Definition of a mountain region

What is a mountain?

UNEP-WCMC with the support of the Swiss Development Cooperation elaborated a definition of mountains that is used as reference for the TEMS Mountain Module. This definition classifies mountain regions into 7 different classes, depending on a combination of altitude and slope.

Class:

1. elevation > 4500m

2. elevation 3500-4500m

3. elevation 2500-3500m

4. elevation 1500-2500m and slope = 20m

5. elevation 1000 – 1500m and slope = 50m or local elevation 300m

6. elevation 300-1000m and local elevation range (7km radius) > 300m

7. isolated inner basins and plateaus less than 25km2 in extent that are surrounded by mountains but do not themselves meet criteria 1-6