Beskids

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from Beskidy)
Jump to: navigation, search
mountains of the Zakarpattia Oblast of Ukraine, within the eastern Beskids

The Beskids (Polish: Beskidy, Czech: Beskydy, Slovak: Beskydy, Rusyn: Бескиды (Beskidy), Ukrainian: Бескиди (Beskydy)) is a traditional name for a series of Eastern European mountain ranges.

Contents

[edit] Definition

The Beskids are approximately 600 km in length and 50–70 km in width. They stand mainly along the southern border of Poland, and in the neighboring far eastern Czech Republic, neighboring regions in northern Slovakia, and in western Ukraine.

Multiple traditions, languages and nationalities have developed overlapping variants for the divisions and names of these ranges. Geologically all of the Beskids stand within the Outer Western Carpathians and the Outer Eastern Carpathians.

In the west they begin in Moravia (eastern Czech Republic) at the natural pass of the Moravian Gate, continue east in a band to the north of the Tatra Mountains, and end in Ukraine. The eastern termination of the Beskids is disputed. According to older sources, the Beskids end at the source of the Tisza River, while newer sources state that the Beskids end at the Ushok Pass at the Polish-Ukrainian border.

Map of the Beskids

In the divisions of the Carpathians, the ranges of the Beskids are categorized within:

(Note that the Polish Bieszczady Mountains is not a synonym for the entire Beskids—it is one single range, belonging to the Eastern Beskids.)

[edit] History

The origin of the mountain's name remains a mystery. A Thracian or Illyrian origin has been suggested,[citation needed] however, as yet, no theory has majority support among linguists. The true etymology of the name "Besczad or Beskids" is unknown. It may by related to Middle Low German beshêt, beskēt, meaning watershed.[1] The Beskids are currently rich in forest and coal. In the past they were rich in iron ore, with important plants in Ostrava and Třinec - Třinec Iron and Steel Works.

There are many tourist attractions, including historic wooden churches (see Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland, Carpathian Wooden Churches of Slovakia, and Wooden Churches of Ukraine) and the increasingly popular skiing resorts.

In recent years, a number of environmental groups have been working to support a small but growing population of bears, wolves and lynx in the ecosystem of the Beskidy mountains.

Marklowice dolne, Moravia
(1360 - 1739)
Hrabova, Moravia
(14th - 1564)
Hervartov (Bardiów)
(c. 1500)
Binarowa, Podkarpacie
(1400) c. 1500
Harklowa southern Poland
(c. 1731)
Marklowice dolne-kosciol4.jpg OV-Hrabova.JPG Hervartov dreveny kostelik Slovakia 3834.JPG Binarowa Kosciol.jpg Harklowa 2009 (2).jpg

Examples of German "Bauerkultur" church architecture in the Subcarpathian region (Outer Western Carpathians), same like the wooden churches in Silesia and North Moravia.

[edit] Gallery

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 49°25′N 20°15′E / 49.417°N 20.25°E / 49.417; 20.25

[edit] References

  1. ^ Zbigniew Gołąb. The Origins of the Slavs: A Linguist's View. Slavica Publishers, Inc., 1992 p. 342. "The Germanic etymology of Bieszczad // Beskid was proposed by prof. Jan Michał Rozwadowski (1914:162, etc). He derives the variant beščad from Germc. biskaid, wchich is represented by MLG besche (beskêt) Trennung and by Scandinavian bêsked, borrowed from [...]"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages