Chapter 10: Western Europe

The United Kingdom is made up of four regions—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Winds blowing across the warm North Atlantic Current bring a moderate climate to the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has a strong economy and is rich in energy resources. From the 1500s until the mid-1900s the United Kingdom was one of the world's most powerful nations. Known as the Emerald Isle because of its green meadows and trees, Ireland is a country with a growing economy. The Irish trace their ancestry to Celts who settled there around 500 B.C. The Irish today live mainly in cities and towns.

France is the largest country in Western Europe. Agriculture and manufacturing are the major economic activities. In fact, France produces more food than any other nation in Europe. Ruled by kings until the French Revolution of 1789, France's government is now a republic. Germany is a global economic power and a leader in the European Union. Following World War II, the Allies divided Germany. Although the two parts were reunited in 1990, the eastern region still lags behind the western region economically.

The Alps form most of the landscape in Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein. Although it has few natural resources, Switzerland is a thriving industrial nation. Austria's economy is strong and varied. Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg are known as the Benelux countries. They are small nations with long histories of international trade.