The relief surface of North America can be conditionally divided into several regions. The northern and central parts of the continent are occupied by plains. But in the west and south-east there are mountains. In North America, there are many beautiful and picturesque places. High mountain ranges collect thousands of tourists annually. Here mountaineering is developed. 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? What are they unique and where are they located?
Cordilleras
Cordilleras - the largest in length rocky mountains. North America is famous for its snow-capped peaks. The highest of them are in this mountain system. The cordilleras extend along the western edge of the continent, from Alaska to the central part. Further they pass to the Andes, which cover the southern mainland. This mountain chain is intersected by many faults. They start from the ocean and end on land. Cordilleras arose as a result of convergence of two lithospheric plates. But, according to scientists-seismologists, the process of mountain building has not yet been fully completed. This is also evidenced by the presence of several active volcanoes, even more of them are "asleep". Frequent in this zone and earthquake. If we talk about the height of these mountains, then, perhaps, only the Himalayas can compete with them. The highest point of North America, Mount McKinley, is also in the Cordilleras. Its height is 6193 meters. What else can be said about the Cordilleras? They lie in all geographical zones, except perhaps the Arctic. In addition, they are characterized by a large variety of landscapes, as well as pronounced altitudinal zonality. These mountains are not similar to others, they are unique. The beauty of the Cordillera annually attracts thousands of tourists to its slopes, who make many-day, sometimes difficult, climbs. In addition, on their entire length, numerous hotels have been built, which will hospitably welcome all guests.
Appalachian Mountains
The mountains and plains of North America create a unique inimitable landscape of the continent. Especially beautiful 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 some noteworthy peaks. The tallest of them is Mount Washington (1916 m). 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
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 ridge. At present, they represent a plateau with a height of only 400-600 meters. Over it places separate ridges and arrays. The most famous of them are the Adirondack, the White Mountains, the Green Mountains. Their tops are smoothed. The slopes are for the most part gently sloping, only occasionally there are areas that are dissected by punishments. Mountain ranges share tectonic valleys. They are converted into troughs. The northern Appalachians of the local population have another name - "Mountains of New England". They are composed of metamorphic and crystalline rocks. These are areas of the peneplanized mountains, in which there are faint traces of later uplifts. But the effect of glaciation is clearly pronounced.
Southern Appalachia
Such mountains in North America, like the Southern Appalachians, arose somewhat later than others. This happened around the time of the Variscian folding. Their relief is more diverse. In the east is the Piedmont foothill plateau. It is flat, slightly dissected by valleys. Its height is 40-80 meters. In the western part - more hilly terrain. Here the height reaches 400 meters. But what is more interesting, massive peaks rise sharply in this region. It's the Blue Ridge. Its slopes are precipitous. The tops are often dome-shaped or crest-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 Range falls steeply to the decline - the Great Valley. Here lies the Appalachian plateau. The mountains are strongly divided by valleys, dropping to 1500 meters.
Sierra Nevada
Of course, the most famous mountains in North America are the Sierra Nevada. Probably, everyone at least once in my life heard this beautiful name. True, not everyone knows that this is a mountain range stretching along the western coast of the United States of America. Its length is 750 kilometers. The range of Sierra Nevada originates from the Fredoñer Pass, which is to the north, and reaches the Tehachapi Pass, located in the south. In the west it is limited by the California Valley. In the east, the 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 rightfully be called the most picturesque. The crest of the ridge runs along the slope from the west side. All the rivers, whose sources are on the top, flow into the Pacific Ocean. From north to south, the height of the mountains gradually increases. Between the Lake Tahoe and the Fredojner Pass, the peaks reach a mark of 2,400 meters. The highest point on this segment of the ridge is Mount Rose. Its height is 2700 meters. On the territory of the Yosemite National Park there is the 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 hard to overestimate. They are known all over the world for their unique landscapes.
Eastern Sierra Madre
The highest mountains of North America are in the Cordilleras. But the unique ridges, located parallel to each other, can be found in 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 on the edge of the Mexican Highlands. The length of the ridge is 1000 km. Its landscape is quite diverse. In the north, there are several peaks, with a height of 1000 to 3000 m. In the south, mountain massifs are scattered from each other. There are individual peaks up to 4000 m in height. In the western part, spurs lead to the uplands in several places. In the east, the ridge breaks off 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 peak of the range is Peña Nevada (4054 m). But this is not the only vertex worth mentioning. Not less known are the mountains of El Coawilon and Cerro Potosi.
Western Sierra Madre
These mountains in America are considered to be a continuation of the Cordillera. They are located in the territory of modern Mexico. The length of the western Sierra Madre is 1300 km. The width of this ridge is from 80 to 200 km. It is located on the western part of the Mexican Highlands. The landscape of these places does not differ in monotony. The ridges are divided among themselves by canyons of different depths. Mountains are relatively low: from 1500 to 2000 m. But there are individual peaks reaching a mark of 3000 km. For example, the most popular mountain in this region is Chorreras. Its height is 3150 m. The Western Sierra Madre passes through several Mexican states: Sonora, Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Durango, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes. But this ridge starts southeast of Tucson, in American Arizona.
Southern Sierra Madre
The southern Sierra Madre are ancient mountains in America. Their age is difficult to determine. But, despite this, it is proved that they were formed much earlier than other mountain systems. Located in the south of Mexico, this ridge has a length of 1000 km. It runs along the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean. Begins South Sierra Madre in Michoacan. Further it goes towards the isthmus of Tehuantepec. It crosses such Mexican states as Guerrero and Oaxaca, where it merges with the Transmexican volcanic belt. The width of the Southern Sierra Madre is 300 km. These mountains are low, only some peaks reach a mark above 3000 m. However, despite this, this region is a serious obstacle for transport communications between the inner regions of Mexico and the Pacific coast. The highest point of the Southern Sierra Madre is Mount Teotopek (3703 m).
Coastal Range
The coastline is the mountains of North America, on the map they can be found in the west of the mainland. They take their origin from Lake Athlin. Conditionally they end near the Fraser River. In fact, the Coastal Range is part of the Cordillera mountain system. But it is customary to separate 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 other peaks do not exceed 3000 meters. This mountain range is made of granite. It is strongly dissected by fjords and transverse valleys that have arisen along tectonic fissures. On the territory of the Coast Ridge is the provincial park of Garibaldi. It is one of the most visited places in British Columbia.
Mountains of Wrangel
The high mountains of North America, located in the southeast of Alaska, can rightfully be called unique. The volcanic massif of Wrangel is 150 kilometers long. In the east it adjoins the ridge of St. Elijah. The Wrangel Mountains were formed relatively recently, in the Neogene. Here once active volcanoes are concentrated. Almost all of them are asleep. But there are active, for example, Wrangel volcano. It has a height of 4317 meters. Among the mountains with the crater peak, the most famous are Sanford (4949 m) and the highest point of the Wrangel ridge - the peak of Blackburn (4996 m). In the central part of the mountain massif glaciers are concentrated. Slopes cover the forests of the tundra. On the ridges of Wrangel and St. Elias there is a national park. Many places here are absolutely untouched by man. This makes this region truly unique and unique.