![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alps</span> Major mountain range system in Central Europe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Alpenrelief_01.jpg/320px-Alpenrelief_01.jpg)
The Alps are the highest and most extensive mountain range that is entirely in Europe, stretching approximately 1,200 km (750 mi) across eight Alpine countries : Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Slovenia, and Austria.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provence</span> Historical province in Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur, France](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Lavender_field_and_Mont_Ventoux.jpg/320px-Lavender_field_and_Mont_Ventoux.jpg)
Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It largely corresponds with the modern administrative region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and includes the departments of Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, as well as parts of Alpes-Maritimes and Vaucluse. The largest city of the region and its modern-day capital is Marseille.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenner Pass</span> Mountain pass through the Alps; border between Italy and Austria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Brennerpass_nordrampe.jpg/320px-Brennerpass_nordrampe.jpg)
The Brenner Pass is a mountain pass through the Alps which forms the border between Italy and Austria. It is one of the principal passes of the Eastern Alpine range and has the lowest altitude among Alpine passes of the area.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lepontine Alps</span> Mountain range in southern Switzerland and northern Italy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/MonteLeone0001.jpg/320px-MonteLeone0001.jpg)
The Lepontine Alps are a mountain range in the north-western part of the Alps. They are located in Switzerland and Italy.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss Alps</span> Portion of the Alps that lies within Switzerland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Satellite_image_of_Switzerland_in_September_2002.jpg/320px-Satellite_image_of_Switzerland_in_September_2002.jpg)
The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps, represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main physiographic regions. The Swiss Alps extend over both the Western Alps and the Eastern Alps, encompassing an area sometimes called Central Alps. While the northern ranges from the Bernese Alps to the Appenzell Alps are entirely in Switzerland, the southern ranges from the Mont Blanc massif to the Bernina massif are shared with other countries such as France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cottian Alps</span> Mountain range on the France–Italy border](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/Fort_de_Variselle_and_Signal_du_Petit_Mont_Cenis.png/320px-Fort_de_Variselle_and_Signal_du_Petit_Mont_Cenis.png)
The Cottian Alps are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between France and Italy (Piedmont). The Fréjus Road Tunnel and Fréjus Rail Tunnel between Modane and Susa are important transportation arteries between France and Italy (Turin).
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Austria</span> Overview of the geography of Austria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Au-map.png/320px-Au-map.png)
Austria is a predominantly mountainous country in Central Europe, approximately between Germany, Italy and Hungary. It has a total area of 83,871 square kilometres (32,383 sq mi), about 2.031706 times the size of Switzerland.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hautes-Alpes</span> Department in Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur, France](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/VilleGap052.jpg/320px-VilleGap052.jpg)
Hautes-Alpes is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. It is located in the heart of the French Alps, after which it is named. Hautes-Alpes had a population of 141,220 as of 2019, which makes it the third least populated French department. Its prefecture is Gap; its sole subprefecture is Briançon. Its INSEE and postal code is 05.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savoie</span> Department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/2017.01.21.-02-Paradiski-La_Plagne-Dos_Rond--Blick_Richtung_Les_Arcs.jpg/320px-2017.01.21.-02-Paradiski-La_Plagne-Dos_Rond--Blick_Richtung_Les_Arcs.jpg)
Savoie is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population of 436,434.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dauphiné</span> Historical region and former province of France](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Dauphine_in_France_%281789%29.svg/320px-Dauphine_in_France_%281789%29.svg.png)
The Dauphiné is a former province in Southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was originally the Dauphiné of Viennois.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grisons</span> Largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Karte_Kanton_Graub%C3%BCnden_2010.png/320px-Karte_Kanton_Graub%C3%BCnden_2010.png)
The Grisons or Graubünden, more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton of Graubünden, is one of the twenty-six cantons of Switzerland. It has eleven districts, and its capital is Chur. The German name of the canton, Graubünden, translates as the "Grey Leagues", referring to the canton's origin in three local alliances, the Three Leagues. The other native names also refer to the Grey League: Grischùn in Sutsilvan, Grischun in the other forms of Romansh, and Grigioni in Italian. Rhaetia is the Latin name for the area. The Alpine ibex is the canton's heraldic symbol.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valais</span> Canton of Switzerland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Karte_Kanton_Wallis_2010.png/320px-Karte_Kanton_Wallis_2010.png)
Valais, more formally the Canton of Valais, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion. The flag of the canton is made of thirteen stars representing the districts, on a white-red background.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhône-Alpes</span> Region of France](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Flag_of_Rh%C3%B4ne-Alpes.svg/320px-Flag_of_Rh%C3%B4ne-Alpes.svg.png)
Rhône-Alpes was an administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it is part of the new region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the river Rhône and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris. Rhône-Alpes has the sixth-largest economy of any European region.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aosta Valley</span> Autonomous region of Italy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Aosta_Valley_in_Italy.svg/320px-Aosta_Valley_in_Italy.svg.png)
The Aosta Valley is a mountainous autonomous region in northwestern Italy. It is bordered by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, to the west, Valais, Switzerland, to the north, and by Piedmont, Italy, to the south and east. The regional capital is Aosta.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Europe</span> Southern region of Europe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Mediterranean_Sea_16.61811E_38.99124N.jpg/320px-Mediterranean_Sea_16.61811E_38.99124N.jpg)
Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Turkey, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Southern France, Spain, and Vatican City.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Alps</span> Eastern part of the Alps mountain range](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Tschierva_glacier_rework.jpg/320px-Tschierva_glacier_rework.jpg)
Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of a line from Lake Constance and the Alpine Rhine valley, up to the Splügen Pass at the Alpine divide, and down the Liro River to Lake Como in the south. The peaks and mountain passes are lower than the Western Alps, while the range itself is broader and less arched.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Switzerland</span> Overview of tourism in Switzerland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Matterhorn_and_Gornergratbahn.jpg/320px-Matterhorn_and_Gornergratbahn.jpg)
Tourists are drawn to Switzerland's diverse landscape as well as the available activities, which take advantage of the Alpine climate and landscapes, in particular for skiing and mountaineering.
![<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpine transhumance</span> Seasonal droving of grazing livestock between valleys in winter and high mountain pastures in summer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Die_Alpen_um_Tierfehd.JPG/320px-Die_Alpen_um_Tierfehd.JPG)
Alpine transhumance is transhumance as practiced in the Alps, that is, a seasonal droving of grazing livestock between the valleys in winter and the high mountain pastures in summer. Transhumance is a traditional practice that has shaped much of the landscape in the Alps, as without it, most areas below 2,000 m (6,600 ft) would be forests. While tourism and industry contribute today much to Alpine economy, seasonal migration to high pastures is still practiced in Bavaria, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, France and Switzerland, except in their most frequented tourist centers. In some places, cattle are taken care of by local farmer families who move to higher places. In others, this job is for herdsmen who are employees of the cooperative owning the pastures.
The International Society for Alpine History promotes research on the history of the European Alps and publishes an annual Journal. The Laboratorio de Storia delle Alpi at the Università della Svizzera italiana is the secretariat of the Society and develops its own scholarly agenda.
The history of Savoy presents a synthesis of the various periods, from prehistory to the present day, of the geographical and historical entity known as Savoy, a territory whose definition has varied over the course of historical periods, until it was defined by the two French departments of Savoie and Haute-Savoie.