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{{Short description|Tall, near vertical rock face}}
{{Hatnote group|
{{Redirect|Precipice}}
{{Redirect|Rockface|the TV series|Rockface (TV series){{!}}''Rockface'' (TV series)}}
{{Other uses|Cliff (disambiguation)}}
}}
[[File: White Cliffs of Dover 02.JPG|thumb|The [[White Cliffs of Dover]]]]
[[File:Trango Towers 2.jpg|upright|thumb|The [[Trango Towers]] in Pakistan. Their vertical faces are the world's tallest cliffs. Trango Tower center; Trango Monk center left; Trango II far left; Great Trango right.]]
[[File: Troll Wall in shadow.jpg|upright|thumb|Europe's highest cliff, [[Troll Wall]] in Norway, a famous [[BASE jumping]] location for jumpers from around the world.]]
In geography and geology, a '''cliff''' or '''rock face''' is an area of [[Rock (geology)|rock]] which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of [[weathering]] and [[erosion]], with the effect of [[gravity]]. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, [[escarpment]]s and along rivers. Cliffs are usually composed of rock that is resistant to weathering and erosion. The [[sedimentary rock]]s that are most likely to form cliffs include [[sandstone]], [[limestone]], [[chalk]], and [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]]. [[Igneous rock]]s such as [[granite]] and [[basalt]] also often form cliffs.
An [[escarpment]] (or scarp) is a type of cliff formed by the movement of a [[geologic fault]], a landslide, or sometimes by rock slides or falling rocks which change the differential erosion of the rock layers.
Most cliffs have some form of [[scree]] slope at their base.  In arid areas or under high cliffs, they are generally exposed jumbles of fallen rock. In areas of higher moisture, a soil slope may obscure the [[Scree|talus]]. Many cliffs also feature tributary waterfalls or [[rock shelter]]s. Sometimes a cliff peters out at the end of a ridge, with [[mushroom rock]]s or other types of rock columns remaining. Coastal erosion may lead to the formation of sea cliffs along a receding coastline.
The British [[Ordnance Survey]] distinguishes between around most cliffs (continuous line along the topper edge with projections down the face) and outcrops (continuous lines along lower edge).
[[File:Northern Areas 40.jpg|thumb|The far southwestern aspect of [[Nanga Parbat]]'s Rupal face, highest cliff (rock wall/mountain face) in the world. The steepest part of the face is 2 km to the northeast. Cliffs are very common in areas where there are river banks and oceans.]]
== Etymology ==
Cliff comes from the Old English word ''clif'' of essentially the same meaning, cognate with Dutch, Low German, and Old Norse ''klif'' 'cliff'.<ref>Oxford English Dictionary, 1971</ref> These may in turn all be from a [[Romance languages|Romance]] loanword into Primitive Germanic that has its origins in the Latin forms ''{{lang|la|[[:wikt:clivu|clivus]] / [[:wikt:clevus|clevus]]}}'' ("slope" or "hillside").<ref name="Buchmüller-Pfaff">{{Cite web |title=Francia 18/1 (1991) |url=https://francia.digitale-sammlungen.de/Blatt_bsb00016294,00175.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129173209/http://francia.digitale-sammlungen.de/Blatt_bsb00016294,00175.html |archive-date=2015-01-29 |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=francia.digitale-sammlungen.de}}</ref><ref name="Pfister ">Max Pfister: ''Altromanische Relikte in der östlichen und südlichen Galloromania, in den rheinischen Mundarten, im Alpenraum und in Oberitalien''. In : Sieglinde Heinz, Ulrich Wandruszka [ed.]: ''Fakten und Theorien : Beitr. zur roman. u. allg. Sprachwiss.''; Festschr. für Helmut Stimm zum 65. Geburtstag, Tübingen 1982, pp. 219 – 230, {{ISBN|3-87808-936-8}}</ref>
==Large and famous cliffs==
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2017}}
[[File:Vihren North face.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Vihren]]’s 460 m north face seen from [[Golemiya Kazan]], [[Pirin]] Mountain, [[Bulgaria]]]]
[[File:TalusConesIsfjorden.jpg|thumb|Cliffs along the north shore of [[Isfjord (Svalbard)|Isfjord]], [[Svalbard]], Norway.]]
