Western Alps | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Peak | Mont Blanc |
Elevation | 4,810 m (15,780 ft) |
Coordinates | 45°50′01″N 06°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.