Embossed North America can be divided into several regions.The northern and central part of the continent occupied by plains.But in the west and south-east are mountains.In North America, there are many beautiful and picturesque places.The high mountains are collected each year by thousands of tourists.There developed climbing.Equally popular slopes, on which almost all year round you can go snowboarding and skiing.So what they are, the mountains of the North American continent?What they are unique and are located where?
Cordillera Cordillera - the greatest extent of the Rocky Mountains.North America is famous for its snow-capped peaks.The highest of them are found in the mountainous system.Cordillera stretches along the western margin of the continent, from Alaska to the central part.Then they go to the Andes, covering the southern mainland.This mountain range is crossed by a variety of faults.They start from the ocean and end on land.Cordillera resulted from the convergence of two lithospheric plates.But, according to seismologists, the process of mountain building is not yet fully completed.This is also evidenced by the presence of several active volcanoes, many more are "sleeping".Quite often in this zone, and earthquakes.If we talk about the height of the mountains, then with them, perhaps rivaled only by the Himalayas.The highest point in North America, Mount McKinley, also located in the Cordillera.Its height is 6193 meters.What else can be said about the remarkable Cordillera?They lie in all geographic zones, except that the Arctic.In addition, they are characterized by a great variety of landscapes, as well as a pronounced high-altitude zone.These mountains are not like the others, they are unique.Beauty Cordillera annually attracts thousands of tourists to its slopes, which make multi-day, sometimes challenging climbs.In addition, throughout their length built numerous hotels, which will welcome all guests.
the Appalachian Mountains and the plains of North America create a unique unique landscape of the continent.Special beauty has a place where the border the two countries - the United States and Canada.Here lies the undulating plateau of the Appalachian Mountains.Its length is 2600 km.In this mountain range there are some noteworthy peaks.The highest of them - Mount Washington (1916 m).Appalachian have traces of ancient glaciation.The slopes of the hills covered with mixed and coniferous forests.There are deposits of iron ore, oil, gas and coal.
Northern Appalachian
Appalachian Mountains - mountain in North America, they are divided into two parts, north and south.Of course, the boundaries of the conventional.Northern Appalachian much older than the main part of the mountain range.Currently, they are the plateau height of only 400-600 meters.Above it places the individual ridges and towering massifs.The most famous of them - the Adirondacks, the White Mountains, Green Mountains.The tops of their flattened.The slopes are mostly flat, but sometimes there are areas dissected by penalties.Mountain ranges divide the tectonic valley.They are transformed into troughs.Northern Appalachian local people have a different name - "the mountains of New England."They are composed of metamorphic and crystalline rocks.It peneplenizirovannyh mountain areas, where there are hardly detectable traces of later uplift.But it clearly expressed the impact of glaciation.
Southern Appalachian
These mountains in North America, as the Southern Appalachian Mountains, emerged a little later others.This came about in the era of Variscan folding.Their terrain is more varied.In the east - Foothill Piedmont Plateau.It is flat, poorly dismembered valleys.Its height of 40-80 meters.In the western part - a hilly area.It reaches a height of 400 meters.But what is more interesting, in the region rise sharply massive peaks.This Blue Ridge.Its slopes are steep.Tops usually domed or comb.The highest point - Mount Mitchell.Its height is 2037 meters.It is composed of sedimentary and volcanic rocks belonging to the lower and middle Paleozoic.The western slope of the Blue Ridge falls steeply downward - Big Valley.Here lies the Appalachinskoe plateau.Mountain valleys greatly divided, dropping to 1,500 meters.
Sierra Nevada
course, the most famous mountain in North America - is the Sierra Nevada.Probably everyone at least once in my life heard it is a beautiful name.However, not everyone knows that it is a ridge, which stretches on the west coast of the United States of America.Its length is 750 kilometers.Sierra Nevada ridge originates from Fredoner pass, that in the north, and comes to the Tehachapi Pass, located in the south.In the west, it limits the Central Valley.In the east of the Sierra Nevada borders the large pool.Of course, the highest mountain in North America are not located in the area, but those that are raised here, can rightly be called the most beautiful.Ridge runs along the slope on the west side.All the rivers, the origins of which are at the top, drain into the Pacific Ocean.From north to south gradually increased the height of the mountains.Between Lake Tahoe and pass Fredoner peaks reaches 2,400 meters.The highest point on this segment of the ridge is Mount Rose.Its height is 2700 meters.On the territory of Yosemite National Park have Olancha Peak (3695 m) and Florence (3781 m).Further, the height of the ridge is on the decline.The beauty of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is difficult to overestimate.They are known worldwide for its unique landscape.
