located_in_the_administrative_territorial_entity falknis
A glacier ( or ) is a persistent body ___MASK76___ dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight ; it forms where the accumulation ___MASK76___ snow exceeds its ablation ( melting and sublimation ) over many years , often centuries . Glaciers slowly deform and flow due to stresses induced by their weight , creating crevasses , seracs , and other distinguishing features . They also abrade ___MASK34___ and debris from their substrate to create landforms such as cirques and moraines . Glaciers form only on land and are distinct from the much thinner sea ice and lake ice that form on the surface ___MASK76___ bodies ___MASK76___ water . The city ___MASK76___ Bern or Berne (; Bernese German : " Bärn " ) is the de facto capital ___MASK76___ Switzerland , referred to by the Swiss as their ( e . g . in German ) " Bundesstadt ," or " federal city ". With a population ___MASK76___ 141 , 762 ( November 2016 ), Bern is the fourth ___MASK60___ populous city in Switzerland . The Bern agglomeration , which includes 36 municipalities , had a population ___MASK76___ 406 , 900 in 2014 . The metropolitan area had a population ___MASK76___ 660 , 000 in 2000 . Bern is also the capital ___MASK76___ the canton ___MASK76___ Bern , the second ___MASK60___ populous ___MASK76___ Switzerland ' s cantons . ___MASK52___ , officially the Principality of ___MASK52___ , is a doubly landlocked German - speaking microstate in Central Europe . It is a constitutional monarchy with the rank of principality , headed by the Prince of ___MASK52___ . A ___MASK21___ is a natural flowing watercourse , usually ___MASK82___ , flowing towards an ocean , sea , lake or another ___MASK21___ . In some cases a ___MASK21___ flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of water . Small rivers can be referred to using names such as stream , creek , brook , rivulet , and rill . There are no official definitions for the generic term ___MASK21___ as applied to geographic features , although in some countries or communities a stream is defined by its size . Many names for small rivers are specific to geographic location ; examples are " run " in some parts of the United States , " burn " in Scotland and northeast England , and " beck " in northern England . Sometimes a ___MASK21___ is defined as being larger than a creek , but not always : the language is vague . ___MASK69___ , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic in ___MASK15___ . It consists of 26 cantons , and the city of Bern is the seat of the federal authorities . The country is situated in Western - Central ___MASK15___ , and is bordered by Italy to the south , ___MASK18___ to the west , ___MASK32___ to the north , and Austria and ___MASK52___ to the east . ___MASK69___ is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps , the Swiss Plateau and the ___MASK35___ , spanning an area of . While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory , the Swiss population of approximately eight million people is concentrated mostly on the plateau , where the largest cities are to be found : among them are the two global cities and economic centres Zürich and Geneva . Sedimentary rocks are types ___MASK76___ ___MASK34___ that are formed by the deposition and subsequent cementation ___MASK76___ that material at the Earth ' s surface and within bodies ___MASK76___ water . Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and / or organic particles ( detritus ) to settle in place . The particles that form a sedimentary ___MASK34___ by accumulating are called sediment . Before being deposited , the sediment was formed by weathering and erosion from the source area , and then transported to the place ___MASK76___ deposition by water , wind , ice , mass movement or glaciers , which are called agents ___MASK76___ denudation . Sedimentation may also occur as minerals precipitate from water solution or shells ___MASK76___ aquatic creatures settle out ___MASK76___ suspension . The ___MASK1___ Eastern Alps , also referred to as Austrian ___MASK1___ Alps or just ___MASK1___ Alps comprise the main chain ___MASK76___ the Eastern Alps in Austria and the adjacent regions ___MASK76___ Switzerland , ___MASK52___ , Italy and Slovenia . ___MASK96___ (, , , ) is the second ___MASK60___ populous city in Switzerland ( after Zürich ) and is the ___MASK60___ populous city of Romandy , the French - speaking part of Switzerland . Situated where the Rhône exits ___MASK66___ , it is the capital of the Republic and Canton of ___MASK96___ . ___MASK15___ is a continent that comprises the westernmost part of Eurasia . ___MASK15___ is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north , the Atlantic Ocean to the ___MASK25___ , and the Mediterranean Sea to the south . To the ___MASK55___ and southeast , ___MASK15___ is generally considered as separated from Asia by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains , the Ural River , the Caspian and Black Seas , and the waterways of the Turkish Straits . Yet the non - oceanic borders of ___MASK15___  a concept dating back to classical antiquity  are arbitrary . The primarily physiographic term " continent " as applied to ___MASK15___ also incorporates cultural and political elements whose discontinuities are not always reflected by the continent ' s current overland boundaries . The ___MASK57___ (, , ) is a European river that begins in the Swiss canton of ___MASK37___ in the southeastern Swiss Alps , forms part of the Swiss - Austrian , Swiss - Liechtenstein , Swiss - German and then the Franco - German border , then flows through the Rhineland and eventually empties into the North Sea in the Netherlands . The largest city on the river ___MASK57___ is Cologne , Germany , with