating in the Bahamas. The rainy season is from May to October with an average in Nassau of six inches per month. From November through April, average rainfall is two inches per month. The hurricane season extends from June through November, the greatest risk being in August, September, and October. In the winter, temperatures rarely fall below 60°F, and usually reach 77°F by mid-afternoon. During the summer, temperatures fluctuate between 85-90°F in the daytime and 75°F and less in the evening. Although humidity can reach about 80% (relative humidity for September is 82%), prevailing easterly winds lessen personal discomfort. Temperatures vary from a low of 76.7°F in January to a high of 89.1°F in August. Humidity causes mildew on leather and textile products, but homes equipped with central air-conditioning or dehumidifiers neutralize the harmful effects.
Rainfall often occurs in the form of fairly intense showers, frequently accompanied by strong, gusty winds. These storms are usually short and are followed by clear skies. Weather conditions can change rapidly. Statistically, a hurricane can be expected to occur in some part of The Bahamas every nine years. The last hurricane (Floyd) struck in September 1999. New Providence and Grand Bahama Islands experienced minimal damage considering the magnitude of the storm, which reached speeds of up to 100 mph in Nassau. Coastal areas were flooded and power was cut off but was restored within a week. The Embassy hurricane plan calls for early evacuation of government employees to emergency shelters located on high ground in the central and eastern portions of New Providence. Official communications, as well as ready access to Miami TV and radio stations, provide more than ample early warning of severe weather threats. The preliminary statistics from the 2000 Census of Population and Housing placed the total resident population of the Bahamas at 304,913. The statistics show that New Providence (where Nassau is located) has a population of 212,432, accounting for 69.66% of the population and representing a 23.83% increase in population compared to the 1990 census. Grand Bahama, with the second largest population, has 46,954 persons representing 15.40% of the population, an increase of 14.42% in population compared to the 1990 census. Abaco follows with a population of 13,174 or 4.32% of the population, Andros with 7,815, and Eleuthera with 8,114 accounting for 2.56% and 2.66%, respectively. Exuma had 3,575 persons and 1.17% of the total population, while Long Island with 2,945 persons had less than 1% of the population.
The Lucayan Indians, a branch of the Arawak’s, discovered the islands in the ninth century AD. Some 600 years later, on October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the New World on San Salvador Island. Some studies by historians have disputed the San Salvador theory however, and suggest that the landfall may have occurred at Samana Cay instead. Spanish adventurers followed Columbus to The Bahamas and soon shipped the remaining Lucayan population as slaves to the mines in Cuba and Santo Domingo, where the race eventually became extinct. The islands were the setting for several attempts at establishing colonies of religious refugees, including the Eleutheran Adventurers. Although they all ultimately failed, many family names in The Bahamas derive from these seventeenth century English settlers. Most Bahamians are of mixed African and European descent. Of the European portion of the population, 90% are descendants of early British and American settlers, most notably loyalists from New York, Virginia, and the Carolinas. The Bahamas also has a considerable Greek community. Most are second and third generation Bahamians, whose descendants came to the islands as sponge fishermen. English is universally spoken in the Bahamas.
http://nassau.usembassy.gov/resources.html
https://www.google.com/search?q=map+of+the+bahamas&biw=1301&bih=620&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIg6uY5NuvyAIVSKceCh0VAgDg#imgrc=5_VxooeNNk0mlM%3A

Brook Bahe

Canada

Biogeography studies all aspects of the adaptations of an organism to its environment, considering systematically the origins, migrations and associations of living things. In Canada, the animals you will see will be determined by what type of territory you are at. In a deciduous forest, you would most likely see woodland frogs, ovenbirds, and white-tailed birds. If you are in a transcontinental forest you will probably see white spruce trees, bunchberries, twinflowers, and feather mosses in terms of plants. Wildlife wise there would be trout from the brook, moose, and purple finches. In the Atlantic coastal plain regions there are grey birch trees, candleberry trees, and broom crowberry trees. At higher altitudes there are usually purple saxifrage flowers, and mountain avens which are also known as dwarf shrubs. Plants of the southern prairies belong to several areas that witness more or less unresolved conflicts. Tall-grass prairie, mixed-grass prairie, and short-grass prairie are constantly moving north and south and leaving traces. The western boreal forest elements (pine trees, black spruce trees, and devil’s paintbrush trees) and the eastern ones (twinflowers, bunchberries, and bearberries) will come together in cooler highlands. The patterns of the geographic distribution of plants and animals are, very revealing of past changes in the displacement of the communities that sheltered them, and indeed of whole bioclimatic areas that have shifted across continents. Canada is a very white and forested area as you can see and that determines what kind of plants and animals are there to be seen. The biogeography of Canada must be seen as a whole, and not just solely as patterns of key species of plants and animals.

http://www.kidport.com/reflib/worldgeography/canada/canada.htm
http://geography.about.com/od/atlas/a/canada.htm

