Pyrenees

Pyrenees (French Pyrénées; Spanish Pirineos), mountain range of southwestern Europe, extending from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea and separating the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe. Except in a few places, such as the area occupied by the tiny semiautonomous principality of Andorra, the boundary between France and Spain runs along the crest of the chain; approximately two-thirds of the mountains lie in Spain. The Pyrenees extend for 435 km (270 mi) and cover 55,400 sq km (21,400 sq mi); the maximum breadth of the system is about 130 km (80 mi).

The Pyrenees form a regular and continuous chain, divisible into western, central, and eastern sections. The western section, which runs from the Bay of Biscay to Somport Pass and merges into the Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain, has the lowest altitudes of the chain, with most of its peaks ranging between 900 and 1,200 m (3,000 and 4,000 ft) above sea level. The central Pyrenees extend to the Col de la Perche and contain the highest peaks of the system, including Pico de Aneto (3,404 m/11,168 ft), the highest point in the chain; Monte Perdido (3,355 m/11,007 ft); and Vignemale (3,298 m/ 10,820 ft). The summits of the eastern Pyrenees, which extend to the Mediterranean, range between 2,100 and 2,700 m (7,000 and 9,000 ft).