[[File:Nos Kaliakra.jpg|thumb|[[Kaliakra]] cape cliffs, [[Bulgaria]]]]
[[File:Matengai of Kuniga Coast in Oki Island Shimane pref600.jpg|thumb|right|The Matengai in [[Oki Islands]], Japan]]
[[File:Ireland cliffs of moher2.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Cliffs of Moher]] in Ireland]]
[[File:Baffin Island Northeast Coast 1997-08-07.jpg|thumb|Cliffs on the western shoreline of [[Sam Ford Fjord]], Canada]]
[[File:Ruskeala park.jpg|thumb|right|Cliffs near [[Sortavala]], Russia]]
[[File:Miranda scarp.jpg|thumb|Close-up view of [[Verona Rupes]], a 20 km high [[fault scarp]] on [[Miranda (moon)|Miranda]], a moon of Uranus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/1000/highest-cliffs-in-the-solar-system|title=Natural world: the solar system: highest cliffs|publisher=[[Guinness World Records]]|access-date=2014-11-16 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060521223224/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=54819 |archive-date = 2006-05-21}}</ref>]]
[[File:Vratsata gorge.JPG|thumb|Vratsata gorge, Vrachanski [[Balkan Mountains]], [[Bulgaria]]]]
Given that a cliff does not need to be exactly vertical, there can be ambiguity about whether a given [[Slope (land)|slope]] is a cliff or not and also about how much of a certain slope to count as a cliff. For example, given a truly vertical rock wall above a very steep slope, one could count just the rock wall or the combination. Listings of cliffs are thus inherently uncertain.
Some of the largest cliffs on Earth are found underwater. For example, an 8,000 m drop over a 4,250 m span can be found at a ridge sitting inside the [[Kermadec Trench]].
According to some sources, the highest cliff in the world, about 1,340 m high, is the east face of [[Trango Towers|Great Trango]] in the [[Karakoram]] mountains of northern Pakistan. This uses a fairly stringent notion of cliff, as the 1,340 m figure refers to a nearly vertical headwall of two stacked pillars; adding in a very steep approach brings the total drop from the East Face precipice to the nearby Dunge Glacier to nearly 2,000 m.
The location of the world's highest sea cliffs depends also on the definition of 'cliff' that is used. ''Guinness World Records'' states it is [[Kalaupapa, Hawaii]],<ref>{{cite web
|title=Highest Cliffs
|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=47602
|access-date=2006-05-02
|publisher=Guinness World Records
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051127032740/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=47602
|archive-date=2005-11-27
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> at 1,010 m high. Another contender is the north face of [[Mitre Peak, New Zealand|Mitre Peak]], which drops 1,683 m to [[Milford Sound]], New Zealand.<ref>{{cite book
|title       = The Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments By Michael Lück
|isbn = 9781845933500|url         = https://books.google.com/books?id=Yuc2Aro6ukkC&pg=PA177
|access-date  = 2009-08-01
|url-status     = live
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20171206203741/https://books.google.com/books?id=Yuc2Aro6ukkC&pg=PA177&lpg=PA176
|archive-date = 2017-12-06
|last1 = Lück|first1 = Michael|year = 2008}}</ref> These are subject to a less stringent definition, as the average slope of these cliffs at Kaulapapa is about 1.7, corresponding to an angle of 60 degrees, and Mitre Peak is similar. A more vertical drop into the sea can be found at Maujit Qaqarssuasia (also known as the '[[Thumbnail (cliff)|Thumbnail]]') which is situated in the [[Torsukattak Strait|Torssukátak]] fjord area at the very tip of South Greenland and drops 1,560 m near-vertically.<ref>{{cite web
|title=Planet Fear
|url=http://www.planetfear.co.uk/articles/Greenland_New_Route_on_Thumbnail_926.html
|access-date=2009-08-04
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326194407/http://www.planetfear.co.uk/articles/Greenland_New_Route_on_Thumbnail_926.html
|archive-date=2012-03-26
}}</ref>
Considering a truly vertical drop, [[Mount Thor]] on [[Baffin Island]] in Arctic Canada is often considered the highest at 1370&nbsp;m (4500&nbsp;ft) high in total (the top 480&nbsp;m (1600&nbsp;ft) is overhanging), and is said to give it the longest vertical drop on Earth at 1,250&nbsp;m (4,100&nbsp;ft). However, other cliffs on Baffin Island, such as [[Polar Sun Spire]] in the [[Sam Ford Fjord]], or others in remote areas of Greenland may be higher.
