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32-735: Plješivica is part of the Dinaric Alps , and it stretches in the northwest–southeast direction, extending from Bihać at its northwesternmost point and the mountain pass that separates it from Mala Kapela , along the Krbava field on Croatian side to the southwest and the Una River valley around Ripač on the Bosnian side to the northeast, continuing upstream along the Una by making its canyon southwestern slopes and ending near Donji Lapac . Inside

64-524: A mountain range in Southern and Southcentral 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 , and Kosovo to Albania in the southeast. The Dinaric Alps extend for approximately 645 kilometres (401 mi) along the western Balkan Peninsula from

96-705: A vast array of flora and fauna . In addition, it has been recognized as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in Europe. The Drin Delta is classified as an Important Bird Area of international importance by designation under the BirdLife International Convention. The name of the river is recorded in Ancient Greek as Drilon (Δρίλων) and in Latin as Drinus . The name

128-631: 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

160-517: Is communication possible across the Karst, and roads and railways tunnel through precipitous cliffs and traverse narrow ledges above roaring torrents. A number of springs and rivers rise in the Dinaric range, including Jadro Spring noted for having been the source of water for Diocletian's Palace at Split. At the same time, the purity of these rocks is such that the rivers are crystal clear, and there

192-555: Is considered to be of Illyrian origin. The form Drin- has been evidenced by Pliny the Elder ( fl. 1st century AD) and is most likely primary. The ancient name Drinus has undergone sound changes reaching the current Albanian form Drin through the evolution of Albanian sound changes . The Macedonian name of the river is Дрим, Drim . Homonym rivers are Drino between southern Albania and northwestern Greece , and Drina between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia . After

224-478: 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. Ruins of fortresses dot the mountainous landscape, evidence of centuries of war and

256-579: Is the most important corrosive force , dissolving the limestone by chemical action of its natural acidity. As it percolates down through cracks in the limestone it opens up fissures and channels, often of considerable depth, so that whole systems of underground drainage develop. During subsequent millennia these work deeper, leaving in their wake enormous waterless caverns , sinkholes and grottoes and forming underground labyrinths of channels and shafts. The roofs of some of these caverns may eventually fall in, to produce great perpendicular-sided gorges, exposing

288-523: The Adriatic Sea , in the Gulf of Drin and the other into the Bojana River . Its catchment area extends across Albania , Kosovo , Serbia , Greece , Montenegro and North Macedonia and is home to more than 1.6 million people. The river and its tributaries form the Gulf of Drin , an ocean basin that encompasses the northern Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast . At 285 kilometres (177 miles) long,

320-659: The Albanian Alps and Dukagjin Highlands , where three successive dams were erected between 1960s and late 1980s, forming 3 large artificial lakes. The Drin then passes Vau i Dejës and drains into the Adriatic Sea through its two distributaries in Buna river and west of Lezhë . Located in the Balkan Peninsula at the crossroad of Europe and Asia , the river basin's varied climate and topography have shaped

352-691: The Gulf of Drin into the Adriatic Sea southwest of Lezhë , forming the Mouth of Drin. The other empties into the Bojana River near the Rozafa Castle . The Black Drin flows out from the Lake Ohrid near Struga through western North Macedonia and then eastern Albania. The White Drin originates from the Žljeb mountain, north of the town of Peja in the Metohija region of Kosovo , and flows from there through to Albania. The basin encompasses

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384-540: The Julian Alps of the northeast Italy, 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 2,694 metres (8,839 ft) above the Adriatic , is the highest peak and is located in Albania. The Dinaric Alps are one of

416-547: 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 one of 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

448-543: The Balkans. No permanent ice caps existed, and there is little evidence of extensive glaciation . Only the highest summits of Durmitor , Orjen and Prenj have glacial valleys and moraines as low as 600 m (1,969 ft). However, in the Accursed Mountains ( Serbo-Croatian : Prokletije ), a range on the northern Albanian border that runs east to west (thus breaking the general geographic trend of

480-574: The Black Drin. The artificial Lake Fierza created by the dam at Fierzë is the largest artificial lake in Albania with its surface of 73 km . The second largest artificial lake is also built on this river. Vau i Dejës lake has an area of 25 km . Construction of the Fierza power station caused some controversy in the 1980s. Without reaching any agreement, the Albanian government ordered

512-464: The Dinaric Alps are on record as being the tallest in the world, with an average male adolescent height of 185.6 cm (6 ft 1.1 in). 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. The main mountain passes of the Dinaric Alps are: Major tunnels transversing the Dinaric Alps include: The famous Belgrade–Bar railway crosses

544-472: The Dinaric system), there is evidence of major glaciation. One geological feature of great importance to the present-day landscape of the Dinarides must be considered in more detail: that of the limestone mountains, often with their attendant faulting. They are hard and slow to erode, and often persist as steep jagged escarpments, through which steep-sided gorges and canyons are cleft by the rivers draining

