120:
153:
160:
127:
453:
29:
446:(2,550 metres), a group of igneous peaks which were in eruption in 1870. East of the Guatemalan border, the range forms the boundary between El Salvador and Honduras. In El Salvador, the volcanoes form a line well south of the range, where over twenty volcanoes form five clusters. Between the Sierra Madre and the Volcanic line lies a central plateau.
391:
It is known near
Guatemala city as the Sierra de las Nubes, and enters Mexico as the Sierra de Istatan. Its summit is not a well-defined crest, but is often rounded or flattened into a table-land. The direction of the great volcanic cones, which rise in an irregular line above it, is not identical
406:
The base of many of the volcanic igneous peaks rests among the southern foothills in the southern region of the range. It is, however, impossible to subdivide the Sierra Madre into a northern and a volcanic chain; for the volcanoes are isolated by stretches of comparatively low country; at least
407:
thirteen considerable streams flow down through them, from the main watershed to the sea. Viewed from the coast, the volcanic cones seem to rise directly from the central heights of the Sierra Madre, above which they tower; but in reality their bases are, as a rule, farther south.
452:
363:
between the
Pacific and Atlantic river systems. On the Pacific side the distance to the sea is short, and the streams, while very numerous, are consequently small and rapid. A few of the streams of the Pacific slopes rise in the
368:, and force a way through the Sierra Madre at the bottom of deep ravines. On the eastern side a number of the rivers of the Atlantic slopes attain a considerable volume and size.
372:
75:
442:(i.e. "water," 3,765 meters), so named in 1541 because it destroyed the former capital of Guatemala with a deluge of water from its flooded crater; and
215:
119:
613:
392:
with the main axis of the Sierra itself, except near the
Mexican frontier, but has a more southerly trend, especially towards El Salvador.
152:
540:
422:(3,777 meters), which erupted in October 1902, after centuries of quiescence, in which its slopes had been overgrown by dense forests;
348:. To the north lie a series of highlands and depressions, including the Chiapas Depression, which separates the Sierra Madre from the
293:, a chain of mountain ranges that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that form the western "backbone" of
375:
ecoregion covers the southern slopes of the mountains. The mountains intercept winds from the
Pacific, creating fog, clouds, and
568:
563:
380:
603:
583:
578:
558:
459:
598:
608:
492:
588:
573:
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438:(i.e. "fire," 3,763 metres), which received its name from its activity at the time of the Spanish conquest;
401:
338:
257:
208:
68:
487:
376:
469:
419:
365:
353:
8:
423:
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473:
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47:
534:
439:
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411:
435:
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349:
344:
A narrow coastal plain lies south of the range, between the Sierra Madre and the
298:
274:
463:
270:
552:
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414:(4,092 metres) which marks the Mexican frontier, the principal volcanoes are
345:
302:
294:
230:
217:
90:
77:
427:
28:
326:
278:
197:
544:. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 117.
431:
322:
282:
193:
51:
330:
277:. It is known as the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in Mexico. It crosses
201:
334:
314:
252:
443:
318:
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189:
58:
533:
383:
ecoregion covers the Sierra's high peaks and northern slopes.
313:
The range runs northwest–southeast from the state of
550:
379:that sustain the ecoregion's cloud forests. The
289:and Honduras. The Sierra Madre is part of the
462:Sierra Madre de Chiapas in distance, near
33:Volcanoes of the Sierra Madre in Guatemala
528:
513:"Sierra Madre de Chiapas moist forests"
551:
356:, and Honduras' interior highlands.
159:
126:
13:
505:
14:
625:
614:Central American pine–oak forests
386:
381:Central American pine–oak forests
16:Mountain range in Central America
451:
158:
151:
125:
118:
27:
493:Sierra Madre de Chiapas topics
1:
498:
63:4,220 m (13,850 ft)
569:Central America Volcanic Arc
564:Mountain ranges of Guatemala
468:The mountain at left is the
426:(3,557 meters), overlooking
402:Central America Volcanic Arc
395:
339:Central America Volcanic Arc
308:
258:Central America Volcanic Arc
7:
481:
142:Show map of Central America
139:Location in Central America
10:
630:
604:Natural history of Chiapas
399:
373:Sierra Madre moist forests
337:of Guatemala, part of the
579:Quetzaltenango Department
559:Mountain ranges of Mexico
359:The range forms the main
251:
246:
207:
185:
175:Show map of North America
172:Location in North America
111:
106:
67:
57:
43:
38:
26:
21:
599:Geography of Mesoamerica
488:Geography of Mesoamerica
377:orographic precipitation
341:, are within the range.
609:Pacific Coast of Mexico
584:Sacatepéquez Department
541:Encyclopædia Britannica
519:. World Wildlife Fund.
517:Terrestrial Ecoregions
589:San Marcos Department
400:Further information:
91:15.04361°N 91.90306°W
574:Landforms of Chiapas
366:Guatemalan Highlands
354:Guatemalan Highlands
470:Volcán Siete Orejas
291:American Cordillera
227: /
96:15.04361; -91.90306
87: /
39:Highest point
594:Sololá Department
321:, across western
263:
262:
209:Range coordinates
621:
545:
537:
521:
520:
509:
474:Volcán Tajumulco
455:
434:(3,976 meters);
418:(4,220 meters);
242:
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220:
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48:Volcán Tajumulco
31:
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18:
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618:
549:
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535:"Chiapas"
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501:
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361:drainage divide
350:Chiapas Plateau
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299:Central America
275:Central America
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547:
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532:, ed. (1911).
530:Chisholm, Hugh
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464:Quetzaltenango
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457:
450:
449:
448:
397:
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387:Regional names
385:
333:. Most of the
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271:mountain range
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71:
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15:
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531:
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518:
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508:
504:
494:
491:
489:
486:
485:
475:
471:
466:in Guatemala.
465:
460:
454:
447:
445:
441:
437:
433:
429:
425:
421:
417:
413:
412:Volcán Tacana
408:
403:
393:
384:
382:
378:
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369:
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347:
346:Pacific Ocean
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303:South America
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295:North America
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231:15.5°N 92.6°W
212:
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105:
100:
72:
70:
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60:
56:
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37:
30:
25:
20:
539:
516:
507:
428:Lake Atitlan
409:
405:
390:
370:
358:
343:
312:
267:Sierra Madre
266:
264:
166:Sierra Madre
133:Sierra Madre
22:Sierra Madre
472:(left) and
420:Santa Maria
327:El Salvador
279:El Salvador
269:is a major
236:15.5; -92.6
234: /
198:El Salvador
94: /
69:Coordinates
553:Categories
499:References
432:Acatenango
82:91°54′11″W
476:(center).
416:Tajumulco
396:Volcanoes
335:volcanoes
323:Guatemala
309:Geography
283:Guatemala
194:Guatemala
186:Countries
107:Geography
79:15°2′37″N
59:Elevation
52:Guatemala
482:See also
410:East of
331:Honduras
202:Honduras
424:Atitlan
325:, into
315:Chiapas
253:Orogeny
247:Geology
222:92°36′W
219:15°30′N
444:Pacaya
352:, the
319:Mexico
301:, and
287:Mexico
190:Mexico
50:,
436:Fuego
440:Agua
371:The
329:and
265:The
200:and
44:Peak
317:in
273:in
555::
538:.
515:.
430:;
305:.
297:,
285:,
281:,
196:,
192:,
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