Alps Map: Travel Maps International Adventure Map (National Geographic Adventure Map)

Product Information

The Alps are a prominent climate barrier between northern and southern Switzerland. A typical phenomenon is the Föhn. It brings a lot of precipitation on the southern side of the Alps and dry, warm downdrafts on the northern side of the Alps, which can be very strong, even stormy. Foehn valleys, such as Altdorf in the canton of Uri, have a temperature about 0.5 degrees higher than other comparable valleys. This extends the agricultural vegetation period, but also leads to more damage thanks to the winds. The Saint Gotthard Pass crosses from Central Switzerland to Ticino; in 1882 the 15km-long (9.3mi) Saint Gotthard Railway Tunnel was opened connecting Lucerne in Switzerland, with Milan in Italy. 98 years later followed Gotthard Road Tunnel (16.9km (10.5mi) long) connecting the A2 motorway in Göschenen on the north side with Airolo on the south side, exactly like the railway tunnel. [29] The Alps provide lowland Europe with drinking water, irrigation, and hydroelectric power. [64] Although the area is only about 11% of the surface area of Europe, the Alps provide up to 90% of water to lowland Europe, particularly to arid areas and during the summer months. Cities such as Milan depend on 80% of water from Alpine runoff. [16] [65] [66] Water from the rivers is used in at least 550 hydroelectricity power plants, considering only those producing at least 10MW of electricity. [67] Main article: Geography of the Alps 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.

Several glaciers are located in the Alps, the longest of which is the aletsch Glacier in the Bernese Alps. They may be found in all of the higher groups of mountains from the Dauphiné Alps in France to the Hohe Tauern in central Austria, and the main ascent routes on many of the highest mountains pass over glaciers. Further information: List of national parks in the Alps, Tourism in Austria, Tourism in France, Tourism in Italy, and Tourism in Switzerland The ski resort in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Veneto, Italy The Great St Bernard Hospice, built in the 9th or 10th centuries, at the summit of the Great Saint Bernard Pass was a shelter for humans and destination for pilgrims. [118] In 1291, to protect themselves from incursions by the House of Habsburg, four Alpine cantons drew up the Federal Charter of 1291, which is considered to be a declaration of independence from neighboring kingdoms. After a series of battles fought in the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries, more cantons joined the confederacy and by the 16th century, Switzerland was established as a sovereign state. [119] See also: Albion §Etymology An "Alp" refers to a high elevation pasture frequented only in summer. It often includes several huts and small places of worship (here the Alpe Bardughè in Ticino).Alps". The Hutchinson unabridged encyclopedia with atlas and weather guide. Abington, United Kingdom: Helicon. 2014. The Alps form a large mountain range dominating Central Europe, including parts of Italy, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Slovenia, Germany and Hungary. Crans Montana is another very famous place, especially for the rich. One reason is, because the “Omega Masters” golf tournament is held here every year, and the Swiss village also has a lot to offer in other respects, such as luxury and wellness hotels, but also great hiking opportunities in the Swiss Alps. Gstaad Switzerland With the “Swiss Alps”, Switzerland is a country that attracts hundred thousands of people every year. But the Swiss mountains have so much to offer! Whether culinary delights and relaxation with wellness hotels or the Swiss hiking trails and the incredible nature or the peace and the feeling of freedom. Switzerland has one of the best public transportation networks. The Alps of Switzerland are also well served by train, bus and cable cars. I would like to show you three “Swiss train journeys” that are truly breathtaking and very worthwhile. Bernina Express

Above the forestry, there is often a band of short pine trees ( Pinus mugo), which is in turn superseded by Alpenrosen, dwarf shrubs, typically Rhododendron ferrugineum (on acid soils) or Rhododendron hirsutum (on alkaline soils). [85] Although Alpenrose prefers acidic soil, the plants are found throughout the region. [12] Above the tree line is the area defined as "alpine" where in the alpine meadow plants are found that have adapted well to harsh conditions of cold temperatures, aridity, and high altitudes. The alpine area fluctuates greatly because of regional fluctuations in tree lines. [86] Edelweiss ( Leontopodium alpinum) Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission - Final Report (PDF) (Report). Government Printer for the State of Victoria. July 2010 . Retrieved 16 July 2020. The Australian Alps also contain the only skiing areas of mainland Australia. Along with the town of Cabramurra, New South Wales, these are practically the only permanent settlements in the area. Several medium-sized towns can be found in the valleys below the foothills, such as Jindabyne, New South Wales, Corryong, Victoria, and Mount Beauty. The Alps are a source of minerals that have been mined for thousands of years. In the 8th to 6th centuries, BC during the Hallstatt culture, Celtic tribes mined copper; later the Romans mined gold for coins in the Bad Gastein area. Erzberg in Styria furnishes high-quality iron ore for the steel industry. Crystals, such as cinnabar, amethyst, and quartz, are found throughout much of the Alpine region. The cinnabar deposits in Slovenia are a notable source of cinnabar pigments. [53] The glaciers of the Swiss Alps cover an area of 1,220 square kilometres (470sqmi) — 3% of the Swiss territory, representing 44% of the total glaciated area in the Alps i.e. 2,800 square kilometres (1,100sqmi).All map types that you can enable here: Alps Colour Base Map, Greyscale Base Map,  , Alps Last 1-7 days snow, last 1-3 days snow, Next 1-3 days snow, Alps Next 4-6 days snow, Next 6-9 days snow, Next 9-12 days snow, Alps  , Snow, Wind, Alps Temperature, Cloud Cover,  , Alps Snow Depths at Top Stations, Snow Depths at all Resort Elevations, Fresh Snow Depths in Resorts, Alps Snow Depths at Resorts above 1500m, Snow Depths at Resorts below 1500m, Temperature at 9am today (or yesterday), Alps Days since last snow. Thiers, Frédéric (August 10, 2016). "Ronce, le gardien silencieux du col du Mont-Cenis". Le Dauphiné libéré . Retrieved November 28, 2021. Zampieri, Matteo; Scoccimarro, Enrico; Gualdi, Silvio (January 1, 2013). "Atlantic influence on spring snowfall over the Alps in the past 150 years". Environmental Research Letters. 8 (3): 034026. Bibcode: 2013ERL.....8c4026Z. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/8/3/034026. ISSN 1748-9326.