1. The Pyrenees Mountains By Tom Dore

2. The Pyrenees Region

3. Where Are They ? The Pyrenees Mountains lie across the border between France and Spain. They are 420 km long (270miles), and stretch from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea. In the heart of the Pyrenees is Andorra, one of the smallest states in the world with only 464 square km of land.

4. What is The Landscape Like ? There are lots of high rocky peaks made of granite which does not erode. The highest mountain (Pic De Aneto) is 3,404 meters high. The average height of the mountains is 2,700 metres. The west is higher than the east. The highest peaks are always covered with snow. The highest valleys contain tiny glaciers (ice rivers).

5. What is The Landscape Like ? There are many mountain torrents and waterfalls: the highest is at Gavarnie (462 m). Lower slopes are used for agriculture and grazing animals. There is much more rain and snow on the western slopes which affects the conditions e.g. it is more fertile and there are more trees on the western side.

6. How Can You Get There ? By Aeroplane There are airports in neighbouring towns in France and Spain: Pau Perpignan Toulouse Barcelona (see multimap map at back of file.)

7. How Can You Get There ? By Road The main roads between France & Spain pass close to the sea at both ends of the mountain range: E70 on the West side A75/E15 on the East side. There are 2 passes through the mountains: Col de Somport (A23) between Pau and Jaca Col de la Perche (E09) between Mont Louis and Ribas de Fresser Concrete avalanche deflectors are built over the roads to keep them open & protect vehicles The Bielsa Tunnel goes through the mountainside to join France and Spain

8. How Can You Get There ? By Train Train links between big cities in France and Spain run along the coasts. There are train links from Toulouse to ski resorts in the mountains. There is also a little tourist train which runs through the mountains and stops at: Colliure Toulouse Lourdes Biarritz

9. What do people in the area do ? Sporting Activities Winter Sports: alpine skiing snowboarding Mountaineering Walking Cycling Canoeing Horse riding

10. What do people in the area do ? Jobs Tourism: Work in hotels and restaurants. Work as sport instructors and tour guides. Farming: Raising sheep and goats On the southern slopes: Vineyards In the western valleys: Cereal Fruit In Andorra:Tobacco Rye & wheat Potatoes Other industries: Hydroelectric power production Making cigars and cigarettes (in Andorra)

11. Reasons for its special character The high, rocky mountains restrict agriculture so few people live there. High snowfall is great for winter sports. There are large waterfalls which generate hydro-electric power Lower slopes are good for farming ; they are warm and wet Foothills have been inhabited by many races throughout history; a main route through France and Spain.

12. The Pyrenian people The Romans lived here and built a road through the mountains to link the countries of France and Spain. Lots of different peoples and cultures gather here: –Catalan speakers around Andorra –Basques in the western area –French in the north – Spanish to the south

13. Other Information The Mountains are named after an ancient Greek legend that said a lady called Pyrene (meaning fire in Greek) fled in to the mountains after she saw that she had given birth to a snake. She then was either eaten or buried there. On the French side of the Pyrenees there is an observatory on Pic Du Midi Du Bigorre to study the stars.

14. Information Sources Wikipedia Encyclopaedia Britannica Multimap Google Images Pyreneesmaps.com School Pyrenees Video Woodlands junior website