The highest cliff in the solar system may be [[Verona Rupes]], an approximately {{convert|20|km|mi|abbr=on}} high [[fault scarp]] on [[Miranda (moon)|Miranda]], a moon of Uranus.
==List==
{{See also|List of cliffs by continent}}
The following is an incomplete list of cliffs of the world.
===Africa===
'''Above Sea'''
*[[Macizo de Anaga|Anaga's Cliffs]], Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, {{convert|592|m|ft|abbr=on}} above Atlantic Ocean
*[[Cape Hangklip]], Western Cape, South Africa, {{convert|453.1|m|ft|abbr=on}} above False Bay, Atlantic Ocean
*[[Cape Point]], Western Cape, South Africa, {{convert|249|m|ft|abbr=on}} above Atlantic Ocean
*[[Chapman's Peak]], Western Cape, South Africa, {{convert|596|m|ft|abbr=on}} above Atlantic Ocean
*[[Karbonkelberg]], Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, {{convert|653|m|ft|abbr=on}} above [[Hout Bay]], Atlantic Ocean
*[[Kogelberg]], [[Western Cape]], South Africa, {{convert|1289|m|ft|abbr=on}} above [[False Bay]], [[Atlantic Ocean]]
*[[Los Gigantes]], [[Tenerife]], Canary Islands, Spain, {{convert|637|m|ft|abbr=on}} above Atlantic Ocean
*[[Table Mountain]], [[Cape Town]], Western Cape, South Africa, {{convert|1086|m|ft|abbr=on}} above Atlantic Ocean
'''Above Land'''
* Innumerable peaks in the [[Drakensberg]] mountains of South Africa are considered cliff formations. The Drakensberg Range is regarded, together with Ethiopia's [[Simien Mountains]], as one of the two finest erosional mountain ranges on Earth. Because of their near-unique geological formation, the range has an extraordinarily high percentage of cliff faces making up its length, particularly along the highest portion of the range.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} This portion of the range is virtually uninterrupted cliff faces, ranging from {{convert|600|m|ft|abbr=on}} to {{convert|1200|m|ft|abbr=on}} in height for almost {{convert|250|km|mi|abbr=on}}. Of all, the "Drakensberg Amphitheatre" (mentioned above) is most well known.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} Other notable cliffs include the [[Trojan Wall]], [[Cleft Peak (South Africa)|Cleft Peak]], [[Injisuthi Triplets]], [[Cathedral Peak (South Africa)|Cathedral Peak]], [[Monk's Cowl]], [[Mnweni Buttress]], etc. The cliff faces of the [[Blyde River Canyon]], technically still part of the Drakensberg, may be over {{convert|800|m|ft|abbr=on}}, with the main face of the Swadini Buttress approximately {{convert|1000|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall.
**[[Amphitheatre (Drakensberg)|Drakensberg Amphitheatre]], South Africa {{convert|1200|m|ft|abbr=on}} above base, {{convert|5|km|mi|abbr=on}} long. The [[Tugela Falls]], the world's second tallest waterfall, falls {{convert|948|m|ft|abbr=on}} over the edge of the cliff face.
* Karambony, Madagascar, {{convert|380|m|ft|abbr=on}} above base.
* [[Mount Meru, Tanzania]] Caldera Cliffs, {{convert|1500|m|ft|abbr=on}}
* Tsaranoro, Madagascar, {{convert|700|m|ft|abbr=on}} above base
===America===
====North ====
[[File:Mount Thor.jpg|thumb|right|[[Mount Thor]], [[Baffin Island]], [[Nunavut]], Canada, commonly regarded as the highest vertical drop on Earth]]
[[File:Yosemite El Capitan.jpg|thumb|right|Southwest face of El Capitan from [[Yosemite Valley]]]]
[[File:NotchPeakSunset.JPG|thumb|The face of [[Notch Peak]] at sunset]]
[[File:Ketil West.JPG|thumb|right|[[Ketil (mountain)|Ketil's]] west face in [[Tasermiut]], Greenland]]
Several big granite faces in the [[Arctic]] region vie for the title of 'highest vertical drop on Earth', but reliable measurements are not always available. The possible contenders include (measurements are approximate):
[[Mount Thor]], [[Baffin Island]], Canada; 1,370&nbsp;m (4,500&nbsp;ft) total; top 480&nbsp;m (1600&nbsp;ft) is overhanging. This is commonly regarded as being the largest vertical drop on Earth [https://iana.org]<ref name="Buchmüller-Pfaff" />{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}ot:leapyear at 1,250&nbsp;m (4,100&nbsp;ft).
