The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and South-Central Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and North Macedonia to Albania in the southeast.

The Dinaric Alps extend for approximately along the western Balkan Peninsula from the Julian Alps of northeast Italy and northwest Slovenia, downwards to the Šar and Korab massif, where their direction changes. The Accursed Mountains are the highest section of the entire Dinaric Alps; this section stretches from Albania to Kosovo and eastern Montenegro. Maja Jezercë, standing at above the Adriatic, is the highest peak and is located in Albania.

The Dinaric Alps are one of the most rugged and extensive mountainous areas of Europe, alongside the Caucasus Mountains, Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathian Mountains and Scandinavian Mountains. They are formed largely of Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary rocks of dolomite, limestone, sandstone and conglomerates formed by seas and lakes that once covered the area. During the Alpine earth movements that occurred 50 to 100 million years ago, immense lateral pressures folded and overthrust the rocks in a great arc around the old rigid block of the northeast. The main tectonic phase of the orogenesis in the area of the Dinaric Karst took place in Cenozoic Era (Paleogene) as a result of the Adriatic Microplate (Adria) collision with Europe, and the process is still active. The Dinaric Alps were thrown up in more or less parallel ranges, stretching like necklaces from the Julian Alps as far as northern Albania and Kosovo, where the mountainous terrain subsides to make way for the waters of the Drin River and the plains of Kosovo.

Name

The Dinarides are named after Mount Dinara (1,831 m), a prominent peak in the center of the mountain range on the border separating Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Names of the chain in local languages include or ; ; or ; .

Geology

thumb|upright=1.04|Valbona Pass, northern [[Albania]]

The Dinaric Karst region is built mostly of Mesozoic limestone and dolomite deposited on top of a huge Bahama-type carbonate platform, while a few kilometers thick carbonate successions have been deformed during the Alpine orogenesis. The main tectonic phase of the Alpine orogenesis in the Dinaric Karst region took place in the Cenozoic Era (Paleogene) as a result of the Adriatic microplate (Adria) collision with the Serbo-Macedonian and Rhodope Massifs, and the process is still active. a large, flat-floored depression within karst limestone, whose long axis develops in parallel with major structural trends and can become several miles (tens of kilometers) long. Superficial deposits tend to accumulate along the floor; drainage may be either by surface watercourses (as an open polje) or by swallow holes (as a closed polje) or ponors. Usually, the ponors cannot transmit entire flood flows, so many poljes become wet-season lakes. The structure of some poljes is related to the geological structure, but others are purely the result of lateral dissolution and planation. The development of poljes is fostered by any blockage in the karst drainage. At the same time, the purity of these rocks is such that the rivers are crystal clear, and there is little soil-making residue. Water quality testing of the Jadro River, for example, indicates the low pollutant levels present. Rock faces are often bare of vegetation and glaring white, but what little soil there is may collect in the hollows and support lush lime-tolerant vegetation, or yield narrow strips of cultivation.

Human activity

Ruins of fortresses dot the mountainous landscape, illustrating evidence of centuries of war and the refuge that the Dinaric Alps have provided to various armed forces. During the Roman period, the Dinarides provided shelter to the Illyrians resisting Roman conquest of the Balkans, which began with the conquest of the eastern Adriatic coast in the 3rd century BC. Rome conquered the whole of Illyria in 168 BC, but these mountains sheltered Illyrian resistance forces for many years until the area's complete subjugation by 14 AD. More recently, the Ottoman Empire failed to fully subjugate the mountainous areas of Montenegro. In the 20th century, too, the mountains provided favourable terrain for guerrilla warfare, with Yugoslav Partisans organising the most successful Allied resistance movements of World War II.

The area remains underpopulated, and forestry and mining remain the chief economic activities in the Dinaric Alps. The people of the Dinaric Alps are on record as being the tallest in the world, with an average male adolescent height of . The people of Bosnia and Herzegovina have the highest recorded average of any single country, with 183.9 cm average for men and 171.8 cm for women.

