Cukal ( 'Cukali') is a

massif A massif () is a principal mountain mass, such as a compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits (e.g. France's Massif Central). In mountaineering literature, ''massif'' is frequently used to denote the main mass of an ...

situated at the southernmost edge of the

Albanian Alps The Accursed Mountains (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Prokletije, Проклетије, separator=" / ", ; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Albanski Alpi, Албански Алпи, separator=" / ", li ...

. It is bordered by the river valleys of Kir in the northwest, Lesniqe in the northeast and Drin in the south.

Geology

Extending in the shape of a dome with a northeast–southwest orientation, the massif has a length of and a width of and is part of the Krastë-Cukal tectonic zone. Composed primarily of

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era is the Era (geology), era of Earth's Geologic time scale, geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Period (geology), Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian r ...

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

flysch Flysch () is a sequence of sedimentary rock layers that progress from deep-water and turbidity flow deposits to shallow-water shales and sandstones. It is deposited when a deep basin forms rapidly on the continental side of a mountain building ep ...

Paleogene The Paleogene Period ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Neogene Period Ma. It is the fir ...

and less of

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of Clay mineral, clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., Kaolinite, kaolin, aluminium, Al2Silicon, Si2Oxygen, O5(hydroxide, OH)4) and tiny f ...

and effusive rocks, it has a wrinkled, blocky and scaly structure, highly fragmented by the powerful tectonic movements of the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...

. The central section of the massif is marked by several prominent peaks, including Mbilqeth , ''Cukal'' , Vila and Maja e Bardhë . Fusha e Lqethit, a pit-like formation rising at an elevation of , lies between these peaks. The massif is deeply divided by numerous streams originating from its center and flowing into Kir and Drin, creating a harsh alpine environment.

Biodiversity

Cukal is predominantly covered by oak and beech forests, with the presence of

maquis shrubland 220px, Low maquis in Corsica 220px, High ''macchia'' in Sardinia ( , , ) or ( , ; often in Italian; , ; ; ; ) is a savanna-like shrubland biome in the Mediterranean region, typically consisting of densely growing evergreen shrubs. Maquis ...

in the southwestern end. On its edges are located the inhabited settlements of Rranxë, Cukal, Shllak, Temaliarë and Duzhman. Despite being part of the Albanian Alps, it differs from other peaks of this range due to a lower elevation, a relatively milder climate, and a lack of alpine pastures in the area.

References

{{reflist Mountains of Albania One-thousanders of Albania Geography of Shkodër County

Geology

Biodiversity

See also

References