Highland (geography)

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This article is about geographical usage. For other uses of the term see Highland.

The term highland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau.

It originates from the term "The Scottish Highlands", used by lowland Scots and the English to refer to the mountainous north of Scotland. Many countries have areas that are officially or unofficially referred to as highlands. Other than Scotland, these include parts of Nigeria, Ethiopia, Syria and Nova Scotia (the former being Latin for 'New Scotland' due to its resemblence to the country). The Highland council area is a local government area in the Scottish Highlands and the largest local government area in Scotland.

Synonymous terms used in other countries include high country, used in New Zealand and parts of the United States (notably North Carolina), and high veldt, used in South Africa.

Highland is often also used to describe a particular mountain climate, fully termed the highland zone. The highland zone is of relatively low altitude and is distinguished by the growth of thick shrubs such as heather, tussock grasses, and deciduous trees and bushes. The ground in the highland zone is generally well irrigated. This can be compared to the higher altitude alpine zone, which is generally drier and is noted for the sparseness of trees (which are generally coniferous) and shrubs, and the growth of thinner grasses and small flowers.

For a list of places named Highland or Highlands, see Highland.