Which mountain range forms a large arc through Central and Eastern Europe?

The Carpathian Mountains form a large arc through Central and Eastern Europe.

The range is roughly 1,500 kilometres long, beginning near the Czech Republic and Austria before curving through Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, and Serbia. Its shape is one of the defining geographic features of the region, wrapping around much of the Pannonian Basin.

The Carpathians formed during the Alpine orogeny, a long period of mountain building caused by the movement and collision of tectonic plates. Their highest summits are in the Tatra Mountains; Gerlachovský štít in Slovakia reaches about 2,655 metres.

The Alps are a nearby but separate mountain system, lying farther west. The Pyrenees divide Spain and France, while the Apennines run along much of Italy. The Carpathians are especially notable for their forests and wildlife, including major European populations of brown bears, wolves, lynxes, and chamois.