In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a group of mountains formed by such a structure. In

mountaineering Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, a ...

and climbing literature, a massif is frequently used to denote the main mass of an individual mountain. The massif is a smaller structural unit of the crust than a tectonic plate, and is considered the fourth-largest driving force in

geomorphology Geomorphology (from Ancient Greek: , ', "earth"; , ', "form"; and , ', "study") is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features created by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or n ...

. The word is taken from

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

(in which the word also means "massive"), where it is used to refer a large mountain mass or compact group of connected mountains forming an independent portion of a range. One of the most notable European examples of a massif is the Massif Central of the Auvergne region of France. The Face on Mars is an example of an extraterrestrial massif. Massifs may also form underwater, as with the

Atlantis Massif The Atlantis Massif is a prominent undersea massif in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a dome-shaped region approximately across and rising about from the sea floor. It is located at approximately 30°8′N latitude 42°8′W longitude; just eas ...

List of massifs

Africa

Adrar des Ifoghas The Adrar des Ifoghas (also Adrar des Iforas; Tamasheq: ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ ⵏ ⵉⴼⵓⵖⴰⵙ in Tifinagh; Adrar n Ifoghas; ar, أدرار إيفوغاس Ifoghas' Mountains) is a massif located in the Kidal Region of Mali, reaching into Algeri ...

– Mali * Aïr Massif – Niger * Benna Massif –

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

Bongo Massif The Bongo Massif (french: massif des Bongo), also known as the Tondou Massif, is a mountain range in north-eastern Central African Republic, near the Sudan border. The source of Bahr al-Arab Bahr al-Arab ( ar, بحر العرب; also called the ...

– Central African Republic * Ennedi Plateau –

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

* Kilimanjaro Massif – border of Kenya and Tanzania * Oban Massif – Nigeria *

Marojejy Massif Marojejy National Park () is a national park in the Sava region of northeastern Madagascar. It covers and is centered on the Marojejy Massif, a mountain chain that rises to an elevation of . Access to the area around the massif was restricted t ...

– Madagascar * Mulanje Massif – Malawi *

Virunga Massif Virunga may refer to: * Virunga Mountains, a chain of volcanoes in East Africa * Virunga National Park, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo ** Virunga Foundation, nature conservation body, mainly in the Virunga National Park * DC Virunga, ...

– border shared by Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo * Waterberg Biosphere – South Africa

Algeria

* Collo Massif – Algeria *

Edough Massif The Edough Massif, Edough Mountains or Djebel Edough ( ar, جبل إيدوغ, links=, lit=, translit=Ǧabal Īdūḡ; ber, script=Tfng, ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ ⵏ ⴷⴷⵓⵖ, links=, lit=, translit=, label=) is a mountain range of the Maghreb area ...

Khachna Massif The Khachna Range ( ar, جبال الخشنة, ''Jibal Khashna''; Berber ''Adrar n Kheshna'') is a mountain range of the Tell Atlas, part of the Atlas Mountain System. It is located in Kabylie, Algeria. Geography The ''Khachna'' is a massif m ...

Antarctica

* Borg Massif * Craddock Massif *

Cumpston Massif The Prince Charles Mountains are a major group of mountains in Mac. Robertson Land in Antarctica, including the Athos Range, the Porthos Range, and the Aramis Range. The highest peak is Mount Menzies, with a height of . Other prominent peaks ar ...

* Vinson Massif *

Otway Massif Otway Massif () is a prominent, mainly ice-free massif, about 10 nautical miles (18 km) long and 7 nautical miles (13 km) wide, standing at the northwest end of the Grosvenor Mountains at the confluence of Mill Glacier and Mill Stream Gla ...

Asia

* Annapurna – Nepal * Chu Pong Massif – Vietnam * Dhaulagiri – Nepal * Gasherbrum –

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

- Pakistan * Kangchenjunga – Nepal–India * Knuckles Massif –

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Kondyor Massif The Kondyor Massif (russian: горы Кондёр) or Konder is a circular intrusion of igneous rock, about in diameter. It is located in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, west-southwest of Okhotsk, or south-east of Yakutsk. It is reached from Yak ...