Marci Glennemeier
Big Horn Mountains

The Big Horn Mountain range is in the northern part of Wyoming and south central part of Montana. The parent range is the Rocky Mountains and they are also separate from the Absaroka Range, which are in Wyoming by the Bighorn Basin.
The highest peak in this mountain range is Cloud peak at 13,175ft elevation. The second highest peak is Black Tooth Mountain at 13,005ft elevation. Unlike the parent chain of the Rockies, the Big Horns are more rounded mountain ranges. There are many colorful rock formations in these mountains. These mountains are mostly made up of sedimentary rock. The layers range from Cambrian through the Lower Cretaceous, and are often rick in fossils. There is only one remaining active glacier, this glacier is Cloud Peak Glacier, which is on the east slope of cloud peak.
The animals that reside in these mountains are mule deer, elk, moose, black bear, and mountain lions. In the lower elevations they have pronghorns, rattlesnakes, golden eagles, hawks, and some wild bison managed by the crow Indians.
The Crow Indians have land in these mountains but since this ground is sacred only the tribal members can venture these parts. The Sioux, Crow, and Cheyenne Indians have always considered these lands to be sacred.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bighorn_Mountains
http://www.nps.gov/bica/learn/nature/bighorn-mountains.htm
http://www.nps.gov/bica/learn/nature/geologic-story.htm

Katrina Delgado

The Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands is a clutter of 19 islands. They were formed by underwater volcanic eruptions which pile on the former eruptions over millennia until the volcanic earth is pushed to the surface of the ocean. The islands are located in the Pacific Ocean; 600 miles west of Ecuador. Ecuador is on the western coast of South America.
The Galapagos Islands has a harsh and dry environment and has a rocky desert-like terrain. The Galapagos Islands have four primary ecosystems, which were formed by climate patterns and the differences in elevation. Lowlands, subtropical forests, dense forests, and the fourth consist of ferns and grasses in the highest elevations. The lowlands are generally filled with forests of cactus. Moving upwards in elevation, the subtropical forest is well, subtropical. The third ecosystem is humid and has dense forests. The fourth consists of primarily ferns and grasses at the highest elevations. Only the largest islands, such as Isabella, contain all four systems.
Galapagos is the home of many mammals, birds, and reptiles. Most of the species there are found nowhere else in the world. The mammals that live there are the Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos Fur Seal, two endemic species of bats, and the rice rat. The reptiles are the marine iguana; it is the only lizard in the world that can live and hunt in the sea, the land iguana, seven lava lizards, and the most famous giant tortoise. It is the largest of the living tortoises, reaching over 880lbs and has the lifespan of 100 years! And the last is the
birds. The birds consist of a variety of color. The finches, mockingbird, hawk, frigatebirds, flamingo and flamingo. They are all titled after the Galapagos Islands, so if you were to look up these amazing species I suggest you type Galapagos firsthand.

Fun Fact: Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands in 1831 and consolidated his observations that would soon become the Theory of Natural Selection.

To look up more about the Galapagos Islands:
http://www.galapagos.org/
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/galapagos-islands/

Brian Starr
Everglades

The Everglades were shaped by water and fire. The Everglades is a tropical wetland area located in the Southern tip of Florida.near the Orlando area with the Kissimmee River and goes south into the Florida Bay the Florida Everglades is one of the most extensive, complex, and renowned wetland ecosystems in the world. Located in South Florida, the Everglades is really a long, shallow river wide and long. It is home to a multitude of plants, animals, and birds—both resident and migratory—that live in some habitats not found anywhere else on the North American continent.

The climate of South Florida is located across the broad transition zone between subtropical and tropical climates, Like most regions with this climate type, there are two basic seasons - a "dry season " (winter) which runs from November through April, and a "wet season" (summer) which runs from May through October. About 70% of the annual rainfall in south Florida occurs in the wet season - often as brief but intense tropical downpours. The dry season sees little rainfall and dew points and humidity are often quite low. The dry season can be severe at times, as wildfires and water restrictions are often in place.

The Florida Everglades ecosystem is also the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side. Many animals live in the Everglades including the raccoon, skunk, opossum, Eastern Cottontail bobcat, Red Fox and white-tail deer. But the symbol of this wild, vast ecosystem is the Florida panther.

http://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/animals.htm
http://www.florida-everglades.com/active.htm

Ireland

Kylee Blount
Ireland is an island nation on the westernmost edge of Europe. It is second to Great Britain for largest island on the continent. Part of land in the north belongs to the United Kingdom, but the residing area is the Republic of Ireland, which is 80% of the land. Ireland received its nickname or the Emerald Isle because large green fields encompass most of its land. Aside from the fields, there are large areas of rugged, rocky landscape. Thousands of years ago, Ireland was covered in glaciers completely. Tracts of limestone pavement were left behind from the ice. Damp patches of soggy lakes were also remnants of the glaciers. The highlands of Ireland can be located almost only in the southwest. These highlands end at high cliffs that rise thousands of feet over the Atlantic Ocean.

