Western Alps | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Peak | Mont Blanc |
Elevation | 4,810 m (15,780 ft) |
Coordinates | 45°50′01″N06°51′54″E / 45.83361°N 6.86500°E |
Dimensions | |
Length | 300 km (190 mi) [1] |
Width | 150 to 185 km (93 to 115 mi) |
Naming | |
Native name | |
Geography | |
Countries | Monaco, France, Italy and Switzerland |
Parent range | Alps |
Borders on | Apennines, Rhone Valley, Jura mountains, Eastern Alps, Po plain and Ligurian sea |
Geology | |
Orogeny | Alpine orogeny |
The Western Alps are the western part of the Alpine Range including the southeastern part of France (e.g. Savoie), the whole of Monaco, the northwestern part of Italy (i.e. Piedmont and the Aosta Valley) and the southwestern part of Switzerland (e.g. Valais). In the southeast the range is bounded by the Italian Padan Plain. In the west, the valley of the Rhone river separates it from the Massif Central. The northernmost part of the Western Alps - in the wide meaning of the term - is formed by the Swiss Prealps Sub-Range.
The peaks and mountain passes are higher compared to the Eastern Alps, while the range itself is not so broad and more arched.
In the Partizione delle Alpi (in English literally Partition of the Alps), adopted by the Italian Comitato Geografico Nazionale (National Geographic Committee) in 1926 following the IX Congresso Geografico Italiano (Italian Geographic Congress), the Alpine Range is divided into three main parts: Western, Central and Eastern Alps. [2]
In this traditional subdivision, the Western Alps start from the Bocchetta di Altare (or Colle di Cadibona) and end with the Col Ferret.
The Partizione delle Alpi divides the Western Alps into the following eight sections (in brackets the section number):
Maritime Alps (1), Cottian Alps (2), Graian Alps (3), Provence Alps (4), Dauphiné Alps (5), Provence Prealps (6), Dauphiné Prealps (7) and Savoy Prealps (8).
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.
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).
The Graian Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps.
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 separate them from the Maritime Alps. They form the border between Piedmont in the north and Liguria in the south.
The Alpine foothills, or Prealps, may refer generally to any foothills at the base of the Alps in Europe. They are the transition zone between the High Alps and the Swiss Plateau and the Bavarian Alpine Foreland in the north, as well as to the Pannonian Basin (Alpokalja) in the east, the Padan Plain in the south and the Rhone Valley in the west.
Presolana is a mountain located in Lombardy, northern Italy, about 35 km north of Bergamo.
The Biellese Alps are a sub-range of the Pennine Alps located between Piemonte and Aosta Valley (Italy).
SOIUSA is a classification system of the Alps from the geographic and toponomastic point of view. It was designed by Sergio Marazzi, Italian researcher and author of the Orographic Atlas of the Alps SOIUSA. His book was presented with the patronage of the Italian Alpine Club on 23 Jan 2006, but has yet to receive any formal acceptance.
The Western Rhaetian Alps are a mountain range in the central part of the Alps.
Punta Sommeiller or Pointe Sommeiller is a mountain of the Province of Turin, Italy and of Savoie, France. It lies in the Cottian Alps range. It has an elevation of 3,333 metres (10,935 ft) above sea level.
Monte Bo is a mountain in the Alpi Biellesi, a sub-range of Pennine Alps.
The Alpi Cusiane are a sub-range of the Pennine Alps located in Piemonte (Italy).
The Brescia and Garda Prealps are a mountain range in the southern part of the Alps. They are located mainly in Lombardy but also in Trentino Alto Adige and in Veneto, in the northern part of Italy.
The Lugano Prealps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in Canton Ticino and Lombardy.
The Dauphiné Prealps are a mountain range in the south-western part of the Alps. They are located in Rhône-Alpes and, marginally, in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Dauphiné Prealps are the central section of the French Prealps.
The Bergamasque Alps and Prealps are a mountain range in the southern part of the Alps. They are located in Lombardy, in the northern part of Italy.
The Carnic and Gailtal Alps is a geographic grouping of mountain ranges belonging to the Southern Limestone Alps. They are located in Austria and Italy.
The Bergamasque Prealps are a mountain range within the Alps. The range is located in Lombardy, in the north of Italy.
The Partizione delle Alpi is a classification of the mountain ranges of the Alps, that is primarily used in Italian literature, but also in France and Switzerland. It was devised in 1926.
The Monte I Gemelli is an Alpine mountain located between Aosta Valley and Piedmont.