Pre-Pyrenees
| Pre-Pyrenees | |
|---|---|
Montsec d'Ares, part of the Pyrenees Foothills
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| Dimensions | |
| Length | 425 km (264 mi) E/W |
| Width | 40 km (25 mi) N/S |
| Geography | |
Topographic map of the Pyrenees
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| Countries | Spain and France |
| Range coordinates | 42°20′N 1°00′E / 42.33°N 1°ECoordinates: 42°20′N 1°00′E / 42.33°N 1°E |
| Geology | |
| Orogeny | Alpine orogeny |
The Pre-Pyrenees are the foothills of the Pyrenees.
As a mountainous system the Pre-Pyrenees are part of the Pyrenees. They run parallel to the main mountain range in a west to east direction.
On the French side the Pyrenees's slopes descend rather abruptly, thus on the northern side, the Pre-Pyrenees are confined to the Corbières Range, towards the eastern end of the mountain system. The Massif de Plantaurel further west deserves mention as well, although not as clearly a foothill.
On the Iberian side, however, the picture is very different: a large and complex system of foothill ranges stretches from Navarre, across northern Aragon, reaching the Mediterranean coast on the Catalan end of the Pyrenees. At the eastern end on the southern side lies a distinct area known as the Sub-Pyrenees.
Although the highest peaks in the Pre-Pyrenees are not as high as those in the Pyrenees proper, some of the ranges are quite massive, with summits reaching up to 2,600 m (8,500 ft).
The main ranges are:
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