a population of more than 1 , 050 , 000 people . It is the second - longest river in Central and Western Europe ( after the Danube ), at about , with an average discharge of about . The Matterhorn ( ) is a ___MASK100___ ___MASK76___ the Alps , straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy . It is a huge and near - symmetrical pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area ___MASK76___ the Pennine Alps , whose summit is high , making it one ___MASK76___ the highest summits in the Alps and ___MASK15___ . The four steep faces , rising above the surrounding glaciers , face the four compass points and are ___MASK81___ by the " Hörnli ", " Furggen ", " Leone " and " Zmutt " ridges . The ___MASK100___ overlooks the Swiss town ___MASK76___ Zermatt in the canton ___MASK76___ Valais to the north - east and the Italian town ___MASK76___ Breuil - Cervinia in the Aosta Valley to the south . Just east ___MASK76___ the Matterhorn is Theodul Pass , the main passage between the two valleys on its north and south sides and a trade route since the Roman Era . Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , both meaning " White ___MASK100___ ", is the highest ___MASK100___ in the Alps and the highest in ___MASK15___ after the Caucasus peaks . It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence . ___MASK32___ , officially the Federal Republic of ___MASK32___ , is a federal parliamentary republic in central - western Europe . It includes 16 constituent states , covers an area of , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With about 82 million inhabitants , ___MASK32___ is the ___MASK60___ populous member state of the ___MASK54___ . After the United States , it is the second ___MASK60___ popular immigration destination in the world . ___MASK32___ ' s capital and largest metropolis is Berlin . Other major cities include Hamburg , Munich , Cologne , Frankfurt , Stuttgart and Düsseldorf . The Swiss Plateau or ___MASK1___ Plateau constitutes one ___MASK76___ the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the ___MASK35___ Mountains and the Swiss Alps . It covers about 30 % ___MASK76___ the Swiss surface . It comprises the regions between the ___MASK35___ and the Alps , partly flat but mostly hilly , and lies at an average height between 400 and 700 m AMSL . It is by far the most densely populated region ___MASK76___ Switzerland , and the most important with respect to economy and transportation . ___MASK18___ , officially the French Republic , is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . The European , or metropolitan , area of ___MASK18___ extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the ___MASK57___ to the Atlantic Ocean . Overseas ___MASK18___ include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic , Pacific and ___MASK87___ oceans . ___MASK18___ spans and had a total population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017 . It is a unitary semi - presidential republic with the capital in Paris , the country ' s largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban centres include Marseille , Lyon , Lille , Nice , Toulouse and Bordeaux . ___MASK3___ , officially the Italian Republic , is a unitary parliamentary republic in ___MASK15___ . Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea , ___MASK3___ shares open land borders with ___MASK18___ , Switzerland , Austria , Slovenia , San Marino and Vatican City . ___MASK3___ covers an area of and has a largely temperate seasonal climate and Mediterranean climate ; due to its shape , it is often referred to in ___MASK3___ as " lo Stivale " ( the Boot ). With 61 million inhabitants , it is the fourth ___MASK60___ populous EU member state . The Rätikon is a ___MASK100___ range ___MASK76___ the Central Eastern Alps located at the border between ___MASK51___ , Liechtenstein and ___MASK37___ . It is the geological border between the Eastern and Western Alps and stretches from the Montafon as far as the Rhine . In the south , the Prättigau is its limit , in the north the Walgau . In the east , it borders the Silvretta groups . ___MASK51___ is the westernmost federal state (" Bundesland ") of Austria . Although it has the second - smallest area ( ___MASK98___ is the smallest ) and population ( Burgenland is less populated ), it has the second - highest population density ( after ___MASK98___ ). It borders three countries : Germany ( ___MASK70___ and Baden - Württemberg via Lake Constance ), Switzerland ( ___MASK37___ and St . Gallen ) and Liechtenstein . The only Austrian state that shares a border with ___MASK51___ is Tyrol to the east . A landlocked state or landlocked country is a sovereign state entirely enclosed by land , or whose only coastlines lie on closed seas . There are currently 48 such countries , including four partially recognised states . Only two , ___MASK56___ and Paraguay in South America , lie outside Afro - Eurasia ( the Old World ). A landform is a natural feature ___MASK76___ the solid surface ___MASK76___ the Earth or other planetary body . Landforms together make up a given terrain , and their arrangement in the landscape is known as topography . Typical landforms include hills , mountains , plateaus , canyons , valleys , as well as shoreline features such as bays , peninsulas , and seas , including submerged features such as mid - ocean ridges , volcanoes , and the great ocean basins . The Alps are the highest and ___MASK60___ extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe , stretching approximately across eight ___MASK23___ countries : Austria , France , Germany , Italy , Liechtenstein , Monaco , Slovenia , and Switzerland . The mountains were formed over tens of millions of years as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided . Extreme shortening caused by the event resulted in marine sedimentary rocks rising by thrusting and folding into high mountain peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn . Mont Blanc spans the French  Italian border , and at is the highest mountain in the Alps . The ___MASK23___ region area contains about a hundred peaks higher than 4000 metres ( just over 13 , 000 feet ). ___MASK33___ , officially the Republic of ___MASK33___ ( Slovene : , abbr .: " RS "), is a nation state in southern Central ___MASK15___ , located at the crossroads of main European cultural and trade routes . It is bordered by Italy to the ___MASK25___ , Austria to the north , ___MASK74___ to the northeast , ___MASK30___ to the south and southeast , and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest . It covers and has a population of 2 . 