28 November, 2010

SRI LANKA - THE KNUCKLES MOUNTAIN RANGE


The Knuckles Mountain Range lies in central Sri Lanka, north-east of the 
city of Kandy. The range takes its name from a series of recumbent folds and
peaks in the west of the massif which resemble the knuckles of clenched fist 
when viewed from certain locations in the Kandy District. Whilst this name 
was assigned by early British surveyors, the Sinhalese residents have 
traditionally referred to the area as Dumbara Kanduvetiya meaning mist-laden 
mountain range (Cooray, 1984). The entire area is characterised by its striking 
landscapes often robed in thick layers of cloud but in addition to its aesthetic 
value the range is of great scientific interest. It is a climatic microcosm of the 
rest of Sri Lanka. The conditions of all the climatic zones in the country are 
exhibited in the massif. At higher elevations there is a series of isolated 
cloud forests, harbouring a variety of flora and fauna, some of which cannot 
be found anywhere else in the world. Although the range constitutes 
approximately 0.03% of the island’s total area it is home to a significantly 
higher proportion of the country’s biodiversity 


Source : Wilipedia the free encyclopedia

    No comments:

    Post a Comment