Annual precipitation ranges from 91 to centimeters 36 to 45 inches. The higher Alpine peaks are snowcapped year-round. The western third of Liechtenstein lies on flat land in the floodplain of the Rhine River, which forms its western boundary. The eastern region consists of Alpine highlands. The Rhine River and its tributaries drain most of Liechtenstein. The mountain valleys to the east are drained by the Samina River, which rises in the southeast and flows northward through Liechtenstein's mountains into Austria.
An unusual hill formation, called the Eschnerberg, rises to heights of meters 2, feet on the flat terrain of Liechtenstein's western plains area. Meadows and pastureland make up about 40 percent of the total land area.
Three main valleys traverse the country's mountains. Their highest point is the Grauspitz, which rises to 8, feet 2, meters on the southeastern border with Switzerland. Over the course of many centuries, water has carved a gorge meters feet deep in the Salzach Valley. Former marshland on the banks of the Rhine was reclaimed for agricultural use in the first half of the twentieth century. Both concrete and wooden bridges span the Rhine, connecting Liechtenstein to neighboring Switzerland. The EU accepts few candidates: member states must maintain a stable, democratic form of government, a free-market economy, and commitment to the rule of law.
The rapid growth of the European Union, however, has caused a number of administrative and political tensions. Strict EU regulations place a heavy burden on developing countries to compete with their more developed neighbors. The global financial crisis , which began around , has caused these tensions to elevate dramatically.
The financial crisis is defined by debt and high unemployment. These countries included Greece, Ireland, Spain, and Portugal. This rescue package has caused tensions to rise between economically competitive countries and the indebted countries that they are helping to rescue.
Indebted countries must now deal with strict budget s and declining incomes while more financially stable countries are forcing taxpayer s to help fund the financial rescue. The status of immigrants is also a source of tension and debate in Europe.
Historically, Europe has been a center of immigration. The European Union has established the Schengen Area—a zone where Europeans can travel from country to country without having to show their passports.
Some critics argue these attitudes are xenophobic. Xenophobia is an intense dislike or fear of people from other places or cultures. Two events demonstrate this debate. In , the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons featuring Islam ic subjects.
The political cartoons sought to engage in the debate surrounding Muslim extremism. Many Muslim organizations, however, saw the cartoons as bigoted , racist, and insulting. Protests developed across the Muslim world, and demonstrators set fire to Danish embassies in Lebanon, Iran, and Syria. The debate surrounding the cartoons also intensified strained relations between the Islamic world and the West. In , the French government dismantled illegal immigrant camps throughout France.
These camps were mostly populated by Roma, also called Gypsies. Roma are a people and culture native to central and eastern Europe. In the face of an economic crisis, EU citizens of poorer member countries, such as the Roma of Bulgaria and Romania, often migrate to more developed EU countries in search of work. Developed countries, however, are also facing economic challenges. These nations do not feel an obligation to accept illegal immigrants, seeing them as both a threat and a burden.
Supporters of the crackdown want to stop illegal immigration. Critics argue the move was racist. Europe is often seen as a world leader in environmentally friendly technologies and legislation. As part of an international agreement signed at the conference, all 27 member states of the European Union agreed to reduce carbon emission s by 20 percent by from levels.
In fact, many developing nations argued that the Copenhagen Accord was drafted by a small group of powerful countries and unfairly disadvantages poorer countries, many of which are expected to suffer the worst effects of climate change. The overall population of Europe is set to drop from roughly million to million by The proportion of people older than 65 will grow from 16 percent to 28 percent.
These projected changes will have two major effects: There will be a smaller work force to create a dynamic and industrious economy, and governments and citizens will have to care for more elderly people. These changes will affect different regions of Europe in different ways. A study completed by the Berlin Institute for Population and Development found that Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, western Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Austria, and France have the best prospects of supporting vibrant and economically successful societies.
Many of the most socially and economically powerful elements of these societies will be led by immigrants. Developing countries, such as those in eastern and southern Europe, are expected to bear the worst of the depopulation trend.
Among the struggling economies that may suffer from carbon emission limits are Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova. Enacting regional social policies and economic legislation, especially through bodies like the European Union, may help curb that trend. Europe has a long history of human development and is considered the birthplace of Western Civilization.
Most Renewable Electricity Produced Iceland Largest Watershed Volga River 1. Also called a managed economy. Also called the Shoah and the Final Solution.
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Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. What does it mean to be a citizen? Citizenship is the legal recognition of belonging to a specific nation, state, or commonwealth. What does citizenship represent? It may help to form one's identity, but it also comes with responsibilities such as following the laws of a particular place.
Different nations, states, and commonwealths have different duties for their citizens and different processes for naturalization. Use these classroom resources to help teach your students about the obligations and responsibilities that accompany citizenship. However, these nations may contain freshwater sources, such as lakes and rivers. Residents of landlocked countries will need to cross at least one national border in order to reach an ocean or sea.
There are even some countries that are double landlocked. This means that a country is not only landlocked but is also completely surrounded by other landlocked countries. In order to reach a coastline, residents of these nations must cross two national borders. There are only two such nations in the world that are classified as double landlocked.
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