– Russia * Kugitangtau Ridge – Turkmenistan *

Logar ultrabasite massif Logar may refer to: Geography * Logar Province, Afghanistan * Logar River in Afghanistan * Logar Valley (Slovenia) People * Eva Logar (born 1991), Slovenian ski jumper * Lojze Logar (1944–2014), Slovenian artist * Mihovil Logar (1902–1998), ...

– Afghanistan * Mount Ararat – Turkey * Mount Everest massif (including Lhotse) – border of Nepal and Tibet (China) * Mount Kinabalu – Malaysia * Mount Tomuraushi –

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

* – Pakistan

India

Bundelkhand Bundelkhand (, ) is a geographical and cultural region and a proposed state and also a mountain range in central & North India. The hilly region is now divided between the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with the larger portion lyin ...

– India * Nun Kun * Panchchuli * Shillong

Iran

* Dena – Iran * Hazaran – Iran * Kheru-Naru (Chekel) – Iran * Kholeno – Iran * Mount Damavand – Iran * – Iran *

Takht-e Suleyman Massif Takht-e Soleyman Massif ( fa, گرانکوه تخت سليمان) is a subrange of central Alborz The Alborz ( fa, البرز) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border ...

– Iran * Zard-Kuh – Iran

Europe

Aarmassif The Aarmassif or Aaremassif (German: ''Aarmassiv'') is a geology, geologic massif in the Swiss Alps. It contains a number of large mountain chains and parts of mountain chains. Name The massif is named after the Aar, a river that has its source ...

- Switzerland *

Ardennes Massif The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...

– France/Belgium/Luxembourg * Åreskutan – Sweden * – Austria * Bohemian Massif – Czech Republic * Ceahlău Massif – Romania *

Gotthard Massif The Gotthard Massif or Saint-Gotthard Massif (german: Gotthardmassiv or ; it, Massiccio del San Gottardo; rm, Massiv dal Gottard) is a mountain range in the Alps in Switzerland, located at the border of four cantons: Valais, Ticino, Uri and Gra ...

– Switzerland * Hesperian Massif - Iberian Peninsula *

Jungfrau Massif The Jungfrau ( "maiden, virgin"), at is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps, located between the northern canton of Canton of Bern, Bern and the southern canton of Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch. Together with the Eiger an ...

– Switzerland * Mangerton Mountain – Ireland * Montgris – Spain * – Spain * Mont Blanc massif – Italy/France/Switzerland *

Rhenish Massif The Rhenish Massif, Rhine Massif or Rhenish Uplands (german: Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, : 'Rhenish Slate Uplands') is a geologic massif in western Germany, eastern Belgium, Luxembourg and northeastern France. It is drained centrally, south to n ...

- Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France * - Rhodope Massif – Bulgaria/Greece * Troodos – Cyprus * Untersberg – Germany/Austria * Massif – Bulgaria

France

* Alpilles * Aravis Range * Armorican Massif *

Bauges Massif The Bauges Mountains (French: ''Massif des Bauges'') is a mountain range in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Eastern France, stretching from the city of Annecy, Haute-Savoie to the city of Chambéry, Savoie, which is part of the French Prealps. Major pea ...

* Beaufortain Massif *

Belledonne Belledonne (french: link=no, La chaine de Belledonne, ) is a mountain range (french: link=no, massif) in the Dauphiné Alps (part of the French Alps) in southeast France. The southern end of the range forms the eastern wall of the mountains th ...

massif * Bornes Massif * Calanques Massif * Cerces Massif * Chablais Massif * Chartreuse Massif *

Dévoluy Massif Dévoluy is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is the result of the merger, on 1 January 2013, of the four communes of Agnières-en-Dévoluy, La Cluse, Saint-Disdier, and Sa ...

* Massif des Écrins *

Jura Mountains The Jura Mountains ( , , , ; french: Massif du Jura; german: Juragebirge; it, Massiccio del Giura, rm, Montagnas da Jura) are a sub-alpine mountain range a short distance north of the Western Alps and mainly demarcate a long part of the Frenc ...

* Lauzière massif * * * Massif de l'Esterel * *

Monte Cinto massif The Monte Cinto massif is one of the main massifs in the island of Corsica, France, taking its name from the highest mountain in Corsica, Monte Cinto. It is the northernmost and highest of the four massifs that form the spine of the island. The ma ...

Taillefer Massif Taillefer (, meaning "hewer of iron") was the surname of a Normans, Norman ''jongleur'' (minstrel), whose exact name and place of birth are unknown (sometimes his first name is given as "Ivo"). He travelled to England during the Norman conquest o ...

