Itis Pininfarina “APE” THE ALPS Itis Pininfarina “APE”

The Alps are one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east; through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany; to France in the west. The English name Alps was taken via French from Latin Alpes, which derivers from the Latin albus ("white"). The main chain of the Alps includes some of the highest and most famous peaks in Europe. The Alps arose as a result of the collision of the African and European tectonic plates, in which the western part of the Tethys Ocean, which was formerly in between these continents, disappeared. The highest mountain in the Alps is Mont Blanc, 4,810.45 meters , on the Italian–French border.

Four-thousanders Name Height (metres) Mont Blanc 4,810.45 m Monte Rosa Dom 4,545 m Weisshorn 4,506 m Matterhorn 4,478 m Grand Combin 4,314 m Finsteraarhorn 4,273 m Aletschhorn 4,193 m Barre des Écrins 4,102 m Gran Paradiso 4,061 m Piz Bernina 4,049 m Weissmies 4,017 m

Mount Chaberton, Piemonte The Alps do not form an unattainable barrier: they have been traversed for war and commerce, and later by pilgrims, students and tourists. Crossing places by road, train or foot are called passes. These are depressions in the mountains into which a valley leads from the plains and hilly pre-mountainous zones

Climate: The Alps are split into five climate zones, each with a different kind of environment. The climate, plant life and animal life vary on different sections or zones of the mountain. The section of the Alps that is above 3,000 metres is called the névé zone. This area, which has the coldest climate, is permanently coated with compressed snow. That is why plants are scarce in the névé zone. The alpine zone lies between the height of 2,000 and 3,000 metres. This zone is less cold than the névé zone. Wildflowers and grasses grow here. Just below the alpine zone is the subalpine zone, 1,500 to 2,000 metres high. Forests of fir trees and spruce trees grow in the subalpine zone as the temperature slowly goes up. At about 1,000 to 1,500 metres high is the arable zone. Millions of oak trees sprout in this area. This is also where farming takes place. Below 1,000 metres are the lowlands. Here, a larger variety of plants are produced. Aside from plants, villages are also in the lowlands because the temperature is more bearable for both humans and animals.

The Alps are popular both in summer and in winter as a destination for sightseeing and sports. Winter sports (Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, snowshoeing, ski tours) can be practised in most regions from December to April. In summer, the Alps are popular with hikers, mountain bikers, paragliders, mountaineers, while many alpine lakes attract swimmers, sailors and surfers. The lower regions and larger towns of the Alps are well served by motorways and main roads, but higher passes and by-roads can be treacherous even in summer. Many passes are closed in winter. The Alps typically see more than 100 million visitors a year.

Bibliography: Text: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alps Picture page 3: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alps_2007-03-13_10.10UTC_1px-250m.jpg Picture page 7: Regione Piemonte:La riproduzione è autorizzata citando la fonte http://www.regione.piemonte.it/ambiente/sezione_navigabile/relazione_2010/indexa7bf.html?option=com_content&view=section&id=4&Itemid=295 Picture page 5, 8: personal pictures Fort of Exilles - Piemonte