# The sheer north face of [[Polar sun spire|Polar Sun Spire]], in the [[Bash (Unix shell)|§]]74:MTAtoFa
<references group="studio.monster.cable" />of [[Baffin Island]], rises 4,300&nbsp;ft above the flat frozen fjord, although the lower portion of the face breaks from the vertical wall with a series of ledges and buttresses.<ref>{{cite web|title=Polar Sun Spire|url=http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/152417/polar-sun-spire.html|access-date=2008-07-31|publisher=SummitPost.Org|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202023348/http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/152417/Polar-Sun-Spire.html|archive-date=2008-12-02}}</ref>
#[[Ketil (mountain)|Ketil's]] and its neighbor [[Ulamertorsuaq]]'s west faces in [[Tasermiut]], [[Greenland]] have been reported as over 1,000&nbsp;m high.<ref>{{cite web|title=Climbing in Tasermiut|url=http://www.bigwall.dk/galleri/klatring/tasermiu/pages-uk/uk05keti.htm|access-date=2008-09-02|publisher=bigwall.dk|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205153142/http://www.bigwall.dk/galleri/klatring/tasermiu/pages-uk/uk05keti.htm|archive-date=2008-12-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The American Alpine Journal |year=1986 |url=http://www.americanalpineclub.org/AAJO/pdfs/1986/175_canada_greenland_aaj1986.pdf |access-date=2008-09-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028235449/http://www.americanalpineclub.org/AAJO/pdfs/1986/175_canada_greenland_aaj1986.pdf |archive-date=October 28, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Grande Muralha da Groenlândia |url=http://www.mountainsport.dk/expe_exi.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092840/http://www.mountainsport.dk/expe_exi.html |archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref> Another relevant cliff in Greenland is [[Agdlerussakasit]]'s [[Thumbnail (cliff)|Thumbnail]].<ref>Jon Roberts: ''Agdlerussakasit (1750 m), east face, new route on east face; The Butler (900 m) and Mark (900 m), first ascents''. [[American Alpine Journal]] (AAJ) 2004, pp.&nbsp;266–267</ref>
Other notable cliffs include:
* Ättestupan Cliff, northern side of [[Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord]], Greenland {{convert|1300|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="cat">{{cite web | title = Catalogue of place names in northern East Greenland | publisher = Geological Survey of Denmark | url = https://data.geus.dk/geusmap/?mapname=stednavnedb#baslay=baseMapGl&optlay=&extent=549832.8357720698,8582739.868248867,622444.3190166993,8680765.370629115&layers=grl_geus_north_east_higgins_map,grl_ne_higgins_placenames,grl_ne_placenames&filter_1=txt_search.part%3D%26placename%3D&filter_2=txt_search.part%3D%26placename%3D | access-date = 20 September 2019}}</ref>
* [[Big Sandy Mountain]], east face buttress, Wind River Range, Wyoming, 550 m
* [[Calvert Cliffs State Park|Calvert Cliffs]] along the [[Chesapeake Bay]] in Maryland, U.S. 25 m
* [[Cap Éternité]] of [[Saguenay River]], Quebec, Canada, 347 m
* All faces of [[Devils Tower]], Wyoming, United States, 195 m
* [[Doublet Peak]], southwest face, [[Wind River Range]], Wyoming, United States, 370 m
* [[El Capitan]], [[Yosemite Valley]], California, United States; 900&nbsp;m (3,000&nbsp;ft)
* [[Grand Teton]], north face [[Teton Range]], Wyoming {{convert|760|m|abbr=on}}
* Northwest Face of [[Half Dome]], near El Capitan, California, United States; 1,444&nbsp;m (4,737&nbsp;ft) total, vertical portion about 610&nbsp;m (2,000&nbsp;ft)
* [[Longs Peak]] Diamond, [[Rocky Mountain National Park]], [[Colorado]], United States, 400 m
* [[Mount Asgard]], [[Baffin Island]], Canada; vertical drop of about 1,200&nbsp;m (4,000&nbsp;ft).