Flora: During earlier ages, Ireland was heavily covered in oak, beech, pine, and birch. Due to the mild climate, sub-tropical species grew, like palm trees. Many wild flowers can be found in the abundant amounts of pastures. In wetter, moist areas of Ireland, Western part mostly, fern grows. Unique assortments of grasses have covered the island, especially Spartina Anglica. Algal and seaweed flora are found in the cold temperatures of Ireland. “The number of species in totality is Heterokntophyta:152; Rodophyta: 264; Cyanophyta:31 ; Chlorapyta: 114 having the total of 574 species all in all. To name a rare specie would be Itonoa marginifera, Schimitzia;Galidiella calcicola, Gelidiul maggsiae and Halymenia latifolia.” Irelands Flora creates the color of the island. This is where it gets the name Emerald Isle, from being covered in green beauty.

Fauna: Land in Ireland is limited for animals and their preservation due to most land being applied for agriculture. Large animals are not a part of Ireland due to their need for much greater amounts of land, which also excludes predators from Ireland’s fauna. The usual species that can be found in Ireland would be hedgehogs, red fox, and badger. Others like Irish hare, pine marten, red deer are not that often seen. In their aquatic wildlife, species like shark, turtle, dolphin and others are typical in the coast. Most abundant animal in Ireland is the bird, which nearly 400 species can be found there. These birds have migrated mostly from Greenland, Africa, and Iceland.
Sources:
http://www.travelinireland.com/life-and-culture/fauna-and-flora/fauna-and-flora-in-ireland.html
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/ireland/#ireland-dublin.jpg

Shelby Martinez
Rachel Unruh
Paige Summers
The Chincoteague and Assateague Island
Assateague is located east of the Chincoteague Island of the cast of Virginia, Assateague is known as a Barrier island because it protects the Chincoteague Island from the Atlantic Ocean. Assateague island is approximately 38 miles long and the terrain is mostly grassland and marsh. The entire island is a wildlife sanctuary, protected from the development. The animals inhabit the land are mostly migratory birds and wild horses. The Chincoteague Island which is 14,000 acres of beach lies a few miles from Assateague. The only civilization is the small town of Chincoteague with the population of 2,941. The island receives 1.5 million visitors each year to enjoy its touring, fishing, crabbing and its annual Pony Penning Day. The history of the Pony Penning Day all began around the 16th century when the Spanish Vessel wrecked off of the coast of Assateague Island which stranded the ponies causing them to swim to Chincoteague Island.
Once a year the Chincoteague fire department purchases a grazing permit from the national wildlife service to allow the island to maintain up to 150 adult ponies on the island. Usually on the last Thursday in July Salt Water Cowboys swim the ponies from Assateague Island to the Chincoteague Island where thousands of spectators come to watch and bid on the ponies. Pony Penning Day gained its popularity when the book, Misty the Chincoteague pony became a classic in 1948. Misty was born on July 20, 1946 owned by Clarence and Ida Beebe. The author, Marguerite Henry, used Misty as a model for her books. Misty appeared at schools, movies, theaters, museum, libraries and horse show. Misty then returned to the Beebe Ranch in 1957 to have her foal.
The ponies eat mostly the salt water cord grass that grows in the marsh, because the grass is high in salt the ponies drink twice the amount of water which causes their bellies to look bloated. The ponies are able to find fresh water in low areas of the island where rain water collects, or they drink from the Vernal Pools located in the Loblolly pine tree forest, the needle of the pine fall into the Vernal pools that are acidic which keeps the water fresh.
http://www.chincoteague.com/ponies.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chincoteague,_VirginiaFaith Charles
Argentina: Province del Monte

In the north-central part of Argentina there is a province called del Monte. This province spans 2000 km and runs from eastern part of the Andes to a desert called the Pantagonian Desert. It also continues east towards the Pacific Ocean. Within the province you will find many rivers, sparse dry forests, and dry grasslands.

This part of Argentina holds one of the biggest dry forest lands in Argentina. Vegetation in Monte includes many variations of shrubs such as the Evergreen shrub. Perennial grasses are also widely found in this region. Other plants found in the area include cactus, woodlands that are able to thrive in dry environments, and Bromeliaceae. When Monte region receives rain wild irises, lilies, and Portulaca grandiflora. Monte has some forests found along rivers such as the Rio de la Plata. These forests consist of small sized trees that are resistant to drought called Mesquite trees. The Monte region of Argentina has hot summers (sometimes too hot) and the winters are often cold and snowy.

This region gets little rainfall, between 80 and 250 millimeters per year. Certain regions get rain during the summer and others get it year round. The Monte area is experiencing damaging effects because of human activity, such as overgrazing, and deforestation for fuel, agriculture, mining, and finding oil.

You can find more information about this region at: Fund, W. (2014). Argentine Monte.

Retrieved from http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150227 http://www3.cricyt.edu.ar/entomologia/Articulos/Monte biodiversity.pdf
Above previous student post.

