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Pyrenees
*** Shopping-Tip: Pyrenees
:
''For other meanings see: Pyrenees, Victoria and Montes Pyrenaeus.''
Image:Central pyrenees.jpg thumb|200px|Central Pyrenees.Image:Pic de Bugatet.jpg thumb|250px|[[Pic de Bugatet in the
Néouvielle Natural Reserve.]]
The '''Pyrenees''' (
French language French: ''Pyrénées'';
Spanish language Spanish: ''Pirineos'';
Occitan language Occitan: ''Pirenèus'' or ''Pirenèas'';
Catalan language Catalan ''Pirineus'';
Aragonese language Aragonese: ''Perinés'';
Basque language Basque: ''Pirinioak'') are a
mountain range range of mountains in southwest
Europe that form a natural border between
France and
Spain. They separate the
Iberian Peninsula from France, and extend for about
1 E5 m 430 km (267 mi) from the
Bay of Biscay on the
Atlantic Ocean to
Cap de Creus on the
Mediterranean Sea.
For the most part the main crest forms the Franco-Spanish frontier, with
Andorra sandwiched between them. The main exception to this rule is formed by the
Val d'Aran, which belongs to Spain but lies on the north face of the range. Other minor
Orography orographical anomalies include the
Cerdanya Cerdanya fall and the Spanish
exclave of the town
LlÃvia.
Geography
Political geography Politically, the Pyrenees are part of the following French ''
département in France départements'', from east to west:
Pyrénées-Orientales,
Aude,
Ariège,
Haute-Garonne,
Hautes-Pyrénées, and
Pyrénées-Atlantiques (the latter two of which include
Pyrenees National Park).
The Pyrenees are also part of the following
Provinces of Spain Spanish provinces, from east to west:
Girona (province) Girona,
Barcelona (province) Barcelona,
Lleida (province) Lleida,
Huesca (province) Huesca,
Zaragoza (province) Zaragoza,
Navarre, and
Guipúzcoa.
The Pyrenees are also part of the independent principality of
Andorra.
Image:Pyrenees composite NASA.jpg frame|center|Composite satellite image of the Pyrenees ([[NASA)]]
Physical geography Physically, the Pyrenees are typically divided into three sections: the Central, the Atlantic or Western, and the Eastern.
The Central Pyrenees extend eastward from the
Port de Canfranc to the Val d'Aran, and include the highest summits of the range:
*
Aneto or Pic de Néthou
1 E3 m 3,404 metre m (11,168 ft) in the Maladetta ridge,
*
Mont Posets 3,375 m (11,072 ft),
*
Mont Perdu or Monte Perdido or Mont Perdut 3,355 m (11,007 ft).
In the Atlantic Pyrenees the average elevation gradually decreases from east to west. In the Eastern Pyrenees, with the exception of one break at the eastern extremity of the Pyrénées Ariégeoises, the mean elevation is maintained with remarkable uniformity until a sudden decline occurs in the portion of the chain known as the Albères.
Geology
The Pyrenees are older than the
Alps: their
sediments were first deposited in coastal basins during the
Paleozoic and
Mesozoic eras. Between 100 and 150 million years ago, during the Lower
Cretaceous period, the Gulf of Gascony (Bay of Biscay)
Seafloor spreading fanned out, pushing present-day Spain against France and putting large layers of sediment in a vice grip. The intense pressure and uplifting of the Earth's crust first affected the eastern part and stretched progressively to the entire chain, culminating in the
Eocene epoch.
The eastern part of the Pyrenees consists largely of
granite and
gneissose rocks, while in the western part the granite peaks are flanked by layers of
limestone. The massive and unworn character of the chain comes from its abundance of granite, which is particularly resistant to
erosion, as well as weak glacial development.
Landscape
Image:Pyrenees summit in summer.jpg thumb|250px|right|Pyrenees summit in the summer.
Conspicuous features of Pyrenean scenery are:
* the absence of great
lakes, such as fill the lateral valleys of the Alps
* the rarity and great elevation of
Mountain pass passes
* the large number of the mountain torrents locally called ''gaves'', which often form lofty
waterfalls, surpassed in Europe only by those of
Scandinavia
* the frequency with which the upper end of a valley assumes the form of a semicircle of precipitous cliffs, locally called a ''cirque''.
The highest waterfall is that of
Gavarnie (462 m or 1,515 ft), at the head of the
Gave de Pau; the
Cirque de Gavarnie, in the same valley, is perhaps the most famous example of the ''cirque'' formation. Low passes are lacking; between the two end of the range, where the principal roads and the railways run between France and Spain, there are only the
Col de la Perche, between the valley of the
Têt River Têt and the valley of the
river Segre Segre, and the
Col de Somport or Port de Canfranc, on the old
Roman road from
Saragossa to
Oloron-Sainte-Marie.
A particularly notable feature is
La Brèche de Roland, a gap in the ridge line, in tradition created by
Roland.