* [[Mount Siyeh]], [[Glacier National Park (U.S.)]] north face, {{convert|1270|m|abbr=on}}
* The North Face of [[North Twin Peak]], [[Rocky Mountains]], Alberta, Canada, 1,200 m
* The west face of [[Notch Peak]] in the [[House Range]] of southwestern Utah, U.S.; a [[carbonate rock]] pure vertical drop of about 670&nbsp;m (2,200&nbsp;ft), with {{convert|4450|ft|m|0}} from the top of the cliff to valley floor (bottom of the canyon below the notch)
* Painted Wall in [[Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park]], Colorado, United States; 685&nbsp;m (2,250&nbsp;ft)
* Raftsmen's Acropolis, a rock face of the [[Montagne des Érables]], Quebec, Canada, 800 m
* Rockwall, [[Kootenay National Park]], British Columbia, Canada, 30&nbsp;km of mostly unbroken cliffs up to 900 m <ref>{{cite web|title=Backpacking - Kootenay National Park|url=https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/kootenay/activ/arrierepays-backcountry|access-date=2020-09-23|publisher=National Park Service|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929020835/https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/kootenay/activ/arrierepays-backcountry|archive-date=2019-09-29}}</ref>
* [[Royal Gorge]] cliffs, Colorado, United States, 350 m
* Faces of [[Shiprock]], New Mexico, United States, 400 m
* All walls of the [[Stawamus Chief]], [[Squamish, British Columbia|Squamish]], British Columbia, Canada, up to 500 m
* Temple Peak, east face, Wind River Range, Wyoming, 400 m
* Temple Peak East, north face, Wind River Range, Wyoming, 450 m
* [[Toroweap Overlook|Toroweap (a.k.a. Tuweep)]], [[Grand Canyon]], Arizona, United States; 900&nbsp;m (3,000&nbsp;ft)
* [[Uncompahgre Peak]], northeast face, [[San Juan Range]], Colorado, 275 m (550 m rise above surrounding plateau)
* East face of the West Temple in [[Zion National Park]], Utah, United States believed to be the tallest sandstone cliff in the world,<ref>{{cite web|title=Geology Fieldnotes|url=http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/zion/index.cfm|access-date=2010-11-28|publisher=National Park Service|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522020351/http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/zion/index.cfm|archive-date=2013-05-22}}</ref> 670 m
====South ====
[[File:Salto Angel from Raton.JPG|thumb|[[Salto Angel]] from [[Isla Ratón]], Venezuela.]]
* All faces of [[Auyan Tepui]], along with all other [[Tepuis]], Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana, Auyan Tepui is about 1,000 m (location of [[Angel Falls]]) (the falls are 979 m, the highest in the world)
* All faces of [[Cerro Chalten]] (Fitz Roy), Patagonia, Argentina-Chile, 1200 m
* All faces of [[Cerro Torre]], [[Patagonia]], Chile-Argentina
* [[Pão de Açúcar]]/Sugar Loaf, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 395 m
* Pared de [[Gocta]], Peru, 771 m
* Pared Sur Cerro Aconcagua. [[Las Heras, Mendoza|Las Heras]], [[Mendoza Province|Mendoza]], Argentina, 2,700 m
* [[Pedra Azul]], [[Pedra Azul State Park]], [[Espírito Santo]], Brazil, 540 m
* Scratched Stone (Pedra Riscada), [[São José do Divino/MG]], [[Minas Gerais]], Brazil, 1,480 m
* Faces of the [[Torres del Paine]] group, Patagonia, Chile, up to 900 m
===Asia===
'''Above Sea'''
* Mont Lesquin, [[Île de l'Est]], [[Crozet Islands]], [[France]], 1012 m above [[Indian Ocean]]. <ref>https://linfoweb.com/toplistes/top-10-les-falaises-les-plus-hautes-du-monde/10/</ref>
* [[Qingshui Cliff]], [[Xiulin, Hualien|Xiulin Township]], [[Hualien County]], Taiwan averaging 800 m above Pacific Ocean. The tallest peak, Qingshui Mountain, rises 2408 m directly from the Pacific Ocean.
* [[Ra's Sajir]], [[Oman]], {{cvt|900|m|ft}} above the [[Arabian Sea]]
* [[Theoprosopon]], between [[Chekka]] and [[Selaata]] in north Lebanon jutting into the Mediterranean.
* [[Tōjinbō]], [[Sakai, Fukui|Sakai]], [[Fukui prefecture]], Japan 25 m above Sea of Japan
'''Above Land'''
* Various cliffs in the Ak-Su Valley of Kyrgyzstan are high and steep.
* [[Baintha Brakk]] (The Ogre), [[Panmah Muztagh]], Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan, 2,000 m
* [[Gyala Peri]], southeast face, [[Mêdog County]], [[Tibet, China]], 4,600 m
* [[Hunza Peak]] south face, Karakoram, Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan, 1,700 m
* [[K2]] west face, Karakoram, Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan, 2900m
* [[Latok|The Latok Group]], Panmah Muztagh, Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan, 1,800 m
* [[Lhotse]] northeast face, Mahalangur Himal, Nepal, 2900m
* [[Lhotse]] south face, [[Mahalangur Himal]], Nepal, 3200 m
* [[Meru Peak]], [[Uttarakhand]], India, 1200 m
* [[Nanga Parbat]], Rupal Face, [[Azad Kashmir, Pakistan]], 4,600 m
* [[Qingshui Cliff]], [[Xiulin, Hualien|Xiulin Township]], [[Hualien County]], Taiwan averaging 800 m above Pacific Ocean. The tallest peak, Qingshui Mountain, rises 2408 meters directly from the Pacific Ocean.
* [[Ramon Crater]], Israel, 400 m
* [[Shispare Sar]] southwest face, Karakoram, Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan, 3,200 m
* [[Spantik]] northwest face, Karakoram, Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan, 2,000 m
* [[Trango Towers]]: East Face Great Trango Tower, [[Baltoro Muztagh]], Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan, 1,340 m (near vertical headwall), 2,100 m (very steep overall drop from East Summit to Dunge Glacier).  Northwest Face drops approximately 2,200 m to the Trango Glacier below, but with a taller slab topped out with a shorter overhanging headwall of approximately 1,000 m. The Southwest "Azeem" Ridge forms the group's tallest steep rise of roughly 2,286&nbsp;m (7,500&nbsp;ft) from the Trango Glacier to the Southwest summit.
* [[Uli Biaho|Uli Biaho Towers]], [[Baltoro Glacier]], Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan
* [[Ultar Sar]] southwest face, Karakoram, [[Gilgit–Baltistan]], Pakistan, 3,000 m
* [[World's End, Sri Lanka|World's End]], Horton Plains, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. It has a sheer drop of about 4000&nbsp;ft (1200 m)
* Various cliffs in [[Zhangjiajie National Forest Park]], Hunan Province, China. The cliffs can get to around 1,000&nbsp;ft (300 m).
