Divisions of the Carpathians are a categorization of the Carpathian Mountains system.
Below is a detailed overview of the major subdivisions and ranges of the Carpathian Mountains. The Carpathians are a "subsystem" of a bigger Alps-Himalaya System that stretches from western Europe all the way to southern Asia, and are further divided into "provinces" and "subprovinces". The last level of the division, i.e. the actual mountain ranges and basins, is usually classified as "units". The main divisions are shown in the map on the right.
To generalize, there are three major provinces (regions): Western Carpathians, Eastern Carpathians, and the Southern Carpathians.
Naming conventions
The division is largely (with many exceptions) undisputed at the lowest level (except for the Ukrainian part), but various divisions are given for the higher levels, especially for the penultimate level. A geomorphological division has been used as much as the data was available; other new physiogeographic divisions were used in other cases. Where the classification of a higher level "title" is known/sure, it is added at the end of the name in brackets, e.g. "(subprovince)".
Taxonomy
The names are also given in the language of the corresponding country and marked by the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes:
The most confusing and diverse is the classification of the Beskids, including the Western Beskids, the Central Beskids and the Eastern Beskids. Their geologic features are fairly distinct, but multiple traditions, languages, and nationalities have developed overlapping variants for the divisions and names of these ranges.
In Romania, it is usual to divide the Eastern Carpathians in Romanian territory into three formal groups (northern, central, southern), instead in Outer and Inner sections of Eastern Carpathians. The Romanian approach is shown by adding the following abbreviations to the names of units within Romania:
A similar standard (grouping of outer and inner sections) is traditionally applied within broader use of the term "Wooded Carpathians", that encompasses all mountain ranges within the central section of Outer Eastern Carpathians, including Eastern Beskids with Polonynian Mountains, and also all mountains within the northern section of Inner Eastern Carpathians, including Vihorlat-Gutin Area and MaramureÃÂ-Rodna Area.
The Transylvanian Plateau is encircled by, and geologically a part of, the Carpathians. But it is not a mountainous region and its inclusion is disputed in some sources. Its features are included below.
The Serbian Carpathians are sometimes considered part of the Southern Carpathians (together with the Banat Mountains), sometimes not considered part of the Carpathians at all. They're included below.
The regions of Outer Subcarpathia lay outside the broad arc of the entire formation and are usually listed as part of the individual divisions of the Carpathian Mountains, i.e. of Western Carpathians, Eastern Carpathians, etc. With the difficulty of finding their exact subdivisions, they are given only as a list of the final units (mountains etc.) from the west to the east and south, in a separate listing at the end.
Outer Western Carpathians (subprovince)
(CZ: Jihomoravské Karpaty, AT: ÃÂsterreichisch-Südmährische Karpaten)
(CZ: StÃ
Âedomoravské Karpaty)
(CZ/SK: Slovensko-moravské Karpaty)
(CZ: Západobeskydské podhÃ
¯Ã
ÂÃÂ, PL: Pogórze Zachodniobeskidzkie)
(CZ: ZápadnàBeskydy, SK: Západné Beskydy, PL: Beskidy Zachodnie)
Western section of the Western Beskids
Northern section of the Western Beskids
Eastern section of the Western Beskids (in Slovak terminology: Eastern Beskids, SK: Východné Beskydy)
Central section of the Western Beskids (in Slovak terminology: Central Beskids, SK: Stredné Beskydy)
- Orava Beskids (SK: Oravské Beskydy) + Ã
»ywiec Beskids (PL: Beskid Ã
»ywiecki) (the older SK equivalent of Beskid Zywiecki is "Slovenské Beskydy"- Slovak Beskids or "Kysucko-oravské Beskydy"- Kysuce-Orava Beskids; the older polish equivalent is "Beskid Wysoki" - High Beskids)
- Kysuce Beskids (SK: Kysucké Beskydy) +Ã
»ywiec Beskids (PL: Beskid Ã
»ywiecki) (the older SK equivalent of Beskid Zywiecki is "Slovenské Beskydy" or "Kysucko-oravské Beskydy"; the older polish equivalent is "Beskid Wysoki" - High Beskids)
- Kysuce Highlands (SK: Kysucká vrchovina)
- Orava Magura (SK: Oravská Magura)
- Orava Highlands (SK: Oravská vrchovina)
- Sub-Beskidian Furrow (SK: Podbeskydská brázda)
- Sub-Beskidian Highlands (SK: Podbeskydská vrchovina)
Source:
(SK: Podhôþno-magurská oblasÃ
Â¥, PL: ObniÃ
¼enie Orawsko-PodhalaÃ
Âskie)
Inner Western Carpathians (subprovince)
Slovak:Fatransko-tatranská oblasÃ
Â¥
SK: Slovenské stredohorie, EN: Slovakian mid-mountainous region
SK: LuÃÂensko-koÃ
¡ická znÃÂÃ
¾enina
SK: Matransko-slanská oblasÃ
Â¥, HU: ÃÂszaki-középhegység
Clarification: In Ukraine sometimes is denoted as "Eastern Carpathians" only the part basically on their territory (i.e.to the north of the Prislop Pass), while in Romania sometimes use to call "Eastern Carpathians" (CarpaÃÂii Orientali) only the other part, which lies on their territory (i.e. from the Ukrainian border or from the Prislop Pass to the south). In some Polish classifications, Central Beskids and Central Beskidian Piedmont belongs to Western Carpathians province and Outer Western Carpathians subprovince.
