The Pyrenees

See also: the Pyrenees (homonymy)

The the Pyrenees or the chain of the Pyrenees indicates a mountainous chain located in the south-west of the Europe and which extends in length according to a East-West direction, Gulf of Lions (Mediterranean) to the the Bay of Biscay (Cantabric Mer). Culminating with 3.404 meters of altitude to the Peak of Aneto, they form a genuine geographical barrier separating the Iberian peninsula in the south from the continental rest of Europe in north, thus constituting a natural border between the Spain and the France. They shelter also the principality of Andorra.

The chain of the Pyrenees crosses three areas and six departments French, of is in west the Languedoc-Roussillon (the Eastern Pyrenees and Aude), the the Midday-Pyrenees (Ariège, Haute-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrénées), and the Aquitaine (Yrénées-Atlantiques). Spanish side, it crosses four autonomous communities and seven Provinces of Spain, of is in west the Catalogne (Gérone, Barcelona and Lérida), the Aragon (Huesca and Saragossa), the Navarre (community made up of only one province of the same name) and the Spanish Basque Country (Guipuscoa).

Etymology

There exist several possible etymologies with the name given to this assembly line:

  1. the term “the Pyrenees” comes from the character resulting from the Greek Mythologie Pyrène ( Πυρήνη ), girl of Bebryx, sovereign of the Bébryces. According to the legend, after it had been killed by wild beasts, Héraclès of which it carried the child decided to give its name to the mountainous solid mass where it rests in the Grotte of Lombrives; Héraclès built to him a tomb with the height of the love which it carried to Pyrène, i.e. an assembly line. The word “the Pyrenees” was already known in old Greek: the term Πυρηναῖα ( Pyrēnaîa ) appears at Plutarque.

  2. Another etymology makes derive “the Pyrenees” from piren , word Celtibère meaning “mountain”. One also finds this origin in the names Spanish los Pirineos/el Pirineo , Occitan los Pirenèus , Catalan els Pirineus/el Pirineu , Aragonese bone Perinés like Basque Pirinioak .
    But that does not explain nor the presence of - there in French and cannot mean that all these languages inherited this word: indeed, the Greek word forwarded by the Latin Pyrenaeus and in the Romance Langues except in French it - there changed into - I to give the Pyrenees , Pirineos etc
  3. Another etymology advanced makes derive the Pyrenees from pouranaya , of will poura (vast) and naga (mountain), word resulting from the Ligure, language of the people which occupied the France before the Celtes.
  4. a text of Diodore of Sicily (first century BC) reports that, formerly, the Pyrenees were covered with forests which were set fire to by the shepherds. Ground itself having burned - and given rise to pure money brooks -, the name of the Pyrenees (of the old Greek πῦρ pŷr , fire) was given to these mountains.

Geography

See also: Geography of the Pyrenees

In physical Geography, the Pyrenees form a chain of rectilinear pace, rather narrow, an overall length of 430 kilometers of the Cape de Creus side the Mediterranean in Hendaye side Atlantique. The Western delimitation can however appear arbitrary, since the Pyrenees are based gradually in the Basque mountains which in their turn join the Cantabrian Mountains (either a pyrénéo-Cantabric axis reaching 1  000 km of mountainous continuity). The simplest geographical definition of the Pyrenees is due to their character " isthmique" : between the Mediterranean and the point nearest to the Bay of Biscay. Beyond starts the chain (will cordillera) basco-Cantabric. The Pyrenean valleys are frequently directed North-South (with some notable exceptions like the Vallée of Ordesa), and its high summits are shelled without real discontinuity, which explains why from one end to another of the chain, there exists little of practicable points of passage between the septentrional slope and the southernmost slope. Thus the Franco-Spanish Frontière follows about the line of the peaks, the principal exception to this rule being formed by the Val of Aran, which depends on Spain but is located on the septentrional slope of the solid mass. Other " anomalie" , the fall Cerdagne located on the southernmost slope of the chain, but divided between the France and the Spain. To fix an approximate limiting width at the solid mass, one can say that the Pyrenean Piedmont is diluted in the basin of the Èbre Spanish slope, and in the Aquitanian Bassin and the low valley of the Aude French slope.

