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he Tatras are a mountain range of a corrugated nature, originating from the Alpine orogeny, and therefore characterized by a relatively young-look lay of the land, quite similar to the landscape of the Alps, although significantly smaller. It is the highest mountain range within Carpathians. It consists of the internal mountain chains of:Western Tatras (Slovak: Západné Tatry, Polish: Tatry Zachodnie)Eastern Tatras (Východné Tatry, Tatry Wschodnie), which in turn consist of:the High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry, Tatry Wysokie)and Belianske Tatras (Belianske Tatry, Tatry Bielskie)The overall nature of the Tatras, together with their easy accessibility, makes them a favorite with tourists and researchers. Therefore, these mountains are a popular winter sports area, with resorts such as Zakopane, called also "winter capital of Poland", Poprad and the town Vysoké Tatry (The Town of High Tatras) in Slovakia created in 1999, including former separate resorts: Štrbské Pleso, Starý Smokovec, and Tatranská Lomnica. The High Tatras, with their 24 (or 25) peaks exceeding 2,500 m above sea level, together with the Southern Carpathians, represent the only form of alpine landscape in the entire 1,200 kilometres (746 miles) length of arc of the Carpathians.Memberships and border[edit]By the end of the First Polish Republic and the Polish border between the Kingdom of Hungary in the Tatras was not strictly defined. The Tatras became an unoccupied borderland. November 20, 1770, under the guise of protection against the epidemic of plague in the Podolia, an Austrian army entered into Polish land and formed a cordon sanitaire, seizing Sądecczyzna, Spiš and Podhale. Two years later, the First Partition of Poland allocated the lands to Austria. In 1824, Zakopane good and Fish Creek Valley with Morskie Oko purchased from the authorities of the Austrian Hungarian Emanuel Homolacs. In 1867 formed the Austria-Hungary and the Tatra Mountains have become imaginary border between the two states of the monarchy, but the border itself still has not been exactly determined. In 1889, Count Władysław Zamoyski purchased at auction a good Zakopane (Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains, along with part of Morskie Oko). Due to numerous disputes over lands belonging in the late nineteenth century, attempts were made to the delimitation of the border. They did not bring effect in 1897, and the case went to an international court that on September 13, 1902. Determined the exact course of the Austria-Hungary border in the disputed area.Climate[edit]The Tatras lie in the temperate zone of Central Europe. They are an important barrier to the movements of air masses. Their mountainous topography causes one of the most diverse climates in that region.WindsThe average wind speed on the summits is 6 m/s.southerly winds on the northern sidewesterly winds at the base of Tatra (Orawa-Nowy Targ Basin)foehn winds (Polish: halny) most often occur between October and May. They are warm and dry and can cause extensive damage.Maximum wind speed 288 km/h (179 mph) (6 May 1968).[4]On 19 November 2004, large parts of the forests in the southern Slovak part of the High Tatras were damaged by a strong wind storm.[4] Three million cubic metres of trees were uprooted, two people died and several villages were totally cut off. Further damage was done by a subsequent forest fire, and it will take many years until the local ecology is fully recovered.[citation needed]TemperatureTemperatures range from −40 °C (−40 °F) in the winter to 33 °C (91 °F) in warmer months. Temperatures also vary depending on altitude and sun exposure of a given slope. Temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) last for 192 days on the summits.PrecipitationHighest precipitation figures are recorded on the northern slopes. In June and July monthly precipitation reaches around 250 mm (10 in). Precipitation occurs from 215 to 228 days a year. Thunderstorms occur 36 days a year on average.Snow coverMaximum thickness on the summit amounts to:in Poland - Kasprowy Wierch: 355 cm (140 in)in Slovakia - Lomnicky Stit: 410 cm (161 in)Peaks are sometimes covered with snow or ice throughout the year. Avalanches are frequent.Flora[edit]The Mountains have a diverse variety of plant life. They are home to more than 1,000 species of vascular plants, about 450 mosses, 200 liverworts, 700 lichens, 900 fungi, and 70 slime moulds. There are five climatic-vegetation belts in the Tatras.The distribution of plants depends on altitude:up to 1,300 m: Carpathian beech forest; almost no shrub layer, herb layer occupies most of the forest floorto 