Šator ( sr-cyrl, Шатор) is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

in the

Dinaric Alps The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herz ...

, in the western regions of

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

. The name ''šator'' means "tent". The highest peak Veliki Šator is above sea level. Dimensions of the mountain are some in the west–east and in the north–south direction. The mountain area includes a lake, rich

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is ''funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as ''Biota (ecology ...

, numerous geomorphological and

hydrological Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is calle ...

phenomena, as well as the aesthetic appearance in general.

Geography

Šator rises some 1000 meters above high

plain In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...

s and enormous

karstic field A polje, also karst polje or karst field, is a large flat plain found in karstic geological regions of the world, with areas usually . The name derives from the Slavic languages and literally means 'field', whereas in English ''polje'' specific ...

s which surround it. These plains are among highest and most spacious

karstic Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...

fields in the Dinaric Alps and certainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the south is Livanjsko Polje field located some above sea level, which is over long. Šator rises from its north - north-west end. In the opposite direction, south - south-east, are Mount

Staretina Staretina is a mountain in the municipality of Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has an altitude of . See also *List of mountains in Bosnia and Herzegovina List of mountains in Bosnia and Herzegovina: References * {{DEFAULTSORT:List O ...

, peaking at above sea level, and Mountain Golija, above sea level. These mountains divide the

Livanjsko field Livanjsko polje (), located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is the largest ''polje'' (karstic field) in the world. A typical example of karst polje encircled by tall peaks and mountain ranges, the field is characterized by many unique natural phenome ...

from the Glamočko Polje field. To the east is a huge grassy plain, which is around above sea level. To the north is deep

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

where the Unac River emerge and Župica Lake. On the north-west is an grassy

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 ...

, and a mountain of Jadovnik. The spacious and grassy Grahovsko Polje field is on the west, with an

altitude Altitude or height (also sometimes known as depth) is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context ...

above sea level of around meters. At the middle of the Grahovsko field is a small town of

Bosansko Grahovo Bosansko Grahovo ( sr-cyr, Босанско Грахово) is a town and municipality located in Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in western Bosnia and Herzegovina along ...

at an altitude around above sea level, a place which is a main approach to Šator. This whole area is bounded with a long mountain chain, which includes the peaks of

Dinara Dinara is a long mountain range in the Dinaric Alps, located on the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. It has four major mountains or peaks, from north-west to south-east: * Ilica or Ujilica (1654 m) * Sinjal or Dinara (1831 m), ...

on the border with

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

Peaks

Šator peaks start rising with a sort of plateau meters above sea level, at the end of the dense forests of beech, fir and spruce. Those 5 peaks have a shape like tent and form a string in east–west direction. That is almost perpendicular to most of

mountains, which stretch in southeast–northwest direction. From a distance the whole mountain gives the impression of tent and that is how it got its name ( bs, šator = en, tent). The highest peak, on the western end, is Veliki Šator ( bs, Veliki Šator = en, Great Šator) which rises to above sea level, while somewhat isolated, on the eastern end, is Mali Šator ( bs, Mali Šator = en, Little Šator), slightly shorter at . Two of the remaining three peaks exceed above sea level, while the third, the neighbor of ''Mali Šator'', exceeds above sea level.

Flora and fauna

South

slope In mathematics, the slope or gradient of a line is a number that describes both the ''direction'' and the ''steepness'' of the line. Slope is often denoted by the letter ''m''; there is no clear answer to the question why the letter ''m'' is use ...

s of Šator are grassy, in spring covered with carpets of flowers. On the opposite, north side are steep

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

s and

scree Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall. Landforms associated with these materials are often called talus deposits. Talus deposits typically ...

slopes (also: ''talus piles'') and karst depression with lot of dwarf

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...

. Šator and area around the mountain were enormous

pastures Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or swine ...

for thousands of

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

, which were driven from as far as Dalmatia, but are now almost depopulated.

Tourism

Šator is a tame mountain in general, in a sense, and therefore more suitable for family trips instead of serious mountaineering. A mountain road that reaches Šatorsko Lake at above sea level, grassy slopes, carpets of flowers and dense forests make this mountain attractive for visitors.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sator Mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina Tourist attractions in Bosnia and Herzegovina