TheThe PyreneesPyrenees MountainsMountains

By Tom DoreBy Tom Dore

TheThe PyreneesPyrenees RegionRegion

WhereWhere AreAre They ?They ?• The Pyrenees Mountains lie

across the border between France and Spain.

• They are 420 km long (270miles), and stretch from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea.

• In the heart of the Pyrenees is Andorra, one of the smallest states in the world with only 464 square km of land.

WhatWhat isis TheThe LandscapeLandscape LikeLike ??• There are lots of high rocky

peaks made of granite which does not erode.

• The highest mountain (Pic De Aneto) is 3,404 meters high.

• The average height of the mountains is 2,700 metres.

• The west is higher than the east.

• The highest peaks are always covered with snow.

• The highest valleys contain tiny glaciers (ice rivers).

WhatWhat isis TheThe LandscapeLandscape LikeLike ??

• There are many mountain torrents and waterfalls: the highest is at Gavarnie (462 m).

• Lower slopes are used for agriculture and grazing animals.

• There is much more rain and snow on the western slopes which affects the conditions e.g. it is more fertile and there are more trees on the western side.

HowHow CanCan YouYou GetGet ThereThere ??By Aeroplane

There are airports in neighbouring

towns in France and Spain:• Pau• Perpignan• Toulouse• Barcelona

(see multimap map at back of file.)

HowHow CanCan YouYou GetGet ThereThere ??By RoadThe main roads between France & Spainpass close to the sea at both ends of the mountain range:• E70 on the West side• A75/E15 on the East side.

There are 2 passes through the mountains:• Col de Somport (A23)

between Pau and Jaca• Col de la Perche (E09)

between Mont Louis and Ribas de Fresser

Concrete avalanche deflectors are built over the roads to keep them open & protect

vehicles

The Bielsa Tunnel goes through the mountainside to join France and Spain

HowHow CanCan YouYou GetGet ThereThere ??By TrainTrain links between big cities in France

and Spain run along the coasts.

There are train links from Toulouse to ski resorts in the mountains.

There is also a little tourist train which runs

through the mountains and stops at:• Colliure• Toulouse• Lourdes• Biarritz

WhatWhat dodo peoplepeople inin thethe areaarea d doo ??Sporting Activities

Winter Sports: alpine skiing

snowboarding

Mountaineering

Walking

Cycling

Canoeing

Horse riding

WhatWhat dodo peoplepeople inin thethe areaarea dodo ??Jobs

Tourism:• Work in hotels and restaurants.• Work as sport instructors and tour guides.

Farming:• Raising sheep and goats

• On the southern slopes: Vineyards• In the western valleys: Cereal

Fruit• In Andorra: Tobacco

Rye & wheat

Potatoes

Other industries:• Hydroelectric power production• Making cigars and cigarettes (in Andorra)

ReasonsReasons forfor itsits specialspecial charactercharacter

• The high, rocky mountains restrict agriculture so few people live there.

• High snowfall is great for winter sports.

• There are large waterfalls which generate hydro-electric power

• Lower slopes are good for farming ; they are warm and wet

• Foothills have been inhabited by many races throughout history; a main route through France and Spain.

TheThe PyrenianPyrenian peoplepeople

The Romans lived here and built a road through the

mountains to link the countries of France and Spain.

Lots of different peoples and cultures gather here: – Catalan speakers around Andorra– Basques in the western area– French in the north– Spanish to the south

OtherOther InformationInformation

• The Mountains are named after an ancient Greek legend that said a lady called Pyrene (meaning fire in Greek) fled in to the mountains after she saw that she had given birth to a snake. She then was either eaten or buried there.

• On the French side of the Pyrenees there is an observatory on Pic Du Midi Du Bigorre to study the stars.

InformationInformation SourcesSources

• Wikipedia

• Encyclopaedia Britannica

• Multimap

• Google Images

• Pyreneesmaps.com

• School Pyrenees Video

• Woodlands junior website