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Mountains in Italy
There are two major mountain ranges in Italy, the Alps and the Apennines.
THE ALPS
The Alps run west to east across Northern Italy and share borders with France, Switzerland and Austria. They are divided into regions known as the Occidentali, the Centrali, and the Orientali. Alps offer opportunities for winter sports like skiing by the mountaineers.
THE APPENNINES
The Apennine Mountains run 1000km north to south along Italy's eastern coast. Situated in south towards Genoa and the Italian Riviera, stands the Appennines. They traverse Italy north to south in parallel to the Adriatic coast from Rimini to Pescara. Geographically the Apennines run south from the Gulf of Genoa on the coast all the way into Sicily. The range is divided into sections known as the Northern, Central and Southern Apennines. The mountains are mostly green and wooded. Unlike the Alps, glaciers no longer exist in the Apennines, but snow often lies on the highest peaks for most of the year. The highest peak in this chain is Monte Corno. Major mountains in Apennine range include: Northern Apennines. The most quoted demarcation of the northern Apennines from the Maritime Alps is Bocchetta dell' Altare, about 5 miles west of Savona on the high road to Turin. The Northern Apennine range is also commonly subdivided into 3 separate sections; the Ligurian Apennines; the Tuscan Apennines; and Umbrian Apennines Ligurian Apennines. They extend as far as the pass of La Cisa in the upper valley of the Magra above Spezia; following the curve of the Gulf of Genoa, they then run east-south-east parallel to the coast. The river Po transverses the broad Piedmont and Lombardian plains those lie north and north-east of the mountains. The south side of the range rises steeply from the sea leaving only a tiny coastal strip.