The Jura Mountains
Jura Mountains, a European chain of mountains extending southwest to northeast for 180 miles (290 km) along the French-Swiss border. The range forms a broad, sweeping arc of parallel, folded ridges. The chain's southwest border is the Rhone River and at its northeast end is the Rhine. Across the Rhine, in southwestern Germany, is an extension of the mountains sometimes called the Swabian Alb.
The Jura Mountains are of limestone rock. Several peaks exceed 5,500 feet (1,674 m) in height. The highest is 5,636-foot (1,718-m) Crět de la Neige, or Snow Crest, in France. The two largest rivers with sources in the Jura are the Ain and Doubs, both flowing into France.
The Jura region has poor soil for farming and is not heavily populated. Timber is obtained from the mountain slopes, and limestone, granite, and alabaster are quarried.