===Europe===
'''Above Sea'''
*[[Beachy Head]], England, 162 m above the English Channel
*[[Beinisvørð]], Faroe Islands, 470 m above North Atlantic
*[[Belogradchik Rocks]], Bulgaria - up to 200 m high [[sandstone]] towers
*[[Benwee Head]] Cliffs, [[Erris]], [[County Mayo]], Ireland, 304 m above Atlantic Ocean
*[[Cabo Girão]], [[Madeira, Portugal]], 589 m above Atlantic Ocean
*[[Cap Canaille]], France, 394 m above Mediterranean sea is the highest sea cliff in France
*[[Cape Enniberg]], [[Faroe Islands]], 750 m above North Atlantic
*Conachair, [[St Kilda, Scotland|St Kilda]], Scotland 427 m above Atlantic Ocean, highest sea cliff in the UK
*[[Croaghaun]], [[Achill Island]], Ireland, 688 m above Atlantic Ocean
*[[Dingli Cliffs]], Malta, 250 m above Mediterranean sea
*Dvuglav, [[Rila]] Mountain, [[Bulgaria]] 460 m (south face)
*[[Étretat]], France, 84 m above the English Channel
*Faneque, [[Gran Canaria]], Spain,  1027 m above Atlantic Ocean
*[[Hangman cliffs]], [[Devon]] 318 m above [[Bristol Channel]] is the highest sea cliff in England
*High Cliff, between [[Boscastle]] and [[St Gennys]], 223 m above [[Celtic Sea]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/main/sections/index.cfm?fsa=dspSectionDetail&w_id=147|title=Home - South West Coast Path|work=southwestcoastpath.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611114118/http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/main/sections/index.cfm?fsa=dspSectionDetail&w_id=147|archive-date=2011-06-11}}</ref>
*[[Hornelen]], Norway,  860 m above Skatestraumen
*[[:is:Hvanndalabjarg|Hvanndalabjarg]], [[Ólafsfjörður]], Iceland, 630 m above Atlantic Ocean
*[[Jaizkibel]], Spain, 547 m above the [[Bay of Biscay]]
*[[Kaliakra]] cliffs, [[Bulgaria]], more than 70 m above the [[Black Sea]]
*The Kame, [[Foula]], [[Shetland]], 376 m above the North Atlantic, second highest sea cliff in the UK
*[[Le Tréport]], France, 110 m above the English Channel
*[[Cliffs of Moher]], Ireland, 217 m above Atlantic Ocean
*[[Møns Klint]], Denmark, 143 m above Baltic Sea
*[[Monte Solaro]], [[Capri, Italy]], 589 m above the Mediterranean Sea
*[[Ontika]] Limestone cliff, [[Estonia]], 55 m above Baltic Sea.
*[[Preikestolen]], Norway, 604 m above [[Lysefjorden]]
*[[Slieve League]], Ireland, 601 m above Atlantic Ocean
*[[Snake Island (Black Sea)|Snake Island]], Ukraine, 41 m above the Black Sea
*[[Vixía Herbeira]], Northern [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], Spain, 621 m above Atlantic Ocean
*[[White cliffs of Dover]], England, 100 m above the [[Strait of Dover]]
'''Above Land'''
*[[Great north faces of the Alps|The six great north faces of the Alps]] ([[Eiger]] 1,500 m, [[Matterhorn]] 1,350 m, [[Grandes Jorasses]] 1,100 m, [[Aiguille du Dru|Petit Dru]] 1,000 m, and [[Piz Badile]] 850 m, [[Cima Grande di Lavaredo]] 450 m)
*[[Giewont]] (north face), [[Tatra Mountains]], Poland, 852 m above '''Polana Strążyska''' [[Glade (geography)|glade]]
*[[Kjerag]], [[Norway]] 984 m.
*[[Mięguszowiecki Szczyt]] north face rises to 1,043 m above [[Morskie Oko]] lake level, [[High Tatras]], Poland
*[[Troll Wall]], Norway 1,100 m above base
*[[Vihren]] peak north face, [[Pirin]] Mountain, [[Bulgaria]] 460 m to the ([[Golemiya Kazan]])
*[[Torre Cerredo]] west face rises to 2,200 m above [[Cares]] river, [[Picos de Europa]], Spain
*[[Naranjo de Bulnes]] west face rises 550 vertical metres above Vega Urriellu, [[Picos de Europa]], Spain
*[[Vârful Coștila, Munții Bucegi]] peretele Văii Albe, [[Bucegi Mountains]], [[Romania]] 450 m vertical cliff and 1,600 m above [[Bușteni]]
*[[Vratsata]], [[Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park]], [[Bulgaria]] 400 m <ref>{{Cite web |title=BULGARIAN CLIMBING AND MOUNTAINEERING FEDERATION |url=http://www.pza.org.pl/download/147949.pdf}}</ref>
'''Submarine'''
