- Also called:
- Jura
Jura Mountains
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What are the Jura Mountains?
The Jura Mountains are a range stretching 225 miles (360 km) along the Franco-Swiss border, primarily in Switzerland, known for dense forests, with jura meaning "forest". The highest peaks, such as Crêt de la Neige and Le Reculet in France, reach over 5,600 feet (1,700 meters).
Formed during the Cenozoic Era, the mountains consist of fossil-bearing limestone, inspiring the name for the Jurassic Period. The area has limited surface water due to the prevalence of limestone. The climate transitions from maritime to continental, with rainfall increasing to the south and west. Dairy farming is common in the high plateaus, while the western Jura supports vineyards. Tourism thrives due to the area's scenic beauty.
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Where are the Jura Mountains located in Europe?
The Jura Mountains are a range that extends for 225 miles (360 km) in an arc along the Franco-Swiss border, from the Rhône River to the Rhine. Though most of the range lies in Switzerland, a good portion of the western sector is in France. The mountains are named for their dense forestation, with jura meaning "forest".
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Which countries do the Jura Mountains stretch across?
The Jura Mountains stretch for 225 miles (360 km) in an arc along the Franco-Swiss border, lying mostly in Switzerland, but with a good portion of the western sector in France. The range extends from the Rhone River to the Rhine. The mountains were named for their dense forestation; jura means "forest".
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What type of rock mainly forms the Jura Mountains?
The Jura Mountains are primarily composed of fossil-bearing limestone formations, named "Jura Limestone" by Alexander von Humboldt. These limestone formations are the basis for the names Jurassic System and Jurassic Period, referring to rocks of similar age and the time period in which they were formed, approximately 200 to 145 million years ago. The prevalence of limestone, alternating with softer layers of marl, leads to high permeability and a lack of surface water in the area.
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How do the Jura Mountains affect the climate and landscape of the region?
The Jura Mountains significantly influence the regional climate and landscape. Annual precipitation varies, increasing to the south and west, with certain areas receiving over 80 inches, while others get less than 40 inches. The climate transitions from maritime to continental, with colder conditions at higher elevations and milder temperatures in sheltered valleys.
The landscape is characterized by dense forests, transitioning from oak and beech at lower elevations to firs and sycamore maple higher up. Alpine grasses cover the crests above the tree line. The prevalence of limestone results in a deficiency of surface water, with underground streams and rivers shaping the terrain. Pastures dominate the high plateaus, supporting a dairy-based economy.
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What are some important plants and animals that live in the Jura Mountains?
The Jura Mountains are heavily forested, with vegetation of the forest type throughout. From lower to higher elevations, you'll find oak groves and beech forests, with firs interspersed at higher elevations. In the southern Jura, sycamore maple replaces the firs. Crests above the tree line (5,300 feet) are covered with Alpine grasses. Wildlife is practically extinct.
Mountain environments have different climates from the surrounding lowlands, and hence the vegetation differs as well.
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Jura Mountains, system of ranges extending for 225 miles (360 km) in an arc on both sides of the Franco-Swiss border from the Rhône River to the Rhine. It lies mostly in Switzerland, but a good part of the western sector lies in France. The highest peaks of the Jura are in the south, in the Geneva area, and include Crêt de la Neige (5,636 feet [1,718 metres]) and Le Reculet (5,633 feet [1,717 metres]), both in France, and Mount Tendre and La Dôle, both more than 5,500 feet (1,680 metres), in Switzerland. Toward the northeast and along the outer ridges of the arc, the elevations of the crests are lower.
The Jura Mountains were named for their dense forestation, jura meaning “forest” (from the Gaulish jor, juria) but ultimately related to Slavic gora, “mountain.” Their fossil-bearing limestone formations, which Alexander von Humboldt called the “Jura Limestone,” are the basis of the names Jurassic System and Jurassic Period (for rocks of similar age and the time period in which they were formed, about 200 to 145 million years ago).
The formation of the Jura Mountains began in the Cenozoic Era (the past 65 million years) as a part of the same Earth movements that formed the Alps. The main deformational thrust from the southeast occurred during the Pliocene Epoch (about 5.3 to 2.6 million years ago). Consequently, the mountain-building process took place in at least two separate thrust phases: the first one formed the outer, French chain of ridges, and the second thrust formed the adjacent, higher inner ranges. Geologically, the Jura is a part of Alpine foreland.
The prevalence of limestone, alternating as it does with softer layers of marl, results in great permeability and consequent deficiency of surface water. Traditionally, each Jura farmstead collected its own cistern water; today, modern supply networks bring water up from the deep gorges of the Doubs and other rivers. Lake Joux has an underground outlet reappearing as a river, the Orbe, about 2 miles (3 km) farther down. Similar underground stream sources are numerous, including the Areuse, Schüss (Suze), and Birs rivers in Switzerland and the Doubs, Loue, and Lizon in France. The largest rivers are the Doubs, the Ain, and the Birs.
Annual precipitation increases to the south and west, reaching more than 80 inches (2,030 mm) on Mount Risouz and Mount Tendre; but the Delsberg Valley and the north-facing corridor of the Ergolz River (Liestal) receive less than 40 inches (1,000 mm). The climate is of the maritime-continental transitional type: it is rawer on the Jura heights, milder in the protected valleys and on the south-facing slopes. Pools of cold air can form in the high valleys in winter.
Natural vegetation is of the forest type throughout. From lower to higher elevations there occur oak groves and beech forests interspersed at higher elevations with firs. In the southern Jura, the firs are replaced by sycamore maple. The crests above the tree line (5,300 feet [1,600 m]) are covered with Alpine grasses. Only over deposits of marl and clay are there also isolated moors. Wildlife is practically extinct.
Pastures on the high plateaus are more characteristic of the Jura than are the cultivated fields in the basins and valleys. The dairy economy is based on cattle raising, and a number of types of cheese are produced. In the west the Jura reaches the vineyard zone of the Saône River valley, and grapes also are grown on the south face of the Jura. The Jura farmer, in addition, raises fruits and ample quantities of potatoes and vegetables but little grain. The most important mineral resource has been granular iron ore.
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Villages are found in abundance, especially in the valleys, while larger cities are almost entirely on the margins—Chambéry, Geneva, Neuchâtel, Biel (Bienne), Solothurn, Aarau, Baden, Bourg-en-Bresse, Lons-le-Saunier, Besançon, Montbéliard, Porrentruy, and, on the Rhine, Basel and Schaffhausen.
Centres of the Swiss watchmaking industry in the Jura are La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, Saint-Imier, Geneva, Biel, Grenchen, and Schaffhausen. Other light industries include gem cutting and polishing; the manufacture of eyeglasses, briar tobacco pipes, music boxes, phonographs, camera equipment, paper, and typewriters; and the processing of tobacco and chocolate.
The beauty of the Jura has attracted a thriving tourist industry, both in the summer and, increasingly, also in winter for skiing. A consequence has been the development of an excellent rail and road transportation network.