Mountain passes

The main mountain passes of the Dinaric Alps are:

  • Postojna Gate (Postojnska vrata), Slovenia (),
  • Vratnik pass, Croatia ()
  • Debelo brdo, Serbia ()
  • Knin Gate (Kninska vrata), Croatia (about )
  • Vaganj, Croatia/Bosnia-Herzegovina ()
  • Ivan-Saddle (Ivan-sedlo), Bosnia-Herzegovina ()
  • Kupres Gate (Kupreška vrata), Bosnia-Herzegovina ()
  • Čemerno, Bosnia-Herzegovina ()
  • Crkvine, Montenegro ()
  • Čakor, Montenegro ()

Tunnels

Major tunnels transversing the Dinaric Alps include:

  • Tuhobić Tunnel, Croatia
  • Sveti Rok Tunnel, Croatia
  • Mala Kapela Tunnel, Croatia
  • Sveti Ilija Tunnel, Croatia

Rail lines

The famous Zagreb–Split via Bihać, Sarajevo–Ploče, and Belgrade–Bar railways traverse the mountains.

Mountains and plateaus

[[File:Dinaric Alps subdivisions-fr.svg|thumb|upright=1.36|Geomorphological subdivisions of Dinaric Alps

<br> Legend: <br>

A1: The area of the North Adriatic – the territory of Istria and the Kras area <br>

A2: Northern Adriatic – North Adriatic islands <br>

A3: Mountains of Dalmatia – Central mountain range <br>

A4: Dalmatian Mountains – Coastal Mountain Range <br>

A5: The mountains of southern Dalmatia and Mediterranean Herzegovina <br>

A6: The islands of Central and South Adriatic and Peljesac <br>

A7: Primorje Mountains of Montenegro <br>

A8: Coastal and Central Montenegro Mountains – Garač and Katun plateau <br>

A9: Mountains of the Montenegrin Rudina <br>

A10/11: Mountains of Low Herzegovina <br>

B1: Group of Trnovski gozd <br>

B2: Snežnik and Risnjak plateaus <br>

B3: Plateaus of Inner Carniola and Lower Carniola <br>

B4: Velika Kapela <br>

B5: Massive Velebit <br>

B6: Mala Kapela and central Lika <br>

B7: Massif Lička Plješivica <br>

B8: Massif Dinara <br>

B9: Šator <br>

B10: Cincar <br>

B11: Klekovača (S) and Grmeč (N) <br>

B12: Raduša <br>

B13: Čvrsnica <br>

B14: Massif Prenj <br>

B15: High mountains of Herzegovina – Velež and Herzegovinian Rudine <br>

B16: Mountains of High Herzegovina – Mountain range of Crvanj-Lebršnik <br>

B17: Zelengora Group <br>

B18: Bioč-Maglic-Volujak Group <br>

B19: Vranica Group <br>

B20: Bjelašnica (Southern Sarajevo Mountains) <br>

B21: Mountain range Golija-Vojnik <br>

B22: <br>

B23: Durmitor area <br>

B24: Sinjajevina <br>

B25: The Morača Mountains and Maganik <br>

B26: Ljubišnja <br>

B27: Massif Bjelasica <br>

B28: Komovi <br>

B29: Visitor <br>

B30: Kučke planine () <br>

B31: Albanian Alps <br>

C1: Group of Kočevski Rog <br>

C2: Žumberak / Gorjanci Group <br>

C3: Central and Eastern Bosnia Mountains – Vlašić Group <br>

C4: Central Bosnia Mountains <br>

C5: Eastern Bosnia Mountains <br>

C6: Central and Eastern Bosnia Mountains – Jahorina Group <br>

C7: Mountains of Stari Vlah and Raška (Sandžak) – Kovač-Podrinje Group <br>

C8: Mountains of Stari Vlah and Raška (Sandžak) – Zlatar-Pešter Group <br>

C9: Mountains of the Stari Vlah – the central group <br>

C10: Mountains of Serbia – Podrinje-Valjevo mountains <br>

C11: Pre-Dinaric Mountains: Kozara (NW) och Majevica (SE).

]]

The Dinaric Alps are often divided into the Adriatic Platform, the Inner Dinarides and the Outer Dinarides, and sometimes the Supradinaric Nappe. But geologists often differ on which mountains belong to which group.

