TASK 2: Read the article and put the words in brackets into their right form: Although long called a continent, in many physical ways Europe is but a great western peninsula of the Eurasian landmass. Its eastern limits are. . (arbitration) and are . divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, and the Caucasus watershed to the Black Sea. On all other sides Europe is surrounded by salt water. Of the. .(ocean) islands of Franz Josef Land, Spitsbergen (Svalbard), Iceland, and the Azores, only Iceland is regarded as an . ( integrity) part of Europe; thus the northwestern boundary is drawn along the Danish Strait. (convention) drawn along the water Europe is not only . (peninsula) but has a large ratio of shoreline to land area reflecting a notable interfingering of land and sea. Excluding Iceland, the maximum north-south distance is (3529 mi) (5680 km); and the greatest east-west extent is 2398 mi (3860 km). Of Europe's area of 3,881,000 mi? (10,050,000 km2) 73% is mainland, 19% peninsulas, and 8% islands. Also, 51% of the land is less than 155 mi (250 km) from shores and another 23% lies closer than 310 mi (500 km). This situation is caused by the inland seas that enter, like arms of the ocean, deep into the northern and southern regions of Europe, which thus becomes a peninsula of peninsulas. The most notable of these branching arms of salt water are the White Sea, the North Sea, the Baltic Sea with the Gulf of Bothnia, the English Channel (La Manche), the Mediterranean Sea with its secondary branches, and. Sea,. part of the southern seas before the folding of the Caucasus. The.. (penetrate) of the landmass by these seas brings marine influences deep into the continent and provides Europe with a balanced climate. (favor ) for human . (evolve) and. (final), the Black Sea. Even the Caspian (present) the largest saltwater lake of the world, formed (settle). Europe has a unique. resources. The relief, as varied as that of other continents, has an average (elevate) of 980 ft (300 m) as compared with North America's 1440 ft (440 m). The shape and the overall physiographic aspect of the great peninsula are controlled by. . (geology) structure which delimits the major regional units. (diverse)of land forms and. . (nature) Climate is determined by a number of factors. Probably the most important are a favorable location between 35° and 71°N latitudes on the western or more maritime side of the world's largest.. mass; the west-to-east trend (rather than north-south) of the lofty southern ranges and the Central Lowlands, as well as of the inland seas, which permit the prevailing westerly winds of these latitudes to carry marine influences deep into the continent; the the North Atlantic Drift, which makes possible ice-free coasts far within the Arctic Circle; and the low elevation of the northwestern mountain ranges and the Urals, which allows the free shifting of air masses over (continent) (benefit) influence of their crests. The intricate relief and the climates of Europe are well reflected in the drainage system. flowing rivers are developed only in the Central Lowlands, especially in the eastern part. Streams with the greatest discharge empty into the Black Sea and the North Sea, although Europe's longest river, the Volga, feeds the Caspian Sea. Second in dimension is the Danube, which crosses the Carpathian Basin and cuts its way twice through mountain ranges at the Gate of Bratislava and at the Iron Gate. The Rhine and Rhone are the two ..(extension) drainage basins with large slow- major Alpine rivers with headwater sources close to each other but feeding the North Sea and the Western Mediterranean Basin, respectively.. (abundancy) precipitation throughout the year, as well as the permeable soils and the dense vegetation which ...(temporary) store the water, provides the streams of Europe north of the Southern Highlands with ample water throughout the seasons. The combined effects of poor vegetation, rocky and desolate limestone karstlands, and slight annual the Mediterranean coast, especially on the eastern side of peninsulas. Only the Alpine rivers carry enough water, and if it were not for the Danube and Rhone, both originating in regions north of the Alps, the only major river (precipitate) result in intermittent flow of the rivers along of the Mediterranean basin would be the Po.