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Tatras
Tatras
Panorama of Tatras
Panorama of Tatras

The Tatra Mountains, Tatras or Tatra (Tatry in both Slovak and Polish), constitute a mountain range which forms a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland They occupy an area of 750 km², the major part (600km²) of which lies in Slovakia. The highest mountain is Gerlachovský štít at 2,655 m, located in Slovakia. Gerlachovský štít ( translated into English as Gerlachov Peak, Gerlachovský Peak or Gerlach Peak) is the highest peak in the High Tatras The north-western peak of Rysy (2,499 m) is the highest Polish mountain. Rysy (Tengerszem-csúcs Meeraugspitze is a mountain in the crest of the High Tatras, at the Polish - Slovak border

The Tatras consist of:

The Tatra Mountains are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains. The Western Tatras (Západné Tatry Tatry Zachodnie are mountains in the Tatras, part of the Carpathian Mountains, located on the Polish - Slovak The Eastern Tatras form part of the European Tatra Mountains range in Poland and Slovakia. High Tatras or High Tatra (Slovak and Czech Vysoké Tatry, Polish Tatry Wysokie) are a Mountain range on the borders between Slovakia Belianske Tatras (Belianske Tatry is a mountain range in the Eastern Tatras in North Central Slovakia The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати Although considerably smaller than the Alps, they are classified as having an alpine landscape. Their high mountain character, combined with great accessibility, makes them popular with tourist and scientists.

Contents

Description

The area is a well-known winter sports area, with resorts such as Poprad and the town (Mesto) Vysoké Tatry in Slovakia (in English literally (Town of the High Tatras); created in 1999 and including the former separate resorts Štrbské Pleso, Starý Smokovec, and Tatranská Lomnica), and Zakopane, the "Winter Capital" of Poland. A winter sport is a Sport commonly played during Winter. As a formal term it refers to a sport played on Snow or Ice, but informally can refer Poprad is also the name of a river in Slovakia and Poland (see Poprad River) Poprad ( Poprád Deutschendorf is a Vysoké Tatry (literally High Tatras) informally Mesto Vysoké Tatry (literally The Town of High Tatras) is a town in the High Tatras A resort is a place used for Relaxation or Recreation, attracting visitors for Holidays or Vacations Resorts are places towns or sometimes Štrbské pleso ( Hungarian: Csorbató or Csorba-tó, German: Tschirmer See, Polish: Szczyrbskie jezioro Starý Smokovec (Ótátrafüred Altschmecks Stary Smokowiec is a part of the town of Vysoké Tatry in northern Slovakia in the Tatras. Tatranská Lomnica is a town in the Slovakian part of the High Tatras mountains Zakopane is a town in southern Poland with some 28000 inhabitants (2004 situated in Lesser Poland Province since 1999 (in 1975–98 it was part of Nowy

The High Tatras, with their 24 (or 25) peaks over 2500 m above sea level, are, together with the Southern Carpathians, the only mountain ranges with an Alpine character in the whole 1200km length of the Carpathian Mountain range. The Southern Carpathians (Carpaţii Meridionali also called the Transylvanian Alps, are a group of Mountain ranges which divide central and southern Romania

Štrbské Pleso in the High Tatras, Slovakia
Štrbské Pleso in the High Tatras, Slovakia

The Tatras should be distinguished from another Slovak mountain range, the Low Tatras (in Slovak Nízke Tatry), situated south of the Tatras. Štrbské pleso ( Hungarian: Csorbató or Csorba-tó, German: Tschirmer See, Polish: Szczyrbskie jezioro The Low Tatras or Low Tatra (Nízke Tatry Alacsony Tátra is a Mountain range in central Slovakia. Sometimes, however, the term 'Tatras' is used freely to refer to both the Tatras and the Low Tatras.

Landscape

The Tatra Mountains (especially the High Tatras) are known to have undergone four glaciations. The most extensive transformations were caused by a glacier 100–230 m thick; the most apparent features of this process are the numerous cirques and mountain lakes. A cirque ( French for " Circus " is an Amphitheatre -like Valley, or valley head formed at the head of a Glacier by The mountains were shaped by glacial erosion, which formed many alpine cliffs, some up to 1,000 m high.

