Gramos ( sq, Gramoz, Mali i Gramozit; rup, Gramosta, Gramusta; el, Γράμος or Γράμμος) is a
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
range on the border of
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the ...
and
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...
. The mountain is part of the northern
Pindus
The Pindus (also Pindos or Pindhos; el, Πίνδος, Píndos; sq, Pindet; rup, Pindu) is a mountain range located in Northern Greece and Southern Albania. It is roughly 160 km (100 miles) long, with a maximum elevation of 2,637 metr ...
mountain range. Its highest peak, at the border of Albania and Greece, is .
[ The region is inhabited by Albanians, ]Aromanians
The Aromanians ( rup, Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are an ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Albania, south-western Bulgaria, northern and c ...
and Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, Albania, Greeks in Italy, ...
.
The brown bear
The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is ...
occurs in the region.
Geography
The Gramos is situated on the borders of the Kolonjë
Kolonjë is a municipality in Korçë County, southeastern Albania. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the former municipalities Barmash, Çlirim, Ersekë, Leskovik, Mollas, Novoselë, Qendër Ersekë and Qendër Leskovik. The seat of th ...
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
of Albania and the Ioannina
Ioannina ( el, Ιωάννινα ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. According to the 2011 census, the ...
and Kastoria
Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria (regional unit), Kastoria regional unit, in the Geographic regions of Gree ...
regional units of Greece. Three ridges join at its highest peak, running towards the north, southwest, and east. The Gramos is drained towards the west by the river Osum, towards the northwest by the Devoll, towards the northeast by the Aliakmonas
The Haliacmon ( el, Αλιάκμονας, ''Aliákmonas''; formerly: , ''Aliákmon'' or ''Haliákmōn'') is the longest river flowing entirely in Greece, with a total length of . In Greece there are three rivers longer than Haliakmon, Maritsa ( ...
and towards the south by the Sarantaporos. The Gramos is very sparsely populated, the only sizable town being Ersekë (Albania) at its western foot. Other villages in the mountains are Gramos (northeast), Aetomilitsa (southeast), Starje (west) and Plikati (south). Nearby mountain ranges are the Smolikas to the south, Voio to the east, and Ostrovicë to the northwest.
History
The mountain was a major communist stronghold in the Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος �όλεμος ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom ...
. The provisional democratic government (i.e. the communist government) had its headquarters in the vicinity. It fell to the national government only in 1949, bringing the near conclusion of the Greek Civil war since after its fall only isolated pockets were left in communist control. The mountain still has live minefields from the civil war despite decades of demining and access to parts of the mountain is perilous.
See also
* List of mountains in Albania
* List of mountains in Greece
References
External links
Greek Mountain Flora
{{Authority control
Geography of Korçë County
Landforms of Ioannina (regional unit)
Landforms of Kastoria (regional unit)
Mountains of Albania
Albania–Greece border
International mountains of Europe
Mountains of Epirus (region)
Mountains of Western Macedonia
Natura 2000 in Greece