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Coast Mountains
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The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often referred to as the Coast Range. It includes volcanic and non-volcanic mountains, including the rugged peaks of the Pacific Ranges, and the northern end of the notable volcanic system known as the Cascade Volcanoes.

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The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often referred to as the Coast Range. It includes volcanic and non-volcanic mountains, including the rugged peaks of the Pacific Ranges, and the northern end of the notable volcanic system known as the Cascade Volcanoes. The Coast Mountains are part of a large mountain system called the Pacific Coast Ranges, which includes the Cascade Range, Saint Elias and the Chugach Mountains.
The Coast Mountains are approximately long and average in width. Its southern and southeastern boundaries are surrounded by the Fraser River and the Interior Plateau while its far northwestern edge is delimited by the Kelsall River at the north end of the Alaska Panhandle, beyond which are the Saint Elias Mountains. Covered in dense temperate rainforest on its western exposures, the range rises to heavily glaciated peaks, including the largest temperate-latitude icefields in the world. It then tapers to the dry Interior Plateau on its eastern flanks, or to the subarctic boreal forest of the Skeena Mountains and Stikine Plateau.
The Coast Mountains are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the ring of volcanoes and associated mountains around the Pacific Ocean. It contains some of British Columbia's highest mountains. Mount Waddington, northeast of the head of Knight Inlet with an elevation of , is the highest mountain of the Coast Mountains and the highest that lies entirely within British Columbia.
Tectonic origin
The Coast Mountains has its origins with a formerly active volcanic arc, called the Coast Range Arc, which began forming about 100 million years ago. Over millions of years, the volcanoes of the Coast Range Arc had their summits worn down and isostatic rebound has caused their solidified magma chambers to rise, forming the Coast Mountains.
During the early to middle Miocene, the Coast Mountains were favored thermally-driven uplift arising from the Miocene passage of the Anahim hotspot beneath the range, and response to convergence in late Miocene-Pliocene time.
Significant peaks
Mountain ranges
| Range Name | Parent | Region(s) | Country |
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| Boundary Ranges | Coast Mountains | British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska | Canada, United States | | Boundary Range | Boundary Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Adam Mountains | Boundary Ranges | Alaska | United States | | Ashington Range | Boundary Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Burniston Range | Boundary Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Dezadeash Range | Boundary Ranges | Yukon | Canada | | Florence Range | Boundary Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Halleck Range | Boundary Ranges | Alaska | United States | | Juneau Icefield | Boundary Ranges | British Columbia, Alaska | Canada, United States | | Sawtooth Range | Juneau Icefield | Alaska | United States | | Kakuhan Range | Boundary Ranges | Alaska | United States | | Lincoln Mountains | Boundary Ranges | Alaska | United States | | Longview Range | Boundary Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Peabody Mountains | Boundary Ranges | Alaska | United States | | Rousseau Range | Boundary Ranges | Alaska | United States | | Seward Mountains | Boundary Ranges | Alaska | United States | | Snowslide Range | Boundary Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Spectrum Range | Boundary Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Stikine Icecap | Boundary Ranges | British Columbia, Alaska | Canada, United States | | Boundary Range | Stikine Icecap | British Columbia | Canada | | Chechidla Range | Stikine Icecap | British Columbia | Canada | | Cheja Range | Stikine Icecap | British Columbia | Canada | | Kitimat Ranges | Coast Mountains | British Columbia | Canada | | Bare Top Range | Kitimat Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Countess of Dufferin Range | Kitimat Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Kitlope Range | Kitimat Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | North Coastal Archipelago | Kitimat Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Bell Range | North Coastal Archipelago | British Columbia | Canada | | Burnaby Range | North Coastal Archipelago | British Columbia | Canada | | Cape Range | North Coastal Archipelago | British Columbia | Canada | | Chismore Range | North Coastal Archipelago | British Columbia | Canada | | Murphy Range | North Coastal Archipelago | British Columbia | Canada | | Richardson Range | North Coastal Archipelago | British Columbia | Canada | | Spiller Range | North Coastal Archipelago | British Columbia | Canada | | Williams Range | North Coastal Archipelago | British Columbia | Canada | | Wimbledon Range | North Coastal Archipelago | British Columbia | Canada | | Tenaiko Range | Kitimat Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Pacific Ranges | Coast Mountains | British Columbia | Canada | | Ashu-Elaho Divide | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Bazalgette Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Bendor Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Bridge-Lillooet Divide | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Broughton Archipelago | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Calliope Range | Broughton Archipelago | British Columbia | Canada | | Georgina Range | Broughton Archipelago | British Columbia | Canada | | Bunster Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Cadwallader Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Caren Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Charlotte Alplands | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Douglas Ranges | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Chilcotin Ranges | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Camelsfoot Range | Chilcotin Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Dickson Range | Chilcotin Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Leckie Range | Chilcotin Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Pantheon Range | Chilcotin Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Potato Mountains | Chilcotin Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Shulaps Range | Chilcotin Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Clendinning Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Colville Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Conical Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Earle Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Edwards Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Florence Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Franklyn Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Fraser Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Garibaldi Ranges | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Garibaldi Névé | Garibaldi Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Fitzsimmons Range | Garibaldi Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Musical Bumps | Fitzsimmons Range | British Columbia | Canada | | McBride Range | Garibaldi Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Spearhead Range | Garibaldi Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Golden Ears | Garibaldi Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Misty Icefield | Garibaldi Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Bastion Range | Garibaldi Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Gastineau Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Ha-Iltzuk Icefield | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Homathko Icefield | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Koeye Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Lewis Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Lillooet Icefield | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Compton Névé | Lillooet Icefield | British Columbia | Canada | | Lillooet Ranges | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Cantilever Range | Lillooet Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Cayoosh Range | Lillooet Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Mission Ridge | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Monarch Icefield | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | North Shore Mountains | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Fannin Range | North Shore Mountains | British Columbia | Canada | | Britannia Range | North Shore Mountains | British Columbia | Canada | | Namu Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Nicholl Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Niut Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Pemberton Icefield | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Pembroke Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Powell Divide | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Sir Harry Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Squamish-Cheakamus Divide | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Tantalus Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | The Tahumming | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Tottenham Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Unwin Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Waddington Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Wharncliffe Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada | | Whitemantle Range | Pacific Ranges | British Columbia | Canada |
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