CANTABRIAN MOUNTAINS

Spanish Cordillera Cantbrica, mountain chain generally extending along the northern coast of Spain for approximately 180 miles (300 km). Scenic and well-forested (with beeches and maritime pines), the mountains are geologically of similar origin to the Pyrenees, though classified as a separate formation. They comprise a series of high ridges rising inland from Torrelavega, in Cantabria and Palencia provinces, and crossing (east-west) Asturias and northern Len toward Galicia. Fractures have sharply demarcated the range from the Castilian plateau (part of the Meseta Central) in the south and the Cantabrian coastlands in the north, but the eastern and western limits are indistinct. The eastern foothills south of Cantabria rise abruptly into the gigantic limestone mountains of the Europa Peaks (8,688 feet ) and the Labra Peak (6,581 feet ). The main ridge continues westward, usually less than 60 miles (100 km) wide but with elevations of 5,0007,000 feet (1,5002,000 m). Most of the higher peaks, including Vieja, Prieta, and Espigete, exceed 8,000 feet (2,500 m) and are along the main ridge. West of the Narcea River valley, the ranges change their east-west trend and the Sierra de Raadoiro runs almost north-south. The main ridge divides into the Sierra de Ancares and the Sierra del Caurel to the northwest, and the Sierra de Gistreo and the Len Mountains, to enclose the basin of El Bierzo, which is drained by the upper Sil River. These chains are a more impressive barrier than the Pyrenees. The Oviedo-Len railway crosses the Pajares Pass at 4,524 feet (1,379 m) and is one of the most difficult railway passes in Europe. The region is economically important because of its iron and coal deposits and as a source of hydroelectric power for the coastal region.