The Pyrenees are a mountain range in southwestern Europe running about 500 kilometers along the France-Spain border, from the Cantabrian Mountains in the west to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast in the east, and covering roughly 55,000 square kilometers. The microstate of Andorra sits within the range, and the highest summit, Aneto, reaches 3,404 meters in Huesca Province, Aragon, followed by Posets at 3,375 meters and Monte Perdido at 3,355 meters. The range is older than the Alps, built from sediment laid down in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras, with granite and gneiss dominating the east and limestone flanking granite peaks in the west. Spanish territory within the range spans Catalonia, Aragon, Navarre and the Basque Country, while the French side runs through departments from Pyrenees-Orientales to Pyrenees-Atlantiques.
Facts
Highest Elevation (m) Connections
Associated With
Shaped By
Source Pyrenees (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Pyrenees (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
The Pyrenees extend nearly 500 kilometres (310 mi) from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of 3,404 metres (11,168 ft) at the peak of Aneto, in Huesca, Spain.
Shaped By: Orogeny, Formation statement for target 265954
The intense pressure and uplifting of the Earth's crust first affected the eastern part and moved progressively to the entire chain, culminating in the Eocene Epoch.
View the Source Wikidata: Pyrenees
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