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East of the terranes that now form the Alps was the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. The effects of wind and water were able to chemically and mechanically erode destroy the Hercynic mountain ranges. In the Permian , the main deposits in Europe were sandstone and conglomerate , products of erosion in the Hercynic mountain range.
While smaller groups within the Alps may be easily defined by the passes on either side, defining larger units can be problematic. A traditional divide exists between the Western Alps and the Eastern Alps, which uses the Splügen Pass (Italian: Passo dello Spluga) on the Swiss-Italian border, together with the Rhine to the north and Lake Como in the south as the defining features.
The Alps extend in an arc from France in the south and west to Slovenia in the east, and from Monaco in the south to Germany in the north. The Alps are a crescent shaped geographic feature of central Europe that ranges in an 800 km (500 mi) arc (curved line) from east to west and is 200 km (120 mi) in width.
Main chain of the Alps. The main chain of the Alps, also called the Alpine divide is the central line of mountains that forms the drainage divide of the range. Main chains of mountain ranges are traditionally designated in this way, and generally include the highest peaks of a range.
At first a mixed form of agriculture and animal husbandry dominated the economy. Then, from the Late Middle Ages onwards, cattle tended to replace sheep as the dominant animals. In a few regions of the northern slope of the Alps, cattle farming became increasingly oriented toward long-range markets and substituted agriculture completely.
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Welcome to the Alps portal.The portal is designed to give an overview of articles associated with the Alps, predominantly with a focus on the mountains themselves, but also on the history of the Alps, Alpine climbing, hiking, culture, biodiversity and many other related topics.
Pages in category "Mountain ranges of the Alps" The following 197 pages are in this category, out of 197 total. This list may not reflect recent changes. !