Chūgoku Mountains | |
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中国山地 Chūgoku Sanchi | |
Highest point | |
Peak | Daisen (Tottori Prefecture) |
Elevation | 1,729 m (5,673 ft) |
Coordinates | 35°22′16″N 133°32′47″E / 35.37111°N 133.54639°ECoordinates: 35°22′16″N 133°32′47″E / 35.37111°N 133.54639°E |
Naming | |
Etymology | central country |
Geography | |
Country | Japan |
States | |
Region | Chūgoku |
Parent range | Chūgoku |
Chūgoku Mountains (中国山地 Chūgoku Sanchi) is a mountain range in the Chūgoku region of western Japan. It runs in an east-west direction and stretches approximately 500 km (311 mi) from Hyōgo Prefecture in the east to the coast of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The range also reaches under the Pacific Ocean.
The two tallest mountains in the group are Daisen and Mount Hyōno, which are 1,729 m (5,673 ft) and 1,510 m (4,954 ft), respectively. Many other mountains in the ranger are also over 1,000 m (3,281 ft), while some of the smaller mountains are less than 500 m (1,640 ft).Granite is the most common stone found among the mountains, much of which has been exposed through erosion.
Other than Daisen, most of the mountains run along the border of Tottori and Okayama prefectures and the border of Shimane and Hiroshima prefectures. The mountains form a drainage divide and natural barrier in western Japan between the San'in Region to the north and the San'yō Region to the south.
The Chūgoku Mountains are the source of several rivers in western Japan. All flow either north to the Japan Sea or south to the Inland Sea with the exception of the Gōnokawa River (206 kilometres (128 mi)), which runs along the mountain range in Hiroshima and Shimane prefectures.