Pontic Mountains
| Pontic Mountains | |
|---|---|
 Sumela Monasteryon the Pontic Mountains | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mt. Kaçkar |
| Elevation | 3,937 m (12,917 ft) |
| Coordinates | 40°50′N41°09′E/ 40.833°N 41.150°E |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 1,000 km (620 mi) |
| Geography | |
| Countries | TurkeyandGeorgia |
| Range coordinates | 40°30′N40°30′E/ 40.500°N 40.500°E |
ThePontic MountainsorPontic Alps(Turkish:Kuzey Anadolu Dağları,meaningNorth Anatolian Mountains) form amountain rangein northernAnatolia,Turkey.They are also known as theParhar Mountainsin the localTurkishandPontic Greeklanguages. The termParharoriginates from aHittiteword meaning "high" or "summit".[1]Inancient Greek,the mountains were called the Paryadres[2]or Parihedri Mountains.[3]
Geography
[edit]
The range runs roughly east–west, parallel and close to the southern coast of theBlack Sea.It extends northeast intoGeorgia,and west into theSea of Marmara,with the northwestern spur of theKüre Mountains(and their western extension the Akçakoca Mountains) and the Bolu Mountains, following the coast. The highest peak in the range isKaçkar Dağı,which rises to 3,937 m (12,917 ft). TheNorth Anatolian Faultand theNortheast Anatolian Fault,which are east–west-runningstrike-slip faults,run along the length of the range.
Ecology
[edit]
The mountains are generally covered by dense forests, predominantly ofconifers.
TheNorthern Anatolian conifer and deciduous forestsis an ecoregion which covers most of the range, while theCaucasus mixed forestsextend across the far-eastern end of the range, known as theKaçkar Mountains.The narrow coastal strip between the mountains and the Black Sea, known asPontus,is home to theEuxine-Colchic deciduous forests,which contain some of the world's fewtemperate rainforests.
The region is home to Eurasian wildlife such as theEurasian sparrowhawk,golden eagle,eastern imperial eagle,lesser spotted eagle,Caucasian black grouse,red-fronted serin,andwallcreeper.[4]
Winter conditions are very harsh, and snow even in summer months isn't unusual above certain elevations.[5]
TheAnatolian Plateau,which lies south of the range, has a considerably drier and morecontinental climatethan the humid and mild coast, owing to the mountains'rain shadoweffect.[6]
References
[edit]- ^Karadeniz Ansiklopedik SözlükArchived2008-05-13 at theWayback Machine.See the "Parhar" (plateau) and "Parhal" (village) articles.
- ^Strabo."Chapter XI".Geographica (35 BC – 23 AD).p. xii.4.
- ^Pliny the Elder."Chapter VI".Naturalis Historia (77–79 AD).p. iix.25.
- ^Couzens, Dominic (2008).Top 100 Birding Sites of the World.University of California Press.pp. 73–75.ISBN978-0-520-25932-4.
- ^"File:Koppen-Geiger Map TUR present.svg".commons.wikimedia.org.6 November 2018.Retrieved2021-03-14.
- ^Pontic Mountains and highlandsArchived2014-02-26 at theWayback Machine
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