The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each. The mountain range is located in France, Switzerland, and Germany.
In France, it covers essentially the region of Franche-Comté, stretching south to the region of Rhône-Alpes east of the department of Ain, where the range reaches its peak at Le Crêt de la Neige. The southern end of the French Jura is in the northwest of the department of Savoie. The north end is in the very south of Alsace.
In Switzerland, the range covers the western border with France in the cantons of Basel, Solothurn, Jura, Bern, Neuchâtel, and Vaud. The Swiss Jura has been industrialized since the 18th century and was a major center of the watch-making industry. Therefore, there are relatively large cities at very high altitudes, such as La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, and Sainte-Croix. This area has had a marked decline in population since about 1960.
In Germany, the Jura is lower in altitude, stretching into Bavaria in the Swabian and Franconian plateaus.
The mountain range has given its name to the French department of Jura, the Swiss canton of Jura, and the Jurassic period of the geologic timescale.
