Šar Mountains
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The Šar Mountains (Albanian: Malet e Sharrit, Macedonian: ⓘ, [Шар Планина, Šar planina] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) is a mountain range that extends from southern Serbia (Kosovo) and the northwest of the Republic of Macedonia to northeastern Albania.
Geographical characteristics
The Šar Mountains have a total area of 1600km. 56,25% of that area is in the Republic of Macedonia, 43.12% in Serbia, and 0,63% in Albania.[1] There are three plains Sirinic, Vraca and Rudoka.[2] The system is about 80 kilometers long and 10-20 kilometres wide. It includes several high peaks:
- Titov Vrv (2747 m), the highest peak
- Mal Turčin (2702 m)
- Borislavec (2662 m)
- Bistër (2651 m)
- Rudoka (2610 m)
- Maja e Zezë (2585 m)
- Vracë (2582 m)
- Kobilicë (2528 m)
- Piribeg (2524 m)
- Ljuboten (2498 m)
- Gemitash (2183 m)
The Šar Mountains extend to Mount Korab (2764 m) in the southwest, and pass into northeastern Albania.
Vegetation on the mountains includes crops up to around 1000 meters, forests up to 1700 meters, and above that lie high pastures which encompass around 550 square kilometres. The Šar Mountains are the largest compact area covered with pastures on the European continent. They are most known as the origin of the dog breed Šarplaninac, which was bred on these pastures. On some days the Šar Mountains can be seen from Pristina which is many kilometres away. Ljuboten (the nearest peak to Pristina) stands out the best.
Šar Mountains in Serbia
The Šar Mountains are located in the south-west of Serbia, where 43.12% of it is located. Many lakes are found on the Serbian part of the Šar Mountains especially south of the village of Dragaš. Brezovica is a ski resort with an elevation of 900m - 2,500m above sea level, it is located north-east of the mountain. Ljuboten and the mountain of Skopska Crna Gora create Kačanik Gorge in Serbia. The Šar Mountains are split by Nerodimka Mountain by the Sirinić Valley. Villages and towns that are found near the mountain are:
National Park
| Šar Mountains National Park | |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Štrpce |
| Area | 390 km² |
| Established | 1986 |
The Šar Mountains National Park is in the territory of Serbia, and spreads on 380 square kilometres, on the northern slopes of the Šar Mountains. What this national park boasts in particular are the endemic relict Macedonian Pine and white-bark pine, as well as the Alpine rose. As for game, this is the habitat of the lynx, bear, chamois, wolf, roe deer, wild boar and other species.
See also
References
