The factors that control the flexural rigidity-or effective elastic thickness (EET)-of continental Lithosphere have been extensively studied over the past two decades, Using EET estimates derived from the analysis of topography, basin structures and gravity anomalies, several authors(1-5) have shown that crustal thickness, geothermal gradient, strain rate, rheology and plate curvature all affect the flexural strength of continents. Recognition that certain combinations of these parameters result in a significant reduction of flexural strength caused by decoupling of the crust and the upper mantle(3,5) has been a critical step in understanding why many continental areas have estimated EETs that are thin compared with the total mechanical thickness of the continental lithosphere(5), Here we develop a semi-analytical model of the EET through a parametrization of the yield stress envelope(6,7) that includes the effects of crust-mantle decoupling, We perform a detailed comparison of EET estimates at foreland basins and mountain belts to values predicted by our model and find that, to predict the EET estimates successfully we need to take into account the effect of the sediment cover and to use a strong plagioclase-controlled rheology. The effect of sediment cover is to weaken the lithosphere because of the lower density of sediments relative to crystalline crust(5,8,9) and by thermally insulating the lower crust(9-11).