Catalan Transversal Range
Encyclopedia
Pre-Pyrenees
The Pre-Pyrenees are the foothills of the Pyrenees.-Description:As a mountainous system the Pre-Pyrenees are part of the Pyrenees. They run parallel to the main mountain range in a west to east direction...
, between the Osona
Osona
County of Osona was one of the Catalan counties of the Marca Hispanica in the Early and High Middle Ages. It was based around the capital city of Vic and the corresponding diocese, whose territory was roughly the current comarca of Osona....
and Garrotxa
Garrotxa
Garrotxa is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. Its population in 2001 was 47,747, more than half of them in the capital city of Olot. It is roughly equivalent to the historical comarca of Besalú.-Geography:...
comarques. The existence of the Catalan Transversal Range has made communications in the northern areas of Catalonia difficult in the past, especially between Northeastern Catalonia (Catalan Coastal Depression
Catalan Coastal Depression
The Catalan Coastal Depression, , is a natural depression between the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range and the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Catalan Mediterranean System....
, with cities like Girona
Girona
Girona is a city in the northeast of Catalonia, Spain at the confluence of the rivers Ter, Onyar, Galligants and Güell, with an official population of 96,236 in January 2009. It is the capital of the province of the same name and of the comarca of the Gironès...
, Figueres
Figueres
Figueres is the capital of the comarca of Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museum designed by Dalí himself which attracts many visitors...
and La Jonquera
La Jonquera
La Jonquera is a municipality in the comarca of l'Alt Empordà, in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated just by the border with France, with the municipalty of Le Perthus.-History:...
) and Western Catalonia (Catalan Mediterranean System
Catalan Mediterranean System
The Catalan Mediterranean System, also known as Mediterranean System, Transversal Ibero-Pyrenaean System and Catalanid Systemis a wide coastal geographical region in Catalonia...
; Lleida
Lleida
Lleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
, Cervera
Cervera
Cervera is the capital of the comarca of Segarra, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. The title Compte de Cervera is a courtesy title, formerly part of the Crown of Aragon, that has been revived for Felipe, Prince of Asturias....
and further west to Aragón
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
), a problem that has been partly solved with the development of the Eix Transversal
Eix Transversal
C-25 or Eix Transversal is a 280 km long primary highway in Catalonia, Spain.It crosses the Catalan Transversal Range mountaineous region, communicating the northern end of the Catalan Coastal Depression with the Catalan Central Depression....
.
Description
The Catalan Transversal Range is made up of a series of mountains running in a NW / SE axis between the PyreneesPyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, the Sub-Pyrenees
Sub-Pyrenees
The Sub-Pyrenees are a chain of mountains in Spain. They form a section of the southern foothills of the Pyrenees. They are located at the eastern end of the Pre-Pyrenees, west of the Catalan Transversal Range, between the lower Ripollès and an area of the high Garrotxa.The Sub-Pyrenees consist of...
, the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range
Catalan Pre-Coastal Range
The Catalan Pre-Coastal Range is a system of mountain ranges running parallel to the Mediterranean Sea coast in Catalonia. It is part of the Catalan Mediterranean System. Its main axis runs between the Catalan Transversal Range and the Serra de l'Espina, which connects with the Ports de...
and the northern end of the Catalan Coastal Depression
Catalan Coastal Depression
The Catalan Coastal Depression, , is a natural depression between the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range and the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Catalan Mediterranean System....
. The highest point is at Puigsacalm
Puigsacalm
Puigsacalm is the highest mountain of the Catalan Transversal Range, Catalonia, Spain. It has an altitude of 1512 metres above sea level....
, 1.515 m.
Its most characteristic feature is a small region of volcanic origin near Olot
Olot
Olot is the capital of the comarca of the Garrotxa, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.- Etymology :The etymology of Olot is not clear and there are several hypotheses...
, Garrotxa.
There are extinct volcanoes like the conical-shaped Santa Margarida and Croscat, as well as basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
masses that originated in ancient lava flows at Castellfollit de la Roca
Castellfollit de la Roca
Castellfollit de la Roca is a municipality in the comarca of Garrotxa, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. The urban area is bordered by the confluence of the Fluvià and Toronell rivers, between which the town's basalt cliff rises...
.
Main mountain ranges
- PuigsacalmPuigsacalmPuigsacalm is the highest mountain of the Catalan Transversal Range, Catalonia, Spain. It has an altitude of 1512 metres above sea level....
(1.515 m) - Pla d'Aiats (1.306 m)
- El Far (1.111 m)
- Finestres (1.027 m)
- Sant RocSant Roc (Cim)Sant Roc, also known as Sant Roc d'Amer, Sant Roc de la Barroca and Grony, is a mountain of the Catalan Transversal Range, Catalonia, Spain. It has an altitude of 591 metres above sea level...
(591 m)
See also
- Eix TransversalEix TransversalC-25 or Eix Transversal is a 280 km long primary highway in Catalonia, Spain.It crosses the Catalan Transversal Range mountaineous region, communicating the northern end of the Catalan Coastal Depression with the Catalan Central Depression....
- Catalan Coastal DepressionCatalan Coastal DepressionThe Catalan Coastal Depression, , is a natural depression between the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range and the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Catalan Mediterranean System....
- Catalan Pre-Coastal RangeCatalan Pre-Coastal RangeThe Catalan Pre-Coastal Range is a system of mountain ranges running parallel to the Mediterranean Sea coast in Catalonia. It is part of the Catalan Mediterranean System. Its main axis runs between the Catalan Transversal Range and the Serra de l'Espina, which connects with the Ports de...
- PyreneesPyreneesThe Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
- Sub-PyreneesSub-PyreneesThe Sub-Pyrenees are a chain of mountains in Spain. They form a section of the southern foothills of the Pyrenees. They are located at the eastern end of the Pre-Pyrenees, west of the Catalan Transversal Range, between the lower Ripollès and an area of the high Garrotxa.The Sub-Pyrenees consist of...