Outer Eastern Carpathians (subprovince)
PL: Pogórze Ã
Ârodkowobeskidzkie
PL: Beskidy Ã
Ârodkowe (in Slovak terminology: Lower Beskids, SK: NÃÂzke Beskydy)
PL: Beskidy Wschodnie; UA: áÃÂ
ÃÂôýàÃÂõÃÂúøôø. There are several variants of names and divisions of these ranges, that include the southeastern corner of Poland, far northeastern corner of Slovakia, and all of the Ukrainian Carpathians. They are commonly divided into two parallel ridges: Wooded Beskids and Polonynian Beskids.
Wooded Beskids (PL: Beskidy Lesiste; UA: ÃÂÃÂÃÂøÃÂÃÂàÃÂõÃÂúøôø):
- Bieszczady Mountains (PL: Bieszczady; UK: ÃÂõÃÂðôø) â c1
- Western Bieszczady (; ) mainly in Poland and Slovakia, including the Bukovec Mountains ()
- Eastern Bieszczady (; ), mainly in Ukraine
- Sanok-Turka Mountains (PL: Góry Sanocko-TurczaÃ
Âskie; UK: ÃÂõÃÂÃÂ
ýÃÂþôýÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂþòÃÂÃÂúàÃÂõÃÂúøôø / Verkhnodnistrovski Beskydy) â c3
- Skole Beskids (PL: Beskidy Skolskie; UA: áúþûÃÂòÃÂÃÂúàÃÂõÃÂúøôø) â c2
- Gorgany (PL: Gorgany; UA: ÃÂþÃÂÃÂðýø) â c4
- Pokuttia-Bucovina Beskids (PL: Beskidy Pokucko-BukowiÃ
Âskie; UA: ÃÂþúÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂúþ-ÃÂÃÂúþòøýÃÂÃÂúàÃÂðÃÂÿðÃÂø / Pokutsko-Bukovinski Karpaty) â c5
Polonynian Beskids (PL: Beskidy PoÃ
ÂoniÃ
Âskie; UA: ÃÂþûþýøýÃÂÃÂúàÃÂõÃÂúøôø; SK: Poloniny):
- Smooth Polonyna (PL: PoÃ
Âonina Równa; UK: ÃÂþûþýøýð àÃÂòýð) â c6
- Polonyna Borzhava (PL: PoÃ
Âonina BorÃ
¼awska; UK: ÃÂþûþýøýð ÃÂþÃÂöðòð) â c7
- Polonyna Kuk (PL: PoÃ
Âonina Kuk; UK: ÃÂþûþýøýð ÃÂÃÂú) â c8
- Red Polonyna (PL: PoÃ
Âonina Czerwona; UK: ÃÂþûþýøýð ÃÂÃÂðÃÂýð)â c9
- Svydovets (PL: Ã
Âwidowiec; UK: áòøôÃÂòõÃÂÃÂ) â c10
- Chornohora (PL: Czarnohora; UK: çþÃÂýþóþÃÂð) â c11
- Hrynyavy Mountains (PL: PoÃ
Âoniny Hryniawskie; UK: ÃÂÃÂøýÃÂòø) â c12
- Suhard Mountains (RO: MunÃÂii Suhard) MMB
- Ridges of Bukovina (RO: Obcinele Bucovinei), i.e. Obcina Feredeului (Feredeu Ridge), Obcina MestecÃÂniÃÂ (MestecÃÂniÃÂ Ridge) and Obcina Mare (Great Ridge) MMB
- StâniÃÂoara Mountains (RO: MunÃÂii StâniÃÂoarei, Masivul CeahlÃÂu) MMT
- TrotuÃÂ Mountains (RO: MunÃÂii TrotuÃÂului, i.e. MunÃÂii TarcÃÂului, MunÃÂii GoÃÂmanului, MunÃÂii BerzunÃÂ, MunÃÂii Nemira) MMT
- Vrancea Mountains (RO: MunÃÂii Vrancei) MC
- BuzÃÂu Mountains (RO: MunÃÂii BuzÃÂului) MC
- Teleajen-Doftana Mountains (RO: MunÃÂii Teleajenului ÃÂi Doftanei, i.e. Masivul CiucaÃÂ-Muntele RoÃÂu, MunÃÂii GrohotiÃÂ, MunÃÂii Baiului, MunÃÂii Gârbovei) MC
Inner Eastern Carpathians (subprovince)
SK: Vihorlatsko-gutÃÂnska oblasÃ
Â¥, UA: ÃÂøóþÃÂûðÃÂ-ÃÂÃÂÃÂøýÃÂÃÂúøù ÃÂ
ÃÂõñõÃÂ
- Vihorlat Mountains (SK: Vihorlatské vrchy) + Vyhorliat (UA: ÃÂøóþÃÂûðÃÂ) â (B3a1)
- Makovytsia (UA: ÃÂðúþòøÃÂÃÂ) â (B3a2)
- Velikyi Dil (UA: ÃÂõûøúøù ÃÂÃÂû) â (B3a3)
- Tupyi (UA: âÃÂÿøù) â (B3a4)
