Editing Pyrenees (section)

== Geography ==

=== Political divisions ===
The '''Spanish Pyrenees''' are part of the following [[Provinces of Spain|provinces]], from east to west: [[Girona Province|Girona]], [[Barcelona Province (Spain)|Barcelona]], [[Lleida Province|Lleida]] (all in [[Catalonia]]), [[Huesca Province|Huesca]] (in [[Aragon]]), [[Navarra]] (in [[Navarre]]) and [[Gipuzkoa]] (in the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque Country]]).

The '''French Pyrenees''' are part of the following ''[[département]]s'', from east to west: [[Pyrénées-Orientales]] (also known as [[Northern Catalonia]]), [[Aude]], [[Ariège (department)|Ariège]], [[Haute-Garonne]], [[Hautes-Pyrénées]], and [[Pyrénées-Atlantiques]] (the latter two of which include the [[Pyrenees National Park]]).

The independent principality of [[Andorra]] is sandwiched in the eastern portion of the mountain range between the [[Spanish Pyrenees]] and [[French Pyrenees]].

[[File:Pyrenees composite NASA.jpg|frame|center|Composite satellite image of the Pyrenees ([[NASA]])]]
[[File:Aneto 01.jpg|thumb|[[Pico de Aneto]], the highest mountain of the Pyrenees, [[Aragon]] ([[Spain]])]]
[[File:Pic de Bugatet.jpg|thumb|[[Pic de Bugatet]] in the [[Néouvielle massif]]]]
[[File:Pedraforca.jpg|thumb|[[Pedraforca]], Catalonia (Spain)]]
[[File:El Turbó..jpg|thumb|left|[[El Turbón]], 2,492 m ([[Aragon]])]]
[[File:Baretous piemont Pyreneen.jpg|thumb|Baretous Valley and Piedmont plain, in the French western Pyrénées]]
[[File:Gavarnie-Cirque.JPG|thumb|[[Cirque de Gavarnie]] with its 422 metre high waterfall, [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]] (France)]]
[[File:San Mauricio lake.jpg|thumb|Sant Maurici lake in the [[Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park]], Catalonia (Spain)]]

=== Physiographical divisions ===
[[File:Monteperdido y Cilindro.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Monte Perdido]], [[Aragon]] (Spain)]]
[[Physical geography|Physiographically]], the Pyrenees may be divided into three sections: the Atlantic (or Western), the Central, and the Eastern Pyrenees. Together, they form a distinct physiographic province of the larger Alpine System division.

In the Western Pyrenees, from the [[Basque mountains]] near the [[Bay of Biscay]] of the Atlantic Ocean, the average elevation gradually increases from west to east.

The Central Pyrenees extend eastward from the [[Somport]] pass to the [[Aran Valley]], and they include the highest summits of this range:<ref name=EB1911/>
* [[Pico de Aneto]] {{convert|3404|m|ft|0}} in the Maladeta ridge,<ref name=EB1911/>
* [[Pico Posets]] {{convert|3375|m|ft|0}},<ref name=EB1911/>
* [[Monte Perdido]] {{convert|3355|m|ft|0}}.<ref name=EB1911/>

In the Eastern Pyrenees, with the exception of one break at the eastern extremity of the ''Pyrénées Ariégeoises'' in the [[Ariège (department)|Ariège]] area, the mean elevation is remarkably uniform until a sudden decline occurs in the easternmost portion of the chain known as the [[Albères]].<ref name=EB1911/>

==== Foothills ====
{{main|Pre-Pyrenees}}
Most [[foothill]]s of the Pyrenees are on the Spanish side, where there is a large and complex system of ranges stretching from Spanish [[Navarre]], across northern Aragon and into Catalonia, almost reaching the [[Mediterranean]] coast with summits reaching {{cvt|2600|m}}.<ref>[http://www10.gencat.net/probert/catala/prop_lleure/pdf/pirineusprepirineus.pdf Pirineus-Prepirineus] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723144756/http://www10.gencat.net/probert/catala/prop_lleure/pdf/pirineusprepirineus.pdf |date=23 July 2008 }}</ref> At the eastern end on the southern side lies a distinct area known as the [[Sub-Pyrenees]].<ref>Jordi Sacasas i Lluís, ''Geografia de Catalunya'', Publicacions L'Abadia de Montserrat. {{ISBN|978-84-8415-915-5 }}</ref>

On the French side the slopes of the main range descend abruptly and there are no foothills except in the [[Corbières Massif]] in the northeastern corner of the mountain system.<ref>Christophe Neff : ''Les Corbières maritimes – forment-elles un étage de végétation méditerranéenne thermophile masqué par la pression humaine ?'' In: Eric Fouache (Edit.): ''The Mediterranean World Environment and History. IAG Working Group on Geo-archeology, Symposium Proceedings. Environmental Dynamics and History in Mediterranean Areas, Paris, Université de Paris – Sorbonne 24 – 26 avril 2002''. Paris, 2003, 191 – 202, (Elsevier France, {{ISBN|2-84299-452-3}}).</ref>