Amazon Rainforest
Brooklyn Sidebottom

The Amazon has a long history of human settlement. Contrary to popular belief, sizable and sedentary societies of great complexity existed in the Amazon rainforest. These societies produced pottery, cleared sections of rainforest for agriculture, and managed forests to optimize the distribution of useful species. The notion of a virgin Amazon is largely the result of the population crash following the arrival of the Europeans in the sixteenth century. Studies suggest that 11.8 percent of the Amazon's terra firm forests are anthropogenic in nature resulting from the careful management of biodiversity by indigenous people. However, unlike those using current cultivation techniques, these Amazonians were attuned to the ecological realities of their environment from five millennia of experimentation, and they understood how to sustainably manage the rainforest to suit their needs. They saw the importance of maintaining biodiversity through a mosaic of natural forests, open fields, and sections of forest managed so as to be dominated by species of special interest to humans.
Today, despite the population decimation, natives peoples still live in American rainforests, although virtually all have been affected by the outside world. Instead of wearing traditional garb of loin cloths, most Amerindians wear western clothes, and many use metal pots, pans, and utensils for everyday life. Some groups make handicrafts to sell to tourists, while others make routine trips to the city to bring foods and wares to market.
Almost no native group obtains the majority of its food by traditional nomadic hunting and gathering. Nearly all cultivate crops, with hunting, gathering, and fishing serving as a secondary or supplementary food source. Usually a family has two gardens: a small house garden with a variety of plants, and a larger plantation which may be one hectare in area planted with bananas, manioc, or rice. These plantations are created through the traditional practice of slash and burn, a method of forest clearing that is not all that damaging to the forest if conducted in the traditional manner.
The flora and fauna of the Amazon is large. There are so many bird, mammals, reptiles and amphibians as well as plants. This is what helps keep the rainforest so big and vast. Without the flora and fauna, the rainforest wouldn’t be as perspiring.

Next student post here.

Matt Rahjes, Esparanza, Malorie
Scotland nature

image

There are many mammals in Scotland but the ones that stood out would have to the highland cows, red deer, and wildcat. The highland cows’ attract many tourists. They’re also known as hairy coos because of their shaggy coat and their hairs sweep across their eyes. The black hairy cow used to be the most popular but now they are extremely rare to find in Scotland. Next we have the red deer and in Scotland they are slightly smaller than other western European red deer. This deer thrives in the highlands and islands of Scotland. Scotland also has the European wildcat which has longer fur and a shorter no tapering busy tail. It also has striped fur and a dark dorsal band. The wild cat used to be considered separate wildcat subspecies and distinct from wildcats occurring on the European mainland. In Scotland the number of wildcats are critically low.

Scotland has many hardwood and other tree species. Acacia is a type of rain tree. Leaves of the Acacia are compound pinnate in general. in some Australian and Pacific islands the leaves are suppressed and leaf stalks become practically flattened. These small flowers have five very small petals hidden by long stamens and arranged in a dense globular or cylindrical clusters. They are either a yellow or cream color, sometimes they can be white, purple or red. These plants often bare spines, sometimes representing branches, have became a short, hard and pungent, or leaf stipels, sometimes due to certain regions of the world.

The Forth and Lothians area in the east of Scotland's Central Belt is a major economic and cultural hub, incorporating Edinburgh, the industrial centers of Grangemouth and Falkirk, and the Forth ports. The region also boasts a wealth of terrestrial, coastal and marine protected environments and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and is recognized for its nationally important geo-diversity. There are many competing interests in the surface and subsurface environments of the Forth and Lothians, from planned developments in urban and water infrastructure to growing interest in geothermal energy and unconventional oil and gas resources, and urban and rural environmental management.
The Geology and Landscape: Scotland team are working with planners, policy makers and environmental regulators in the Forth and Lothians to develop new 3D/4D geoscience applications to improve efficiency in resource and infrastructure development, and to support effective environmental management. The multidisciplinary project encompasses applied research in geothermal energy, hydrogeology, marine geoscience, structural and sedimentary geology, and coastal and catchment processes.

www.bgs.ac.uk/research/ukgeology/scotland/home.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauna_of_Scotland

TIFFANY HAMILTON
GREECE

IS THE SOUTHERNMOST COUNTRY IN EUROPE AND IS DIVIDED INTO THREE GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS; THE ISLANDS, THE PENINSULA OF PELOPONNESE AND THE MAINLAND.THERE ARE SEVERAL MOUNTAIN RANGES IN GREECE. ONE OF THE WORLDS DEEPEST GORGES, VIKOS GORGE, IS LOCATED IN THE PINDUS MOUNTAIN RANGE. THEIR TALLEST MOUNTAIN IS MOUNT OLYMPUS. THE ANCIENT GREEKS BELIEVED THAT'S WHERE THE GODS LIVED AND IT BECAME THE FIRST NATIONAL PARK LOCATED IN GREECE.
GREECE IS KNOWN FOR THEIR SEEMINGLY ENDLESS COASTLINE AND THEIR THOUSANDS OF ISLANDS LOCATED IN THREE DIFFERENT SEAS; IONIAN SEA TO THE WEST, THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA TO THE SOUTH AND THE AEGEAN SEA TO THE EAST.
MOST OF GREECE WAS COVERED IN RICH FOREST AT ONE TIME, HOWEVER, OVER THE CENTURIES SOME FORESTS HAVE BEEN CUT DOWN TO MAKE ROOM FOR FARMING. TODAY, FORESTS CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN THE RHODOPE AND PINDUS RANGES. CROPS FROM THIS REGION INCLUDE; OREGANO, THYME, ROSEMARY AND BAY LEAVES.
WALK DOWN ANY STREET AND FIND THE PAVEMENT LACED WITH OLIVE, FIG AND PISTACHIO, LEMON AND ORANGE TREES.

