
The Romanian Carpathians ( ro, Carpații românești) are a section of the
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
, within the borders of modern
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. The Carpathians are a "subsystem" of the
Alps-Himalaya System
The Alpide belt or Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt,K.M. Storetvedt, K. M., ''The Tethys Sea and the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt; mega-elements in a new global tectonic system,'' Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, Volume 62, Issues 1 ...
and are further divided into "
provinces" and "subprovinces".
This is an overview of the geological subdivisions of the Romanian section of the Carpathian Mountains. The broadest divisions are shown in the map on the right. The last level of the division, i.e. the actual mountain ranges and basins, is usually called "units". The lowest-level detail for those units is maintained on separate pages.
Naming conventions
Traditional Romanian naming conventions differ from this list. In
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, it is usual to divide the
Eastern Carpathians
Divisions of the Carpathians are a categorization of the Carpathian mountains system.
Below is a detailed overview of the major subdivisions and ranges of the Carpathian Mountains. The Carpathians are a "subsystem" of a bigger Alps-Himalaya Sy ...
in Romanian territory into three geographical groups (North, Centre, South), instead in Outer and Inner Eastern Carpathians.
The
Transylvanian Plateau is encircled by, and geologically a part of, the Carpathians, but it is not a mountainous region and its inclusion is disputed in some sources. Its features are included below.
The
Outer Carpathian Depressions lay outside the broad arc of the entire formation and are usually listed as part of the individual divisions of the Carpathian Mountains, i.e. of Western Carpathians, Eastern Carpathians etc.
Romanian divisions
The Romanian Carpathians chain is classified, according to the geomorphological and geological differences, into three major
morphotectonic units:
*
Eastern Romanian Carpathians (''Carpații Orientali'') - with 3 main groups subdivided into 40 mountain groups
*
Southern Carpathians (''Carpații Meridionali'') - with 4 main groups subdivided into 24 mountain groups
*
Western Romanian Carpathians
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, photo_caption=Vulcan Mountain in Apuseni Mountains
, country=Romania
, region_type=Province
, region=
, range=Carpathians , border=
, geology=
, period=
, orogeny= Alpine orogeny
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(''Carpații Occidentali Românești'') - with 3 main groups subdivided into 18 mountain groups
Eastern Romanian Carpathians
Romanian classification

The Eastern Carpathians are divided into three geographical groups; the Romanian approach is shown by adding the following abbreviations to the names of units within Romania:
* MMB =
Maramureș-Bukovinian Carpathians (''Munții Carpați ai Maramureșului și Bucovinei'') (North group)
* MMT =
Moldavian-Transylvanian Carpathians (''Munții Carpați Moldo-Transilvani'') (Centre group)
* MC =
Curvature Carpathians (''Munții Carpați de Curbură'') (South group)
Other classification
*
Outer Eastern Carpathians
**
Moldavian-Muntenian Carpathians
The Moldavian-Muntenian Carpathians are a group of mountain ranges in Romania. These ranges are considered part of the Outer Eastern Carpathians. Within Romania, however, it is traditional to divide the Eastern Romanian Carpathians (in Romanian, ...
*
Inner Eastern Carpathians
Divisions of the Carpathians are a categorization of the Carpathian mountains system.
Below is a detailed overview of the major subdivisions and ranges of the Carpathian Mountains. The Carpathians are a "subsystem" of a bigger Alps-Himalaya Sy ...
** "Volcanic Ridge" (the Romanian portion of the
Vihorlat-Gutin Area
The Vihorlat-Gutin Area ( sk, Vihorlatsko-gutinská oblasť; uk, Вигорлат-Гутинський хребет; hu, Vihorlát–Gutin-hegyvidék) is a region of mountain ranges ranging from eastern Slovakia, through western Ukraine, into ...
group)
**
Bistrița Mountains
The Bistrița Mountains ( ro, Munții Bistriței; hu, Besztercei-havasok) are mountain ranges in northern central Romania.
Geologically these ranges are considered part of the Inner Eastern Carpathians group of the Eastern Carpathians. Within ...
**
Căliman-Harghita Mountains
The Căliman-Harghita Mountains (in Romanian, ''Munții Căliman-Harghita'') are a group of mountain ranges in Romania.
These ranges are considered part of the Inner Eastern Carpathians. Within Romania, however, it is traditional to divide the ...
**
Giurgeu-Brașov Depression
The Giurgeu-Brașov Depression (in Romanian, ''Depresiunea Giurgeu-Brașovului'') is a series of intermontane basins in Romania.
The basin is considered part of the Inner Eastern Carpathians. Within Romania, however, it is traditional to divide ...
Southern Romanian Carpathians
*
Bucegi Mountains
The Bucegi Mountains (Romanian: ''Munții Bucegi'' ) are located in central Romania, south of the city of Brașov. They are part of the Southern Carpathians group of the Carpathian Mountains. At , '' Omu'' is its highest point.
To the east, the ...
Group
*
Făgăraș Mountains group
The Făgăraș mountain group is a subgroup of mountains in the Southern Carpathians. It is named after the highest of the mountains in the group, the Făgăraș Mountains.
Boundaries
The Făgăraș group is bounded:
*in the west, by the Olt Rive ...
*
Parâng Mountains group The Parâng ( hu, Páring-hegység) mountain group is a subgroup of mountains in the Southern Carpathians. It is named after the highest of the mountains in the group, the Parâng Mountains.
Boundaries
The Parâng group is bounded:
*in the east, ...
*
Retezat-Godeanu Mountains group
The Retezat–Godeanu mountain group is a subgroup of mountains in the Southern Carpathians, Romania. It is named after the highest mountains in the group, the Retezat Mountains.
Boundaries
The Retezat–Godeanu group of mountains is bounded:
*i ...
Western Romanian Carpathians

*
Apuseni Mountains
*
Poiana Ruscă Mountains
*
Banat Mountains
Transylvanian Plateau
See also
*
List of mountains in Romania
This is an (incomplete) list of mountains in Romania. There are 12 peaks over 2,500 m in Romania.
References
*
{{List of mountains in Europe
*
Romania
Mountains
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the cros ...
*
Bukovinian Subcarpathians
Bukovinian Subcarpathians ( ro, Subcarpații Bucovinei, ''Obcinele Bucovinei'') is a geographic area in the NNE of Romania (Suceava County) and SWW of Ukraine (Chernivtsi Oblast), situated to the east and north-east of the Eastern Carpathian Moun ...
*
Divisions of the Carpathians
External links
Pictures and landscapes from the Romanian Carpathians
{{coord missing, Romania
Mountain ranges of Romania
Lists of landforms of Romania
Mountain ranges of the Eastern Carpathians
Mountain ranges of the Western Romanian Carpathians
Mountain ranges of the Southern Carpathians