*[[Bouldnor Cliff]] - the waters of the coast of the [[Isle of Wight]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Oliver|last2=Momber |first2=Gary |last3=Bates |first3=C Richard |last4=Garwood |first4=Paul |last5=Fitch |first5=Simon |last6=Gaffney|first6=Vincent|last7=Allaby|first7=Robin G |year=2015 |title=Sedimentary DNA from a submerged site reveals wheat in the British Isles 8000 years ago |script-title= |trans-title= |url=https://academic.microsoft.com/paper/1984240476/reference/search?q=Sedimentary%20DNA%20from%20a%20submerged%20site%20reveals%20wheat%20in%20the%20British%20Isles%208000%20years%20ago&qe=Or(Id%253D2116895571%252CId%253D1993435119%252CId%253D1979174656%252CId%253D2018483808%252CId%253D2945787902%252CId%253D1830428137%252CId%253D2169403284%252CId%253D2166818755%252CId%253D2091598883%252CId%253D2145263545%252CId%253D1480505396%252CId%253D2145911868%252CId%253D2150637445%252CId%253D2134943946%252CId%253D2072111616)&f=&orderBy=0 |access-date=7 June 2021  |journal=Science |publisher=sciencemag |publication-place=academic.microsoft.com |publication-date=2015 |volume=347  |issue=6225 |pages=998–1001|doi=10.1126/SCIENCE.1261278 |pmid=25722413|bibcode=2015Sci...347..998S|via=[[Microsoft Academic]] |hdl=10454/9405 |s2cid=1167101|hdl-access=free }}{{dead link|date=January 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
=== Oceania ===
'''Above Sea'''
* [[Ball's Pyramid]], a sea stack 562m high and only 200m across at its base
* The Elephant, New Zealand, has cliffs falling approx 1180m into Milford Sound, and a 900m drop in less than 300m horizontally
* [[Great Australian Bight]]
* [[Kalaupapa]], Hawaii, 1,010 m above Pacific Ocean
* The Lion, New Zealand, 1,302 m above Milford Sound (drops from approx 1280m to sea level in a very short distance)
* Lovers Leap, Highcliff, and The Chasm, on [[Otago Peninsula]], New Zealand, all 200 to 300 m above the Pacific Ocean
* [[Mitre Peak, New Zealand|Mitre Peak]], New Zealand, 1,683 m above [[Milford Sound]]
* [[Tasman National Park]], Tasmania, has 300m [[dolerite]] sea cliffs dropping directly to the ocean in columnar form
* [[The Twelve Apostles (Victoria)]]. A series of sea stacks in Australia, ranging from approximately 50 to 70 m above the [[Bass Strait]]
* [[Zuytdorp Cliffs]] in Western Australia
'''Above Land'''
* [[Mount Banks]] in the [[Blue Mountains National Park]], New South Wales, Australia: west of its saddle there is a 490 m fall within 100 M horizontally.<ref>{{cite book |title=Mount Wilson 1:25000 Map|date=May 2014|publisher=NSW Govt}}</ref>
==As habitat ==
Cliff landforms provide unique habitat [[Niche (ecology)|niches]] to a variety of plants and animals, whose preferences and needs are suited by the vertical geometry of this landform type. For example, a number of birds have decided affinities for choosing cliff locations for nesting,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Abiotic factor |url=http://www.eoearth.org/article/Abiotic_factor?topic=49461 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608071757/http://www.eoearth.org/article/Abiotic_factor?topic=49461 |archive-date=2013-06-08}}</ref> often driven by the defensibility of these locations as well as absence of certain predators.
Humans have also inhabited [[cliff dwelling]]s.
===Flora===
The population of the rare'' [[Borderea chouardii]]'', during 2012, existed only on two cliff habitats within western Europe.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=González   |first1=García  |last2=Begoña   |first2=María  |last3=Espadaler|first3= X |last4=Olesen|first4= Jens M  |editor1=Bente Jessen Graae|date=12 September 2012|title=Extreme Reproduction and Survival of a True Cliffhanger: The Endangered Plant Borderea chouardii (Dioscoreaceae) |journal=PLOS ONE |type= |series= |language= |edition= |publisher=[[Public Library of Science]] |publication-place=digital.csic.es |publication-date= |volume= 7 |issue=9|pages=e44657 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0044657 |pmid=22984539 |pmc=3440335|bibcode=2012PLoSO...744657G |hdl=10261/56308 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[Cliffed coast]]
* [[List of landforms]]
* [[Steilhang]]
*[[Chink (geology)]]
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
* {{Cite Americana|wstitle=Cliff |short=x}}
{{Coastal geography}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Cliffs| ]]
[[Category:Coastal geography]]
[[Category:Erosion landforms]]
[[Category:Slope landforms]]
[[Category:Coastal and oceanic landforms]]
[[Category:Oronyms]]
[[Category:Landscape]]