Dinaric Alps
Dinarides
Range
Orjen at the Bay of Kotor is the heaviest karstified range of the Dinarides
Countries	Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Republic of Macedonia
Part of	Alps
Borders on	Julian Alps
Highest point	Maja Jezercë(Albania)
- elevation	2,692 m (8,832 ft)
- coordinates	42°26′30″N 19°48′45″E / 42.44167, 19.8125
Length	645 km (401 mi), NW-SE
Geology	Sedimentary
Period	Mesozoic Era
Topography of the Dinaric Alps

Valbona pass, northern Albania

The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides (Croatian and Bosnian: Dinarsko gorje or Dinaridi, Albanian: Alpet Dinaride, Serbian: Динарске планине or Динариди/Dinarske planine or Dinaridi; Slovene: Dinarsko gorstvo; Italian: Alpi Dinariche) form a mountain chain in southern Europe, spanning areas of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and the Republic of Macedonia. Orjen ( Serbian Cyrilic: Орјен is a Dinaric Mediterranean Limestone Mountain range in Montenegro - History The nearby hamlet of Risan was a thriving Illyrian city called Rhizon as early as 229 BC and gave its name to the bay then known as Rhizonicus This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west The Republic of Macedonia (Република The Julian Alps (Julijske Alpe Alpi Giulie are a Mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretches from north-eastern Italy to Slovenia The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Sedimentary rock is one of the three main rock types (the others being igneous and Metamorphic rock) The Mesozoic Era is one of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Croatian language ( hrvatski jezik) is a South Slavic language which is used primarily in Croatia, by Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina in neighbouring Bosnian language (Bosnian bosanski jezik) sometimes referred as Bosniak language or Bosniac language is a South Slavic language native Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco - Serbian (sr-Cyrl српски језик sr-Latn ''srpski jezik'' is a South Slavic language, Slovene or Slovenian ( slovenski jezik or slovenščina, not to be confused with Slovenčina) is a South Slavic language Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. The Republic of Macedonia (Република

They extend for 645 kilometres (401 mi) along the coast of the Adriatic Sea (northwest-southeast), from the Julian Alps in the northwest down to the Šar-Korab massif, where the mountain direction changes to north-south. The Julian Alps (Julijske Alpe Alpi Giulie are a Mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretches from north-eastern Italy to Slovenia The Šar Mountains (Malet e Sharrit, Шар Планина Šar planina) is a Mountain range that extends from southern Kosovo and the northwest Mount Korab ( Macedonian: Голем Кораб Golem Korab, Albanian: Maja e Korabit or Mali i Korabit) is the highest Mountain In Geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or Flexures In the movement of the crust, a massif 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 metres (8,832 ft). Maja Jezercë is the highest point of the Albanian Alps mountain and the entire Dinaric Alps, standing at AMSL.

The Dinaric Alps comprise the most rugged and extensively mountainous area of Europe outside of the Caucasus Mountains, Alps and Scandinavian Mountains. This article is about the terrestrial Eurasian mountain range The Scandinavian Mountains in Swedish Skanderna, Fjällen ("the Fells quot or Kölen, and in Norwegian Kjølen, 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. Sedimentary rock is one of the three main rock types (the others being igneous and Metamorphic rock) Dolomite (ˈdɒləmaɪt is the name of a Sedimentary Carbonate rock and a Mineral, both composed Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Sand is a naturally occurring Granular material composed of finely divided rock and Mineral particles 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.

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 Drini ( Дрим, Drim on Macedonian, Dhrinos, Δρινος in Greek and Ancient greek) is the longest River The Šar and Korab mountains then rise and the mountainous terrain continues southwards to the Pindus of Greece and the mountains of the Peloponnese and Crete, Rhodes to the Taurus Mountains of southern Turkey. The Šar Mountains (Malet e Sharrit, Шар Планина Šar planina) is a Mountain range that extends from southern Kosovo and the northwest Mount Korab ( Macedonian: Голем Кораб Golem Korab, Albanian: Maja e Korabit or Mali i Korabit) is the highest Mountain This article is about the mountain range called Pindus for other uses of these names see Pindus (disambiguation The Pindus (Πίνδος Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the Rhodes (Ρόδος Ródos, ˈɾo̞ðo̞s Rodi ردوس Rodos; Ladino: Rodi or Rodes) is a Greek island For the Taurus Mountains on the moon see Montes Taurus. For Mount Taurus outside Cold Spring New York, see Bull Hill. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches

Geology

The Mesozoic limestone forms a very distinctive region of the Balkans, notable for features such as the Karst. The Mesozoic Era is one of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble Bedrock, usually Carbonate rock such as Limestone The Quarternary Ice Ages had relatively little direct geologic influence on the Balkans. Overview The term Quaternary ("fourth" was proposed by Giovanni Arduino in 1759 for alluvial deposits in the Po river valley in northern No permanent ice caps existed, and there is little evidence of extensive glaciation. An ice cap is an Ice mass that covers less than 50 000 km² of land area (usually covering a highland area "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. Only the highest summits of Durmitor, Orjen, and Prenj have glacial valleys and moraines as low as 600 metres. Durmitor is a mountain and the name of a National park in Montenegro. Orjen ( Serbian Cyrilic: Орјен is a Dinaric Mediterranean Limestone Mountain range in Montenegro - Moraine refers to any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris (soil and rock which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions such as those However, in the Prokletije, a range on the northern Albanian border that runs east to west (thus breaking the general geographic trend of the Dinaric system), there is evidence of major glaciation.

