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Pontic Mountains

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The Pontic Mountains are a huge mountain range. They sit in northern Anatolia in Turkey.

Pontic Panorama
Pontic Panorama

You can find them along the southern coast of the Black Sea. They run from the Sea of Marmara in the west. The mountains also stretch northeast into Georgia. They are also called the Parhar Mountains. This name comes from an old Hittite word for summit.

Zil Kalesi
Zil Kalesi

These mountains change how the weather works in the area. The range creates what is called a rain shadow effect. This means the mountains block rain from moving south. Because of this, the Anatolian Plateau is very dry. The coast stays mild and wet instead. The mountains sit near two big fault lines. These are the North Anatolian and Northeast Anatolian faults. They run along the whole length of the range.

People have used different names for these peaks for a long time. In ancient times, Greeks called them the Paryadres Mountains. The name Pontic comes from the Greek word Pontus. That word actually means sea. This is because the mountains sit by the sea. The Black Sea was once called the Euxine Sea. This name was used in ancient times too. Many different cultures have lived near these mountains.

There are many interesting facts about the size and life here. The highest peak is called Kaçkar Dağı. It rises up to 3,937 meters.

Pontic Panorama
Pontic Panorama

Much of the range is covered in thick forests. Most of these are conifer trees. Some parts are even temperate rainforests. These are very rare in the world. You might see a golden eagle there. Other birds include the eastern imperial eagle and the Eurasian sparrowhawk.

Nature is very busy in the Pontic Mountains. Many different types of wildlife live in the trees. You might find a Caucasian black grouse or a wallcreeper. The weather can be quite tough. Winters are very harsh in this region. Snow can even stay on high peaks during summer.

Zil Kalesi
Zil Kalesi

The mountains make a home for many special living things. They connect the sea to the high hills.

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File:Pontic Panorama.jpg
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Zil Kalesi.jpeg
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