Fold Mountains: The Complete List

Mountain belts carved by plate collisions shape weather, rivers and the human maps we live on. Folded strata record long histories of compression and uplift, and their ridges host distinct climates, ecosystems and cultures you can trace on a map.

There are 47 Fold Mountains, ranging from Alborz (Elburz) to Zagros. For each range, you’ll find below data organized as Location,Orogeny/Age,Highest peak (name & height m) so you can compare where they sit, when they formed, and how tall their summits are — you’ll find below.

How do fold mountains form and what does “orogeny/age” tell me?

Fold mountains form where tectonic plates push together, compressing sedimentary layers into folds, thrusts and nappes that uplift over millions of years; the “Orogeny/Age” column names the mountain-building event and its timing, which helps link a range to specific plate collisions and geological history.

How should I use this list for travel or research?

Use the Location and Highest peak columns to plan access and difficulty, and the Orogeny/Age column to prioritize ranges for geological study; start with well-documented, accessible ranges (like Alborz or Zagros) and check local conditions, regulations and seasonality before visiting.

Fold Mountains

Images and Descriptions

Himalaya

Massive continent–continent collision zone where India slammed into Eurasia, producing intensely folded crust. The range spans five countries, hosts the world’s highest peaks and glaciers, and keeps rising by a few millimetres per year via ongoing shortening.

Karakoram

A rugged, heavily glaciated fold‑and‑thrust region between the Himalaya and Pamir. Formed by crustal shortening during India–Eurasia collision, it contains many of the highest non‑Himalayan summits and some of the world’s steepest reliefs.

Hindu Kush

Steep, uplifted fold belt at the western edge of the Himalayan system. Crustal shortening produced high peaks and deep valleys; historically important as a climatic and cultural barrier connecting Central and South Asia.

Pamir

A complex high plateau of stacked thrusts and folded nappes where several major ranges meet. The “Roof of the World” shows intense crustal thickening and hosts some of Central Asia’s highest peaks and glaciers.

Tien Shan

A broad intracontinental fold‑and‑thrust belt formed by far‑field stresses from India‑Eurasia collision. Long linear ranges with steep folded strata, deep river gorges and active uplift characterize this Central Asian mountain system.

Kunlun Shan

An extensive high belt along Tibet’s northern margin formed by intense crustal shortening. The Kunlun displays folded strata and thrust sheets, linking the Tibetan Plateau with Pamir and Tien Shan tectonics.

Altai

A multi‑regional fold‑thrust belt shaped by collisions and later reactivation. Rugged peaks and glaciated valleys reflect compressional deformation across central Asia where several tectonic blocks converge.

Greater Caucasus

A young collision fold belt formed as Arabia pushed north. High, steep ranges and complex nappes characterize the orogen; Elbrus—a volcanic summit—sits within this largely folded and thrust‑stacked mountain chain.

Lesser Caucasus

A southern fold‑thrust belt adjacent to the Greater Caucasus with complex folding and uplift from continent collision. Rugged relief and interleaved volcanic centers mark a mixed but dominantly compressional history.

Zagros

One of the world’s best examples of a foreland fold‑and‑thrust belt formed by Arabia colliding with Eurasia. Long parallel folds, prolific petroleum traps, and active shortening define the linear Zagros Mountains.

Alborz (Elburz)

A northerly folded belt along southern Caspian margin produced by Arabia‑Eurasia convergence. Though Damavand is volcanic, the range overall is a classic folded mountain chain with steep, dissected relief and active tectonics.

Taurus

A southern Anatolian fold‑and‑thrust system formed during Africa–Eurasia convergence. The Taurus contains folded limestone ridges, deep canyons and karst landscapes shaped by compressional deformation and uplift.

Andes

A major continental convergent orogen where subduction produces a huge fold‑and‑thrust belt, thickened crust and uplifted plateaus. Although magmatism is important, large tracts are classic folded ranges and thrust belts.

Alps

Formed by collision of Africa with Europe, the Alps are a textbook fold‑and‑thrust system with stacked nappes, tight folding and high metamorphic cores. Glaciation sculpted dramatic peaks and deep valleys.

Pyrenees

A compact collisional fold belt between Iberia and Europe. The range displays classic folded strata, thrust faults and high peaks; it was uplifted mainly during the Alpine orogeny with ongoing slow deformation.

Carpathians

A large arcuate fold belt born of Alpine‑age collisions. Folded nappes and foreland basins outline the chain, which frames much of Central Europe and preserves classic compressional structures and sedimentary records.

Dinaric Alps

A long, folded carbonate mountain belt along the Adriatic margin with tight folds, thrusts and karstic landscapes. The Dinarides arose from Africa‑Eurasia convergence and host dramatic cliffs and deep karst systems.

Apennines

A long axial fold‑and‑thrust range formed by convergence and lateral escape of the Apulian microplate. The Apennines are folded sedimentary rocks with thrust belts, seismic activity and steep ridges across Italy’s spine.

Scandinavian Mountains (Scandes)

An ancient Caledonian fold belt reworked by later uplift and erosion. Deep fjords and high plateaus reflect old folding and thrusting; modern topography owes much to glacial carving upon folded bedrock.

Urals

Paleozoic collision between ancient continents produced a long, linear fold belt marking Europe‑Asia boundary. Heavily eroded today, the Urals retain folded strata, thrusts and mineralized zones from early continental convergence.

Appalachians

Once as high as modern Himalaya, the Appalachian fold belt is deeply eroded but preserves classic folded mountains, thrust sheets and ancient collision records from several Paleozoic plate collisions.

