Divisions of the Carpathians

Divisions of the Carpathians are a categorization of the Carpathian mountains system.

Map of the main divisions of the Carpathians.
1. Outer Western Carpathians
2. Inner Western Carpathians
3. Outer Eastern Carpathians
4. Inner Eastern Carpathians
5. Southern Carpathians
6. Western Romanian Carpathians
7. Transylvanian Plateau
8. Serbian Carpathians

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

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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 Maramureș-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.

 
Geomorphological Structure of Carpathian

Outer Western Carpathians (subprovince)

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(CZ: Jihomoravské Karpaty, AT: Österreichisch-Südmährische Karpaten)

(CZ: Středomoravské Karpaty)

(CZ/SK: Slovensko-moravské Karpaty)

 
West Beskidian Foothills, marked in red and labeled with D

(CZ: Západobeskydské podhůří, PL: Pogórze Zachodniobeskidzkie)

Western Beskids (CZ / SK / PL) (area)

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Western section of Western Beskids, marked in red and labeled with E
 
Northern section of Western Beskids, marked in red and labeled with F
 
Eastern section of the Western Beskids, marked in red and labeled with H

(CZ: Západní Beskydy, 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)

 
Central section of the Western Beskids, marked in red and labeled with G
  • Orava Beskids (SK: Oravské Beskydy) + Żywiec Beskids (PL: Beskid Żywiecki) (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) +Żywiec Beskids (PL: Beskid Żywiecki) (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:[2]

 
Podhale-Magura Area, marked in red and labeled withD I

(SK: Podhôľno-magurská oblasť, PL: Obniżenie Orawsko-Podhalańskie)

Inner Western Carpathians (subprovince)

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Slovak: Slovenské rudohorie

 
The Slovak Ore Mountains within Slovakia in grey

Fatra-Tatra Area (SK/PL/AT) * (area)

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Slovak:Fatransko-tatranská oblasť
 
Fatra-Tatra area within Slovakia in red

Slovak Central Mountains (Slovenské stredohorie) (SK) (area)

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SK: Slovenské stredohorie, EN: Slovakian mid-mountainous region
 
Location of Slovak mid-mountainous region in Slovakia (in gray)
SK: Lučensko-košická zníženina
SK: Matransko-slanská oblasť, HU: Északi-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" (Carpații 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)

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Central Beskidian Piedmont, marked in red and labeled with A
PL: Pogórze Środkowobeskidzkie
 
Central Beskids, marked in red and labeled with B
PL: Beskidy Środkowe (in Slovak terminology: Lower Beskids, SK: Nízke Beskydy)[3]
 
Eastern Beskids, marked in red and labeled with C
PL: Beskidy Wschodnie; UA: Східні Бескиди. 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: Лісисті Бескиди):

Polonynian Beskids (PL: Beskidy Połonińskie; UA: Полонинські Бескиди; SK: Poloniny):

  • Smooth Polonyna (PL: Połonina Równa; UK: Полонина Рівна) → c6
  • Polonyna Borzhava (PL: Połonina Borżawska; UK: Полонина Боржава) → c7
  • Polonyna Kuk (PL: Połonina Kuk; UK: Полонина Кук) → c8
  • Red Polonyna (PL: Połonina Czerwona; UK: Полонина Красна)→ c9
  • Svydovets (PL: Świdowiec; UK: Свидівець) → c10
  • Chornohora (PL: Czarnohora; UK: Чорногора) → c11
  • Hrynyavy Mountains (PL: Połoniny Hryniawskie; UK: Гриняви) → c12
 
Moldavian-Muntenian Carpathians, marked in red and labeled with D

Inner Eastern Carpathians (subprovince)

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Map of Inner Eastern and Outer Eastern Carpathians (RO: Carpații Orientali) within Romania
SK: Vihorlatsko-gutínska oblasť, UA: Вигорлат-Гутинський хребет
  • Maramureș Lowland (RO: Depresiunea Maramureșului, UA: Мармароська улоговина) MMB → (B3e1)
  • Maramureș Mountains (RO: Munții Maramureșului, UA: Мармароський масив) MMB → (B3e2)
  • Rodna Mountains (RO: Munții Rodnei, UA: Родна гори) MMB → (B3e3)
RO: Munții Bistriței
RO: Munții Căliman-Harghita
RO: Depresiunea Giurgeu-Brașovului
RO: Grupa Munții Bucegi
RO: Grupa Munții Făgărașului
RO: Grupa Munții Parângului
RO: Grupa Munții Retezat-Godeanu
RO: Carpații Occidentali or Carpații Apuseni or Carpații de Apus. The term Bihor Massif is sometimes used for the Apuseni Mountains and Poiana Ruscă.

Apuseni Mountains (Munții Apuseni)

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Criș Mountains (Munții Criș) :

Seș-Meseș Mountains (Munții Seș-Meseșului):

Bihor Massif (Masivul Bihor):

Mureș Mountains (Munții Mureșului):

RO: Munții Poiana Ruscă

(Note: sometimes considered part of the Southern Carpathians)

RO: Munții 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 (Podișul 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

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  1. ^ Földvary, G. Z., ed. (1988). Geology of the Carpathian Region, pp. 106, 108, 109, 172, 554, etc., World Scientific Publishing, Singapore. ISBN 9971-50-344-1.
  2. ^ The Tatransko-fatranská oblasť and the Podhôrno-magurská oblasť, sometimes together with the units Vtáčnik, Kremnické vrchy, Pohronský Inovec and parts of Považské podolie, are known as "Central Western Carpathians" in some non-geomorphological systems.
  3. ^ Often considered part of Outer Western Carpathians in non-geomorphological systems.

Bibliography

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  • Kondracki, Jerzy. Karpaty. Ed.2 (updated). "Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne". Warsaw, 1989. (ISBN 83-02-04067-3) (in Polish)
  • Vladár,J. (editor). Encyklopédia Slovenska. Vol.4, letters T-Ž. "Veda". Bratislava, 1982. p. 497 (in Slovak)
  • Plašienka,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 1–4, 2002
  • Mazúr, E., Lukniš M., Geomorphological division of SSR and ČSSR. Slovakian part. "Slovenská kartografia." Bratislava, 1986
  • Rohlík, Jiří. Moravo-Silesian Beskids, Collection of tourist maps 1:50 000. "TRASA, s.r.o.". Prague, 2001. (ISBN 80-85999-29-3). (in Czech)
  • Ludvík, Marcel. Beskids, Travel guide of ČSSR. "Olympia". Prague, 1987. (27-031-87). (in Czech)
  • Földvary, Gábor Z. (1988). Geology of the Carpathian Region. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Company. ISBN 9789813103825.
  • Tasenkevich, Lydia (2009). "Polonynas: Highlands Pastures in the Ukrainian Carpathians". Grasslands in Europe: Of High Nature Value. Zeist: KNNV Publishing. pp. 203–208. ISBN 9789004278103.
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