The document defines vocabulary terms related to West-Central Europe geography and government. It includes definitions for: Benelux (a customs union of Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), capitalism (private ownership of production/distribution), chancellor (head of government in parliamentary systems like Germany), democracy (government by the people), euro (currency of 12 EU nations), harbor (protected water for anchoring ships), hydroelectric power (energy from falling water), landlocked (surrounded by land), mainland (principal land vs islands/peninsula), navigable river (deep enough for ships), Northern European Plain (largest mountain-free landform in Europe), polder (reclaimed land protected by dams like in Netherlands).

1. West Central Vocab

2. West-Central Europe Vocab
 Benelux--a customs union comprising Belgium, the
Netherlands, and Luxembourg
 Capitalism--an economic system in which
investment in and ownership of the means of
production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is
made and maintained chiefly by private individuals
or corporations

3. West-Central Europe Vocab
 Chancellor--the chief minister of state in certain
parliamentary governments, as in Germany
 Democracy--a form of government in which the
supreme power is vested in the people and exercised
directly by them or by their elected agents under a
free electoral system. The United States has a
democratic government.

4. West-Central Europe Vocab
 Elevation--the height to which something is elevated
or to which it rises
 Euro--the official common currency of 12 European
Union nations
 Harbor--a body of water along the shore deep
enough for anchoring a ship and providing
protection from winds, waves, and currents.

5. West-Central Europe Vocab
 Hydroelectric Power--a form of energy generated by
the conversion of free-falling water to electricity
 Landlocked– when a country or state is shut in
completely, or almost completely, by land.
 Mainland--the principal land of a country, region,
etc., as distinguished from adjacent islands or a
peninsula

6. West-Central Europe Vocab
 Navigable River--A river that is deep and wide enough to
provide passage to ships
 Northern European Plain-- The largest mountain-free
landform in Europe, stretching from western France to
Russia
 ***The next word is not listed on your sheet. Write the
word and definition on the back or the bottom of your
vocabulary sheet.
 Polder--an area of land reclaimed from the sea and
protected by dams, especially in the Netherlands

7. West-Central Vocab
 Now that you have the definitions in front of you,
please write five sentences that use at least ten of our
thirteen vocabulary words. You can write these five
sentences on the back of your vocabulary sheet.