MAP:

Anagen Wood
Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago in Southeast Asia that is located between the South China Sea and North Pacific Ocean. It is divided into three geographic areas mainly Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippines consists of 7,100 islands with the total land area of 298,000 square kilometres. All of the islands are volcanic in origin. As a result, the country is mountainous. Mountains divide most of the island surfaces into narrow coastal strips and low-lying interior plains or valleys. The Philippines has a tropical marine climate with two seasons. From November through April is the Northeast monsoon which brings a lot of rains. From May through October, the Southwest monsoon brings cool, dry weather. Natural calamities are common in the country, such as earthquake and typhoons as well as volcanic eruptions and floods. The monitoring system has improved throughout the years. Temperatures rarely rise above 37 degrees Celsius; mountain areas can be cool especially in Northern Luzon and Mindanao.

The Philippine rainforest and its widespread coastlines make it one of the ten most biologically diverse countries with various kinds of birds, plants, animals, and sea creatures. There are 1,100 land vertebrate species including more than 100 mammal species and 170 bird species that do not exist elsewhere. Native species include the tamaraw of Mindoro, the Visayan spotted deer, Philippine mouse deer, Visayan warty pig, Philippine flying lemur, and various species of bats. The Philippines does not have large predators, except snakes such as pythons and cobra, and birds of prey such as the Philippine eagle (National bird). Philippine waters have 2,400 species of fish and over 500 species of coral. The Apo Reef is the country’s largest contiguous coral reef system and the second largest in the world.

The Philippines healthy soil produces thousands of plant species. From 3,000 species of giant trees, 1000 species of orchids to thousands more species of mosses and lichens, Philippine forests comprise a variety of plant life that not one of its neighbours has. The country has different kinds of Bamboo that is very valuable for making music instruments, handicrafts, bags, lamps, and furniture. Another valuable plant is the coconut palm which produces oil, vinegar, and liquor. Narra tree, the national tree, is also used for furniture making and high quality furnishings.
http://geography.about.com/od/thephilippinesmaps/a/thephilippinesgeography.htm
http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=List_of_Bohol_Flora_and_Fauna

This belongs in Western Hemisphere—
Mexican Transition
http://www2.cec.org/nampan/ecoregion/mexican-pacific-transition
Western hemisphere of biogeography of Mexican transition zone
John Peden

We analyzed the relationships of the areas of endemism of the Mexican Transition Zone through 3 hypotheses of regionalization. We used a reconciled trees method based on the phylogenies of 10 genera of beetles, gymnosperms, lizards and snakes. Seven general area cladograms were generated using assumptions 0 and 1 and the Nelson and majority consensus. They showed 2 groups of areas, 1 with Neotropical affinities and the other with Nearctic affinities. The Sierra Madre del Sur resulted as the sister area of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Other constant patterns were the area that involves Tamaulipas and Texas as sister area of the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts, and the highlands of Chiapas and Guatemala were always recovered as the sister area of the Talamanca ridge. Our results suggest that the most important vicariant events within the Mexican Transition Zone are the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, which divides the majority of the endemism areas with Neartic affinities (north to this) from those endemism areas of Neotropical affinities (south to this) and the Tehuantepec Isthmus; which together with the Nicaraguan depression isolates Nuclear Central America. Other patterns appear in either regionalization proposal, but not within the 3, and require future studies in order to find well supported explanations. Even though our results have appeared in previous hypotheses, there are worth due to the fact that we include phylogenetic information of different taxa, we employed reconciled trees, an insufficiently used method, and we searched for congruence between results using 3 regionalization proposals.
That is my true standing on the recent biogeography in the mexican transition zone. A lot of different things are usually always happening on all the different transtions zones in the mexican transition zone, and usually are always changing with the wheather and the climate.

https://books.google.com/books?id=K1GU_1I6bG4C&pg=PA270&lpg=PA270&dq=cladistic+biogeography+of+the+mexican+transition+zone&source=bl&ots=qhGknao9nl&sig=8s1tn_T_02e85UNcvuCWmeBzu_I&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CGIQ6AEwCGoVChMI4pHmuou0yAIViJiACh3KDAZ1#v=onepage&q=cladistic%20biogeography%20of%20the%20mexican%20transition%20zone&f=false
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/248845042_Cladistic_biogeography_of_the_Mexican_Transition_Zone

Julie Schroeder
Africa

570x544xafrica-labeled.gif.pagespeed.ic.2AfrNt2a8x.png

Africa is the world’s second largest continent and covers about 6% of the Earth’s surface. Its general population is about 1.1 billion people as of 2013 and accounts for 15% of the world’s human population.