Climate

The Mountains lie in the temperate zone of Central Europe. Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and They are an important barrier to the movements of air masses. Their mountainous topography causes the most diverse climate in that region.

The effects of global warming in the Tatra Mountains started to be visible around the 1980s.

Winds

The average wind speed on the summits is 6 m/s.

Temperature

Temperatures range from −40 °C in the winter to 33 °C in warmer months. Temperatures also vary depending on altitude and sun exposure of a given slope. Temperatures below 0 °C last for 192 days on the summits.

Precipitation

Highest precipitation figures are recorded on northern slopes. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric In June and July monthly precipitation reaches around 250 mm (10 in). The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to Precipitation occurs for 215 to 228 days a year. Thunderstorms occur 36 days a year on average.

Snow cover

Maximum thickness on the summit amounts to around 320 cm (125 in) in March. Peaks are sometimes covered with snow throughout the year. Avalanches are frequent.

Flora

Delphinium oxysepalum from the genus Delphinium near Tatranská Lomnica
Delphinium oxysepalum from the genus Delphinium near Tatranská Lomnica

The Mountains have a diverse variety of plants. Delphinium is a Genus of about 250 Species of annual biennial or perennial Flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, Tatranská Lomnica is a town in the Slovakian part of the High Tatras mountains They are home to more than 1,000 vascular plants, about 450 mosses, 200 hepatics, 700 lichens, 900 fungi, and 70 slime moulds. Vascular plants (also known as tracheophytes or higher plants) are those Plants that have lignified tissues for conducting Mosses are small soft Plants that are typically 1–10  cm (0 The Marchantiophyta are a division of Bryophyte Plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Lichens (ˈlaɪkən or /lɪtʃən/ are symbiotic associations of a Fungus (the mycobiont with a photosynthetic partner (the photobiont also known as A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ Slime Mold is a broad term referring to amoeba-like organisms hence the name slime which feed on microorganisms in decaying vegetable matter hence the name Molds There are five climatic-vegetation belts in Tatras:

The distribution of plants depends on altitude:

Fauna

The Tatra Mountains are home to many species of animals: 54 tardigrades, 22 turbellarians, 100 rotifers, 22 copepods, 162 spiders, 81 molluscs, 43 mammals, 200 birds, 7 amphibians and 2 reptiles. For the babyfood see Beech-Nut. Beech ( Fagus) is a genus of ten Species of Deciduous Trees in the Spruce refers to Trees of the genus Picea, a genus of about 35 species of Coniferous Evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae Mountain Pine or Mugo Pine ( Pinus mugo) is a high-altitude European Pine, found in the Pyrenees, Alps, Erzgebirge Subnivean (or subniveal) refers to a zone that is in or under the snow layer Lichens (ˈlaɪkən or /lɪtʃən/ are symbiotic associations of a Fungus (the mycobiont with a photosynthetic partner (the photobiont also known as Tardigrades (commonly known as water bears) form the Phylum Tardigrada, part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa. Turbellaria are a group of generally small ( Platyhelminthes. The rotifers make up a Phylum of microscopic and near-microscopic pseudocoelomate Animals They were first described by Rev Copepods are a group of small Crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat and they constitute the biggest source of protein in the oceans Molluscs are animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca. There are around 250000 extant Species within the phylum with an estimated 70000 Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and

The most notable mammals are the Tatra chamois, marmot, snow vole, brown bear, wolf, Eurasian lynx, red deer, roe deer, and wild boar. The Tatra chamois ( Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica; Slovak: Kamzík vrchovský tatranský; Polish: Kozica tatrzańska) is a subspecies Marmots are members of the Genus Marmota, in the Rodent family Sciuridae (squirrels The Brown Bear ( Ursus arctos) is an Omnivorous Mammal of the family Ursidae, distributed across much of northern Eurasia and The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora The Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx) is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian forests where it is one of the predators The Red Deer ( Cervus elaphus) is one of the largest Deer species The European Roe Deer ( Capreolus capreolus) is a Deer species of Europe, Asia Minor, and Caspian coastal regions The boar or wild boar ( Sus scrofa) is an Omnivorous, gregarious Mammal of the biological family Suidae. Notable fish include the brook trout and alpine bullhead. The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, (sometimes called the eastern brook trout, Adirondack coaster lake trout) is a Species of Fish

