The Alps were formed
about 30 million years
ago by the collision of
the African and
European Plates
Tallest Peak
Mont Blanc at 4810m
on the French-Italian
Border
Population
Around 12 million people
Why People use the Alps
Farming
Steep upland areas
are used for farming
goats which produce
milk, cheese and
meat.
Sunnier
areas have
vineyards
(e.g. Lavaux,
Switzerland)
Tourism
100 million tourist
visit the alps every
year.
Important
for
environment.
70% of tourists
visit ski slopes
in winter.
Summer tourists
come for walking,
mountain biking,
climbing and
paragliding.
New villages
have been built
to cater for
large numbers
of tourists (e.g.
Tignes, France)
Ski runs, ski lifts,
cable cars, holiday
chalets and
restaurants pepper
the landscape.
Mining
Salt, iron ore, gold, silver and
copper were mined in the Alps but
the industry has declined due to
cheaper foreign sources
Hydro-Electric Power
The narrow valleys are dammed to generate HEP, e.g. in
the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland 60 % of it electricity
comes from HEP stations in the Alps.
The electricity
produced is used locally
to power homes and
businesses. It can also
be exported to town
and cities further away.
Forestry
Scots Pine has
been planted all
over the alps
because it's more
resilient to
animals which
often destroy
native plants and
trees.
It's logged and sold to make things like furniture.
How people have adapted
Steep Relief
Goats are farmed
because they're well
adapted to live on
steep mountains.
Poor Soils
Animals are grazed
in most high areas as
the soil isn't good
enough for growing
crops.
Limited Communications
Roads have been built
over passes e.g. The
Brenner Pass between
Austria and Italy.
It takes a long time to drive
over these passes and they are
often blocked by snow, so
tunnels have been cut through
the mountains to provide fast
transport links.