Natural resources
Image:LacArtouste.png thumb|300px|''Lake of [[Artouste.]]
The metallic
ores of the Pyrenees are not in general of much importance, though there was considerable
iron mines at
Vie de Sos in Ariège and at the foot of
Canigou in
Pyrénées-Orientales.
Coal deposits capable of being profitably worked are situated chiefly on the Spanish slopes but the French side has numerous beds of
lignite. The open pitt if Trimoun (Ariège) is one of the greatest source of talc in Europe.
Mineral springs are abundant and very remarkable, and specially noteworthy are the
hot springs, in which the Alps, on the contrary, are very deficient. The hot springs, among which those of
Bagnères-de-Luchon and
Eaux-Chaudes may be mentioned, are
Sulfur sulphurous and mostly situated high, near the contact of the granite with the stratified rocks. The lower springs, such as those of
Bagnères-de-Bigorre (
Hautes-Pyrénées),
Rennes-les-Bains (
Aude) and
Campagne (Aude), are mostly selenitic and not very warm.
Climate
The amount of the
precipitation (meteorology) precipitation, including
rain and
snow, is much greater in the western than in the eastern Pyrenees, which leads to a marked contrast between these sections of the chain in more than one respect. In the first place, the eastern Pyrenees are without
glaciers, the quantity of snow falling there being insufficient to lead to their development. The glaciers are confined to the northern slopes of the central Pyrenees, and do not descend, like those of the Alps, far down in the valleys, but have their greatest length in the direction of the mountain chain. They form, in fact, a narrow zone near the crest of the highest mountains. Here, as in the other great mountain ranges of central Europe, there are evidences of a much wider extension of the glaciers during the
Ice age. The case of the glacier in the valley of
Argelbs in the ''département'' of Hautes-Pyrénées is the best-known instance. The snow-line varies in different parts of the Pyrenees from 2700 to 2800 m above sea-level.
Flora and fauna
Image:Pyrenees summer stream.jpg thumb|260px|right|Mountain stream in the summer.
A still more marked effect of the preponderance of rainfall in the western half of the chain is seen in the vegetation. The lower mountains in the extreme west are very well wooded, but the extent of forest declines eastwards, and the eastern Pyrenees are peculiarly wild and barren, all the more since it is in this part of the chain that granitic masses prevail. There is a change, moreover, in the composition of the flora in passing from west to east. In the west the flora, at least in the north, resembles that of central Europe, while in the east it is distinctly Mediterranean in character, though the difference of latitude is only about 1°, on both sides of the chain from the centre whence the
Corbières stretch north-eastwards towards the central plateau of France. The Pyrenees are relatively as rich in
endemic (ecology) endemic species as the Alps, and among the most remarkable instances of that endemism is the occurrence of the sole European species of ''
Dioscorea'' (
yam (vegetable) yam), ''Dioscorea pyrenaica'', at a single high site in the central Pyrenees, and that of the monotypic genus ''
Xatardia'', only on a high alpine pass between the
Val d'Eynes and
Catalonia. The genus most abundantly represented in the range is that of the
saxifrages, several species of which are endemic here.
In their fauna also the Pyrenees present some striking instances of endemism. The Pyrenean ''desman'' or water-
Mole (animal) mole (''
Galemys pyrenaicus'') is found only in some of the streams of the northern slopes of these mountains, the only other member of this genus being confined to the rivers of the
Caucasus in southern
Russia. The pyrenean eurpocte (Euproctus pyrenaicus), an endemic cousin of the salamander, also lives in streams and lakes located at high altitudes. Among the other peculiarities of the Pyrenean fauna are blind insects in the
caverns of Ariège, the principal genera of which are ''
Anophthalmus'' and ''
Adelops''. The
Pyrenean Ibex mysteriously became extinct in January of 2000; the native Pyrenean Brown Bear was hunted to near-extinction in the 1990s but was re-introduced in 1996 when 3 bears were brought from Slovenia. The population has bred successfully and there are now believed to be about 15 brown bears in the central region around Fos, only 4 native ones are still living in Aspe valley.
Demographics
The ethnology,
folklore, institutions and history of the Pyrenean region form an interesting study: see
Andorra;
Aragon;
Ariege;
Basque Country;
Béarn;
Catalonia;
Navarre;
Roussillon.
For their history, see also
Almogavars,
Marca Hispanica.
Sports
Both sides of the Pyrenees are popular spots for winter sports such as
alpine skiing and
mountaineering. Some resorts are
Formigal,
Panticosa, and
Baqueira-Beret.
''
Pyrena'' is a
mushing competition held in the Pyrenees.
In the summer and autumn, the Pyrenees are featured in two of cycling's grand tours, the
Tour de France held annually in July and
Vuelta a España La Vuelta a España held in September. The stages held in the Pyrenees are often the defining moments of both tours, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators to the region.