Geological structure

See also: Geology of the Pyrenees

The Sédiment S of the genesis of the Pyrenees settled in littoral basins during the Paléozoïque (era primary) and of the Mesozoic (secondary era).
Then, with the Cretaceous inferior (150 - 100 My), under the effect of a oceanic opening, the the Bay of Biscay was spread in range, tightening Spain against France and taking large layers of these sediments out of vice: the tightening and the rising of the Earth's crust started by assigning the oriental party to extend gradually to all the chain, uplift and deformation culminating with the Eocene , at the beginning of the Cénozoïque (tertiary era).
The oriental party of the Pyrenees especially makes up of crustal rocks (Granite S and Gneiss), whereas in the Western part the granite peaks are flanked layers Calcaire s.
the massive character and little cut out chain is due to this preponderance of crustal rocks, offering little catch to the erosion, like with the weak development of the Glacier S.

Landscapes

Among the distinguishing marks relating to the Pyrenean landscapes, one can distinguish:

  • many small valleys mainly directed according to the North-South axis.
  • the absence of big lakes, compared with the solid mass of the the Alps for example, however small lakes and ponds are in very great number, and can reach depths higher than 100 meters.
  • scarcity and the rise in the collars of mountain.
  • the presence of many domestic herds left in freedom the summer around Mountain pastures, with height of the alpine stage.
  • a high number of Gave S , torrents which cross the cliff in spectacular cascades, are characteristic of the French Pyrenees, escarpées as a whole than the Spanish Pyrenees. They cause high falls of water, exceeded in Europe only by those of Scandinavia and that of Reichenbach in the Swiss Alps.
  • the frequency of the circuses: melts higher of a valley in the form of escarpées cliff half-circle. Let us quote for the example the Cirque of Gavarnie, the Cirque of Troumouse, the Cirque of Litor, the Cirque of Marcadau, etc

The highest water fall (422 m) is with the source of the Gave of Pau on the level of the Cirque of Gavarnie , .

Solid masses and tops

See also: List of the solid masses and tops of the Pyrenees, Pyrenean List UIAA of the 3000

The culminating point of the Pyrenees is the peak of Aneto (3  404 meters), located on the Spanish slope. High summits, located above 3  000 m, are mainly in the central Pyrenees, in area the Midday-Pyrenees French side, and in the autonomous Communauté of Aragon Spanish side: there exists in all 129 principal tops and 83 secondaries rising above the 3  000 meters and divided into 11 zones (for an exhaustive inventory of the tops of more than 3  000 meters to see the Pyrenean List UIAA of the 3000). To note that this mythical limit of the 3  000 was born current 19th century following the French revolution which institutionalized the Metric system (before one counted in Toise), generating a true passion for the rise of such tops (see Pyrénéisme). All the famous solid masses and tops do not reach 3  000 meters: let us quote, for example, the solid mass of the Corbières which culminates with 1  230 m with the Peak of Bugarach, the Peak of the South of Bigorre (2  877 m) and the Peak of the South of Ossau (2  885 m) quite visible since the plain, the Peak of Annie (2  504 m), Large Gabizos (2  692 m), the Montardo (2  833 m), Rhune (905 m), etc

Lakes and river

See also: List of the lakes of the Pyrenees, : Category: River resulting from the Pyrenees

The hydrographic system of the Pyrenees east made up of a very great number of small lakes and ponds ( Ibón in Aragonese) marking out of not fewer Gave S and other rivers. There is no " large lacs" in the Pyrenees (as in the Alps): the greatest artificial reserve of the Pyrenees, the Lac Cape-of-Length has a surface of 110 ha. More the big lake of the Spanish Pyrenees is the Lac of Certascan, under the Pic of Certascan. However the number of lakes is impressive (between 1  500 and 2  500 according to the diameter selected), as their depth (can be higher than 100 meters).

The gaves digging the rock often start with long underground rivers like those of Bétharram before spouting out in the form of small torrents whirling, being able to give place to very narrow and deep throats like the Gorges of Galamus, or perforated impressive like that of the Grotte of the Farmhouse of Azil. In addition, the important rivers gave their name to the departments, Provinces of Spain or Comarque S which they cross: the Aragon, the Ariège, the Aude, the the Garonne.

