The Alps are one of the great mountain ranges in Europe. They stretch from Austria and Slovenia in the east all the way through Italy Switzerland and Germany to France in the west The highest peak in the Alps is Mont Blanca at 4810 meters 15,782 feet The Balkan Peninsula therefore includes most of Slovenia Croatia, and Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, continental Greece including the Peloponnese Bulgaria European Turkey and SE Romanies These countries successors to the Ottoman Empire are called the Balkan States
Waterways
The Rhine River is Central and Western Europe's second longest river It flows 764 miles from the Swiss Alps to the Netherlands into the North Sea The Rhine forms a portion of the Swiss-Liechtenstein Swiss-Austrian border and the Swiss-German and Franco-German border The Rhine has been an important transportation route since the days of the Roman Empire when many of the castles lining its waterway were built Before the Roman Empire controlled the Rhine the region was within Francis's borders. During the 19th and 20th centuries several canals were built that altered the Rhine River's original course and shortened it
Resources
Iceland and Norway are both good sources of fish due to their locations Iceland is in the Atlantic Ocean while Norway is situated on the coast of the Norwegian Sea The natural resources of Iceland also include hydro-power and geothermal power Sweden has natural deposits of several different minerals including gold lead zinc and silver Uranium deposits are also found in Sweden.Iceland and Norway are both good sources of fish due to their locations Iceland is in the Atlantic Ocean, while Norway is situated on the coast of the Norwegian Sea The natural resources of Iceland also include hydro-power and geothermal power Sweden has natural deposits of several different minerals including gold lead zinc and silver Uranium deposits are also found in Sweden The countries in southern Europe have a mix of minerals as well as natural gas and crude oil reserves Natural resources found in Spain include coal zinc tungsten potash and uranium Italy has mercury asbestos pumice and fish Iron ore nickel bauxite and petroleum are all found in Greece Western Europe serves as a source of construction materials and minerals Belgium for example has silica sand deposits Manufacturers use the sand to produce glass, ceramics silicon chips and other products The mines of France contain gypsum coal antimony iron ore and zinc Germany is a source of natural gas Eastern European countries are also rich with natural resources. Poland has natural gas sulfur and copper deposits, while Belarus is known for its timber limestone, clay, gravel and sand. Romania is a source of petroleum, but as of 2014, the petroleum reserves of the country were declining.