Carpathian Mountains facts for kids

The Carpathian Mountains are a huge mountain range in Central and Eastern Europe. They stretch for about 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) in a big curve. You can find them in many countries, including Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Austria, Serbia, and Hungary.

Satellite image of the Carpathians.

Abandoned observatory in Carpathia (Ukraine)

Where are the Carpathian Mountains?

The Carpathian Mountains start near the Danube River in Bratislava. They form a large semicircle, wrapping around areas like Transcarpathia and Transylvania. The mountains then end back at the Danube River in Romania.

This mountain range is very long, stretching over 1,500 kilometers. Its width changes a lot, from just 12 kilometers in some places to as wide as 500 kilometers in others! The Danube River separates the Carpathians from another famous mountain range, the Alps.

Parts of the Carpathians

The Carpathian Mountains are so big that they are divided into different sections. This helps people understand the different parts of the range.

Map of the Carpathian subdivisions.

Outer and Inner Carpathians

The mountains are generally split into two main parts:

• Outer Carpathians: These are the parts of the mountains on the outside of the big curve. They include areas like the Outer Western Carpathians and Outer Eastern Carpathians.
• Inner Carpathians: These are the parts of the mountains on the inside of the curve. They include the Inner Western Carpathians and Inner Eastern Carpathians.

A large part of the Outer Carpathians in Poland, Ukraine, and Slovakia is known as the Beskids.

Main Mountain Groups

The Carpathians can also be divided into larger groups, moving from west to east:

• Western Carpathians: These are the mountains found in the western part of the range. They include famous areas like the High Tatras in Slovakia and Poland.
• Eastern Carpathians: These mountains are in the central part of the range.
• Southern Carpathians: Also called the Transylvanian Alps, these are in the southern part of the range, mostly in Romania. They have some very tall peaks.
• Romanian Western Carpathians: These mountains are in the western part of Romania, like the Apuseni Mountains.
• Serbian Carpathians: These are the parts of the mountains that reach into Serbia.

Inner Western Carpathians, High Tatras, Poland.

Inner Western Carpathians, High Tatras, Slovakia.

The Carpathians are surrounded by flat areas called Outer Carpathian Depressions.

Coordinates: 47°00′N 25°30′E

Images for kids

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  On this map, Carpathians (Eastern Carpathians) are called Alpes Bastarnicae

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  Maramureș. Mountains in the north of Romania

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  Mukachevo, Western Ukraine

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  View from Sanok in Poland

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  Kežmarok in Slovakia

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  Hutsul people, living in the Carpathian mountains, circa 1872

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  Szczawnica in Poland, Pieniny, 1939

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  Shepherds in Beskids

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  The Feast of the Assumption of Mary in the Polish Carpathians

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  Vrátna dolina, Slovakia

See also

In Spanish: Montes Cárpatos para niños