Valleys

The valleys of the Pyrenees in general narrow, are directed North-South and particularly boxed French side near the high frontier chain (up to 2000 meters of uneven). The majority of the valleys underwent the glacial erosion as testify some the morainic deposits (remarkable in valley of Campan) and certain flat funds (valley of Aure towards St Lary Soulan, valley of Noguera Pallaresa towards Esterri d' Aneu, valley of Rio Cinqueta towards Plan…). If they are less broad than those of the Alps and deprived of lakes that explains especially by the lowest surface of the Pyrenees, which did not allow the formation of large " langues" glacial (the largest glaciers reached Piedmont however: Ossau, Gave of Pau, the Garonne, Ariège). In the solid masses limestones, especially Spanish slope, one observes many Canyon S (Kakouetta, Vellos, Anisclo…). Some were formerly englacés, others not, but the glaciers there did not station sufficiently a long time or were of low size and did not leave of significant trace. It is thus about a primarily river erosion of the type. The canyons conceal a very great floristic and faunistic diversity.

Climate and vegetation

See also: Climate of the Pyrenees, Vegetation of the Pyrenees

By their latitude and their orientation the Pyrenees separate two great climatic units and plants: oceanic in the west and north, continental and Mediterranean in the south and the east.

The oceanic influence of the North-West, coming from the very close Bay of Biscay, is intense at the Pays Basque (office pluralities pluviometric from 150 to 250 cm/an, relatively soft winters and fresh summers: averages of +1° in January to +13° in July around 1200 m of altitude). It is prolonged on the four fifths of the chain while pouring northern (until the department of the Aude), while it penetrates little on the southern slope (hardly further that mountains from Navarre then in the vicinity immediate of the frontier peaks). While penetrating the earths pluviometry is moderated while remaining regular (100 to 150 cm/an on average mountain, locally 200 cm on the highest solid masses of the Pyrenees Occidentales) and the thermal amplitude increases (to 1200 m: 0° in January, +14° in July). The green pastures alternate with forests of oaks with null and void sheets in valley and Piedmont, beeches and fir trees on average mountain. The high limit of the forest ranges between 2000 and 2500 m (pines with hooks), leaving room to the subalpine moors (heather, rhododendrons) then, above 2500 to 3000 m, with the stone drains, firns and small glaciers.

By pouring Southern (Aragon, Western Catalonia, Andorra, Cerdagne) the mode of precipitations is primarily fed by the disturbances of South in West of Atlantic origin, which are subject to a continental influence at the time of their crossing of the Iberian peninsula and are reactivated in contact with the Pyrenean relief. Precipitations are rarer but often more intense than while pouring northern, which explains why the sunning is much better whereas the pluviometric office pluralities are comparable (100 to 150 cm/an) if one excludes arid Piedmont (approximately 50 cm/an). The moderate oceanic air being pushed back by the high chain, the winters are relatively cold and the hot summers (to 1200 m: 0° in January, +15° in July). Medium mountains presents a typically Mediterranean vegetation: stony scrubland, forests of holm oaks and pines. Only the highest valleys maintain a certain greenery, sheltering beeches and fir trees locally. The stage altimontain would hardly be different from that of the northern slope if the prevalence of the grounds limestones in the south were not a constraint superimposing itself on the climate and who lowers the high limit of the plant.

Finally the East of the chain is close to the southern slope by its vegetation, but differs by its mode from precipitations: the Mediterranean generates disturbances, rare but sometimes torrential on the first mountainous slopes met. The transborder area located between Canigou and the town of Olot, is particularly sprinkled (100 to 150 cm/an). Apart from these episodes, the dryness is a current phenomenon.

Flora

See also: Flora of the Pyrenees

The flora of the Pyrenees comprises approximately: 4500 species, whose some 160 species endemic S. For the trees, one notes the presence of pines to hooks (Pinus uncinata) in altitude (subalpine stage), Hêtre S (Fagus sylvatica) and Sapin S (Abies alba) on average mountain (mountain stage), then Chêne S and Châtaignier S on the low slopes constitutes the principal gasolines (stage collinéen). Agriculture is limited in the valleys to the Céréale S and the fruit trees.