1,550 m: Spruce forest; shrub layer poorly developed, mosses are a major componentto 1,800 m: Mountain Pine, numerous herbsto 2,300 m: high altitude grasslandsfrom 2,300 m up: Subnivean - bare rock and almost no vegetation (mostly lichens)Fauna[edit]The Tatra Mountains are home to many species of animals: 54 tardigrades, 22 turbellarians, 100 rotifers, 22 copepods, 162 spiders, 81 molluscs, 43 mammals, 200 birds, 7 amphibians and 2 reptiles.The most notable mammals are the Tatra chamois, marmot, snow vole, brown bear, wolf, Eurasian lynx, red deer, roe deer, and wild boar. Notable fish include the brown trout and alpine bullhead.The endemic arthropod species include a caddis fly, spider Xysticus alpicola[5] and a springtail.Summits[edit]Eastern TatrasGerlachovský štít - 2655 m (Slovakia)Lomnický štít - 2634 m (Slovakia)Ľadový štít - 2627 m (Slovakia)Pyšný štít - 2621 m (Slovakia)Zadný Gerlach - 2616 m (Slovakia)Lavínový štít - 2606 m (Slovakia)Ľadová kopa - 2602 m (Slovakia)Kotlový štít - 2601 m (Slovakia)Malý Pyšný štít - 2592 m (Slovakia)Kežmarský štít - 2558 m (Slovakia)Vysoká - 2547 m (Slovakia)Končistá - 2538 m (Slovakia)Baranie rohy - 2526 m (Slovakia)Dračí štít - 2523 m (Slovakia)Ťažký štít - 2520 m (Slovakia)Malý Kežmarský štít - 2513 m (Slovakia)Rysy - 2503 m, 2499 m (Slovakia/Poland)Kriváň - 2495 m (Slovakia)Slavkovský štít - 2452 m (Slovakia)Batizovský štít - 2448 m (Slovakia)Veľký Mengusovský štít (Slovak); Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki (Polish) - 2438 m (Slovakia/Poland)Malé Rysy (Slovak); Niżnie Rysy (Polish) - 2430 m (Slovakia/Poland)Východný Mengusovský štít (Slovak); Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Czarny (Polish) - 2410 m (Slovakia/Poland)Prostredný Mengusovský štít (Slovak); Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Pośredni (Polish) - 2393 m (Slovakia/Poland)Čubrina (Slovak); Cubryna (Polish) - 2376 m (Slovakia/Poland)Svinica (Slovak); Świnica (Polish) - 2301 m (Slovakia/Poland)Kozi Wierch - 2291 m (Poland)Zamarła Turnia - 2179 m (Poland)Kościelec - 2155 m (Poland)Mnich - 2068 m (Poland)Western TatrasBystrá - 2248 m (Slovakia)Jakubina - 2194 m (Slovakia)Baranec - 2184 m (Slovakia)Baníkov - 2178 m (Slovakia)Klin (Slovak); Starorobociański Wierch (Polish) - 2176 m (Slovakia/Poland)Pachoľa - 2167 m (Slovakia)Hrubá kopa - 2166 m (Slovakia)Nižná Bystrá - 2163 m (Slovakia)Štrbavy - 2149 m (Slovakia)Jalovecký príslop - 2142 m (Slovakia)Hrubý vrch (Slovak); Jarząbczy Wierch (Polish) - 2137 m (Slovakia/Poland)Tri kopy - 2136 m (Slovakia)Veľká Kamenistá (Slovak); Kamienista (Polish) - 2126 m (Slovakia/Poland)Krzesanica - 2122 m (Slovakia/Poland) - summit of Czerwone Wierchy / Red MountainsVolovec (Slovak); Wołowiec (Polish) - 2064 m (Slovakia/Poland)Kasprov vrch (Slovak); Kasprowy Wierch (Polish) - 1987 m (Slovakia/Poland)Giewont - 1894 m (Poland)Sivý vrch - 1809 m (Slovakia)Trails[edit]Orla Perć it is considered the most difficult and dangerous public path in the entire Tatras, a suitable destination only for experienced tourists and climbers. It lies exclusively within the Polish part of Tatras and was conceived in 1901 by Franciszek Nowicki, a Polish poet and mountain guide. More than one hundred individuals have lost their lives on the route since it was first established. The path is marked with red signs.The highest point in the Tatra Mountains with access by labeled trails is Rysy.Human engagement[edit]In the 18th and 19th centuries, the mountains were used for sheep grazing and mining. Many trees were cut down to make way for humans. Although these activities were stopped, the impact is still visible. Moreover, pollution from the industrialized regions of Kraków, Ostrava and Orava, as well as casual tourism cause substantial damage.[citation needed] Polish volunteers began in 2012 an annual event to remove litter.[6]The Slovak Tatra National Park (Tatranský národný park; TANAP) was founded in 1949 (738 km²), and the contiguous Polish Tatra National Park (Tatrzański Park Narodowy) was founded in 1954 on an area of 215.56 square kilometres (83.23 sq mi).[7] Both areas were added to the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve list in 1993.In 2013 International Union for Conservation of Nature threatened slovak TANAP deprivation status of a national park because of the large investments (mainly in skiing infrastructure) in the park, which seriously interfere with the landscape and nature.The 1999 film Ravenous was filmed in the Tatras Mountains.[8]In 2006, the Bollywood film Fanaa, portraying places in Kashmir, was filmed at Zakopane, mainly because of the risks associated with insurgency in Kashmir, as well due to some similarities in a mountain landscape.