One of the most famous mountain ranges on the Italian peninsula is the Cordillera de los Apennines. It owes its fame to being part of the physical backbone of this peninsula. It is a mountainous system of approximately 1.400 kilometers in length and a width that ranges between 40 and 200 kilometers. It has great biological wealth and a variety of flora and fauna that make it a natural environment conducive to being visited.
In this article we are going to talk about the characteristics, geology, flora and fauna of the Apennines.
Key features
This mountainous system passes from the Cadibona pass, located in the northwest, to the Egadi Islands, which is located north of Sicily. It has a 2.914 meter high peak known as the Corno Grande. If we analyze it from the geological point of view, the Apennines are part of a fold of mountains known as the Atlas Mountains, which start from North Africa and pass through the Dinaric Alps, extending through the Balkan region.
Its geological variety is quite remarkable. On the one hand, we find sandstones and marls in the northern area, in Liguria. In the south of the peninsula and in Sicily we can find large outcrops of calcareous rock that are separated by low areas with shales and sandstones.
It is a young formation whose evolution has not yet finished. Is that we can find very pronounced peaks that have not yet been affected by erosion and the passage of time. In addition, they have numerous faults in different places that are causing nearby areas to be affected by seismic phenomena and active volcanism. Despite being a young mountain range, it is subject to the force of erosion by both wind and water. The seashore reaches the mountains reducing the extent of the coast and causing a thin rock band.
Climate and environment of the Apennines
The entire length of the mountain range has a Mediterranean climate and, therefore, we find a southern vegetation mainly composed of vineyards, olive groves and citrus trees. What makes this mountain range so visited by tourists is that most of its territory is in the wild without cultivation. Calcareous phenomena abound in these places. These calcareous rocks come mainly from the secondary and the tertiary.
It is the poorest and least populated region in Italy for being a natural environment. The population and migrates to other more economically productive areas. Although the predominant climate is the Mediterranean, because of the altitude, low temperatures and high humidity tend to abound throughout the year. In ancient times, the Apennines were covered with beech and chestnut trees. The forests have been progressively disappearing due to overgrazing. The abundant herds of sheep and goats have been withdrawing and displacing the habitat of these species.
Had today, the people of the country still practice transhumance. The herds graze in the mountains during the summer and in winter they extend to the coastal plains where the temperatures are more pleasant. Wolves, bears, foxes and chamois have been gradually disappearing due to human activity.
Apennine Division
You could say that the Apennines are divided from north to south into 4 parts. The clay layers are responsible for landslides when the rainy season comes. These landslides often threaten villages that exist in nearby areas. On some occasions, it has been destroyed and caused numerous damages in inhabited areas due to these landslides.
As for mineral materials, we do not find a great wealth. But we can see large amounts of pyrites, copper ores, bauxite, and mercury. Mercury is found in large quantities and, therefore, Italy is the world's leading producer of mercury.
These materials can be found especially in the central part of the peninsula. Sicily, on the other hand, is richer in sulfur. Although if we start to enumerate, the main wealth of the Apennines is hydraulic power. Thanks to the power of the high water, large amounts of renewable energy can be extracted. This is because the level and terrain are very rough, especially in the Naples region.
In the Liguria area they are connected to the western Alps. The highest section corresponds to the Tuscan-Emilian massif where we can find peaks that exceed a height of 2.000 meters above sea level. The highest peak in the Northern Apennines is Mount Cimone with 2.165 meters high.
In the widest area of the mountain range there are numerous smaller valleys and mountain ranges such as the Abruzzo mountains, the SIbilinos mountains or the Gran Sasso, the massif where the Corno Grande rises (2.194 m), the highest point of the Apennines . In the southernmost part, the mountain range forms a kind of arc that turns to the southwest. This area is the one that stands out for having large volcanoes such as Vesuvius. These volcanoes are also the cause of some seismic activity.
Hydrology, flora and fauna
As we have mentioned before, hydrology is of great importance in this mountain range. It stands out for having rivers with fairly short courses. The most important rivers are the Tiber that passes from the central area and empties into the Tyrrhenian Sea. It has a length of 405 km, which for a river is quite small. The other important river is the Arno, with a length of 250 km, which starts from the west in the Tuscan massif, passes through Florence and empties into the Lugurian Sea.
Despite the fact that the rivers have a fairly small extension, the action of the water is one of the most important erosive agents of these mountain ranges. As for the flora, there are Mediterranean-type species that vary according to altitude and latitude. In the north we find oak, chestnut, beech and pine trees in greater abundance. In the south we find certain shrubs such as they are the mastic, oleanders and myrtles.
On the other hand, the fauna is very well preserved thanks to the existence of national parks and protected areas. Among the most characteristic species we have the brown bear, the italic wolf, the lynx and the golden eagle.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Apennines.