One geological feature of great importance to the present-day landscape of the Dinarides must be considered in more detail: that of the limestone mountains, often with their attendant faulting. They are hard and slow to erode, and often persist as steep jagged escarpments, through which steep-sided gorges and canyons are cleft by the rivers draining the higher slopes. For the song see CANYONMID. For the band see Canyon (band. A canyon (rarely cañon) or gorge For the song see CANYONMID. For the band see Canyon (band. A canyon (rarely cañon) or gorge

The most extensive example of limestone mountains in Europe are those of the Karst of the Dinaric Alps. Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble Bedrock, usually Carbonate rock such as Limestone Here, all the characteristic features are encountered again and again as one travels through this wild and underpopulated country. Limestone is a very porous rock, yet very hard and resistant to Erosion. Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind Water is the most important corrosive force (Corrosion), dissolving the limestone by chemical action. Corrosion means the breaking down of essential properties in a material due to Chemical reactions with its surroundings As it percolates down through cracks in the limestone it opens up fissures and channels, often of considerable depth, so that whole systems of underground drainage develop. During subsequent millennia these work deeper, leaving in their wake enormous waterless caverns, sinkholes, and grottoes and forming underground labyrinths of channels and shafts. A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or Cenote, is a natural depression A grotto (Italian grotta) is any type of natural or artificial Cave that is associated with modern historic or prehistoric use by humans The roofs of some of these caverns may eventually fall in, to produce great perpendicular-sided gorges, exposing the water to the surface once more. The magnificent gorges of many of the Dinaric rivers, for example those of the Vrbas, Neretva, Tara, and Lim, are justly famous. The Vrbas is a major River in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. Neretva is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The total length is 225 km of which 203 km are in Herzegovina, while the final 22 km are in the The Tara River ( Serbian / Montenegrin: Ријека Тара / Rijeka Tara Tr The partially submerged western Dinaric Alps form the numerous islands and harbors along the Croatian coast. An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant

Only along the Dinaric gorges is communication possible across the Karst, and roads and railways tunnel through precipitous cliffs and traverse narrow ledges above roaring torrents. For the song see CANYONMID. For the band see Canyon (band. A canyon (rarely cañon) or gorge Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble Bedrock, usually Carbonate rock such as Limestone "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. A number of springs and rivers rise in the Dinaric range, including Jadro Spring noted for being the source of water for historic Diocletian's Palace. The Jadro Spring is a water source rising in the Dinaric Alps in Croatia. Diocletian's Palace ( Dioklecijanova palača in Croatian) is a building in Split in Croatia that was built by the emperor Diocletian ^[1] At the same time, the purity of these rocks is such that the rivers are crystal clear, and there is little soil-making residue. Water quality testing of the Jadro River, for example, indicates the low pollutant levels present. The Jadro River is a Watercourse in Dalmatia, Croatia that discharges to the Adriatic Sea. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in ^[2] Rock faces are often bare of vegetation and glaring white, but what little soil there is may collect in the hollows and support lush vegetation, or yield narrow strips of cultivation. Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region it refers to the Ground cover provided by plants

Human activity in the Dinarides

Ruins of fortresses dot the mountainous landscape, evidence of centuries of war and the refuge the Dinaric Alps have provided to various military forces. The Dinarides provided shelter to the Illyrians resisting Roman conquest of the Balkans, which began with the conquest of the eastern Adriatic coast in the third century BC. Illyrians has come to refer to a broad ill-defined " Indo-European " group of peoples who inhabited the western Balkans ( Illyria, roughly Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Rome conquered the whole of Illyria in 168 BC. Illyria ( Albanian Iliria ( Ancient Greek; Latin Illyria; see also Illyricum) was in Classical antiquity a region in the These mountains sheltered Illyrian resistance forces for many years until the area’s complete subjugation by 14 AD.

The area remains underpopulated, and forestry and mining remain the chief economic activities in the Dinaric Alps. The people of the Dinaric Alps are on record as being the tallest in Europe, with a male average height of 185. 6 cm (6 feet, 1 inch)[1].

Mountains in the Dinaric Alps

Some of the mountains within the Dinarides are:

• Bijela gora
• Biokovo
• Bjelašnica
• Crna Gora
• Čvrsnica
• Dinara, the eponym of the chain. Bijela gora ( Serbian: Бијела гора English translation: "White mountain" is a Karstic high plateau between 1200&ndash1500 m on Biokovo is second-highest mountain range in Croatia, located along the Dalmatian coast of Adriatic, between the rivers of Cetina and Neretva Bjelašnica is a mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is found directly to the southwest of Sarajevo, bordering Mt Skopska Crna Gora (Скопска Црна Гора Mali I Zi also called Crna Gora, is a mountain range on the border between Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia Čvrsnica is a mountain in the Dinarides of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in northern Herzegovina, most of the mountain is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Dinara is one of the more prominent Mountains located on the border of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Durmitor
• Igman
• Jahorina
• Kamešnica
• Orjen
• Snežnik
• Tara
• Trebević
• Treskavica
• Velebit
• Zlatibor

References