The relief surface of North America can be divided into several regions. The northern and central parts of the continent are occupied by plains. But in the west and southeast there are mountains. There are many beautiful and picturesque places in North America. High mountain ranges annually attract thousands of tourists. Mountaineering is developed here. Equally popular are the slopes where you can snowboard and ski almost all year round. So what are they, the mountains of the North American continent? Why are they unique and where are they located?
Cordilleras
The Cordilleras are the longest rocky mountains. North America is famous for its snow-capped peaks. The highest of them are located in this mountain system. Cordillera stretches along the western edge of the mainland, from Alaska to the central part. Then they go to the Andes, which cover the southern mainland. This mountain range is crossed by many faults. They start from the ocean itself and end on land. Cordilleras arose as a result of the convergence of two
lithospheric plates. But, according to seismologists, the process of mountain building has not yet been completed. This is also evidenced by the presence of several active volcanoes, even more of them are “sleeping”. Earthquakes are also frequent in this zone. If we talk about the height of these mountains, then only the Himalayas can compete with them. North America's highest point, Mount McKinley, is also located in the Cordillera. Its height is 6193 meters. What else can be said about the Cordillera? They lie in all geographical zones, except perhaps the Arctic. In addition, they are characterized by a wide variety of landscapes, as well as a pronounced altitudinal zonation. These mountains are not like the others, they are unique. The beauty of the Cordillera annually attracts thousands of tourists to their slopes, who make multi-day, sometimes difficult climbs. In addition, throughout their length numerous hotels have been built that will welcome all vacationers.
Appalachian mountains
The mountains and plains of North America create a unique inimitable landscape of the mainland. Of particular beauty is the place where two states border - the United States and Canada. Here lies the hilly plateau of the Appalachian Mountains. Its length is 2600 km. In this mountain system, there are separate noteworthy peaks. The highest of them is
Mount Washington (1916 m). The Appalachians have traces of ancient glaciation. The slopes of these hills are covered with mixed and coniferous forests. There are deposits of iron ore, oil, gas and coal.
Northern Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachians are mountains in North America, they are divided into two parts: northern and southern. Of course, these boundaries are arbitrary. The Northern Appalachians are much older than the main part of the mountain range. Currently, they are a plateau with a height of only 400-600 meters. Separate ridges and massifs rise in places above it. The most famous of them are Adirondack, White Mountains, Green Mountains. Their vertices are smoothed. The slopes are mostly gentle, only occasionally there are sections dissected by punishment. Mountain ranges divide tectonic valleys. They are converted to trogs. The northern Appalachians have a different name for the local population - "the mountains of New England." They are composed of metamorphic and crystalline rocks. These are sections of penoplenized mountains, in which there are subtle traces of later uplifts. But at the same time, the effect of glaciation is clearly expressed.
Southern Appalachians
Mountains in North America, such as the South Appalachians, arose a little later than others. This happened around the time of the Varisian folding. Their relief is more diverse. In the east - piedmont piedmont plateau. It is even, slightly dissected by valleys. Its height is 40–80 meters. In the western part - more hilly terrain. Here the height reaches 400 meters. But more interestingly, massive peaks rise sharply in this region. This is the Blue Ridge. Its slopes are steep. Peaks are often domed or comb-like. The highest point is Mount Mitchell. Its height is 2037 meters. It is composed of sedimentary-volcanic rocks belonging to the Lower and Middle Paleozoic. The western slope of the Blue Ridge drops steeply to the decline - the Great Valley. Here lies the Appalachian Plateau. The mountains are heavily divided by valleys dropping to 1,500 meters.
Sierra nevada
Of course, the most illustrious mountains in North America are the Sierra Nevada. Probably, everyone at least once in his life heard this beautiful name. True, not everyone knows that this is a mountain range that stretches along the west coast of the United States of America. Its length is 750 kilometers. The Sierra Nevada Range originates from the Fredonier Pass, in the north, and reaches the Tehachapi Pass, located in the south. In the west it is bordered by the California Valley. In the east, Sierra Nevada borders on the Great Basin. Of course, the highest mountains of North America are not located in this area, but those that rise here can rightly be called the most picturesque. The crest of the ridge runs along the slope from the western side. All rivers, the sources of which are located on the peaks, flow into the Pacific Ocean. From north to south, the height of the mountains gradually increases. Between Lake Tahoe and the Fredonier Pass, the peaks reach 2400 meters. The highest point on this section of the ridge is Mount Rose. Its height is 2700 meters. On the territory of
Yosemite National Park there is a peak of Olancha (3695 m) and Florence (3781 m). Further, the height of the ridge goes down. The beauty of the Sierra Nevada mountains is difficult to overestimate. They are known throughout the world for their unique landscapes.
