Jura mountains
| Jura Mountains | |
|---|---|
Looking towards Lélex from near the Crêt de la Neige
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Crêt de la Neige |
| Elevation | 1,720 m (5,640 ft) |
| Geography | |
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| Countries | France and Switzerland |
| States/Provinces | |
| Borders on | the Alps |
The Jura Mountains (French pronunciation: [ʒyʁa]; German pronunciation: [ˈjuːʁa]) (German: Juragebirge, French: Massif du Jura, Italian: Massiccio del Giura) are a sub-alpine mountain range located north of the Western Alps, mainly following the course of the France–Switzerland border. The Jura separates the Rhine and Rhône basins, forming part of the watershed of each.
The name "Jura" is derived from juria, a Latinized form of a Celtic stem jor- "forest". The mountain range gives its name to the French department of Jura, the Swiss Canton of Jura, the Jurassic period of the geologic timescale, and the Montes Jura of the Moon.
The Jura Mountains are a distinct province of the larger Central European uplands.
In France, the Jura covers most of the Franche-Comté region, stretching south into the Rhône-Alpes region. The range reaches its highest point at Le Crêt de la Neige in the department of Ain and finds its southern terminus in the northwestern part of the department of Savoie. The north end of the Jura extends into the southern tip of the Alsace region. Roughly 1,600 square kilometres of the mountain range in France is protected by the Jura Mountains Regional Natural Park.
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