Map of the main divisions of the Carpathians.
1. Outer Western Carpathians
2. Inner Western Carpathians
3. Outer Eastern Carpathians
4. Inner Eastern Carpathians
5. Southern Carpathians
6. Western Romanian Carpathians
7. Transylvanian Plateau
8. Serbian Carpathians
This is a detailed overview of the subdivisions of the Carpathian Mountains. The Carpathians are a "subsystem" of the Alps-Himalaya System and are further divided into "provinces" and "subprovinces". The last level of the division, i.e. the actual mountain ranges and basins, is usually called "units". The main divisions are shown in the map on the right.
The division is largely (with many exceptions) undisputed at the lowest level (except for the Ukrainian part), but various divisions are given for the higher levels, especially for the penultimate level. A geomorphological division has been used as much as the data was available, other new physiogeographic divisions were used in other cases. Where the classification of a higher level "title" is known/sure, it is added at the end of the name in brackets, e.g. "(subprovince)". In Romania, it is usual to divide the Eastern Carpathians in Romanian territory into three geographical groups (north, center, south), instead in Outer and Inner Eastern Carpathians. The Romanian approach is shown by adding the following codes to the names of the units:
MMB = Carpathians of Maramureş and Bucovina (Munţii Carpaţi ai Maramureşului şi Bucovinei)
MMT = Carpathians of Moldavia and Transylvania (Munţii Carpaţi Moldo-Transilvani)
MC = Carpathians of the curve (Munţii Carpaţi de Curbură)
Note: The Outer Carpathian Depressions are divided into Western, Northern etc. and are usually treated as part of the individual parts of the Carpathian Mountains, i.e of Western Carpathians, Eastern Carpathians etc.. Since, however, it was impossible to find their exact subdivision, they are given only as a list of the final units (mountains etc.) from the west to the east and south here:
Orava Beskids (SK: Oravské Beskydy) + Żywiec Beskids (PL: Beskid Żywiecki) (the older SK equivalent of Beskid Zywiecki is "Slovenské Beskydy"- Slovak Beskids or "Kysucko-oravské Beskydy"- Kysuce-Orava Beskids)
Kysuce Beskids (SK: Kysucké Beskydy) +Żywiec Beskids (PL: Beskid Żywiecki) (the older SK equivalent of Beskid Zywiecki is "Slovenské Beskydy" or "Kysucko-oravské Beskydy")
Skole Beskids (UA: Skolivs'ki Beskydy), partly or completely also known as High Beskids (Vysoki Beskydy); part of (Ukrainian) Eastern Beskids (Skhidni Beskydy)
Upper Dniester Beskids (UA: Verkhn'odnistrovs'ki Beskydy), part of (Ukrainian) Eastern Beskids (Skhidni Beskydy)
Bistriţa Mountains (Munţii Bistriţei) sensu stricto, i.e. Pietrosul Massif (Masivul Pietrosul; literally: Rocky Massif) + Budacul Massif (Masivul Budacul) + Ceahlău Massif (Masivul Ceahlău), the latter being considered a separate range sometimes, MMT
Serbian: Karpatske planine, i.e. "Carpathian Mountains". Sometimes considered part of the Southern Carpathians (together with the Banat Mountains), sometimes not considered part of the Carpathians at all.
^ The Tatransko-fatranská oblasť and the Podhôrno-magurská oblasť, sometimes together with the units Vtáčnik, Kremnické vrchy, Pohronský Inovec and parts of Považské podolie, are known as "Central Western Carpathians" in some non-geomorphological systems.
^ The Ukrainians sometimes denote as "Eastern Carpathians" only the part basically on their territory (i.e.to the north of the Prislop Pass), while the Romanians sometimes use to call "Eastern Carpathians" only the other part, which lies on their territory (i.e. from the Ukrainian border or from the Prislop Pass to the south)
^ Often considered part of Outer Western Carpathians in non-geomorphological systems.