Ski resorts
Ski resorts in the Pyrenees include
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
*
Arette
*
Artouste
*
Bareges-La Mongie (Tourmalet)
*
Bourg-d'Oueil
*
Cauterets
*
Font-Romeu
*
Gourette
*
Guzet-neige
*
La Pierre Saint Martin
{{col-2}}
*
Le Mourtis
*
Les Angles, Pyrénées-Orientales Les Angles
*
Luchon-Superbagnères
*
Luz-Ardiden
*
Nistos cap nestes
*
Peyragudes
*
Piau-Engaly
*
Somport
*
Superbagnères
{{col-end}}
Summits
The highest point of the Pyrenees is the
Aneto, located on the Spanish side.
Highest summits
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
* Aneto (3,404 m)
*
Posets (3,375 m)
*
Monte Perdido (3,355 m)
*
Pic Maudit (3,350 m)
*
Pic du Cylindre (3,328 m)
* Pic de la
Maladeta (3,308 m)
*
Vignemale (
Pique Longue) (3,298 m)
*
Clot de la Hount (3,289 m)
*
Pic du Marboré (3,248 m)
*
Pic de Cerbillona (3,247 m)
*
Pic de Perdiguère (3,222 m)
*
Pic de Montferrat (3,220 m)
*
Pic Long (3,192 m)
*
Pic Schrader (Grand Batchimale) (3,177 m)
*
Pic de Campbieil (3,173 m)
{{col-3}}
*
Pic de la cascade orientale (3,161 m)
*
Pic Badet (3,160 m)
*
Pic du Balaïtous (3,144 m)
*
Pic du Taillon (3,144 m)
*
Pique d'Estats (3,143 m)
*
Punta del Sabre (3,136 m)
*
Pic de la Munia (3,134 m)
*
Pointe de Literole (3,132 m)
*
Pic des Gourgs Blancs (3,129 m)
*
Pic de Royo (3,121m)
*
Pic des Crabioules (3,116 m)
*
Pic de Maupas (3,109 m)
*
Pic Lézat (3,107 m)
*
Pic de la cascade occidental (3,095 m)
*
Pic de Néouvielle (3,091 m)
{{col-3}}
*
Pic de Troumouse (3,085 m)
*
Pics d'Enfer (3,082 m)
*
Pic de Montcalm (3,077 m)
*
Grand pic d' Astazou (3,077 m)
*
Épaule du Marboré (3,073 m)
*
Pic du port de Sullo (3,072 m)
*
Pic des Spijeoles (3,066 m)
*
Pic de Quayrat (3,060 m)
*
Pic des Trois Conseillers (3,039 m)
*
Turon de Néouvielle (3,035 m)
*
Pic de Batoua (3,034 m)
*
Petit Vignemale (3,032 m)
*
Tour du Marboré (3,009 m)
*
Casque du Marboré (3,006 m)
*
Grande Fache (3,005 m)
{{col-end}}
Famous summits below 3,000 m
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
*
Pic de Palas (2,974 m)
*
Pic de Comapedrosa (2,942 m) - highest point of
Andorra
*
Pic Carlit (2,921 m)
*
Pic du Midi d'Ossau (2,885 m)
*
Pic du Midi de Bigorre (2,876 m)
{{col-3}}
*
Mont Valier (2,838 m)
*
Petit Pic du Midi d'Ossau (2,812 m)
*
Pic du Canigou (2,786 m)
*
Pic d'Anie (2,504 m)
*
Pic de Madrès (2,469)
{{col-3}}
*
Grande Aiguille d'Ansabère (2,376 m)
*
Pic du Soularac (2,368 m)
*
Pic du Saint Barthélémy (2,348 m)
*
Pic des Trois Seigneurs (2,199 m)
*
Pic d'Orhy (2,017 m)
{{col-end}}
{{commons|Pyrenees|Pyrenees}}
External link and references
{{1911}}
-
Great Routes: Pirineos, from a website of the Instituto de Turismo de España
-
Official website (in English) of France's
Pyrenees National Park
*Commercial websites:
**Travel agent http://TourismInteractive.com/ hosts multiple websites, including http://www.pyreneestourism.org/, http://www.pyreneesguide.com/, http://www.pyreneesaccommodation.com/, and http://www.pyreneesforums.com/
*Personal websites:
*
-
Spanish (Pyrenees) glaciers melting fast, "written + designed by Nick Lloyd"
*
-
Photos of Pyrenees by an amateur Russian photographer
*
-
Photos of Pyrenees from an geodynamics researcher at the
University of Washington
*
-
Cycling the French High Pyrenees and [http://www.steephill.tv/galleries/2005/ariege-pyrenees/ Ariege Pyrenees] photos and video by [http://www.steephill.tv steephill.tv bike travelogue]
Category:Mountain ranges of Europe
Category:Mountains of France
Category:Mountains of Spain
Category:Andorra
Category:Geography of Catalonia
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*** Shopping-Tip: Pyrenees