- OaàMountains (RO: MunÃÂii OaÃÂului, UA: ÃÂðàóþÃÂø) and OaàLowland (RO: Depresiunea OaÃÂului) MMB â (B3a5)
- Gutin Mountains (RO: MunÃÂii Gutâiului, UA: ÃÂÃÂÃÂøýÃÂÃÂúøù üðÃÂøò) MMB â (B3a6)
- ÃÂibleàMountains (RO: MunÃÂii ÃÂibleÃÂului) MMB â (B3a7)
- MaramureàLowland (RO: Depresiunea MaramureÃÂului, UA: ÃÂðÃÂüðÃÂþÃÂÃÂúð ÃÂûþóþòøýð) MMB â (B3e1)
- MaramureàMountains (RO: MunÃÂii MaramureÃÂului, UA: ÃÂðÃÂüðÃÂþÃÂÃÂúøù üðÃÂøò) MMB â (B3e2)
- Rodna Mountains (RO: MunÃÂii Rodnei, UA: àþôýð óþÃÂø) MMB â (B3e3)
RO: MunÃÂii BistriÃÂei
RO: MunÃÂii CÃÂliman-Harghita
RO: Depresiunea Giurgeu-BraÃÂovului
RO: Grupa MunÃÂii Bucegi
RO: Grupa MunÃÂii FÃÂgÃÂraÃÂului
RO: Grupa MunÃÂii Parângului
RO: Grupa MunÃÂii Retezat-Godeanu
RO: CarpaÃÂii Occidentali or CarpaÃÂii Apuseni or CarpaÃÂii de Apus. The term Bihor Massif is sometimes used for the Apuseni Mountains and Poiana RuscÃÂ.
CriÃÂ Mountains (MunÃÂii CriÃÂ) :
SeÃÂ-MeseÃÂ Mountains (MunÃÂii SeÃÂ-MeseÃÂului):
Bihor Massif (Masivul Bihor):
MureÃÂ Mountains (MunÃÂii MureÃÂului):
RO: MunÃÂii Poiana RuscÃÂ
(Note: sometimes considered part of the Southern Carpathians)
RO: MunÃÂii Banatului
(Note: sometimes considered part of the Southern Carpathians)
RO: Depresiunea Transilvaniei, i.e. Transylvanian Depression. Some authors do not consider it to be part of the Carpathians.
Transylvanian Plateau (PodiÃÂul Transilvaniei):
Serbian: Karpatske planine, i.e. "Carpathian Mountains". Sometimes considered part of the Southern Carpathians (together with the Banat Mountains), sometimes not considered part of the Carpathians at all.
The Outer Subcarpathian regions are divided into Western, Northern, etc. and are usually treated as part of the individual parts of the Carpathian Mountains, i.e. of Western Carpathians, Eastern Carpathians, etc. Since, however, it was impossible to find their exact subdivision, they are given only as a list of the final units (mountains, etc.) from the west to the east and south here:
Footnotes
Bibliography
- Kondracki, Jerzy. Karpaty. Ed.2 (updated). "Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne". Warsaw, 1989. ()
- Vladár,J. (editor). Encyklopédia Slovenska. Vol.4, letters T-Ã
½. "Veda". Bratislava, 1982. p. 497
- PlaÃ
¡ienka,D. Origin and growth of the Western Carpathian orogenetic wedge during the mesozoic. Geologica Carpathica Special Issues, 53, Proceedings of XVII. Congress of Carpathian-Balkan Geological Association Bratislava, September 1âÂÂ4, 2002
- Mazúr, E., LukniÃ
¡ M., Geomorphological division of SSR and ÃÂSSR. Slovakian part. "Slovenská kartografia." Bratislava, 1986
- RohlÃÂk, JiÃ
ÂÃÂ. Moravo-Silesian Beskids, Collection of tourist maps 1:50 000. "TRASA, s.r.o.". Prague, 2001. ().
- LudvÃÂk, Marcel. Beskids, Travel guide of ÃÂSSR. "Olympia". Prague, 1987. (27-031-87).
External links