Dinaric Alps

The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides (Italian: Alpi Dinariche; Croatian and Serbian: Dinaridi) are a mountain chain in southern Europe, spanning areas of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania and Greece.

Related Topics:
Italian - Croatian - Serbian - Mountain chain - Europe - Slovenia - Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Serbia and Montenegro - Albania - Greece

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They extend for 700 miles (1145 km) along the coast of the Adriatic Sea and Western Greece (northwest-southeast), from the Julian Alps in the northwest down to the Šar-Korab massive, where the mountain direction changes to north-south and from there to the Pindus range in Western Greece and the Peloponessus having its southern extreme in Mount Taigetos, nonetheless it continues by means of the Greek Islands of Kythera, Antikythera, Crete, Karpathos and Rhodes as well as many islets around the aforementioned southern Aegean islands. The highest mountain of the Dinaric Alps is the Prokletije, located on the border of eastern Montenegro and northern Albania, with the peak called "Lake Crest" at 2,692 m or 8,833 ft (Maja Jezerce in Albanian, Jezerski vrh in Serbian).

Related Topics:
Adriatic Sea - Greece - Julian - Alps - Šar - Korab - Pindus - Maja Jezerce - Jezerski vrh

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The Dinaric Alps comprise the most rugged and extensively mountainous area of Europe outside of the Swiss Alps. They are formed largely of secondary and tertiary sedimentary rocks of dolomite, limestone, sand, and conglomerates formed by seas and lakes that had once covered the area. During the Alpine earth movements that occurred 50-100 million years ago, immense lateral pressures folded and overthrust the rocks in a great arc around the old rigid block of the north-east.

Related Topics:
Europe - Swiss Alps - Sedimentary rocks - Dolomite - Limestone - Sand

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The Dinaric Alps were thrown up in more or less parallel ranges, stretching like necklaces from the Julian Alps up to the areas of northern Albania and Kosovo where the mountainous terrain subsides to make way for the waters of Drin and the fields of Kosovo. The ?ar and Korab mountains then rise and the mountainous terrain continues southwards to the Pindus of Greece and the mountains of the Peloponnese, Crete, Rhodes and other islands.

Related Topics:
Julian Alps - Drin - Kosovo - ?ar - Korab - Pindus - Greece - Peloponnese - Crete - Rhodes

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