June 13th, 2010 Category: Mountains

Greece - June 7th, 2010

Greece has an area of 50,949 sq mi (131,957 sq km) and a population (2009 est.) of around 11,285,000.

The capital is Athens. The land, with its 2,000-odd islands and extensive coastline, is intimately linked with the sea. About one-fifth of this mountainous country consists of lowland, much of this as coastal plains along the Aegean or as mountain valleys and small plains near river mouths. The interior is dominated by the Pindus (Modern Greek: Píndos) Mountains.

Tags: Athens Balkan Peninsula Europe Greece Pindus Mountains | Comments |

March 24th, 2010 Category: Image of the day, Mountains

Bulgaria - February 19th, 2010

The Balkan Mountain Range (or Stara Planina) is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The Balkan Range runs 560 km from the Vrashka Chuka Peak on the border between Bulgaria and eastern Serbia eastward through central Bulgaria to Cape Emine on the Black Sea.

The highest peaks of the range are found in central Bulgaria, the area upon which this orthorectified image focuses. The highest peak is Botev (2,376 m), located in the Central Balkan National Park (established 1991), visible towards the center here.

Tags: ASAR Balkan Mountain Range Balkan Peninsula Balkans Botev Bulgaria Central Balkan National Park Europe Orthorectification Stara Planina | Comments |

August 8th, 2009 Category: Image of the day, Lakes

Albania - July 27th, 2009

Sediments line the coast of Albania, which is 362 kilometers long and extends along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Several sizeable lakes can also be observed: these are the three largest and deepest tectonic lakes of the Balkan Peninsula, all of which are partly located in Albania.

Lake Scutari, also called Shkodër and Skadar, in the country’s northwest (upper left corner), has a surface which can vary between 370 km2 (140 sq mi) and 530 km2, out of which one third belongs to Albania and rest to Montenegro. The Albanian shoreline of the lake is 57 km (35 mi). It is included in the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance.

Lake Ohrid is situated in the country’s southeast (right of center) and is shared between Albania and Republic of Macedonia. It has a maximal depth of 289 meters and a variety of unique flora and fauna can be found there, including “living fossils” and many endemic species.

Because of its natural and historical value, Ohrid Lake is under the protection of UNESCO, as human activity on the lake shores and in its catchment area has resulted in the ecosystem coming under stress.

Prespa (to the right of Lake Ohrid) is the name of two freshwater lakes shared by Greece, Albania, and the Republic of Macedonia. Of the total surface area, 190 km² belongs to the Republic of Macedonia, 84.8 km² to Greece and 38.8 km² to Albania. They are the highest tectonic lakes in the Balkans, standing at an altitude of 853 m (2,798 ft).

The Great Prespa Lake is divided between Albania, Greece and the Republic of Macedonia, while the Small Prespa Lake is shared only between Greece and Albania. With an abundance of rare fauna and flora, the area was declared a Transnational Park in 2000.

Tags: Adriatic Sea Albania Balkan Peninsula Great Prespa Lake Greece Ionian Sea Lake Scutari Lake Shkodër Lake Skadar Macedonia Montenegro Ramsar Wetland Sediments Small Prespa Lake | Comments |

July 15th, 2009 Category: Image of the day

Aegean Sea and Islands - June 29th, 2009

The Aegean Sea is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece (left) and Turkey (right) respectively. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosphorus Strait.

The Aegean Islands are within the sea and some bound it on its southern periphery, including Crete (bottom center) and Rhodes (largest island in lower right quadrant).

Almost all of the Aegean Islands belong to Greece, being split among nine administrative peripheries. Turkish possessions include Imbros (Gökçeada), Tenedos (Bozcaada), and eight more islets off Turkey’s western coast.

The Greek Aegean Islands are traditionally subdivided into seven groups, from north to south: Northeastern Aegean Islands, Sporades, Euboea, Argo-Saronic Islands, Cyclades, Dodecanese (Southern Sporades) and Crete.

Tags: Aegean Islands Aegean Sea Anatolian Peninsula Argo-Saronic Islands Balkan Peninsula Bosphorus Strait Bozcaada Crete Cyclades Dardanelles Dodecanese Euboea Gökçeada Greece Imbros Marmara Sea Mediterranean Sea Northeastern Aegean Islands Rhodes Southern Sporades Sporades Tenedos Turkey | Comments (2) |