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How are mountain ranges different from mountain belts?

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A car drives along the Trans-Canada Highway with Mount Sir Donald's sharp, snow-capped peak rising above forested slopes in the Selkirk Mountains, British Columbia. — mountain Mount Sir Donald in the Selkirk Mountains, British Columbia, looms above a segment of the Trans-Canada Highway.

While individual mountains are often found in elongated chains or ranges, the distinction between a mountain range and a mountain belt is primarily one of scale and composition.1

Mountain Ranges: These are individual landforms that typically extend tens to hundreds of kilometers in length. They consist of mountains connected by ridges and separated by valleys. Within a range, landforms are often controlled by specific tectonic processes or variations in erosion.12
Mountain Belts: These are much larger, complex systems formed by an array of linked mountain ranges. A mountain belt is significantly broader, spanning tens to hundreds of kilometers in width and hundreds to thousands of kilometers in length. These belts often mark the boundaries where lithospheric plates converge.12

In essence, a mountain belt serves as a comprehensive system that can encompass multiple individual mountain ranges, as well as other features such as high plateaus and basins. For example, the Andes constitute a mountain belt that contains various individual ranges, such as the Cordillera Blanca.1