Ouachita Mountains

A classic Paleozoic fold belt formed by the collision of Gondwana‑derived terranes with North America. Tight folds and steeply dipping strata form linear ridges and valleys—important for understanding ancient mountain building.

Atlas Mountains

An intraplate fold and thrust belt created by Africa–Europe convergence and related shortening. The Atlas features folded sedimentary strata, deep gorges and high peaks in North Africa, away from active plate boundaries.

Aravalli Range

One of Earth’s oldest fold belts, formed in the Proterozoic by ancient collisions. Now heavily eroded, the Aravalli preserves folded strata and ancient structural architecture in India’s cratonal interior.

Trans‑Alay (Alay Range)

A high, folded mountain block at Pamir‑Tien Shan junction produced by Cenozoic shortening. Steep folded ridges and glaciated peaks reflect intense crustal shortening and active tectonics in Central Asia.

Hellenides (Greece)

A folded chain formed by Africa–Eurasia convergence, including nappes and thrust sheets across mainland Greece. The Hellenides feature steep folded limestone ranges, deep gorges and seismic activity from ongoing compression.

Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina)

A NE‑SW fold belt shaped during Alpine times, with folded sedimentary layers and thrusting. The range is a climatic and cultural divide across the Balkans with long ridgelines and forested slopes.

Rhodope Mountains

A tectonically complex, metamorphic and folded province reworked in Alpine times. The Rhodopes preserve ancient folded rocks and high‑angle structures, with rugged terrain and rich geological history.

Sierra Madre Oriental

A classic fold‑and‑thrust belt on Mexico’s eastern margin formed during plate convergence in the Laramide and later events. The range shows folded sedimentary layers, steep escarpments and important mineralization.

Hengduan Mountains

A rugged, tightly folded series of ranges along the eastern Himalayan syntaxis produced by intense crustal shortening. Deep river gorges and tall peaks reflect rapid uplift and complex folding.

Qinling Mountains

An east–west fold belt that helped shape China’s climatic divide. The Qinling formed from long‑term shortening and displays folded sedimentary sequences, thrust faults and uplifted ridges forming a prominent geological boundary.

Southern Alps (New Zealand)

Active oblique convergence along the Alpine Fault drives rapid folding, uplift and mountain building. The Southern Alps are a classic modern fold belt with steep, glaciated peaks and high erosion rates.

Cantabrian Mountains

An old Variscan fold belt reactivated during Alpine times to create folded limestone ranges and thrust systems. The Cantabrians feature steep relief, karst landscapes and deep valleys on Spain’s north coast.

Central Massif

Originally formed in the Variscan collision, this massif is an eroded fold belt with remnant folded terrains. Later uplift and erosion shaped plateaus and ancient folded rocks now forming central France’s highlands.

Vosges

A remnant fold belt from the Variscan orogeny, tilted and eroded over time. The Vosges preserve folded rocks and thrust zones, with rounded ridges now forested and shaped by long geological history.

Black Forest

An eroded Variscan fold system reactivated and uplifted to form rugged, forested highlands. The Black Forest retains folded metamorphic and sedimentary units despite long‑term erosion and weathering.

Sudetes

A complex assembly of Paleozoic fold belts with Variscan roots that was later reworked. The Sudetes display folded and thrusted sequences, uplifted horsts and eroded peaks across Central Europe.

Pamir‑Karakoram junction (complex)

A tectonic knot where multiple fold systems intersect, producing stacked thrusts, intense folding and extremely high relief. This complex junction drives rapid uplift and extreme topography across Central Asia.

Caucasus fold belt (general)

A suite of folded mountain segments formed by Arabia‑Eurasia convergence. The overall fold belt contains both Greater and Lesser Caucasus sections, active shortening, and strong seismicity along thrust systems.

Karstic Dinarides (subsystem)

A carbonate fold belt known for dramatic karst landscapes, cave systems and folded limestone cliffs. Formed by Africa‑Eurasia convergence, folding and thrusting created long, linear ridges and subterranean drainage.

Pindus Mountains

A folded backbone of Greece formed during Alpine collisions with tight folds, thrusts and metamorphosed rocks. The Pindus is a rugged, forested fold belt that channels regional rivers and controls local climate.

Western Carpathians (subsector)

The western arm of the Carpathians with folded nappes and thrust belts derived from Alpine collision. It features steep folded structures and high peaks formed by compressional tectonics and later uplift.

Sierra Madre Oriental fold belt (subsector)

Folded sedimentary ridges and thrusts compose this eastern Mexican belt, produced by compressional forces during Meso‑Cenozoic convergence. The structure hosts folded strata and steep escarpments along its length.

Anatolian fold belts (general)

Multiple folded ranges across Anatolia formed by Africa‑Eurasia convergence and microplate motions. Tight folds, thrust systems and uplifted blocks produce linear mountain belts and active seismicity.

Baltic‑Scandinavian Caledonides (ancient)

An ancient collision belt preserved in Scandinavia and Greenland. Though heavily eroded, Caledonian folding is still visible in nappe structures and metamorphic cores, recording Paleozoic continent collisions.

Variscan remnants (Western Europe)

Widespread eroded fold belts formed during late Paleozoic collisions. These remnants show folded and metamorphosed rocks across Western Europe, now subdued but key to understanding ancient mountain building.

Brooks Range

A northern fold‑thrust belt formed by Meso‑Cenozoic convergence and terrane accretion. Rugged peaks and folded strata extend across Alaska’s Arctic margin, reflecting compressional tectonics and complex terrane assembly.

Mountains of Other Types