Western Carpathians

Western Carpathians
Nižná Bystrá (Zadnia Kopa) in the Západné Tatry Mts.
Highest point
Peak	Gerlachovský štít
Elevation	2,655 m (8,711 ft)
Coordinates	49°10′2″N 20°7′52″E / 49.16722°N 20.13111°E / 49.16722; 20.13111Coordinates: 49°10′2″N 20°7′52″E / 49.16722°N 20.13111°E / 49.16722; 20.13111
Geography
Carpathian Mountains, Western Carpathians in green
Countries	List Slovakia Austria Czech Republic Poland Hungary
region	Lesser Poland, Moravia and Weinviertel
Parent range	Carpathian Mountains
Geology
Orogeny	alpine orogeny
Type of rock	granite, limestone, sandstone, andesite

The Western Carpathians are a mountain range and geomorphological province that forms the western part of the Carpathian Mountains.

The mountain belt stretches from the Low Beskids range of the Eastern Carpathians along the border of Poland with Slovakia toward the Moravian region of the Czech Republic and the Austrian Weinviertel. In the south the North Hungarian Mountains cover northern Hungary. The area of the Western Carpathians comprises about 70,000 km². The highest elevation is the Gerlachovský štít (2,655m).

Most of the perimeter of the Western Carpathians is quite sharply defined by valleys. To the northwest and north they are separated from the Bohemian Massif by the Forecarpathian Lowland and the Lesser Poland Upland; to the west the Moravian Gate leads over to the Sudetes. To the south the mountain chain falls away towards the Pannonian Plain, a large plain situated between the Alps, the Dinaric Alps, and the main mass of the Eastern Carpathians.

The boundary between the Western Carpathians and the Eastern Alps is formed by the Vienna Basin, the Hainburg Hills of the Little Carpathians at Devín Gate, and a gap carved by the Danube. To the east and northeast the mountains are bounded by the East Slovak and Sandomierz Basins, but it is less striking and passes through highland terrain that continues to the Eastern Carpathians.