Flora:
Africa is home to one of the most diverse and odd collections of plant life. For example, in Ethiopia and Yemen, coffee production is one of the most efficient businesses. Coffee beans grow from a flowering scrub and they are collected to brew and sell for profit. Babul acacia is another plant. It’s a tropical flowering and fruiting evergreen that has the potential to reach heights of around 75 feet. The seedpods of this tree are used for leather tanning and fabric dyeing. A last example is the guinea yam. Native to West Africa, this yam can grow to heights of 36 feet. The fruits of the plants are boiled, baked, fried, pounded or dried and ground into flour. These are merely a few examples of the thousands of different species of the flora of Africa.

Fauna:
Africa is home to the world’s biggest supply of freshwater fish; there are about 3000 different species. Birds come in a close second: there are about 2600 different species of birds in Africa; some 114 are threatened species. Common birds in Africa would include ostriches, parrots, storks, cranes, vultures, songbirds, and even a couple species of penguins. This continent is also home to thousands of mammals. More than 1100 species of mammals live in Africa. The East-African plains, especially, are known for its great diversity of large mammals. Lastly and the most disturbing for some people, Africa is home to approximately 100,000 species of insects. It has also been estimated that the African insect population makes up 10-20% of the global insect species.

Africa is also home to some of the most memorable landmarks and monuments in the world. A small list would include: the Avenues of Baobabs (Madagascar), The Serengeti Natural Reserve (Kenya and Tanzania), the Nile River, Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria) Falls, The Agbokim Waterfalls (Nigeria), the Sphinx (Egypt), the Library of Alexandria (Dubai), and many, many more.

References:

1.) http://www.gardenguides.com/93817-native-plants-africa.html
2.) http://www.feelnubia.com/index.php/world-view/sage/158-natural-landmarks-of-africa.html?start=5
3.) http://www.traveltourismblog.com/africa.php

Adam Simmerman-Social
Jenessa Williams-Climate
Kirsten Phlieger-Land
Sarah Churchwell-Coral Reefs/Marine Life
Fiji

Social Life
The Fijians are pretty easy-going, but if you are invited into a village, wear modest clothing and take off your hat when in the village because it is offensive to the chief. Leave your shoes outside the door when entering a home and keep in mind that it's also insulting to touch someone's head - which can be tempting when you are surrounded by wide-eyed, smiling children. Fijians have many different cultural ceremonies including the Lovo, Meke, and Yaqona or Kava which is the national drink in Fiji. The Lovo involves a magnificent feast, cooked in the earth. It's like a barbeque, only a little more smoked, and a very efficient way to cook large quantities of food at the same time. The Meke is more music involved. Meke embraces traditional song and dance to tell of legends, love stories, history and spirits of the islands. It can vary from a blood-curdling spear dance to a gentle and graceful fan dance. Visitors will find Christian churches, mosques, and Sikh and Hindu temples throughout the country. Visitors are more than welcome to join the locals for Sunday worship and it's highly recommended, even if you're not that religious. The people of Fiji all speak English and Fijian or Hindu. There are so many ways to see and experience the Fiji Islands and the Fijian people. From a scenic coach ride around the major towns to longboats cruising along a river; bamboo rafting down pristine waterways to 4 wheel driving through vast sugar cane fields; being guided by a local through a small village and swimming in one of the many watering holes. Observe the Fijian way of life as it has been for centuries and along the way sample an amazing variety of food and drink.
Climate
The climate in Fiji is described as perfect when the average temperatures year round range from 79 degrees to 88 degrees. They have a bit of a dry season during the months March to November and a wet season from December to April, which may result in cyclones. Statistics have shown that on average Fiji has about 15 cyclones per decade, two to four ever cause severe damage.
Land
Fiji consists of 332 island and out of these only 110 of them are populated. Viti Levu, is the largest islands that establishes half of the land area and is the seat of Suva. The other important islands are Vanau Levu which is the second largest island, Taveuni, Kadavu, Koro, Gau, and Ovalau, this groups of islands are centered in the Kora Sea. The larger islands are volcanic and mountainous islands, and the smaller islands are dense tropical forests on the windward sides of the islands and grassy plains.
Marine Life/Coral Reefs
Coral reefs occupy 1% of the world’s oceans and the great country/island of Fiji has one that many tourists flock to. With over 1500 species of fish and 390 species of coral. It makes Fiji one of the most coveted vacation spots. Not only does the coral reefs and marine life bring in tourists, but it bring numerous animals as well, such as eels, octopi, snakes, squids, turtles, and whales.