The mountains and plateaus within the Dinarides are found in the following regions:

Albania

{|

|-

|

  • Maja Jezercë – (highest peak)
  • Maja Grykat e Hapëta
  • Maja Radohimës
  • Maja e Popljuces
  • Maja Briaset
  • Maja Hekurave
  • Maja Shnikut
  • Maja Tat
  • Kolata e Mirë

|

  • Maja Rosit
  • Maja Kokervhake
  • Maja Shkurt
  • Maja Malësores
  • Maja e Ragamit
  • Maja Bojs
  • Maja Vukoces
  • Shkëlzen
  • Maja e Kakisë

|}

Bosnia and Herzegovina

{|

|

  • Dinara &ndash; range's eponym
  • Maglić &ndash; highest peak in Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Bjelašnica
  • Cincar
  • Crvanj
  • Čabulja
  • Čvrsnica
  • Grmeč
  • Igman
  • Jahorina
  • Javor
  • Kamešnica
  • Klekovača
  • Konjuh
  • Kozara

|

  • Lebršnik
  • Lelija
  • Orjen
  • Osječenica
  • Ozren
  • Majevica
  • Motajica
  • Manjača
  • Prenj
  • Plješivica
  • Raduša
  • Romanija

|

  • Trebević
  • Treskavica
  • Šator
  • Velež
  • Visočica
  • Vlasulja
  • Vlašić
  • Volujak
  • Vran
  • Vranica
  • Zelengora
  • Zvijezda

|}

Croatia

{|

|

  • Dinara &ndash; highest peak in Croatia, and second highest of Dinara
  • Kamešnica
  • Kozjak
  • Mosor
  • Omiška Dinara
  • Biokovo
  • Vrgorsko gorje
  • Učka
  • Ćićarija
  • Velebit
  • Svilaja
  • Velika Kapela
  • Mala Kapela
  • Žumberak
  • Sniježnica

|

|}

Italy

{|

|

  • Karst Plateau

|

|}

Kosovo (disputed territory)

{|

|

  • Gjeravica &ndash; highest peak in Kosovo
  • Rrasa e Zogut
  • Gusani
  • Bjeshket e Deçanit
  • Majrashi
  • Guri i Kuq
  • Bjeshket e Rugoves
  • Bjeshket e Thata

|

|}

Montenegro

{|

|

  • Accursed Mountains &ndash; Zla Kolata, highest peak in Montenegro
  • Bijela gora
  • Durmitor
  • Hajla
  • Lovćen
  • Maganik
  • Njegoš
  • Orjen
  • Rumija
  • Sinjajevina

|

|}

Serbia

{|

|

  • Mokra Gora &ndash; highest peak in Serbia
  • Tara
  • Zlatibor
  • Zlatar
  • Golija
  • Jadovnik
  • Javor
  • Ozren
  • Bobija
  • Pešter
  • Medvednik
  • Kamena Gora

|

  • Jabuka
  • Čemernica
  • Javorje
  • Ovčar
  • Sokolska planina
  • Pobijenik
  • Murtenica
  • Gradina
  • Subjel
  • Kablar
  • Magleš

|

  • Golubac
  • Banjsko brdo
  • Krstac
  • Crni Vrh
  • Hum
  • Zvijezda
  • Suvobor
  • Gučevo
  • Debela gora
  • Povlen
  • Maljen

|}

Slovenia

{|

|

  • Gorjanci
  • Kambreško and the Banjšice Plateau
  • The Trnovo Forest Plateau (), Nanos, and Hrušica
  • Javornik Hills and Snežnik
  • Krim Hills and Menišija
  • Bloke
  • The Velika Mountain, Stojna and the Gotenica Mountain
  • The Mala Mountain, the Kočevski Rog and the Poljane Mountain
  • Dry Carniola and Dobrepolje
  • Radulja Hills

|

|}

References

  • Discover Dinarides Project
  • Environment for People in the Dinaric Arc Project
  • Mega-trail across highest peaks of Dinaric Alps, Via Dinarica Trail