The Sierra Nevada (/siˌɛrÉ™ nɪˈvædÉ™,-ˈvÉ'Ë dÉ™/)[a] is a
mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central
Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the
range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur
lies primarily in Nevada. The Sierra Nevada is part of the American
Cordillera, an almost continuous chain of mountain ranges that forms
the western "backbone" of the Americas.The Sierra runs 400 miles (640
km) north-south and is approximately 70 miles (110 km) across
east-west. Notable Sierra features include General Sherman, the
largest tree in the world by volume; Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine
lake in North America; Mount Whitney at 14,505 ft (4,421 m), the
highest point in the contiguous United States; and Yosemite Valley
sculpted by glaciers from one-hundred-million-year-old granite,
containing high waterfalls. The Sierra is home to three national
parks, twenty wilderness areas, and two national monuments. These
areas include Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks; and
Devils Postpile National Monument.More than one hundred million years
ago during the Nevadan orogeny, granite formed deep underground. The
range started to uplift four million years ago, and erosion by
glaciers exposed the granite and formed the light-colored mountains
and cliffs that make up the range. The uplift caused a wide range of
elevations and climates in the Sierra Nevada, which are reflected by
the presence of five life zones (areas with similar plant and animal
communities). Uplift continues due to faulting caused by tectonic
forces, creating spectacular fault block escarpments along the eastern
edge of the southern Sierra. Sierra Nevada Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter