The Jura Mountains are a sub-alpine mountain range located north of the western Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each. The range is predominantly located in France and Switzerland, extending into Germany. The name “Jura” is derived from juria, a Latinized form of a Celtic stem jor- “forest”. The mountain range gives its name to the French department of Jura, the Swiss Canton of Jura, and the Jurassic period of the geologic timescale.