The endemic species include the caddis fly, spider Xysticus alpicola and wingless springtail. Endemism is the Ecological state of being unique to a place Endemic species are not naturally found elsewhere Caddisflies, sedge-flies or rail flies (Order Trichoptera, from Greek trich, "hair" and ptera, "wings"

Human involvement

Visible consequences of the 2004 storm
Visible consequences of the 2004 storm

The Tatra Mountains were used in the 18th and 19th centuries for sheep grazing and mining and many trees were cut down to make way for human exploitation. Although these activities were stopped, the impact is still clearly visible. Moreover, there are new problems. Pollution from the industrialized regions of Kraków, Ostrava and Orava and uncontrolled tourism are damaging the mountains. Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Ostrava ( pronounced, Ostrau Ostrawa is the third largest city in the Czech Republic, however it is the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague

The Slovak Tatra National Park (Tatranský národný park; TANAP) was founded in 1949, and the contiguous Polish Tatra National Park (Tatrzański Park Narodowy) was founded in 1954. Tatra(s National Park (Tatranský národný park abbr TANAP is one of the nine national parks in Slovakia. Tatra National Park (Tatrzański Park Narodowy abbr TPN is a National Park located in the Tatra mountains in Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Both areas were added to the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve list in 1993. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 The World Network of Biosphere Reserves was established at the International Conference on Biosphere Reserves in Seville in 1995.

On 19 November 2004, large parts of the forests in the southern part of the High Tatras were damaged by a strong wind storm. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface and strongly implying Severe weather. Three million cubic metres of trees were uprooted, two people died and several villages were totally cut off. Further damage was done by a subsequent forest fire, and it will take many years until the local ecology is fully recovered. A wildfire, also known as a wildland fire, forest fire, brush fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, Peat fire, See also Nature The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a terminology that is comprised of all living and

Mountain peaks

Batizovský štít above the Batizovské pleso lake
Batizovský štít above the Batizovské pleso lake
Eastern Tatras:
Peaks of Western Tatras
Peaks of Western Tatras
Western Tatras:

Notable people

Ludwig Greiner identified Gerlachovský Peak as the summit of the Tatras, Carpathians. The Eastern Tatras form part of the European Tatra Mountains range in Poland and Slovakia. Gerlachovský štít ( translated into English as Gerlachov Peak, Gerlachovský Peak or Gerlach Peak) is the highest peak in the High Tatras Lomnický štít (Lomnický peak is one of the highest and most visited mountain peaks in the High Tatras mountains in Slovakia. Rysy (Tengerszem-csúcs Meeraugspitze is a mountain in the crest of the High Tatras, at the Polish - Slovak border Kriváň ( is a mountain in the High Tatras, Slovakia, that dominates the upper part of the former Liptov County Slavkovský štít is a mountain peak in the High Tatras mountains in Slovakia. Batizovský štít is a double-peak 2448 metres high mountain in the High Tatras in Slovakia. Świnica ( Polish) or Svinica ( Slovak) is a mountain in the main crest of the High Tatras, on the Polish-Slovak border The Western Tatras (Západné Tatry Tatry Zachodnie are mountains in the Tatras, part of the Carpathian Mountains, located on the Polish - Slovak Bystrá is the highest mountain in the Western Tatras in Slovakia, near the Polish border Klin is a peak in the High Tatras, on the border between Slovakia and Poland. Kasprowy Wierch (in Polish) or Kasprov vrch (in Slovak) is a mountain in the Western Tatras. Giewont (pronounced Gyeh-vont is a Mountain Massif in the Tatra Mountains of Poland, and is 1894 metres AMSL at its highest Ludwig Greiner was an influential 19th-century forest and lumber industry management expert who improved the effectiveness of woodland valuation methods in the Kingdom Gerlachovský štít ( translated into English as Gerlachov Peak, Gerlachovský Peak or Gerlach Peak) is the highest peak in the High Tatras The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати

Bibliography

Ján Lacika, Tatras (2nd edition), Bratislava 2006. ISBN 80-88975-95-6

External links

Commercial tourism-oriented websites

Mountaineering

Photography

films

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