The Pyrenees, which straddle the
Franco-Spanish border and take in the tiny independent state of Andorra,
stretch from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the east to the Bay
of Biscay on the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The chain extends in a
relatively straight line from east to west to a total distance of 435
km, and reaches a maximum width of about130 km. One-third of the total
area of 55374 square km lies within France.
The range was extensively glaciated in
earlier times, giving rise to impressive glacial valleys and
cirques. The glaciers have now nearly gone, but permanent snow can often
be found above 1800m (6000 ft) on north-facing slopes, which present
much steeper inclines with spectacular torrents called gaves fed by the
generous rainfall.
Pyrénées Est region
