Crimean Mountains

The Crimean Mountains (Ukrainian: Кримські гори, translit. Krymski hory; Russian: Крымские горы, translit. Krymskie gory; Crimean Tatar: Qırım dağları) are a range of mountains running parallel to the south-eastern coast of Crimea, between about 8–13 kilometers (5–8 miles) from the sea. Toward the west, the mountains drop steeply to the Black Sea, and to the east, they change slowly into a steppe landscape.

Crimean Mountains
Twilight on Demerdji Mountain
Highest point
PeakRoman-Kosh
Elevation1,545 m (5,069 ft)
Listing
Coordinates44°36′47″N 34°14′36″E
Naming
Native nameКримські гори  (Ukrainian)
Крымские горы  (Russian)
Qırım dağları  (Crimean Tatar)
Geography
LocationSouthern Crimea
Range coordinates44°45′N 34°30′E
Geology
Age of rockCretaceous

The Crimean Mountains consist of three subranges. The highest is the Main range. The Main range is subdivided into several masses, known as yaylas or mountain plateaus (Yayla is Crimean Tatar for "Alpine Meadow"). They are:

  • Baydar Yayla
  • Ay-Petri Yayla
  • Yalta Yayla
  • Nikita Yayla
  • Hurzuf Yayla
  • Babugan Yayla
  • Chatyr-Dag Yayla
  • Dologorukovskaya (Subatkan) Yayla
  • Demirji Yayla
  • Karabi Yayla

Highest peaks

The Crimea's highest peak is the Roman-Kosh (Ukrainian: Роман-Кош; Russian: Роман-Кош, Crimean Tatar: Roman Qoş) on the Babugan Yayla at 1,545 metres (5,069 ft). Other important peaks over 1,200 metres include:

Passes and rivers

The most important passes over the Crimean Mountains are:

Rivers of the Crimean Mountains include the Alma River, Chernaya River, and Salhir River on the northern slope and Uchan-su River on the southern slope which forms the Uchan-su waterfall, a popular tourist attraction and highest waterfall in Crimea.

History

Archaeologists have found the earliest anatomically modern humans in Europe in the Crimean mountains' Buran-Kaya caves. The fossils are 32,000 years old, with the artifacts linked to the Gravettian culture. The fossils have cut marks suggesting a post-mortem defleshing ritual.[1][2]

See also

References

  1. Prat, Sandrine; Péan, Stéphane C.; Crépin, Laurent; Drucker, Dorothée G.; Puaud, Simon J.; Valladas, Hélène; Lázničková-Galetová, Martina; van der Plicht, Johannes; et al. (17 June 2011). "The Oldest Anatomically Modern Humans from Far Southeast Europe: Direct Dating, Culture and Behavior". plosone. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0020834.
  2. Carpenter, Jennifer (20 June 2011). "Early human fossils unearthed in Ukraine". BBC. Retrieved 21 June 2011.


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