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Sierra Nevada (United States)

Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada aerial.jpg
The Sierra's Mills Creek cirque (center) is on the west side of the Sierra Crest, south of Mono Lake (top, blue).
Highest point
Peak Mount Whitney
Elevation 14,505 ft (4,421 m) 
Coordinates 36°34′43″N 118°17′31″W / 36.578580925°N 118.29199495°W / 36.578580925; -118.29199495
Dimensions
Length 400 mi (640 km) north-south from Fredonyer Pass to Tehachapi Pass
Width 65 mi (105 km) 
Area 24,370 sq mi (63,100 km2) 
Naming
Etymology 1777: Spanish for " "
Nickname the Sierra, the High Sierra, Range of Light (1894, John Muir)
Geography
Position of Sierra Nevada inside California
Position of Sierra Nevada inside California
Country United States
States California and Nevada
Range coordinates 37°43′51″N 119°34′22″W / 37.73083°N 119.57278°W / 37.73083; -119.57278Coordinates: 37°43′51″N 119°34′22″W / 37.73083°N 119.57278°W / 37.73083; -119.57278
Geology
Age of rock Mesozoic
Type of rock batholith and igneous

The Sierra Nevada (/siˈɛrə nˈvɑːdə/ or /nˈvædə/, Spanish: [ˈsjera neˈβaða], snowy range) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Basin and Range Province. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily in Nevada. The Sierra Nevada is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that form the western "backbone" of North America, Central America, South America and Antarctica.

The Sierra runs 400 miles (640 km) north-to-south, and is approximately 70 miles (110 km) across east-to-west. Notable Sierra features include Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America; Mount Whitney at 14,505 ft (4,421 m), the highest point in the contiguous United States; and Yosemite Valley, sculpted by glaciers out of one-hundred-million-year-old granite. The Sierra is home to three national parks, twenty wilderness areas, and two national monuments. These areas include Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks; and Devils Postpile National Monument.


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