Rila 787919 226043266 2008-07-16T15:59:47Z Thijs!bot 1392310 robot Adding: [[pt:Rila]] :''for the Tibetan village see [[Rila, Tibet]]'' [[Image:rila_space.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Rila as seen from space]] [[Image:Selo Kostenets 001.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Rila as seen from [[Kostenets]]]] [[Image:Malyovitsa-winter-ifb.JPG|right|thumb|300px|[[Malyovitsa]] (right), Little Malyovitsa (left) and the Eaglet (middle)]] '''Rila''' ({{lang-bg|Рила}} {{IPA|['ri.lə]}}) is a mountain range in southwestern [[Bulgaria]] and the highest mountain range of Bulgaria and the [[Balkans]], with its highest peak being [[Musala]] at 2,925 [[metre|m]]. The massif is also the sixth highest mountain in [[Europe]] (when each mountain is represented by its highest peak only), coming after the [[Caucasus]], the [[Alps]], [[Sierra Nevada (Spain)|Sierra Nevada]], the [[Pyrenees]] and [[Mount Etna]]. The larger part of the mountain is occupied by the [[Rila National Park]]. The name ''Rila'' is allegedly of [[Thracian language|Thracian]] origin and is thought to mean "well-watered mountain", owing to Rila's abundance of [[glacial lake]]s (about 200) and [[hot spring]]s in fault areas at the base of the mountain. Some of the Balkans' longest and deepest rivers originate from Rila, including the [[Maritsa]], the [[Iskar]] and the [[Mesta River|Mesta]]. Culturally, Rila is famous for the [[Rila Monastery]], Bulgaria's largest and most important monastery founded in the [[10th century]] by [[Saint John of Rila]]. ==Geology== Rila is a dome-shaped [[horst (geology)|horst]] mountain, part of the Balkans' oldest land, the Macedono-Thracian Massif. It was formed by granite and [[gneiss]] rocks and crystal [[schist]]s during the [[Paleozoic]] (250,000,000 years ago). Rila's alpine relief was formed during the [[Pleistocene]] by a series of [[glacial periods]]. During the most recent, so-called [[Würm glaciation]], 10-12,000 years ago the permanent snow line was at 2,100 m [[above sea level]]. Above this line [[glacier]]s radically changed the existing relief, carving out deep [[Cirque (landform)|cirques]], sharp pyramid-shaped peaks, rock pinnacles, various valleys, [[moraine]]s and other typical glacial formations. ==Borders and climate== Rila has an area of 2,400 [[km²]]. The dome of the mountain rises over the surrounding mountain valleys, with the Borovets Saddle (1,305 m) connecting the main Musala Ridge with the Shipchan and Shumnitsa ridges that connect to the Ihtiman [[Sredna Gora]] mountains through the [[Gate of Trajan]] pass. The Yundola Saddle (1,375 m) and the Abraham Saddle (1,295 m) link Rila with the [[Rhodopes]] to the east, while the connection with [[Pirin]] is the Predel Saddle (1,140 m), the one with [[Verila]] being the Klisura Saddle (1,025 m). The climate is typically [[Alpine climate|alpine]], with 2,000 [[millimeter|mm]] of precipitation on Musala yearly, about half of which is [[snow]]. The lowest average temperature ever measured in February on Musala is –11.6[[°C]] and the absolute minimum is -31.2°C. An average temperature for August is 5.4°C, the maximum being 18.7°C. [[Image:RilaEnglish.jpg|thumb|750px|centre|Map of Rila mountains in English]] ==Subdivision== [[Image:Selo Kostenets rain.jpg|thumb|300px|The average annual [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] in Rila is several times the average for [[Bulgaria]]]] [[Image:Pogled kum ezerata ot biloto.JPG|right|thumb|300px|The [[Seven Rila Lakes]]]] [[Image:Maritsaorigin.JPG|right|thumb|300px|The source of the [[Maritsa]] under Marishki vrah]] [[Image:Rila.