The Carpathians are the largest mountain system in Europe. It is located in the heart of the continent and originates in the north near the capital of Slovakia Bratislava and ends in the south in Romania in the Iron Gate Valley.
The length of the Carpathian Mountains is about 1,500 kilometers. They arc cover most of the Central European Lowland. The width of the Carpathians varies and is 240 kilometers in the northwestern part, 340 kilometers in the southwestern part and about 100 kilometers in the northeastern part.
According to its geographical location, the Carpathians are divided into three parts: Western, Southern and Eastern. The Western Carpathians are located in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. It is in Hungary that the highest point of the Carpathians is located - Mount Gerlach, the peak of which rises at an altitude of 2655 meters above sea level. The Southern Carpathians are entirely located on the territory of Romania, and most of the Eastern Carpathians are located in Ukraine.
Western Carpathians
The Western Carpathians are the longest part of all the Carpathian mountains. Their length exceeds 400 kilometers, and the average width is approximately 200 kilometers. The Western Carpathians consist of several ridges and mountain ranges that stretch from west to east. The local mountains are characterized by alpine forms of peaks, as well as many alpine lakes.
The northern part of the mountains is formed by the ranges of the Western Bexids. The central part of the Western Carpathians consists mainly of high mountain massifs, and the southern part is formed by medium-altitude mountain massifs.
Eastern Carpathians
The Eastern Carpathians are almost entirely located on the territory of Ukraine, therefore they are often called the Ukrainian Carpathians. Within Ukraine, they are divided into three parts: internal, central and external. The mountains are located on the territory of four Ukrainian regions: Chernivtsi, Lvov, Ivano-Frankivsk and Transcarpathian.
In Ukraine, the Carpathians are conditionally divided into two regions: the Carpathian and Transcarpathian regions. The Carpathian Mountains include the mountains located in the Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, and the Transcarpathian region - in the Transcarpathian region.
The highest point of the Ukrainian Carpathians is Mount Hoverla, whose height is 2061 meters. The mountain is located near the villages of Yablunytsya and Yasinya on the border of Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.
Southern Carpathians
The Southern Carpathians are completely located on the territory of Romania and represent the extreme southern part of the mountains. This massif is often called the Transylvanian Carpathians. The ridge is about 300 kilometers long. The South Carpathians encompass five Romanian historical regions: Wallachia, Oltenia, Banat, Muntenia and Transylvania.
This part of the Carpathian Mountains is the highest and most earthquake-prone.
