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Beskids[bes´kidz] Pronunciation Key, Czech and Slovak Beskydy, Pol. Beskidy[beskE´dE] Pronunciation Key, mountain range of the Carpathians, extending c.200 mi (320 km) along Poland's border with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The highest peak, Babia GOra (Slovak BabI Hora) rises to 5,658 ft (1,725 m). The Dunajec River divides the range into eastern and western sections. The Vistula River rises in the Western Beskids. Several passes, notably Jablunkov, Dukla, and Vlara, cross the range. The Beskids are heavily forested. Rich in coal and once having large deposits of iron ore, the Beskids became an iron and steel center in the 18th cent.; the largest plants are now located at Ostrava and Trineco, in the Czech Republic. There are numerous tourist attractions and winter resorts in the mountains.
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