Physical Regions

Types of Regions

The Leaving Cert Geography course includes the following types of regions:

• Physical Regions (Climatic/Geomorphological)
• Administrative Regions
• Cultural Regions
• Socio-Economic Regions (Core/Peripheral)
• Regions of Industrial Decline It is important to be able to define each region and produce "significant relevant points" on the case studies for each type of region.

Physical Regions

The North European Plain

The North European Plain is a physical region defined by its soils, climate and relief.

Soils:

• The North European Plain is situated in the northern half of the European continent, stretching from the Paris Basin to Central Europe, including countries like France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
• About 60 million years ago, the region lay below sea level, which allowed sedimentary rocks to develop.
• During the Alpine folding, the majority of the land was lifted above sea level, excluding the Netherlands, which remains below sea level and relies on polders to reclaim land from the sea – it is a flat area as a result.
• During the Quaternary period, a large ice sheet spread out over the area. When this melted, it left behind fertile boulder clay.
• Strong winds blew these deposits southwards, creating yellow/brown limon soils which are very fertile soils and make up most of the productive Paris Basin.
• Some of Europe's biggest rivers (Seine, Rhine) flow through the region, increasing the fertility of the region through alluvial deposits.

Climate:

• The region has a cool temperate oceanic climate with moderate rainfall throughout the year.
• It has a slightly different temperature range to Ireland due to the distance from seas and oceans.

Relief:

• The North European Plain is densely populated.
• It has some of the most modern communication links (road and rail) in the world, aided by the lowland nature of the plain – it is cheaper and easier to build and plan.

Economy:

• The area is highly industrialised, rooted in the industrial revolution, making great use of coal and iron deposits.
• Much of the region is involved in large-scale mechanised farming. This is made possible by the low lying land and lack of steep mountains.

*The North European Plain *

Geomorphological Region

The Burren in County Clare is a Karst Landscape. It is an example of a Geomorphological Region.

• A geomorphological region is an area defined by its distinct landforms and geological features shaped by natural processes.
• The Burren in County Clare is characterised by exposed limestone on the surface, forming a unique karst landscape.
• The region contains large expanses of limestone pavements, featuring clints and grikes which are common in karst areas.
• The Burren has various features like swallow holes, terraces, dolines, and few surface streams due to the permeable limestone.
• There are extensive underground passages and caverns formed by the dissolution of limestone in the Burren.
• The Burren benefits from tourism as visitors come to see these unique geomorphological features. This has provided money for the local economy and resulted in employment for local residents in the tourism sector.