News– A deadly bar fire at Crans-Montana, a Swiss ski resort located in the Alps mountain range, has drawn attention to the region, which is a major centre of alpine tourism and winter sports in Europe.
About Alps Mountain Range
- Type & age: The Alps are young fold mountains, formed during the Alpine orogeny, which began around 65 million years ago towards the end of the Mesozoic Era.
- Plate tectonics:They were created due to the collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, leading to intense folding, faulting, and uplift of marine sedimentary rocks.
- Relief & Structure:The range is characterised by rugged relief, sharp ridges, deep valleys, and high conical peaks, typical of young fold mountain systems.
- Extent & location: Stretching about 750 miles (around 1,200 km) in length, the Alps extend from the Mediterranean coast near Nice (France) to Vienna (Austria), where they merge with the Danube plains.
- Climatic significance: Due to their arc-like shape, the Alps act as a climatic divide, separating marine west coast climates of western Europe from the Mediterranean climate of southern Europe.
- Countries covered: The Alps span France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Albania.
- Switzerland and Austria are considered true Alpine countries.
- Major Peaks:
- Mont Blanc (around 4,810 m) – Highest peak of the Alps.
- Monte Rosa (Dufourspitze – 4,634 m) – Highest peak of Switzerland
- Dom (4,545 m) – One of the highest entirely within Switzerland
Other notable peaks include Matterhorn, Weisshorn, Liskamm, Dent Blanche, and Grand Combin.