Janea Hope

Kushiro Shitsugen

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS7oMwLcCgMhWts-AUHWNk-IEVKIuSp7tLw8hgcRekg2TZGo9MqhA

Kushiro Shitusgen ( Kushiro) is a marsh that was turned into a national park found in Hokkaido Japan. Kushiro is home to Tansho and many other forms of wild life. Koshiro is a marsh surrounding many different rivers, also is the largest national park in Japan it was founded in 1987.

Koshiro is home to the last home of Tansho ( Japanese Red Crowned Cranes) for Hokkaido and is the last placeTansho have been able to live in the other tasnsho had lived in for a time before having a bad weather one winter that almost wiped them to extinction. They were later found in Hokkaido. there numbers at the time had been in the lower thirty's the winter the year they were found almost wiped them out but farmers have started to feed them during winter. Recently they started a feeding center for them.

Kushiro's wildlife consists of different species of birds and fish. The species of birds in Kushiro change according to the seasons such as the Grey Heron Ardea cinerea a small number of them stay during winter. An example of fish that lives in the rivers is Fish species include the Japanese huchen, the largest freshwater fish in Japan, which can grow to 1—1.5 m long. They live only in Hokkaido, and the number of adult fish living in the wild is reported to be less than 1,000, so it is often referred to as the illusive fish.
Kushiro was made a national park in 1987 after the Tansho was found in the region. Kushiro is 104 mi sqft in size . There are a lot of different bodies of water in the Kushiro region. Here are examples of some of the different bodies of water in the Kushiro region are: Lake Masho, Lake Kussharo, and Lake Akan.The rivers in the Kushiro region have the appearance of a spider web.
Though when kushiro was first made a national park in 1987 the number of Tansho has grown exponentially through the years. Making Kushiro a grate tourist attraction and educational. Thank You for you time.
Recourses
• Kushiro Shitsugen National park ar3tical by Japanes-guied. ( http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6792.html )
• Japans winter wildlife national geographic article ( http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/features/world/asia/japan/winter-text/2 )
• Kushiro Shitugen Pdf ( http://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/npr/ramsar_wetland/pamph/ramsarpamphen/kushiro.pdf )
• Introducing Kushiro Shitsugen National Park - Lonely planet article ( http://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/hokkaido/kushiro-shitsugen-national-park )
Japan national tourisms ( http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/scenic/hokkaido/hokkaido_02.html

Japan

Katie Hopkins & Jason Manning

Japan is a smaller nation composed of a set of islands on the eastern hemisphere. It lies within what is known geographically as Asia. Drifting in the great Pacific Ocean it lies just east of the big super power we know as China. It also lies south east of the land of the superpower Russia. A neat little tid bit about Japan is that Japan in known as “The Land of the Rising Sun.” Japan is an island system that is made up of over a 1,000 islands. 6,852 islands to be exact. That’s a lot of islands. Ninety seven percent of Japans total land area is comprised of it four largest islands. These four largest islands are known as Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Japan is home to an extravagant number of people. Japan is the home to over 126 million people holding the tenth largest population in the world. (U.S.A. Is number three with a population of over 322 million.)

The plants in Japan are distributed between five zones within the East Asian temperate zone. These zones are the subtropical zone around the Ryukyu and Ogasawara island groups, the warm-temperature zone in southern Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, the cool-temperature zone of central and northern Honshu and southeastern Hokkaido, the subalpine zone of central and northern Hokkaido, and the alpine zone in central Honshu and central Hokkaido. One well-known plants in Japan is the Sakura, or cherry tree. Other well-known trees in Japan are the matsu, or pine trees, and sugi, or cedar trees. Pines have been used to create excellent scenery and are also believed to be holy trees, and were viewed as symbols of divine spirits.

Just like its plant life, Japan has a very diverse range of animals, from the Southeast Asiatic tropical animals, to the temperate-zone Korean and Chinese animals, and the Siberian subarctic animals. The southern part of Japan on the Ryukyu Islands is home to mostly tropical animals, while the mainlands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu are home to animals more native to the deciduous forests of Korea and China. The seas north of Honshu are home to sea lions, fur seals, and beaked whales. Walruses have been known to be found in Hokkaido in the Sea of Okhotsk. There are believed to be more than 90,000 species of animals in Japan, as of November 2011, but many animals are facing extinction.

The culture of japan has evolved greatly from its humble beginnings. Contemporary culture of Japan focused on arts and crafts such as hand crafting ceramics, making dolls, or crafting swords from steel. The process of Japanese sword making is a dieing practice, in that the art of handmade swords is being passed down less and less as modern machine made ones are prevailing in the market. The Japanese sword is properly known as a Katana. Modern Japanese culture focuses on the music, animation, and video game industries. Technology world wide is influenced by Japan. One of Japans leading markets is its animation market. A style of Japanese cartoons which are based off of Manga or japans style of comics is known as anime. One Bit of culture that people flock to try is their food based culture. Recipes from japan are comprised of staple foods. Such as rice and noodles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
http://web-japan.org/factsheet/en/pdf/e03_flora.pdf

+Germany
Ethan Ross

Germany is a country located in the eastern hemisphere. More specifically it is located in Western and Central Europe. Germany also borders Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland. Germany is divided into 16 states and has all different types of landscape.