576-668: The Drin is the longest river of Albania and its tributaries cross through both Kosovo and North Macedonia. Its northern tributary, the White Drin starts from the foothills of Žljeb , at White Drin Waterfall in west Kosovo, and flows generally south, whereas its southern tributary, the Black Drin originates from Ohrid lake in the town of Struga , North Macedonia and flows north. Both tributaries' confluence occurs near Kukës in northeast Albania and Drin then flows westwards through

608-676: The Serbo-Macedonian and Rhodope Massifs, and the process is still active. The Mesozoic limestone forms a very distinctive region of the Balkans , notable for features such as the Karst Plateau , which has given its name to all such terrains of limestone eroded by groundwater. The Dinarides are known for being composed of karst – limestone rocks – as is Dinara , the mountain for which they were named. The Quaternary ice ages had relatively little direct geologic influence on

640-480: The confluence of its two tributaries, near the town of Kukës in the northeast Albania , Drin flows west, passing through the Albanian Alps and Fierzë then upon reaching the Dukagjini highlands , flowing then to the south through Apripë e Gurit, Toplanë, Dushman, Koman , Vjerdhë Mazrrek, Rragam, and Pale Lalej. At Vau i Dejës , it enters the low Shkodër Field and splits into two distributaries. One empties into

672-506: The higher slopes. The partially submerged western Dinaric Alps form the numerous islands and harbors along the Croatian coast. The most extensive example of limestone mountains in Europe are those of the Karst of the Dinaric Alps. Here, all the characteristic features are encountered again and again as one travels through this wild and thinly populated country. Limestone is a very porous rock, yet very hard and resistant to erosion . Water

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704-457: The largest hydroelectric power station group in the Balkans regarding the installed capacity and reservoir capacity. The Drin is extremely important for the Albanian economy, especially for its electrical production. The three largest hydropower facilities produce 70.6% of Albania's electricity (approx. 1400MW of total installed capacity). North Macedonia has built two hydropower plants – Globocica (42 MW) and Spilje Hydro Power Plant (84 MW) on

736-498: The latter peak into the massif of Plješivica. The area in the south of Ozeblin and east of Kremen also includes other mountain tops like Javornik (1,292 m), Jasenov vrh (1,279 m), Razboj (Paverov vrh 1,269 m) and Strma Čemernica (Gutešin vrh 1,416 m). To the west is Mrsinj at 1,268 meters. This Croatian geography article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Dinaric Alps The Dinaric Alps ( / d ɪ ˈ n ær ɪ k / ), also Dinarides , are

768-604: 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

800-803: The mountainous terrain subsides to make way for the waters of the Drin River and the plains of Kosovo. The Dinarides are named after Mount Dinara (1,831 m), a prominent peak in the center of the mountain range on the border with the Dalmatian part of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Names of the chain in local languages include Albanian : Alpet Dinarike [alpɛt dinaɾikɛ] or Dinaret ; Italian : Alpi Dinariche [alpi dinarike] ; Serbo-Croatian : Динариди , Dinaridi or Динарско горје Dinarsko gorje [dìnarskòː ɡòːrjeː] ; Slovene : Dinarsko gorstvo [dìnarskòː ɡòːrstvòː] . The Dinaric Karst region

832-713: The mountains. The mountains and plateaus within the Dinarides are found in the following regions: Drin River The Drin ( / d r iː n / ; Albanian : Drin [dɾin] or Drini [ˈdɾini] ; Macedonian : Дрим , romanized :  Drim [drim] ) is a river in Southeastern Europe with two major tributaries – the White Drin and the Black Drin and two distributaries – one discharging into

864-528: The north parts of the mountain there used to be the Željava Air Base , the largest underground airbase in SFR Yugoslavia . On the top of Gola Plješevica there was military complex with intercept and surveillance radar "Celopek". The highest peaks: A bit further to the south of Plješivica is Kremen at 1,591 meters. A categorization of the highest points of Croatia by professor Vladimir Volenec, first published in 1990 and revised in 2015, has combined

896-561: The refuge 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,

928-422: The reservoir to be filled with water, which flooded some border areas of Kosovo , then part of Yugoslavia . The Yugoslav government protested, but no solution was agreed on. Thus, today, Lake Fierza is shared by Albania and Kosovo. The ancient name of the river was Drilon . The valley of the river was inhabited by several Illyrian peoples . It was probably dominated at some point and to some extent by

960-637: 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

992-1135: The surface to the water once more. The Dinaric rivers carved many canyons characteristic for Dinaric Alps, and in particular karst. Among the largest and most well known are the Neretva , the Rakitnica , the Prača , the Drina , the Sutjeska , the Vrbas , the Ugar , the Piva , the Tara , the Komarnica , the Morača , the Cem/Ciijevna , the Lim , and the Drin . Only along the Dinaric gorges

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1024-543: The transboundary subbasins of Lake Shkodër (largest lake in Southern Europe), Lake Ohrid (one of the most ancient lakes in the World), Lake Prespa and Small Prespa Lake and also the tributaries, namely Black Drin , White Drin and Bojana River . All these subbasins and tributaries are home to numerous species of mammals , vascular plants , insects , amphibians , fish and birds . Drin river contains

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