Eastern Sierra Madre
The highest mountains of North America are in the Cordillera. But unique ridges located parallel to each other can be found on the territory of modern Mexico, in the
north-east of the country. This is the eastern part of the Sierra Madre. This mountain system is located on the edge of the Mexican Highlands. The length of the ridge is 1000 km. Its landscape is quite diverse. There are several peaks in the north, with heights ranging from 1000 to 3000 m. In the south, mountain ranges are scattered from each other. There are individual peaks up to 4000 m high. In the western part, spurs extend in several places to the highlands. In the east, the ridge ends on the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico. For the most part, the Eastern Sierra Madre is formed by sedimentary rocks belonging to the upper Mesozoic period. The highest elevation is Mount Peña-Nevada (4054 m). But this is not the only peak worth mentioning. No less famous are the mountains of El Coahuilon and Cerro Potosi.
Western Sierra Madre
These mountains in America are considered to be the continuation of the Cordillera. They are located in modern Mexico. The length of the western Sierra Madre is 1300 km. The width of this mountain range is from 80 to 200 km. It is located on the western side of the Mexican Highlands. The landscape of these places is not monotonous. The ridges are separated by canyons of different depths. The mountains are relatively low: from 1,500 to 2,000 m. But there are separate peaks reaching a mark of 3,000 km. For example, the most popular mountain in this region is Chorreras. Its height is 3150 m. Western Sierra Madre passes through several Mexican states: Sonora, Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Durango, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes. But this ridge begins in the southeast of Tucson, in American Arizona.
South sierra madre
Southern Sierra Madre is an ancient mountain in America. Their age is difficult to determine. But, despite this, it is proved that they formed much earlier than the rest of the mountain systems. Located in southern Mexico, this ridge has a length of 1000 km. It runs along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean. The southern Sierra Madre in Michoacan begins. Then he goes towards the isthmus of Teuantepec. It crosses such Mexican states as Guerrero and Oaxaca, where it merges with the Transmexican volcanic belt. The width of the South Sierra Madre is 300 km. These mountains are not high, only some peaks reach a mark above 3000 m. But, despite this, this region serves as a serious obstacle to transport links between the interior of Mexico and the Pacific coast. The highest point of the South Sierra Madre is Mount Teotepec (3,703 m).
Coastal ridge
The coastal ridge is the mountains of North America, on a map they can be found in the very west of the mainland. They take their origin from Lake Atlin. Conventionally, they end near
the Fraser River. In fact, the Coast Range is part of the Cordillera mountain system. But it is customary to allocate it into an independent array due to its location and some isolation. The length of the ridge is 1600 km. Its width reaches 300 m. The highest point is Mount Waddington. Its height is 4016 meters. The remaining peaks do not exceed 3000 meters. This mountain range is made of granite. It is strongly dissected by fjords and transverse valleys arising along tectonic cracks. On the territory of the Coastal Range, the Garibaldi Provincial Park is located. It is one of the most visited tourist destinations in British Columbia.
Wrangel Mountains
The high mountains of North America, located in southeast Alaska, can rightly be called unique. The Wrangel volcanic massif has a length of 150 kilometers. In the east, it adjoins the ridge of St. Elijah. The Wrangel Mountains formed relatively recently, in the Neogene. Once active volcanoes are concentrated here. Almost all of them are sleeping. But there are also active ones, for example, the Wrangel volcano. It has a height of 4317 meters. Among the mountains with a crater peak, the most famous are Sanford (4949 m) and the highest point of the Wrangel ridge - Blackburn peak (4996 m). Glaciers are concentrated in the central part of the massif. Slopes cover the forests of the tundra. On the ridges of Wrangel and St. Elijah is a national park. Many places here are absolutely untouched by man. This makes this region truly unique.