Editing Geography of Italy (section)

===Mountains===
[[File:MontBlancFromENE.jpg|thumb|[[Mont Blanc]] (Monte Bianco) in [[Aosta Valley]], the highest point in the [[European Union]]]]
Almost 40% of the Italian territory is mountainous,<ref name=eug92>{{cite book|last=Riganti]|first=[dir. da Alberto|title=Enciclopedia universale Garzanti.|year=1991|publisher=Garzanti|location=Milano|isbn=88-11-50459-7|edition=Nuova ed. aggiornata e ampliata.}}</ref> with the [[Alps]] as the northern boundary and the [[Apennine Mountains]] forming the backbone of the peninsula and extending for {{convert|1350|km|abbr=on}}.<ref name=eug92 /> The Alpine mountain range is linked with the Apennines with the [[Colle di Cadibona]] pass in the [[Ligurian Alps]].<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.touringclub.it/destinazioni/73621/Colle-di-Cadibona|access-date=15 April 2010|title=Colle di Cadibona - Touring Club Italiano|language=it}}</ref> Nineteen [[Italian regions]] are crossed by either the Alps or the Apennines, or their offshoots. [[Sardinia]] has mountains with their own characteristics and are included in the Sardinian-Corsican relief, since it also affects [[Corsica]].

The Alps (formed during the [[Mesozoic]] and [[Cenozoic]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.regione.emilia-romagna.it/GEOLOGIA/divulgazione/pianeta_terra/14_orogenesi/c_ororgenesi.htm|access-date=15 April 2010|title=Le orogenesi - Regione Emilia-Romagna|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422064531/http://www.regione.emilia-romagna.it/geologia/divulgazione/pianeta_terra/14_orogenesi/c_ororgenesi.htm|archive-date=22 April 2009|language=it}}</ref> surround the Po Valley to the north, east and west, and develop along the entire northern border of Italy (about {{cvt|1000|km|disp=or}}), creating a natural border. The Alps contain the highest peak in the [[European Union]], [[Mont Blanc]], at {{convert|4810|meters}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]], located between the [[Aosta Valley]] and [[France]].

The Apennines (formed during the [[Oligocene]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www2.ogs.trieste.it/gngts/gngts/convegniprecedenti/2001/media/2002/contents/pdf/02_04.pdf|access-date=15 April 2010|title=Integrazione di dati geologici e geofisici per un quadro geodinamico del sistema appennino meridionale arco-calabro-Sicilia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125055231/http://www2.ogs.trieste.it/gngts/gngts/convegniprecedenti/2001/media/2002/contents/pdf/02_04.pdf|archive-date=25 November 2015|language=it}}</ref> rise south of the Po Valley and run from north to south throughout the Italian peninsula, from [[Liguria]] to [[Calabria]] and continue in northern [[Sicily]] ending in the [[Madonie]], acting as a watershed between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic-Ionian coast.

The highest peaks in Italy are found in the [[Western Alps]], where there are numerous peaks that exceed {{convert|4000|meters}} including [[Monte Rosa]] ({{convert|4634|meters|disp=or}}), the [[Matterhorn|Cervino]] ({{convert|4478|meters|disp=or}}) and Mont Blanc which with its {{convert|4810|meters}}. The maximum height of the Apennines is the [[Gran Sasso d'Italia]] ({{convert|2912|meters|disp=or}}).

Famous mountains in Italy are Monte Cervino ([[Matterhorn]]), [[Monte Rosa]], [[Gran Paradiso]] in the West Alps, and [[Bernina Range|Bernina]], [[Stelvio Pass|Stelvio]] and [[Dolomites]] along the eastern side of the Alps.