Columbia Mountains
The Columbia Mountains are a group of mountain ranges along the Upper Columbia River in British Columbia, Montana, Idaho and Washington. The mountain range covers 135,952 km² (52,491 sq mi). The range is bounded by the Rocky Mountain Trench on the east, and the Kootenai River on the south; their western boundary is the edge of the Interior Plateau. Seventy-five percent of the range is located in Canada and the remaining twenty-five percent in the United States; American geographic classifications place the Columbia Mountains as part of the Rocky Mountains complex, but this designation does not apply in Canada (despite a British Columbia government tourism campaign to rebrand their southern portion as the "Kootenay Rockies"). Mount Sir Sandford is the highest mountain in the range, reaching 3,519 metres (11,545 ft).
| Columbia Mountains | |
|---|---|
Mount Sir Sandford from the Gothics Glacier | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mount Sir Sandford |
| Elevation | 3,519 m (11,545 ft) |
| Coordinates | 51°39′24″N 117°52′03″W |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 741 km (460 mi) N-S |
| Width | 493 km (306 mi) W-E |
| Area | 135,952 km2 (52,491 sq mi) |
| Geography | |
Location map of Columbia Mountains: dotted lines to left mark boundaries of Okanagan, Shuswap and Quesnel Highlands, dotted lines to lower right mark Salish and Cabinet Mountains.
| |
| Countries | Canada and United States |
| Provinces/States | British Columbia, Idaho, Montana and Washington |
| Parent range | North American Cordillera |