The Mediterranean influence makes that the Eastern Pyrenees, sunnier, have a floristic composition different from the remainder of the chain. The orientation of west is chain had as a consequence that a great number of species which were present at the north of this area during the tertiary era disappeared because of the cold during the last great glaciation (maxiumum glacial towards -20  000 years): they indeed butted while migrating towards zones of low more lenient latitudes against the assembly line, than they could not cross. However, some species could remain in valleys protected from the Pyrenees, becoming endemic zone.

Fauna

See also: Fauna of the Pyrenees

The fauna of the Pyrenees also presents some seizing examples of Endémisme: the Desman of the Pyrenees or mole rat (Galemys pyrenaicus), watery mammal whose surface of distribution extends to the two slopes from the Pyrenees and the mountainous solid masses from the North-West from the Iberian peninsula (only a close species belonging to the same kind is confined with the rivers of the the Caucasus, in southernmost Russia). The euprocte of the Pyrenees (Euproctus asper), batrachian Urodele near to the salamander, alive in the rivers of altitude, is also characteristic. Among the other characteristics of Pyrenean fauna are the blind insects of the Caverne S of the Ariège, the principal kinds being the Anophthalmus and the Adelops . It will be noted that the Bouquetin of the Pyrenees or ibex ( Capra pyrenaica ssp. pyrenaica ) mysteriously died out in the years 1998 - 2001, as for the Brown bear indigenous of the Pyrenees (see Ours of the Pyrenees), it was driven out until its quasi-extinction in the years 1990. Attempts at reinforcement of the species take place since 1996 by slackening bears brought of Slovenia.

Other species:

National parks and natural reserves

See also: Protected spaces of the Pyrenees

The fauna and the Flore of the central part of the Pyrenees are protected by the National park from the Pyrenees French slope and by two national parks, the National park of Aigüestortes and lake Saint-Maurice in " Encantats " and the National park of Ordesa and of Mount-Lost, Spanish slope. To that, are added national natural reserves in the Western Pyrenees like that of the Néouvielle and the valley of Ossau, as well as many Catalan natural reserves (Prats-of-Mollo, Nohèdes, Py, Mantet, Vallée of Eyne, Jujols, Conat, Massane). There exist finally regional natural reserves in Ariège (Embeyre), in the Eastern Pyrenees (Nyer) and the Hautes-Pyrénées (Pibeste). The many natural sites classified with the title of the law on the protection of the landscapes and the orders of the prefect of protection of Biotope, the reserves biological and the reserves of wildlife also testify to the ecological interest of the Pyrenean solid mass.

Of the Pyrenees and Men

Prehistoric period

See also: History of the Pyrenean settlement

The oldest presence of a member of the human line (kind Homo ) is attested in the area as of - 800  000 years (Paleolithic inferior) with Homo antecessor with Atapuerca (northern of the Spain), then with the Man of Tautavel towards -: 450000 ans, (common of Tautavel in the Department of the Eastern Pyrenees).

During all the Paleolithic means, the zone of the Pyrenees will be occupied by the Homme of Néandertal (Grottes of Gargas, the Noisetier or Isturitz), before this last is not replaced by the modern Homme with the Paléolithique superior. The Caves of Gargas (period gravetienne) and of Niaux (period magdalénienne) testify through the parietal Art to the presence and complexity to the human society to the time. Climatic radoucissement towards -: 10000 years (Holocene) to this culture of “the age of the reindeer” in the zone of the Pyrenean Piedmont puts an end: the large herds of the steppes go up towards north; the forest cover extends, the technique of hunting evolves then consequently to the Azilien (common of the Farmhouse-with Azil in Ariège).

The Néolithisation, or passage of a saving in predation (drive out-gathering) to a saving in production (agriculture-breeding), will be done slowly by diffusion starting from the Mediterranean coast (see running cardial): the penetration of the novel methods is done from the coast according to the rivers (Èbre, Aude). The coast Atlantique knows also a later current of neolithisation with the Mégalithisme (certificate many Harrespil S and Menhir S in the Département of the Yrénées-Atlantiques).