The climate in Germany is mostly temperate. It has warm summers and cold winters. Rainfall occurs in Germany throughout the year, with it peaking during the summertime. During May and September are Germany’s largest tourist months. This is mostly due to the weather being the nicest during this time.

Germany is the seventh largest country in Europe. In the Northern part of the country the North European Plain spans across it. This plain is mostly used for farmland. Germany’s sandy lands are in the Northeast part of it. And finally in the south is where the more hilly part of Germany is. The highest mountain in Germany is Zugspitze, standing at 9.718 feet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_German
www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/germany/deland.htm

The Balkan Peninsula

Blair Norris
Heath Churchwell
Steven Nelson

The Balkan Peninsula gets its name from the Balkan mountain range. The majority of the Balkan peninsula is covered over with mountain ranges going from the northwest to the southeast. The main ranges are the Balkan mountains, the Rhodope mountains, the Dinaric Alps, Croatia and Montenegro, the Šar massif, and the Pindus range. The highest mountain in the area is Rila in Bulgaria, with Musala at 2925 m, Mount Olympus in Greece, the throne of Zeus, the second highest at 2917 m and Vihren in Bulgaria the third highest at 2914 m. Large flat plains are also found in this region.

The climate in this region is largely dependent on the elevation. On the Adriatic and Aegean coasts the climate is Mediterranean, on the Black Sea coast the climate is humid subtropical and oceanic, and inland it is humid continental. In the northern part of the peninsula and on the mountains, winters are frosty and snowy, while summers are hot and dry. In the southern part the winters are milder. The humid continental climate is predominant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, northern Croatia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, northern Montenegro, the interior of Albania, Romania and Serbia, while humid subtropical and oceanic climates, are seen on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria and Turkey. The Mediterranean climate is seen on the coast of Albania, coast of Croatia, Greece, southern Montenegro and the Aegean coast of Turkey.

Mountains cover most of the Balkan region. For this reason, agriculture is difficult in the Balkans. Even in the less mountainous areas, cultivation is hard because of the cold winters, dry summers and poor soil conditions. Farming is more successful, however near the Black Sea, and on the plains. The climate there is rainier and more humid, therefore farmers can successfully produce crops such as grains, olives, and grapes. Because of the Balkans mountainous nature, the majority of the land is inhabited with evergreens and pines. Deforestation has wiped many of these wild trees out, which have then been replaced mainly by bushes and natural grasses.

The Balkan Peninsula possesses dense forests, vast wetlands, and large cliff walls, and with the entire immaculate wilderness comes all the different species roaming the land. Seeing as the Balkan Peninsula is, for the most part, untouched by human life the wildlife strives to survive. There are over 260 different species of birds including white tailed eagles, dalmatian pelicans, and great crested grebes. While over 40 species of fish share the vast wetlands with European Minks and the European otter.

Throughout the Durmitor Mountains live the rare animals such as the Balkan Lynx, Eurasian wolves, and the Eurasian brown bear. These animals are very rare to find anywhere over Europe. The Balkan Peninsula has been untouched for years and seems to be thriving very well. Even though a vast majority of the Balkan Peninsula is unknown, there has been many amazing discoveries of animals and many more to come.

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/europe-resources/?ar_a=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkans

http://www.balcanicaucaso.org/eng/Regions-and-countries/Bosnia-Herzegovina/Agriculture-and-rural-areas-in-the-Western-Balkans-status-update-95798

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/50325/Balkans

Lexy Meyer

England is composed of 65% of the island of Great Britain and the Isles of Wight and Scilly. Scotland borders to the North and Wales to the West. The geography of Britain includes mountains, rolling hills, valleys, plains, rivers, canals, peninsulas, lakes, and a vast ocean and sea coasts. The land is composed of urban areas, crops, grassland and grazing areas, forests, and other agriculture use. Urban development takes up about 21%, crops and fallow lands about 30% grassland and grazing about 36%, other agriculture use about 5%, and forests about 8%.
Native animals include the following: Eurasian Otters, Red Deers, Roe Deers, Rabbits, Swans, Common Seals, Common Frogs, Hazel Dormice, Adders, Stoats, Robbins, Sand Lizards, Smooth Snakes, Natterjack Toads, Great Crested Newts, Tawny Owls, and Pine Martens. There are several non-native animals as well.
Native plants include the following trees: Elm, Birch, Crab Apple, Ash, Oak, Pine, Beech, Willow, Maple, and Popular. There are even more tree varieties that are not native, brought in by immigrants or scientists. Smaller plants include many species of flowers, bushes, vines, and shrubs. There are at least 50 trees species that are native to England and well over 900 species of moss.
http://www.englandforever.org/england-animals.php
http://www.englandforever.org/plants.php

page revision: 236, last edited: 28 Apr 2017 18:27

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