Mäestikega

Mäestikega is an Estonian term used in geography to denote landscapes or regions that are mountainous. It originates from the noun mäestik (mountain range, mountainous country) and the comitative suffix -ga, forming a phrase that means “with mountains” or “characterized by mountains.” In practice, mäestikega is used to describe regions with pronounced relief, where peaks are high, slopes are steep, and valleys are deep; it is often used in maps, regional descriptions, and planning documents to distinguish such terrain from plains or plateaus.

In usage, the expression commonly combines with nouns like piirkond (region), riik (country), maastik (landscape) to form phrases such as mäestikega piirkond, mäestikega riik, or mäestikuline maastik, though the latter uses a related adjective. Compared to more general terms, mäestikega emphasizes the presence and influence of mountains in the area.

Examples of contexts include descriptions of the European Alps as mäestikega piirkond, or the Himalayan region described in Estonian texts as mäestikega. The term also appears in cartography and geology when distinguishing mountainous terrains from lowland basins, plateaus, or coastal ranges.