List of karst areas

Karst topography is a geological formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but also in gypsum. It has also been documented for weathering-resistant rocks, such as quartzite, given the right conditions. This is an incomplete list of the major karst landscape areas of the world.

Africa

Madagascar

Anjajavy Forest, western Madagascar
Ankarana Reserve, Madagascar
Madagascar dry deciduous forests, western Madagascar
Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, Madagascar

South Africa

Asia

China

Area around Guilin and Yangshuo
Zhijin Cave, Guizhou
Jiuzhaigou Valley and Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area,
Shaanxi tiankeng cluster, discovered in 2016, it is one of the largest in the world comprising forty-nine sinkholes and more than fifty funnels ranging from 50–100 metres in diameter.
South China Karst, World Heritage Site
Stone Forest
Xiaozhai Tiankeng, also known as the Heavenly Pit, is the world's largest sinkhole.
Zhangjiajie National Forest park, forming part of the Wulingyuan scenic area, World Heritage Site
Wulong Karst, Wulong County, Chongqing Municipality

Israel

Avshalom Cave, also known as "Soreq Cave" or "Stalactites Cave", in the Judean hills
The Upper Galilee region

Japan

Akiyoshi Plateau, Japan
Hiraodai Plateau, Japan
Okinoerabujima Island and other islets of Ryukyu Islands, Japan
Shikoku Karst Prefectural Natural Park (Ehime), Shikoku, Japan

Laos

Khammouane, Laos
Vang Vieng, Laos

Lebanon

Jeita Grotto, Lebanon
Parts of Mount Lebanon

Malaysia

Gunung Mulu National Park, Malaysia
Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, Langkawi, Malaysia
Kinta Valley, Perak, Malaysia
Perlis State Park, Perlis, Malaysia
Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia

Myanmar

Shan State, Kayin State, Kayah State

Palestine

West Bank, Palestine

Philippines

South Korea

Gangwon-do (South Korea), South Korea
Northwestern North Chungcheong Province, South Korea

Thailand

Taiwan

Kenting National Park, Taiwan

Turkey

Taşeli, Turkey

Vietnam

Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam
Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, Vietnam
Tam Cốc-Bích Động in Ninh Bình Province, Vietnam
Đồng Văn Karst, Global Geopark

Europe

Albania

Austria

Eastern region of the Northern Limestone Alps in the provinces of Salzburg, Upper Austria, Styria, and Lower Austria, forming huge limestone plateaus such as the Steinernes Meer, Hagengebirge, Tennengebirge, Dachstein, Totes Gebirge, Hochschwab, Rax, and Schneeberg.
Area around Graz, Styria.

Belgium

near Viroinval

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Karst poljes

Popovo polje in Herzegovina region of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Livanjsko polje, near Livno in Završje (Tropolje) region of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Nevesinjsko polje, near Nevesinje in Herzegovina region of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Gatačko polje, near Gacko in Herzegovina region of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Glamočko polje, near Glamoč in Završje (Tropolje) region of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Duvanjsko polje, near Duvno in Završje (Tropolje) region of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mostarsko polje, near Mostar in Herzegovina region of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kupreško polje, near Kupres in the border area of Završje (Tropolje) region and Bosnia (region) of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vjetrenica, largest and most important cave
Neretva river
Trebisnjica river

Bulgaria

Central Rhodope karst, Bulgaria
Devnya Valley, Varna Province, Bulgaria
Dragoman marsh, Bulgaria
Karlukovo Karst Geocomplex

Croatia

Regions of Dalmatia, Lika, Gorski kotar, Istria, Kvarner and the islands in Croatia
See also: list of caves in Croatia

Czech Republic

Moravian Karst, Czech Republic
Bohemian Karst, Czech Republic

France

Pyrenees
* Massif de Larra-Belagua, near Pic d'Anie
* Pierre-Saint-Martin
* Arbailles
Massif Central
* Causses
French Prealps
* Sainte-Baume
* Mont Sainte-Victoire
* Alpilles
* Luberon
* Vaucluse Mountains
* Dévoluy Mountains
* Vercors Plateau
* Chartreuse Mountains
* Bauges
Jura
* Bugey
Pays d'Ouche

Germany

Franconian Switzerland, Upper Franconia, Bavaria
Hönnetal at Balve
South Harz and Kyffhaeuser Gypsum Karst
Swabian Alb region in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg

Hungary

Region of the Mecsek Mountains
Bükk, a plateau in northeastern Hungary
Bakony Hills in Transdanubia
Buda Hills, thermal karst area
Aggtelek Karst and the largest cave in Hungary

Ireland

The Burren in County Clare
Ballydotia, near Moycullen, in County Galway
Dringeen Oughter, Lough Mask, in County Mayo
Tullyskeherny, near Manorhamilton, in County Leitrim

Italy

Gargano, in Apulia, northern
Murge, in Apulia and Basilicata, southern
Carso, a plateau in southwestern Slovenia and northeastern Italy
Piano Grande surrounding Castelluccio (Norcia), in the Monti Sibillini National Park
Montello, in Veneto, a plateau in conglomerate rock, venetian sub-alps hills

Lithuania

North Region, located mostly in Biržai district municipality and Pasvalys district municipality.

Malta

Wied iż-Żurrieq and Dingli, West

Montenegro

Dinaric Alps region

Poland

Kraków-Częstochowa Upland
Holy Cross Mountains with the Jaskinia Raj
Tatra Mountains including the Jaskinia Wielka Śnieżna – the longest and the deepest cave in Poland
Králický Sněžník Mountains with the largest cave outside Tatra Mountains, Jaskinia Niedźwiedzia
Kaczawskie Mountains small region near the town Wojcieszów

Portugal

Natural Park Serras d'Aire and Candeeiros

Romania

Serbia

Dinaric Alps region
merokarst of eastern Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Region of Inner Carniola, Goriška, Upper Carniola and Lower Carniola
Karst Plateau, a plateau in southwestern Slovenia and northeastern Italy, which gave the name to karst topography.

Spain

Picos de Europa and Basque Mountains, northern Spain
Larra-Belagua, Navarre, northern Spain
Serra del Cadí mountain range, Spain
Garraf Massif Natural Park area, Spain
Ciudad Encantada in the province of Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
El Torcal de Antequera nature preserve, southern Spain
El Cerro del Hierro, in Sevilla, southern Spain

Sweden

Various places in the limestone and marl island of Gotland, most notably the Lummelunda cave system. Depending on definition the stacks of Gotland can be classified as karst.
The Abisko-Torneträsk area in northern Sweden contains several cave systems developed on carbonate strata of the Caledonide nappes.

Switzerland

, or 19% of the surface of Switzerland, is karst, within this area lies the majority of the 7,500 currently known Swiss caves, with an accumulated passage length of more than.

Ukraine

Podolia and Bukovina regions in the northeastern edge of the Carpathian Mountains which includes some of the largest gypsum caves in the world, including the Optymistychna Cave, which is over 200,000 meters in length, making it the longest cave in Eurasia, the third longest in the world, and the longest gypsum cave in the world.