The Transylvanian Plateau ( ro, Podișul Transilvaniei; hu, Erdélyi-medence) is a

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

in central

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...

. The plateau lies within and takes its name from the historical region of

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the ...

, and is almost entirely surrounded by the Eastern, Southern and Romanian Western branches of the Carpathian Mountains. The area includes the Transylvanian Plain. It is improperly called a plateau, for it does not possess extensive plains, but is formed of a network of valleys of various size, ravines and

canyon A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cut ...

s, united together by numerous small

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

s, which attain a height of 150–250 m (500–800 ft) above the altitude of the valley. The plateau has a

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing so ...

. Temperature varies a great deal in the course of a year, with warm summers contrasted by very cold winters. Vast forests cover parts of the plateau and the mountains. The mean elevation is 300–500 m (1,000-1,600 ft). The Transylvanian plateau is divided into three areas: * Someș Plateau (''Podișul Someșan'' or ''Podișul Someșelor''; the northern part) * Transylvanian Plain (''Câmpia Transilvaniei''; the central part) * Târnava Plateau (''Podișul Târnavelor''; the southern part) The Transylvanian Plain is also hilly (400–600 m), but because the area is almost completely cultivated it is called a plain.

The Transylvanian Basin

The Transylvanian Basin ( ro, Depresiunea colinară a Transilvaniei) includes the Transylvanian plateau and the peripheral areas towards the Carpathian mountains, which have a different character than the plateau. The basin is the main production site of Romania's methane. It also contains a

salt dome A salt dome is a type of structural dome formed when salt (or other evaporite minerals) intrudes into overlying rocks in a process known as diapirism. Salt domes can have unique surface and subsurface structures, and they can be discovered usi ...

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20060127192152/http://archive.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/sponsor-child/country_information_on_romania.html * http://www.globalvolunteers.org/1main/romania/romaniageography.htm {{Authority control Plateaus of Romania Physiographic provinces Southern Carpathians Basins of Europe

The Transylvanian Basin

See also

References

External links