Scandinavian mountains - a ramified network of mountain ranges and numerous deep rivers

The mountain system on the Scandinavian peninsula of Northern Europe, with a total length of 1,700 km and a width of 1,300 km, is called the Scandinavian Mountains. The western part of the mountain slopes approaches the North Sea, forming steep and steep banks, peninsulas, capes, islands. The steepness and inaccessibility of the mountains is proved by 178 tunnels laid on the section of the Oslo-Bergen (Norway) railroad. The eastern part gradually decreases and passes into the Norland plateau. The Scandinavian mountains are an upland, which consists of separate elongated ridges, plateaus, and inland valleys. In many places, there are aligned surfaces intersected by deep fjords and valleys. The modern relief was formed due to water erosion, ice, wind and snow activity.

The mountain massif forms numerous fjords, which were formed under the action of glaciers. These are sea bays that cut deep into the land, with high rocky shores. As a rule, the depth of the Scandinavian fjords reaches one kilometer.

It is believed that the Scandinavian mountains are low. The maximum peak - Galakhepiggen mountain with a height of 2469 m - is located on the southern slope of the mountain system, on the territory of Norway. The highest point in Sweden - Mount Kebnekaise (2111 m) - is located in the northern part of the peninsula. The Scandinavian mountain system is covered with glaciers, which are considered to be the largest in the European part. The climate in these parts is moderate, only in the zone of the extreme north - subarctic.

On the territory of Sweden, in the Scandinavian mountains (in Lapland), there is a large national reserve "Sarek". It was founded in 1909 and covers an area of 194,000 hectares. In this area there are over 90 mountain peaks in height from 1800 meters. Among them are mountain rivers, waterfalls, gorges and 100 glaciers.

The Scandinavian mountains are permeated with a dense river network, which is formed by the predominance of the humid maritime climate and the intensive dismemberment of the mountain massif. Rivers, as a rule, are short and deep, full of waterfalls and countless rapids. Their maximum filling begins in the spring, mainly from the melting of snows and heavy rains, less often from glaciers. Due to the high speed of the current, ice does not form on the rivers in winter. These mountains in Europe have a large number of lakes of tectonic-glacial origin.

Where the height of the mountains reaches 1000 meters in the southern part and up to 500 meters in the northern, the slopes are covered with coniferous taiga forests. The forest massif of the western slopes alternates with bush vegetation and peat bogs. In these parts, pine and spruce predominate predominantly. Outside these heights, a belt of birch woodlands extends to a height of 200 m, which is replaced by a zone of mountain tundra. Local residents use this area in the summer to graze livestock.

In the eastern part of the mountains, broadleaf and mixed forests predominate . The fauna of the Scandinavian mountains is represented by hares, foxes, moose, reindeer, squirrels, roe deer, seals. Among the birds in the woods there are hazel grouse, black grouse, wood grouse, on the seacoast and lakes there are water birds. In sea and river waters, there are many commercial fish.

Scandinavian mountains are rich in deposits of pyrites, copper, iron, lead and titanium. In the North Sea, in the shelf part, there are oil reserves.