Carpathian Mountains, Part I

Carpathian Mountains are a mountain range belonging to the great central mountain system of Europe. Carpathian Basin caught between Vienna (which separates the Alpine chain) and lane Timok (which separates it from the Stara Planina Balkan Peninsula) forming an arc with a length of 1500 km and a maximum width of 130 km, taking place on 6 ° in latitude and longitude about 10 °. Covers the territory of seven countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania and Serbia.
Carpathian mountains appears to be some medium or short, only a few areas exceeding 2000 m in altitude.
The highest peak of Carpathian chain is Gerlach Peak, 2655 m, the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia and in Romania is Moldoveanu Peak, with 2544 m, situated in the Fagaras Mountains of Southern Carpathians.
Unlike the Alps, the Carpathians have large mountainous and peaks in the form of large areas covered with grassland. Carpathians lies the biggest volcanic chain in Europe. Crystalline and eruptive rocks alongside a large extent have a sedimentary rock, which gives a prominent slopes.
Carpathian climate is continental, rainfall increased in relation to altitude and vegetation is arranged in floors (above the alpine meadows, coniferous forests and beech forests on lower slopes and heights). Carpathian mountains spring: the Vistula, Dniester, Tisza, Prut, Siret, Mures, Olt.
The name comes from the Gauls of the carp (Karpathos Horos), living in Moldova, Eastern Carpathians slopes, name, in turn, probably came from an Indo European word meaning stone.
Carpathians begin on the Danube near Bratislava. They surround Transcarpathia and Transylvania in a large semicircle, continue south east and ends at the Danube near Orsova, Romania. The total length of the Carpathians is 1500 km and width of the mountain chain varies between 12 km and 500 km. Greatest width of the Carpathians corresponds with the highest altitude. The mountain chain is the largest width in hilly basin of Transylvania and the Tatra Mountains (the greatest height of the Carpathians, with Gerlach know, which has 2655 m altitude, on the territory of Slovakia on the border with Poland. It covers an area 190 000 km2 and, after the Alps is the most extensive mountain range in Europe.
Although commonly referred to as a Carpathian mountain range, they really do not form an unbroken chain of mountains. Rather, it consists of several distinct geological groups, presenting a structural variety as the Alps. Carpathians, which only in rare places reach an altitude of 2500 m exhibits little rocky peaks, extensive snow-covered areas, lying glaciers, high waterfalls, or large lakes that are common in the Alps. No area of the Carpathian not snow all year and shows no glacier. Carpathians at their maximum altitude, but are as high as Central Eastern Alps, which divides an issue joint climate and flora.
Alps Carpathians are separated by the Danube. The two mountain ranges meet in one point: the Leitha Mountains at Bratislava. The river divides also Balkan Mountains Carpathians chain, to Orsova.


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