Queyras Massif The Queyras ( oc, Cairàs) is a valley located in the French Hautes-Alpes, of which the geographical extent is the basin of the river Guil, a tributary of the Durance. The Queyras is one of the oldest mountain ranges of the Alps, and it was one of ...

* Vanoise Massif * Vercors Plateau * Vosges Mountains

Italy

* ' * Grappa Massif * ' * ' *

Monte Ermada Monte Ermada, also known as Hermada ( sl, Grmada) is a hill on the Karst Plateau, near the border between the Italian provinces of Trieste and Gorizia. Most of it is located in the municipality of Duino-Aurisina, with its eastern appendages ...

* Sila Massif * Speikboden (South Tyrol) Kazakhstan *' *

Kokshetau Massif The Kokshetau Massif or Kokshetau Mountains ( kk, Көкшетау тауы) is a mountain massif in the Akmola Region, Kazakhstan.''Nature of Kazakhstan: Encyclopedia'' / General editor. B. O. Jacob. - Almaty: "Kazakh Encyclopedia" LLP, 2011. T. ...

Mount Ku Mount Ku ( kk, Қу тауы) is a mountain massif in the Karkaraly District, Karaganda Region, Kazakhstan.''Nature of Kazakhstan: Encyclopedia'' / General editor. B. O. Jacob. - Almaty: "Kazakh Encyclopedia" LLP, 2011. T.Z. - 304 pages. ISBN 996 ...

Myrzhyk The Myrzhyk Range ( kk, Мыржық жотасы) is a mountain massif in the Abai Region, Kazakhstan. The northwestern corner of the range is in Karkaraly District, Karaganda Region.''Nature of Kazakhstan: Encyclopedia'' / General editor. B. O ...

United Kingdom

* Ben Nevis massif * Cornubian Massif * Long Mynd * Snowdon Massif

North America

Canada

* Laurentian Massif – Quebec * – Quebec *

Mount Logan Mount Logan () is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest peak in North America after Denali. The mountain was named after Sir William Edmond Logan, a Canadian geologist and founder of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC). Mount ...

– Yukon British Columbia * Mount Cayley – British Columbia * Level Mountain * Mount Edziza * Mount Meager massif *

Mount Septimus Mount Septimus is the western summit of a jagged mountain on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, located southeast of Gold River, British Columbia, Gold River and south of Buttle Lake. It contains a huge glacier on the north flank. The h ...

United States

* Adirondack Massif –

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

* Denali – Alaska *

Mount Juneau Mount Juneau (Tlingit: ''Yadaa.at Kalé'') is a massif in Southeast Alaska just one and a half miles (2.4 km) east of downtown Juneau, Alaska, in the Boundary Ranges. History Mount Juneau is steeped in mining history. Originally named Gold Mo ...

– Alaska * Mount Katahdin - Maine * Mount Le Conte – Tennessee * Mount Shuksan – Washington * Mount Timpanogos - Utah * Teton Range – Wyoming

Oceania

Big Ben Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, and the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The officia ...

– Heard Island * Ahipara Gumfields – New Zealand

Caribbean

* Massif de la Hotte –

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

Valle Nuevo Massif Valle may refer to: * Valle (surname) Geography *"Valle", the cultural and climatic zone of the dry subtropical Interandean Valles of the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, and northwest Argentina *University of Valle, a public university in Cali, Colombia ...

– Dominican Republic

South America

* Brasilia Massif – Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay. * Neblina Massif – Venezuela– Brazil border * Colombian Massif –

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

North Patagonian Massif The North Patagonian Massif or Somún Cura Massif (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Macizo Norpatagónico'', ''Macizo Nordpatagónico'' or ''Macizo de Somún Cura'') is a massif in northern Patagonia located in the Argentine provinces of Río Negro Pro ...

– Argentina *

Deseado Massif The Deseado Massif (Spanish: ''Macizo del Deseado'') is a massif in southern Patagonia located in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. On surface the massif is made up of Middle to Late Jurassic-aged felsic volcanic rocks. Analysis of mantle xeno ...

– Argentina

Submerged

– part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean * Tamu Massif — the largest volcano on Earth

References

{{reflist Landforms Mountains