Most of the Southern Europe's terrain is moutaineous.
Answer:
The Gulf Stream is an intense, warm ocean current in the western North Atlantic Ocean.
Since the Gulf Stream also extends toward Europe, it warms western European countries as well. In fact, England is about the same distance from the equator as cold regions of Canada, yet England enjoys a much warmer climate. If it weren't for the warm water of the Gulf Stream, England would have a much colder climate.
The Northeast became a leader in commerce because of its location and early development of industrial industries. The Northeast became a manufacturing hub in the colonies and in the newly formed United States which created specialization and the growth of commerce in this region relative to the South which was more agriculturally based.