Eastern Sierra Madre
highest mountains of North America are located in the Cordillera.But the unique ridges arranged parallel to each other, can be found on the territory of modern Mexico, in the northeast of the country.It is the eastern part of the Sierra Madre.This mountain range is located on the edge of the Mexican plateau.The length of the mountain range - 1000 km.Its landscape is quite diverse.In the north there are several peaks, in height from 1000 to 3000 meters. In the south, the mountains are in isolation from each other.There are some peaks up to 4000 m. In the western highlands to depart in several places spurs.In the east, the ridge breaks on the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico.Most of the Eastern Sierra Madre is formed by sedimentary rocks belonging to the upper Mesozoic period.The highest point of the ridge - the mountain Pena Nevada (4054 m).But this is not the only top, deserves mention.No less famous mountain Cerro El Koauilon and Potosi.
Sierra Madre Occidental
These mountains in America is considered to be a continuation of the Cordillera.They are located on the territory of modern Mexico.The length of the western Sierra Madre - 1,300 km.The width of the ridge from 80 to 200 km.It is located in the western part of the Mexican plateau.The landscape of this place is no different monotony.Ridges are separated by canyons of various depths.The mountains are relatively low: from 1500 to 2000 meters. But there are some peaks reaching a mark of 3000 km.For example, the most popular in this region Mountain Chorreras.Its height is 3150 m. The western Sierra Madre passes several Mexican states: Sonora, Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Durango, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes.But starting this ridge to the southeast of Tucson, Arizona in the US.
Sierra Madre del Sur
Sierra Madre del Sur - This ancient mountains in America.Their age is difficult to determine.But despite this, it is proved that they were formed much earlier than the rest of the mountain systems.Located in southern Mexico, this range has a length of 1000 km.It runs along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean.Starts Sierra Madre del Sur in the state of Michoacan.Then he goes on to the isthmus of Tehuantepec direction.He crosses the Mexican states such as Guerrero and Oaxaca, which merges with Transmeksikanskim volcanic belt.The width of the Southern Sierra Madre - 300 km.These mountains are not high, only a few peaks reach above 3,000 m mark. But, despite this, the region is a major obstacle to transport messages between inland areas of Mexico and the Pacific coast.The highest point of the South Sierra Madre - Teotepek mountain (3703 m).
Coast Range
Coast Range - mountains of North America, the map can be found in the west of the continent.They take their origin from Lake Atlin.Conventionally, they are near the end of the Fraser River.In fact, part of the Coast Range is a mountain range of the Cordillera.But it decided to allocate an independent array because of its location and a certain isolation.The length of the mountain range 1,600 km.Its width reaches up to 300 m. The highest point - Mount Waddington.Its height is 4016 meters.The rest of the tops do not exceed 3,000 meters.This mountain range is made of granite.It is strongly dissected by tectonic fractures emerged along fjords and transverse valleys.On the territory of the Coastal Range is Garibaldi Provincial Park.He is one of the most visited places in British Columbia.
Wrangell Mountains
High mountains of North America, located in the southeast Alaska, can rightly be called unique.Wrangell volcanic massif has a length of 150 kilometers.In the east it is adjacent to the St. Elias Range.Wrangell Mountains were formed relatively recently, in the Neogene.Here are concentrated the once active volcanoes.Almost all of them are asleep.But there are also active, for example, Mount Wrangell.It has a height of 4317 meters.Among the mountains with the top of the crater, the most famous are Sanford (4949 m), and the highest point of the ridge Wrangell - top Blackburn (4996 m).In the central part of the mountain range concentrated glaciers.The slopes are covered with forest tundra.On the ridges and Wrangell St. Elias National Park is located.Many places are completely untouched by man.This makes this area really unique.
