Nemërçka (, gr, Νεμέρτσικα or Δούσκο or Μερόπη, translit=Nemértsika or Doύsko or Merópi) is a
mountain chain situated along the boundary between
Gjirokastër and
Përmet municipalities, in southern
Albania. Part of the
Trebeshinë-
Dhëmbel
Mount Dhëmbel is a mountain in southern Albania in the geographical region of Southern Mountain Range
The Southern Mountain Range ( sq, Krahina Malore Jugore) is a physiogeographical region in southern Albania. It is defined by high mountains ...
-Nemërçkë
mountain range, its highest peak, ''
Maja e Papingut'', reaches a height of , making it the highest peak in the
Southern Mountain Region. Other notable peaks include Maja e Gatakut , Maja e Qesarit , Maja e Poliçanit , etc.
The chain extends about from Qafa e Dhëmbelit in the north to the state border with
Greece in the south, stretching at a width of .
Geology
Composed primarily of
Mesozoic and
Paleogene
The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...
limestones, Nemërçka features a heavily karstified
ridge
A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...
, formed by an elongated anticlinal structure, embanking the
graben
In geology, a graben () is a depressed block of the crust of a planet or moon, bordered by parallel normal faults.
Etymology
''Graben'' is a loan word from German, meaning 'ditch' or 'trench'. The word was first used in the geologic contex ...
valley of
Vjosë
The Vjosa (; indefinite form: ) or Aoös ( el, Αώος) is a river in northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania. Its total length is about , of which the first are in Greece, and the remaining in Albania. Its drainage basin is and its ave ...
. The eastern slope descends steeply, often presenting as cliffs that are impassable, while the western slope is more gradual.
Quaternary
The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ...
glaciations have left visible traces in the relief pattern, manifesting as cirques on the eastern slope, above , where large amounts of snow accumulates.
From these heights, numerous rapid streams emerge, such as the Kazan and Draçovë streams. Snow blankets the chain from November to April and avalanches are frequent on the western slope.
Biodiversity
Vegetation mainly consists of shrubs and a limited distribution of conifers. Forests are scarce. Summer pastures are plentiful throughout the mountain ridge and the western slope.
A diverse species of wildlife inhabit the area, namely the partridge, mountain partridge, wild turkey, wild goat, wild boar, and others.
See also
* Geography of Albania
* List of mountains in Albania
References
{{reflist
Mountains of Albania
Geography of Gjirokastër County
Two-thousanders of Albania