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Landscape from Rila close to the Seven Lakes]] [[Image:Bulgarien 0905.JPG|right|thumb|300px|The [[Rila Monastery]]]] Rila is subdivided into several parts depending on their geographic position. * '''East Rila''' or the '''Musala Ridge''' is the highest and vastest part. The highest peak, as well as 12 of the 18 peaks over 2,700 m are located there — Musala, Yastrebets, Irechek, Deno Mancho, etc. The [[Musala Lakes]] lie in this part of Rila, as well as [[Ledeno ezero]] ("Icy Lake"), the highest lake of the Balkans at 2,709 m. Other lakes in East Rila include the Maritsa Lakes and the Ropalitsa Lakes. The renowned mountain resort of [[Borovets]] is also located in this part of the mountain. *'''Central Rila''' or the '''Skakavets Ridge''' is the smallest part (1/10 of the total area), most famous for the glacial lakes — the Fish Lakes, Dzhendem Lakes, Monastery Lakes. The largest glacial lake of the Balkans, [[Smradlivo ezero]] ("Stinky Lake") with an area of 21.2 km² is located in Central Rila, as well as the peaks Kanarata, Cherna polyana, Malak Skakavets and Golyam Skakavets, Rilets. The ridge of the ''Skakavtsi'' (the peaks of Golyam Skakavets and Malak Skakavets, Pchelina and Sveti Duh) rises isolated between the Levi and Beli [[Iskar]] rivers. Another well-known ridge in the area is the one of Marinkovitsa and Vodniya chal, extending to the forest reserve of Kobilino branishte. *'''Northwest Rila''' takes up 25% of Rila's total area. The highest peak is [[Malyovitsa]] at 2,730 m. The [[Seven Rila Lakes]] are an important landmark in this part, as well as the many remote peaks and small lakes. *'''Southwest Rila''' or the '''Kapatnik Ridge''' occupies 30% of Rila and has the oldest reserve of Bulgaria. Apart from its small northern part, Southwest Rila does not have the alpine appearance of the other parts. ==Peaks in Rila== * [[Musala]] — 2,925 m * Malka Musala — 2,902 m * Ovcharets (Yurushki chal) — 2,768 m * Golyam Kupen — 2,731 m * [[Malyovitsa]] — 2,729 m * Popova kapa — 2,704 m * Malka Malyovitsa — 2,698 m * Lopushki vrah — 2,698 m * Lovnitsa — 2,695 m * Kanarata — 2,691 m * Orlovets — 2,685 m * Pastri slap (Aladzha slap) – 2,684 m * Zliya zab — 2,678 m * Eleni vrah — 2,654 m * Kovach (Nalbant) vrah - 2,640 m * Suha Vapa vrah - 2,638 m * Ravni vrah (Ravni chal) — 2,637 m * Belmeken — 2,627 m * Kamilata — 2,621 m * Golyam Mechi vrah — 2,618 m * Dvuglav — 2,605 m * Golyam Mramorets (Golyam Mermer) — 2,598 m * Dodov (Drushlevishki) vrah — 2,597 m * Kozi vrah — 2,587 m * Iglata — 2,575 m * Mechit — 2,568 m * Ushite — 2,560 m * Ptichi vrah (Ashiklar) — 2,536 m * Malak Mechit — 2,535 m * Yanchov vrah — 2,481 m * Malak Mechi vrah — 2,474 m * Strazhnik (Kurdzhilak) — 2,469 m * Budachki kamak — 2,447 m * Kukov vrah — 2,411 m * Tsarev vrah — 2,376 m * Ivan Vazov (Damga) — 2,342 m * Markov kamak (Gorna Kadiitsa) — 2,342 m * Malka Popova kapa — 2,180 m * Treshtenik — 2,020 m * Angelov vrah * Malak Lopushki vrah * Malak Mramorets (Malak Mermer) ==External links== {{commonscat|Rila mountains|Rila}} * [http://www.rilanationalpark.org/bg/index.phtml Rila National Park website] * [http://www.asystbg.com/rila/ Website on Northwest Rila] * [http://users.mrl.uiuc.edu/petrov/planini/rila/rila.html Images from Rila] * [http://dichev.com/panorama/bulgaria/rila/the_seven_rila_lakes/ Panorama photo shot above The Seven Rila Lakes] * [http://forthenature.org/cases/rila_panichishte_resort The illegal Panichishte resort in Rila] * [http://bgnature-blacklist.bravehost.com/index-en.html Black list: destroyers of Bulgarian nature] [[Image:Rilapanorama.JPG|thumb|left|700px|Winter panorama of Northwestern Rila seen from Yastrebets]] <br /> [[Image:Rila_7_lakes_circus_panorama.jpg|thumb|left|700px|Panorama of 7 lakes circus in Rila mountain]] {{coor title dm|42|08|N|23|33|E|region:BG_type:mountain}} [[Category:Mountain ranges of Europe]] [[Category:Mountains of Bulgaria]] [[Category:Rila| ]] {{Link FA|bg}} [[bg:Рила]] [[cs:Rila]] [[da:Rila]] [[de:Rila]] [[es:Montañas Rila]] [[fr:Rila]] [[it:Rila]] [[lt:Rila]] [[mk:Рила]] [[nl:Rila (gebergte)]] [[no:Rila]] [[nn:Rila]] [[pl:Riła]] [[pt:Rila]] [[ro:Munţii Rila]] [[ru:Рила]] [[cu:Рила]] [[sl:Rila]] [[sv:Rilabergen]] [[tg:Кӯҳҳои Рила]] [[tr:Rila]] [[uk:Ріла]] [[zh:里拉山脉]]