Ligurian Alps | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Peak | Punta Marguareis |
Elevation | 2,651 m (8,698 ft) [1] |
Listing | Prominent mountains of the Alps |
Naming | |
Native name | |
Geography | |
Countries | |
Region, Région | |
Range coordinates | 44°10′N8°5′E / 44.167°N 8.083°E |
Parent range | Alps |
Borders on | |
Geology | |
Orogeny | Alpine orogeny |
The Ligurian Alps are a mountain range in northwestern Italy. A small part is located in France. They form the south-western extremity of the Alps, separated from the Apennines by the Colle di Cadibona. The Col de Tende and the Vermenagna valley [2] separate them from the Maritime Alps. They form the border between Piedmont in the north and Liguria in the south.
Administratively the range is divided between the Italian provinces of Cuneo, Imperia and Savona and the French department of Alpes-Maritimes (south-western slopes).
The Ligurian Alps are drained by the Tanaro River, along with other tributaries of the Po River, on the Piedmontese side, and by several smaller rivers that flow directly to the Mediterranean Sea on the Ligurian and French side.
The chief peak of the Western Ligurian Alps is Punta Marguareis (2,651 m), and there are several other summits over 2000 m, while in Eastern Ligurian Alps (also called Ligurian Prealps [3] ) the maximum elevation is 1739 m (Monte Armetta).
Name | metres | feet |
---|---|---|
Punta Marguareis | 2,651 | 8,695 |
Monte Mongioie | 2,631 | 8,632 |
Cima delle Saline | 2,612 | 8,567 |
Cima della Fascia | 2,495 | 8186 |
Monte Bertrand | 2,480 | 8136 |
Pizzo d'Ormea | 2,476 | 8,121 |
Cima di Pertegà | 2,404 | 7,887 |
Bric Costa Rossa | 2,403 | 7,884 |
Cime de Missun | 2,255 | 7726 |
Monte Besimauda | 2,231 | 7,317 |
Cima Cars | 2,218 | 7,277 |
Monte Saccarello | 2,201 | 7,219 |
Punta Mirauda | 2,157 | 7077 |
Monte Frontè | 2,152 | 7,058 |
Monte Antoroto | 2,144 | 7,032 |
Monte Tanarello | 2,096 | 6,877 |
Monte Fantino | 2,094 | 6,870 |
Monte Monega | 1,882 | 6,175 |
Bric Mindino | 1,879 | 6,163 |
Monte Armetta | 1,739 | 5,703 |
Monte Galero | 1,708 | 5,602 |
Monte della Guardia | 1,658 | 5,440 |
Rocca delle Penne | 1,501 | 4,925 |
Monte Carmo di Loano | 1,389 | 4,555 |
Monte Settepani | 1,386 | 4,546 |
Monte Spinarda | 1,357 | 4,453 |
Monte Cianea | 1,226 | 4,022 |
Monte Camulera | 1,224 | 4,016 |
Rocca Barbena | 1,142 | 3,747 |
Monte Peso Grande | 1,092 | 3,583 |
Monte Alpe | 1,056 | 3,465 |
Some important passes in the Ligurian Alps are listed below.
Name | Location | Type | Elevation |
---|---|---|---|
Colle di Cadibona | Savona to Altare | highway | 436 m (1,430 ft) |
Colle di Melogno | Finale Ligure to Calizzano | road | 1,028 m (3,373 ft) |
Giogo di Toirano | Toirano to Bardineto | road | 801 m (2,628 ft) |
Colle Scravaion | Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena to Bardineto | road | 814 m (2,671 ft) |
Colle San Bernardo | Albenga to Garessio | road | 957 m (3,140 ft) |
Colle di Nava | Imperia to Ormea | road | 934 m (3,064 ft) |
Colle del Quazzo | Calizzano to Garessio | road | 1,090 m (3,580 ft) |
Colle San Bernardo di Mendatica | Mendatica to Triora and Colle di Nava | road | 1,262 m (4,140 ft) |
Col de Tende/Colle di Tenda | Tende to Cuneo | road | 1,870 m (6,140 ft) |
Passo della Teglia | Molini di Triora to Rezzo | road | 1,385 m (4,544 ft) |
Around 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi) of the Ligurian side of the range since 2007 are part of the Regional Natural Park of the Ligurian Alps. [4] On the northern side of the range stands the Natural Park of Marguareis , another regional natural park [5] established by the regional government of Piemonte in 1978.
The geography of Italy includes the description of all the physical geographical elements of Italy. Italy, whose territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical region, is located in southern Europe and comprises the long, boot-shaped Italian Peninsula crossed by the Apennines, the southern side of Alps, the large plain of the Po Valley and some islands including Sicily and Sardinia. Italy is part of the Northern Hemisphere. Two of the Pelagie Islands are located on the African continent.
The Maritime Alps are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and the Italian regions of Piedmont and Liguria. They are the southernmost part of the Alps.
Liguria is a region of north-western Italy; its capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennines mountain range and is roughly coextensive with the former territory of the Republic of Genoa. Liguria is bordered by France to the west, Piedmont to the north, and Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany to the east. It rests on the Ligurian Sea, and has a population of 1,557,533. The region is part of the Alps–Mediterranean Euroregion.
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains are a mountain range consisting of parallel smaller chains extending c. 1,200 km (750 mi) along the length of peninsular Italy. In the northwest they join with the Ligurian Alps at Altare. In the southwest they end at Reggio di Calabria, the coastal city at the tip of the peninsula. Since 2000 the Environment Ministry of Italy, following the recommendations of the Apennines Park of Europe Project, has been defining the Apennines System to include the mountains of north Sicily, for a total distance of 1,500 kilometres (930 mi). The system forms an arc enclosing the east side of the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas.
The Tanaro, is a 276-kilometre (171 mi) long river in northwestern Italy. The river begins in the Ligurian Alps, near the border with France, and is the most significant right-side tributary to the Po in terms of length, size of drainage basin, and discharge.
The Geography of Piedmont is that of a territory predominantly mountainous, 43.3%, but with extensive areas of hills which represent 30.3% of the territory, and of plains (26.4%).
Monte Saccarello (Italian) or Mont Saccarel (French) is a mountain located on the French-Italian border between Liguria, Piedmont and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
The Punta Marguareis (It) or Pointe Marguareis (Fr) is a mountain in the Ligurian Alps, on the boundary between Italy and France; It is the highest peak of the Ligurian Alps.
Monte Tobbio is a 1092 metres high mountain of the Apennines, located in the Italian region of Piedmont.
Cima di Pertegà (Italian) or Cime de la Pertègue (French) is a mountain located on the French-Italian border between Piemonte and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
Monte Bertrand (Italian) or Mont Bertrand (French) is a mountain located on the French-Italian border between Piemonte and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
The Bric Costa Rossa is a mountain of the Ligurian Alps located in Piedmont.
The Cima della Fascia is a mountain of the Ligurian Alps located in Piedmont.
The Monte Antoroto is a mountain of the Ligurian Alps located in Piedmont.
The Natural Park of Marguareis(in Italian Parco Naturale del Marguareis) is a regional natural park of the Ligurian Alps located in the Province of Cuneo.
The Cima delle Saline is a mountain of the Ligurian Alps located in Piedmont.
The Vermenagna is a 27.1-kilometre (16.8 mi) long river in northwestern Italy (Piedmont).
The Punta Mirauda is a mountain of the Ligurian Alps located in Piedmont.
The Cima Cars is a mountain of the Ligurian Alps located in Piedmont.
The Monte Fantino is a mountain of the Ligurian Alps located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy.