Geography of the Alps

The Alps form a large mountain range dominating Central Europe, including parts of France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, Slovenia and possibly Hungary (if one includes the Günser Gebirge or the Ödenburger Gebirge in the Alps). In some areas, such as the edge of the Po Basin, the edge of the range is unambiguous, but where the Alps border on other mountainous or hilly regions, the border may be harder to place. These neighbouring ranges include the Apennines, the Massif Central, the Jura, the Black Forest, the Böhmerwald, the C ...

See also:

Geography of the Alps, Geography of the Alps - Delimitation, Geography of the Alps - Subdivision, Geography of the Alps - Main Chain, Geography of the Alps - Glaciers, Geography of the Alps - Lakes

Read more here: » Geography of the Alps: Encyclopedia II - Geography of the Alps - Delimitation

The Alps is the name for one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east, through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west. The word "Alps" was taken via French from Latin Alpes (meaning "the Alps"), which may be influenced by the Latin words albus (white) or altus (high), or a Celtic word. The highest mountain in the Alps is Mont Blanc at 4810 m on the French-Italian border. All the main peaks of the Alps can be found in th ...

Including:

• Alps - Geography
• Alps - Subdivision
• Alps - Main chains
• Alps - Principal passes
• Alps - Climate
• Alps - Geology
• Alps - Political history
• Alps - Exploration
• Alps - Flora
• Alps - Fauna

Read more here: » Alps: Encyclopedia - Alps

Alps - Subdivision. The Alps are generally divided into Western Alps and Eastern Alps. The division is along the line between Lake Constance and Lake Como, following the Rhine. The Western Alps are located in Italy, France and Switzerland, the Eastern Alps in Austria, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Switzerland. The highest peak of the Western Alps is Mont Blanc, 4810 m. The highest peak in the Eastern Alps is Piz Bernina, 4052 m. The Eastern Alps are commonly subdivided according to the differ ...

See also:

Alps, Alps - Geography, Alps - Subdivision, Alps - Main chains, Alps - Principal passes, Alps - Climate, Alps - Geology, Alps - Political history, Alps - Exploration, Alps - Flora, Alps - Fauna

Read more here: » Alps: Encyclopedia II - Alps - Geography

Starting from the Col d'Altare or di Cadibona (west of Savona), the main chain extends first south-west, then north-west to the Col de Tenda, though nowhere rising much beyond the zone of coniferous trees. Beyond the Col de Tenda the direction is first roughly west, then north-west to the Rocher des Trois Eveques (2840 m), just south of the Mont Enchastraye (2932 m), several peaks of about 3000 metres rising on the watershed, though the highest of all, the Punta dell' Argentera (3265 m) stands a little way to its north. From the Rocher des T ...

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Main chain of the Alps, Main chain of the Alps - Description of main features of alpine chain, Main chain of the Alps - Glaciers, Main chain of the Alps - Lakes, Main chain of the Alps - Rivers

Read more here: » Main chain of the Alps: Encyclopedia II - Main chain of the Alps - Description of main features of alpine chain

A natural vegetation limit with altitude is given by the presence of the chief deciduous trees — oak, beech, ash and sycamore maple. These do not reach exactly to the same elevation, nor are they often found growing together; but their upper limit corresponds accurately enough to the change from a temperate to a colder climate that is further proved by a change in the wild herbaceous vegetation. This limit usually lies about 1200 m above the sea on the north side of the Alps, but on the southern slopes it often rises to 150 ...

See also:

Alps, Alps - Geography, Alps - Subdivision, Alps - Main chains, Alps - Principal passes, Alps - Climate, Alps - Geology, Alps - Political history, Alps - Exploration, Alps - Flora, Alps - Fauna

Read more here: » Alps: Encyclopedia II - Alps - Flora

The Alps arose as a result of the pressure exerted on sediments of the Tethys Ocean basin as its Mesozoic and early Cenozoic strata were pushed against the stable Eurasian landmass by the northward-moving African landmass. Most of this occurred during the Oligocene and Miocene epochs. The pressure formed great recumbent folds, or nappes, that rose out of what had become the Tethys Sea and pushed northward, often breaking and sliding one over the other to form gigantic thrust faults. Crystalline rocks, which are exposed in the higher central regions, are the ...

See also:

Alps, Alps - Geography, Alps - Subdivision, Alps - Main chains, Alps - Principal passes, Alps - Climate, Alps - Geology, Alps - Political history, Alps - Exploration, Alps - Flora, Alps - Fauna

Read more here: » Alps: Encyclopedia II - Alps - Geology

Little is known of the early dwellers in the Alps, save from the scanty accounts preserved by Roman and Greek historians and geographers. A few details have come down to us of the conquest of many of the Alpine tribes by Augustus. The successive emigration and occupation of the Alpine region by various Teutonic tribes from the 5th to the 6th centuries are known only in outline, because to them, as to the Frankish kings and emperors, the Alps offered a route from one place to another rather than a permanent residence. It is not ...

See also:

Alps, Alps - Geography, Alps - Subdivision, Alps - Main chains, Alps - Principal passes, Alps - Climate, Alps - Geology, Alps - Political history, Alps - Exploration, Alps - Flora, Alps - Fauna

Read more here: » Alps: Encyclopedia II - Alps - Political history

The "main chain of the Alps" follows the watershed from the Mediterranean Sea to the Wienerwald, passing over many of the highest and most famous peaks in the Alps. The most important passes and peaks which it crosses are given below (mountains are indented, passes unindented). From the Colle di Cadibona to Col de Tende it runs westwards, before turning to the north-west and then, near the Colle de la Maddalena, to the north. Upon reaching the Swiss border, the line of the main chain heads approximately east-north-east, a heading it follows ...

See also:

Geography of the Alps, Geography of the Alps - Delimitation, Geography of the Alps - Subdivision, Geography of the Alps - Main Chain, Geography of the Alps - Glaciers, Geography of the Alps - Lakes

Read more here: » Geography of the Alps: Encyclopedia II - Geography of the Alps - Main Chain

While smaller groups within the Alps may be easily defined by the passes on either side, defining larger units can be problematic. A traditional divide exists between the Western Alps and the Eastern Alps, which uses the Splügen Pass (Italian: Passo dello Spluga) on the Swiss-Italian border, together with the Rhine to the north and Lake Como in the south as the defining features. While the Splügen Pass is neither the lowest nor the most important pass in the Alps, it is approximately half-way a ...

See also:

Geography of the Alps, Geography of the Alps - Delimitation, Geography of the Alps - Subdivision, Geography of the Alps - Main Chain, Geography of the Alps - Glaciers, Geography of the Alps - Lakes

Read more here: » Geography of the Alps: Encyclopedia II - Geography of the Alps - Subdivision