With the Bronze Age and the Âge of Iron begins the mining of the solid mass, rich person also in Or and Argent. The Protohistoire sees the development of the Gaztelu zahar .

See also: Origins of the Basques, Prehistory of the Iberian peninsula

Historical period

The zone “returns in the History” with the first Greek counters Mediterranean side (Empúries), then the Roman conquests of the Catalogne towards 210 av. J. - C. and of the Narbonnaise towards 118 before J.C. Rome conquers finally all the zone (Roman Conquête of Hispanie gradually, conquest of the Aquitaine by Crassus in 56 av. J. - C.) and divides the territory according to 3 Roman provinces under the Roman Empire: Novempopulanie Aquitaine side, Narbonnese Languedoc side, and Tarraconaise side Iberian peninsula. To the Early middle ages, the territory fall under the domination from the Visigoths at the 5th century then arabo-Moslems at the 8th century. the Francs will quickly recover the zone in the north of the Pyrenees, and the Reconquista on Spanish slope will see being born from the kingdoms starting from the Pyrenean valleys which will be the Royaume of Navarre and the Royaume of Aragon.

See also:

The Franco-Spanish Frontière is the fruit of a long evolution in the relations between the France and the Spain: a first treaty, the Traité of Corbeil (1258) under Saint-Louis establishes zones of influences between the Royaume of France and the Royaume of Aragon on each side of the Pyrenees, except the Roussillon which belongs to the Catalogne. The northern part of Navarre, or Low-Navarre, is attached to France under Henri IV while the remainder of Navarre, or High-Navarre, returns to the crown of Spain. It will be necessary to await 1659 and the Traité of the Pyrenees so that a " frontière" on paper is fixed: the Roussillon or northern Catalogne is attached definitively to the crown of France, the border follows grosso-modo the watershed, i.e. the line of the highest peaks, except some territories as the enclave of Llivia (see the Traité of Llivia). However, this delimitation not being marked " physiquement" on the ground, no zone of right is defined and the country communities continue to enjoy for example habits of Pacage S on the grounds of the adjoining country on other side of the border. It will be necessary to await the treated of Bayonne in 1856 so that the litigations between frontier communities are regulated, and that it is decided the installation of 602 regularly spaced terminals thus defining the current border.

The recent historical evolution explains the preponderance of the French language in north and Spanish in the south even if it are not originating in the area. Among the local languages which are maintained exists the Catalan (Catalogne - Roussillon - Andorre - Eastern fringe of the Aragon), the Occitan (French side and Val of Aran), the Basque (Biscay - Guipuscoa - northern of the Navarre - south-western of the Yrénées-Atlantiques) and the Aragonese (northern of the Aragon).

Pyrenean mythologies

See also: Pyrenean Mythology

The Pyrenean unit knew an uninterrupted human occupation. If the mountain character could facilitate a relative insulation of the populations, like a certain spirit of independence with respect to the central capacities, it does not remain about it less than the Pyrenees are also an axis of passage, as of the Préhistoire. There are some testimonys of very old worships, local gods being able to be attached to Gallic traditions Celtes and , and more specifically Basques, which one knows that the zone of influence covered the major part of the central and Western Pyrenees. Many of these gods were thereafter compared to Roman gods . In accordance with the tradition, the worships followed one another without stopping. Many churches, enchased in their walls, of the steles and the “pagan” furnace bridges. The Mégalithe S were the subject of ritual until the 19th century, where the Church with process with authoritative “christianizations”. Thereafter, the gods lose little by little their statute to yield the place to more or less familiar and worrying divinities, governing the agro-pastoral activities, protecting and punishing the criminals. From there, the sylvains like Tantugou in high Comminges, the Silvan Aragonese , and an infinite variety of wild, often covered men of hairs, like the Basque Basajaun, to finish by Giant S having the appearance of a Croquemitaine S, Bécut S, Tartaro or others, misadventures of the Cyclops S of the Antiquity, initially alarming, then victims of their silly thing in popular tales. The topicality of times always finds a new youth to them: wild men are called Iretges (heretics) in remembering a time when one pursued deviating them of the Christianisme, Cathare S or others. The dwarf and Imp S, like the Lamiña K of the Basque Country, are omnipresent.

