Alps

The highest and most extensive mountain range in Europe. The Alps run in an arc from the Mediterranean coast of France in the west through northern Italy, Switzerland, southern Germany, and Austria to the outskirts of Vienna and the River Danube in the east – a total distance of some 960 km/597 mi. Alpine ranges also extend down the Adriatic coast into Slovenia and Croatia. The Alps form a natural frontier between several countries in south-central Europe. The highest peak, at 4,808 m/15,774 ft, is Mont Blanc, on the Franco-Italian border. The Alps are the source of many of Europe's major rivers – or their tributaries – including the Rhine, the Rhône, the Po, and the Danube. As well as agriculture, an important economic activity in the Alps is tourism: winter visitors come for the skiing offered at numerous resorts; summer tourism centres on sightseeing and walking in this area of outstanding natural beauty. The Alps are also a widely exploited source of hydroelectric power. Much Alpine woodland has been severely damaged by acid rain.

Other alpine peaks include the Matterhorn (4,479 m/14,694 ft) and Monte Rosa (4,638 m/15,203 ft) in the Pennine Alps; the Eiger (3,970 m/13,030 ft), the Jungfrau (4,166 m/13,673 ft), and the Finsteraarhorn (4,275 m/14,027 ft) in the Bernese Alps. Alpine passes include the Brenner Pass (1,370 m/4,497 ft) between Austria and Italy, the Great St Bernard (2,473 m/8,113 ft) between Switzerland and Italy, and the St Gotthard Pass (2,108 m/6,916 ft) in southern Switzerland. Above the snowline – located between 2,440 m/8,000 ft and 3,050 m/10,000 ft – rise permanently snow-capped peaks, and glaciers (the longest being the Aletsch Glacier in the Bernese Alps, which is 18 km/11 mi long) form the headwaters of many Alpine rivers.