HOW DOES SKIING IN THE ALPS
DAMAGE THE ENVIRONMENT?
Over 100 million tourists visit the Alps each year, and
hotels, ski runs, lifts, and roads have all been built to
cater for them. This has had a harmful effect on the
Alpine environment. The destruction of forests,
meadows, and grassy slopes threatens the survival of
plants and animals and opens routes for
dangerous avalanches. In recent
years, creating national parks has
helped conserve unspoilt areas.254 People and Places
Nine very different countries form the heart of Europe.
Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands have
thriving economies, but others, such as Poland,
Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, face huge
challenges as independent states after 40 years of
Communist rule. Most of the region is flat and
rolling, with some major rivers flowing to the North Sea.
Central Europe
4 SKIING IN THE ALPS
Skiing and snow-boarding are popular winter sports in Chamonix,
St Moritz, and other Alpine resorts. The mountains are also busy in
summer, with the beautiful scenery and picturesque towns attracting
many visitors.1 TULIP FIELDS, THE NETHERLANDS
Vast fields of tulips and other bulbs bloom in the
Netherlands in the spring. Tulips were first
brought to the country from Turkey in the
1630s. Today, they are probably its
most famous export.2 ROTTERDAM HARBOUR, THE NETHERLANDS
The Erasmus Bridge spans the River Rhine in the major industrial port of
Rotterdam. The port lies at the mouth of the Rhine, a vital trade route
for countries in this region. Many imports and exports travel through
Rotterdam on vast container ships that call in daily to load or unload
their cargo. Each year, 110,000 barges stop at the port.WHICH COUNTRIES ARE KNOWN AS THE LOW COUNTRIES?
Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg are known as the low countries,
because much of their land is flat and very low-lying. Almost one-third of the
Netherlands has been reclaimed from marshland and the sea, and is enclosed by
earth barriers called dykes. The drained soil is extremely fertile.WHICH COUNTRY IS EUROPE’S
LARGEST FLOWER PRODUCER?
The Netherlands is a major producer of fresh flowers,
which are exported daily to cities around the world.
The country is famous for its cultivation of flower
bulbs, such as crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils, and
tulips, which have been grown here for over 400
years. Fields of Dutch tulips flower in the spring and
are a major tourist attraction.WHY IS LUXEMBOURG VITAL TO THE EUROPEAN UNION?
Luxembourg, one of the smallest countries in Europe, is home to the headquarters
of the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice, two institutions of
the European Union (EU). The EU encourages free trade and economic co-operation
between its 25 members, 12 of whom share a common currency, the euro.fofofofofor r
central
Europe