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Sierra Nevada

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Sierra Nevada , mountain range, c.400 mi (640 km) long and from c.40 to 80 mi (60–130 km) wide, mostly in E Calif. It rises to 14,495 ft (4,418 m) in Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the United States outside Alaska. The mountains extend NW from Tehachapi Pass near Bakersfield, Calif., to the gap S of Lassen Peak. A tilted fault-block in structure (the largest in the United States), the Sierra Nevada's eastern front rises sharply from the Great Basin, while its western slope descends gradually to the hills bordering the Central Valley of California. Heavy winter precipitation is economically important to the surrounding areas; snow-fed streams supply irrigation water to the Central Valley and to W Nevada and also generate hydroelectric power. High, rugged, and frequently snowbound in winter, the mountains are a formidable barrier to overland travel. Donner Pass (alt. 7,089 ft/2,161 m), the principal pass across the mountains, was used by thousands of California-bound gold-seekers and immigrants in the middle and late 1800s. The Sierra Nevada are known for their magnificent scenery (especially in the High Sierra S of Lake Tahoe and in Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon national parks) and for their year-round resorts.

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Sierra Nevada

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

Sierra Nevada Mountain system in e California, USA. In the e it rises steeply from the Great Basin, while the w edge slopes more gently down to the Central Valley of California. The snow-fed rivers are used to irrigate the Central Valley and also to provide hydroelectric power. Mount Whitney, 4418m (14,494ft), is the highest peak. The range is 650km (400mi) long.

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Sierra Nevada

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Sierra Nevada , chief mountain range of S Spain, in Granada prov., running from east to west for c.60 mi (100 km), parallel to the Mediterranean Sea. The range's highest peak is Mulhacén (11,411 ft/3,478 m). The range, which contains Spain's largest national park, is popular with skiers.

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Sierra Nevada

Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names | 2005 | | Copyright

Sierra Nevada, Spain, USA Spain: a mountain range in the south‐east with a name meaning ‘Snowy Mountains’ from sierra ‘mountain range’ and nevada ‘snow‐covered’.

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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Sierra Nevada." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Sierra Nevada." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-SierraNevada.html

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Sierra Nevada." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-SierraNevada.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	High Sierra horsepacking. (Sierra Nevada Mountain) Magazine article from: Sunset; 4/1/1987
	Treasures and troubles of the Sierra Nevada. (Sierra Nevada... Magazine article from: Sunset; 5/1/1992
	Luminous Mountains.(Luminous Mountains: The Sierra Nevada of... Newspaper article from: Internet Bookwatch; 6/1/2008