| Western Alps | |
|---|---|
 Mont Blanc, the highest summit of the Western Alps, as seen fromAosta Valley, Italy | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mont Blanc |
| Elevation | 4,810 m (15,780 ft) |
| Coordinates | 45°50′01″N06°51′54″E / 45.83361°N 6.86500°E /45.83361; 6.86500 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 300 km (190 mi)[1] |
| Width | 150 to 185 km (93 to 115 mi) |
| Naming | |
| Native name | |
| Geography | |
 The Western Alps from space | |
| Countries | Monaco,France,Italy andSwitzerland |
| Parent range | Alps |
| Borders on | Apennines, Rhone Valley, Jura mountains, Eastern Alps, Po plain and Ligurian sea |
| Geology | |
| Orogeny | Alpine orogeny |
TheWestern Alps are the western part of theAlpine Range including the southeastern part ofFrance (e.g.Savoie), the whole ofMonaco, the northwestern part ofItaly (i.e.Piedmont and theAosta Valley) and the southwestern part ofSwitzerland (e.g.Valais). In the southeast the range is bounded by the ItalianPadan Plain. In the west, the valley of theRhone river separates it from theMassif Central. The northernmost part of the Western Alps - in the wide meaning of the term - is formed by theSwiss Prealps Sub-Range.
The peaks and mountain passes are higher compared to theEastern Alps, while the range itself is not so broad and more arched.
In thePartizione delle Alpi (inEnglish literallyPartition of the Alps), adopted by the ItalianComitato Geografico Nazionale (National Geographic Committee) in 1926 following the IXCongresso Geografico Italiano (Italian Geographic Congress), theAlpine Range is divided into three main parts: Western, Central and Eastern Alps.[2]
In this traditional subdivision, the Western Alps start from theBocchetta di Altare (orColle di Cadibona) and end with theCol Ferret.
ThePartizione delle Alpi divides the Western Alps into the following eight sections (in brackets the section number):
Maritime Alps (1),Cottian Alps (2),Graian Alps (3),Provence Alps (4),Dauphiné Alps (5),Provence Prealps (6),Dauphiné Prealps (7) andSavoy Prealps (8).
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