Relief of the Basque Relief of the Basque CountryCountry

Mountains and landscapesMountains and landscapes

Relief unitsRelief units

There are three There are three main areas:main areas: PyreneesPyrenees

Basque mountainsBasque mountains

Ebro’s depressionEbro’s depression

PyreneesPyrenees

This mountain range This mountain range covers from the covers from the Table of the Three Table of the Three Kings to Larrun. Kings to Larrun.

There are three There are three areas:areas: NorthernNorthern AxialAxial SouthernSouthern

PyreneesPyrenees

Axial Pyrenees: It is Axial Pyrenees: It is formed by the Paleozoic formed by the Paleozoic massifs of Bortziriak, massifs of Bortziriak, Larrun, Urtzumendi, Larrun, Urtzumendi, Aldude-Kinto, Oroz-Aldude-Kinto, Oroz-Betelu, Irati-Mendibeltza Betelu, Irati-Mendibeltza and Iguntza’s massif. and Iguntza’s massif.

These mountains are These mountains are not very high but they not very high but they are very stepped and are very stepped and the activity of rivers is the activity of rivers is very important on them.very important on them.

PyreneesPyrenees

South Pyrenees: South Pyrenees: Interior mountainsInterior mountains

It is the highest It is the highest area, with Orhi, area, with Orhi, Auñamendi. Auñamendi.

There are covered by There are covered by limestone and they limestone and they were folded up were folded up during the Alpine during the Alpine orogenesis.orogenesis.

Orhi 2017m

PyreneesPyrenees

South Pyrenees: South Pyrenees: Interior depressionInterior depression

It goes from It goes from Irunberri to Irunberri to Pamplona following Pamplona following Araquil river basin.Araquil river basin.

Materials are Materials are tertiary with sectors tertiary with sectors of flysch. Rivers cut of flysch. Rivers cut this perpendicularly. this perpendicularly.

Araquil basin

PyreneesPyrenees

South Pyrenees: South Pyrenees: Exterior mountainsExterior mountains

The orography is The orography is simple. simple.

The mountains go The mountains go losing height and losing height and they have several they have several glaciers. glaciers.

Leire range

PyreneesPyrenees

Northern PyreneesNorthern Pyrenees They go loosing They go loosing

height height progressivelyprogressively

Some valleys have Some valleys have glacial originglacial origin

Basque MountainsBasque Mountains

There are not as There are not as high as the high as the Pyrenees and they Pyrenees and they have two different have two different directions so that directions so that we can distinguish we can distinguish two sectors:two sectors: NorthernNorthern SouthernSouthern

Northern Northern Basque MountainsBasque Mountains

It goes in parallel It goes in parallel to the coast. to the coast.

The traditional The traditional modeling is karsts modeling is karsts in the area of in the area of Gorbea and Aralar. Gorbea and Aralar.

It presents It presents different sectorsdifferent sectors

Northern Northern Basque MountainsBasque Mountains

Coastal tertiary Coastal tertiary mountain rangemountain range From the East of From the East of

Guipuzcoa to Guipuzcoa to Getaria.Getaria.

The most important The most important part is the part is the monoclinal close to monoclinal close to the coast in which the coast in which the most important the most important relief is Jaizkibel-Ulia.relief is Jaizkibel-Ulia.

Northern Northern Basque MountainsBasque Mountains

Coastal anticlinoriaCoastal anticlinoria From Bortziei to From Bortziei to

Matxitxako. Matxitxako. In this area are In this area are

Ernio, Izarraitz, Ernio, Izarraitz, Arno, Illuntzar and Arno, Illuntzar and Sollube. Sollube.

The dominant rock The dominant rock is limestone and the is limestone and the modeling of karsts.modeling of karsts.

Northern Northern Basque MountainsBasque Mountains

Biscay’s sinclinoriaBiscay’s sinclinoria It goes from Punta It goes from Punta

Galea to Bortzirieta and Galea to Bortzirieta and Aldudes-Kinto. Aldudes-Kinto.

The mountains of the The mountains of the region are Unbe, region are Unbe, Bizkargi, Oiz, Urko, Bizkargi, Oiz, Urko, Elosua and Murumendi. Elosua and Murumendi.

There are sandstones, There are sandstones, flysch and basalt. flysch and basalt.

Some forms are Some forms are rounded, mainly in the rounded, mainly in the narrow courses of narrow courses of rivers.rivers.

Northern Northern Basque MountainsBasque Mountains

Biscay’s anticlinoriaBiscay’s anticlinoria From Bortzirieta to From Bortzirieta to

Ordunte, with the Ordunte, with the mountains: Aralar, mountains: Aralar, Aizkorri, Anboto, Gorbea Aizkorri, Anboto, Gorbea and Ganekogorta. and Ganekogorta.

It is a section with It is a section with constant changes of constant changes of height and medium height and medium height. height.

The main materials are The main materials are limestone and the relief limestone and the relief is monoclinal. is monoclinal.

Southern Basque mountainsSouthern Basque mountains

They are located in They are located in the Mediterranean the Mediterranean slope and their slope and their structure belongs structure belongs to a big sinclinal. to a big sinclinal.

It is common to It is common to find in this region find in this region hanging sinclinals hanging sinclinals and monoclinals. and monoclinals.

Southern Basque mountainsSouthern Basque mountains

Alava’s plainAlava’s plain It is the elongation It is the elongation

of the depression of the depression of the Pyrenees. of the Pyrenees.

It is a sinclinoria It is a sinclinoria and relieves are and relieves are deep.deep.

Southern Basque mountainsSouthern Basque mountains

Western mountain Western mountain rangesranges They close the plain They close the plain

from the West and from the West and are formed by are formed by limestone with limestone with monoclinal monoclinal structure. structure.

Arkamo, Salvada eta Arkamo, Salvada eta Gibixo are in this Gibixo are in this section in which the section in which the highest mountain is highest mountain is Eskutxi.Eskutxi.

Southern Basque mountainsSouthern Basque mountains

Central mountain Central mountain rangesranges They expand They expand

between Alava and between Alava and Navarre: Andia, Navarre: Andia, Urbasa, Entzia, Urbasa, Entzia, Iturrieta and Iturrieta and Mountains of Mountains of Gasteiz. Gasteiz.

Southern Basque mountainsSouthern Basque mountains

Southern mountain Southern mountain rangesranges Toloño mountain Toloño mountain

range separates range separates Treviño from Alavan Treviño from Alavan Rioja. Rioja.

The relief is The relief is complex, with complex, with several crests. several crests.

Ebro’s depressionEbro’s depression

It is the area crossed It is the area crossed by Ebro River and it by Ebro River and it is a sedimentary is a sedimentary basin. basin.

The sector in central The sector in central Navarre was the limit Navarre was the limit of an ancient tertiary of an ancient tertiary lake and it has a lake and it has a slopped relief with slopped relief with crests. crests.

Ebro’s depressionEbro’s depression

The most amazing The most amazing area is that of area is that of Bardenas because Bardenas because due to the presence due to the presence of material that of material that answers to erosion answers to erosion in different ways in different ways results in a results in a landscape in with landscape in with there are different there are different levels. levels.