Christianity brings its own mythologies. Many legends ( Mulat-Bores , Millaris , Shepherd the Thousand year old minus one day, etc) related to the appearance of the first snow, symbol of a new world, are reported to the appearance of Christianity and the end of the ancients, holders of lost knowledge (the Jentils). The protective saints of the agro-pastoral activities take the place of the divinities. The megaliths, objects of often uninterrupted worships until the 19th century, are christianized authoritatively by the Church. Lastly, the appearances of the Virgin Mary, many before most famous, that of Heavy, are a Pyrenean specificity. Many of these appearances occurred in or near caves having known a prehistoric habitat, and where appearances of Damas blancas were reported, white ladies, i.e. fairies.

Apart from some collections isolated, initially on the French slope, then, in a way more pushed, on the Spanish slope, there were few general studies of Pyrenean mythology until Olivier de Marliave.

Exploitation and economy of the zone solid mass

  • the Primary sector remains strong in this area not very favourable with a great urbanization: one notes a great pastoral activity in altitude, the Estive S covering: 575000 ha., are nearly a third of the surface of the solid mass. Side agriculture, the Mediterranean slope is favourable with the culture of the vine (Massif of Corbières); the many rivers authorize on the level collinéen and in the plains the irrigation of orchards and agricultural fields. One notes also the presence of a Filière wood.

  • the Secondary industry was very developed during the 20th century, with evolutions currently contrasted: heavy industry tends to even move back while the artisanal activities (with more than 334 different activities) are maintained, progress.
  • the Tertiary sector is on the contrary under development strong due to the rise of tourism and a strong immigration on the coasts. Tourism occupies an important part in the current economy of the solid mass, in addition to the winter sports resorts, one notes a big number of thermal spas and hotel trades. The high mountain attracts the hikers for its landscapes and its wild side, while Piedmont is visited more for the places in charge of history (Chemins of Saint-Jacob de Compostelle, paths of name cathare,…)
    • List of the winter sports resorts of the Pyrenees: there exists more than 50 winter sports resorts distributed all along the chain.
    • : Category: Thermal spa of the Pyrenees
    • List of Pyrenean castles
    • Pyrenean List of the abbeys and monasteries

Statistics French side of the socio-professional distribution:

  • Farmer - owner: 7%
  • Craftsman, trading: 9,5%
  • Intermediate occupations: 19%
  • Employed: 32%
  • Working: 26,5%
  • Frameworks - intellectual professions: 6,5%

Administration and town and country planning

The administration of the territory is of course different according to the countries: French side cutting in areas, departments, districts and cantons; Spanish side cutting in autonomous communities, provinces, Comarque S; Andorran side, cutting in parishes.

French side, Pyrenean space is defined and delimited administratively according to the law Montagne of the January 9th 1985, the Pyrenean solid mass is consisted " each mountainous area and the zones which are immediately contiguous for him and which form with it the same geographical entity, economic and sociale" (Art.5L n°85-30). It is a unit of fitting-out and programming. Town and country planning aims at to it the economic regrouping of communes with the creation of Intercommunalité S and country (see the article Pays of the Pyrenees), and the massive opening-up of the zone with the construction of expressway or highways on each slope or transnational (see the article Franco-Spanish Frontière). The highway network includes/understands the highway A64, known as the Pyrenean one, which counts 90 km in the zone solid mass, 500 km of trunk roads and: 2000 km. secondary roads; the rail network as for him includes/understands 350 km of which a pole of transborder exchange to Enveitg (Département of the Eastern Pyrenees) with Spain and Andorra. The highways A9 and AP-7 make it possible to cross the Eastern Pyrenees, the A63 and AP-8 the Western Pyrenees; the highway A66 will in the long term make it possible to connect Toulouse and Foix to Barcelona in hot line while passing close to Andorre.

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