The Prebaetic System ( es, Sistemas Prebéticos or ''Sistema Prebético'', also often referred to simply as ''Prebético'') is a system of mountain ranges that forms the northeasternmost prolongation of the

Baetic System The Baetic System or Betic System ( es, Sistema Bético) is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain. Located in the southern and eastern Iberian Peninsula, it is also known as the Cordilleras Béticas (Baetic Mountain Ranges) or Baet ...

in the southern

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...

Geography

Although it is sometimes referred to as ''Cordillera Prebética'', it is not a proper cordillera, or continuous alignment of ranges, but a broken system of mountain ranges. Unlike the other two subsystems of the Baetic System, it is not present in the western area, but begins west of the eastern edge of the

Sierra Sur de Jaén The Sierra Sur de Jaén (Southern Range of Jaén) is a mountain range that is part of the central belt of the Baetic System, Andalusia, Spain. Its name derives from its location in the southwestern part of Jaén Province. The highest summit in th ...

near

Martos Martos is a city in the province of Jaén in the autonomous community of Andalusia in south-central Spain. It has a population of 24271 inhabitants, making Martos the fifth largest municipality in the province. The city is located on a western ...

. The Prebaetic System runs along eastern interior

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

, across the

Region of Murcia The Region of Murcia (, ; es, Región de Murcia ), is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain located in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast. The region is in ...

, reaching the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

shores in the southern

Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wi ...

. Its highest point is La Sagra, Sierra de la Sagra; other high ranges are

Sierra de Segura Sierra de Segura is a mountain range of the Prebaetic System in the Jaén Province in Spain. It is named after the ancient town of Segura de la Sierra and it gives its name to the Segura River. Its highest point is the 1,993 m high Las Banderil ...

and

Sierra de Cazorla Sierra de Cazorla is a mountain range of the Prebaetic System in the Jaén Province in Spain. It is named after the town of Cazorla. Its highest point is the 1,847 m high Gilillo peak. Geography This mountain range is located between the Sierr ...

. The Sierra de María in northern Almeria Province runs across the Prebaetic and the Penibaetic System, overlapping with both.

Geology

Geologically Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other E ...

the Prebaetic System shares similar characteristics to its parent system, the Subbaetic System and it is considered its eastern offshoot. The materials that compose it were formed in a relatively shallow sea.Morfología kárstica del sector oriental del Prebético andaluz
/ref> The Iberian System rises north of the eastern part of the Prebaetic System.

Main mountain ranges

Some of the mountain ranges that make up the Prebaetic complex are, from west to east: *

, overlapping with the Sistema Subbético * Sierra Mágina * Sierra de la Sagra *

Sierra de Alcaraz The Sierra de Alcaraz is a mountain range of the Cordillera Prebética located in Albacete Province, southeast Spain. Its highest peak is the ''Pico Almenara'' with an elevation of 1796 m. See also *Baetic System The Baetic System or Betic ...

* Sierra de Castril * Sierra de Cabrilla * Sierra Seca * Sierra del Taibilla * Sierra de María, overlapping with the Sistema Penibético. *

Serra de Crevillent The Serra de Crevillent ( es, Sierra de Crevillente) is a mountain range in the Baetic System, southern Spain. It spans the region of Murcia and the province of Alicante. The highest peak is Sant Gaietà at 835 meters, near the town of Crevillen ...

Sierra de Orihuela Sierra de Orihuela ( ca-valencia, Serra d'Oriola) is a long mountain range in the Vega Baja del Segura ( ca-valencia, Baix Segura) comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Peña de Orihuela (634 m). This range is named after the t ...

* Sierra de Callosa * Serra Mariola * Serra del Ferrer * La Carrasqueta * Puig Campana * Aitana * Maigmó Massif * Serrella * Serra de la Xortà * Serra de la Penya-roja * Montgó Massif * Sierra de Bernia * Penyal d'Ifac

References

{{reflist

External links

Cuenca del GuadalquivirPast and present potential distribution of the Iberian Abies species: a phytogeographic approach using fossil pollen data and species distribution models
Baetic System Mountain ranges of Andalusia Mountain ranges of the Region of Murcia Mountain ranges of the Valencian Community