06 million . It is a parliamentary republic and a member of the United Nations , ___MASK54___ , and NATO . The capital and largest city is Ljubljana . ___MASK1___ ___MASK15___ lies between Eastern ___MASK15___ and Western ___MASK15___ . The concept of ___MASK1___ ___MASK15___ is based on a common historical , social and cultural identity . ___MASK1___ ___MASK15___ is going through a phase of " strategic awakening ", with initiatives such as the CEI , Centrope or V4 . While the region ' s economy shows high disparities with regard to income , all ___MASK1___ European countries are listed by the Human Development Index as very highly developed . Volcanism is the phenomenon ___MASK76___ eruption ___MASK76___ molten ___MASK34___ ( magma ) onto the surface ___MASK76___ the Earth or a solid - surface planet or moon , where lava , pyroclastics and volcanic gases erupt through a break in the surface called a vent . It includes all phenomena resulting from and causing magma within the crust or mantle ___MASK76___ the body , to rise through the crust and form volcanic rocks on the surface . The Prättigau Valley , in the ___MASK36___ ___MASK76___ ___MASK37___ ( Grisons ), Switzerland , is home to the world - famous ski resorts ___MASK76___ Klosters and neighbouring Davos in the Landwasser Valley . At its heart is the river Landquart . The valley extends upwards from Landquart , a key transport terminal just north ___MASK76___ Chur , the capital ___MASK76___ Grisons . It is a popular tourist destination for winter and summer activities , including downhill and cross country skiing , tobogganing and hiking . Traditionally , towns in the Prättigau were reliant on the lumber industry , although the income from tourism has largely replaced that . A constitutional monarchy ( also known as a parliamentary monarchy ) is a form ___MASK76___ monarchy in which the sovereign exercises their authorities in accordance with a written or unwritten constitution . Constitutional monarchy differs from absolute monarchy ( in which a monarch holds absolute power ), in that constitutional monarchs are bound to exercise their powers and authorities within the limits prescribed within an established legal framework . Constitutional monarchies range from countries such as Morocco , where the constitution grants substantial discretionary powers to the sovereign , to countries such as Sweden or ___MASK8___ where the monarch retains very few formal authorities . The Falknis is a ___MASK100___ in the Rätikon range ___MASK76___ the Alps , located on the border between ___MASK52___ and Switzerland . The nearest locality is Balzers . ___MASK14___ , officially the Principality of ___MASK14___ , is a sovereign city - state and microstate , located on the French Riviera in Western Europe . France borders the country on three sides while the other side borders the Mediterranean Sea . ___MASK14___ has an area of and a population of about 37 , 800 ; it is the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world . ___MASK14___ has a land border of , a coastline of , and a width that varies between . The highest point in the country is a narrow pathway named Chemin des Révoires on the slopes of Mont Agel , in the Les Révoires " Ward ", which is above sea level . ___MASK14___ ' s most populous " Quartier " is Monte Carlo and the most populous " Ward " is Larvotto / Bas ___MASK10___ . Through land reclamation , ___MASK14___ ' s land mass has expanded by twenty percent . ___MASK14___ is known as a playground for the rich and famous , due to its tax laws . In 2014 , it was noted about 30 % of the population was made up of millionaires , more than in Zürich or Geneva . A federal republic is a federation ___MASK76___ states with a republican form ___MASK76___ government . At its core , the literal meaning ___MASK76___ the word republic when used to reference a form ___MASK76___ government means : " a country that is governed by elected representatives and by an elected leader ( such as a president ) rather than by a ___MASK44___ or queen ". A ___MASK100___ range ( also ___MASK100___ barrier , belt , or system ) is a geographic area containing numerous geologically related mountains . A ___MASK100___ system or system ___MASK76___ ___MASK100___ ranges , sometimes is used to combine several geological features that are geographically ( regionally ) related . On Earth , ___MASK60___ significant ___MASK100___ ranges are the result ___MASK76___ plate tectonics , though ___MASK100___ ranges are formed by a range ___MASK76___ processes , are found on many planetary mass objects in the Solar System and are likely a feature ___MASK76___ ___MASK60___ terrestrial planets . Montafon ( in local dialect : "" Muntafu ")" is a 39 km long valley in the federal state ___MASK76___ ___MASK51___ ( Austria ) that is crossed by the river Ill ( ___MASK51___ ). It extends from the city ___MASK76___ Bludenz and the Verwall Alps in the north , to the Silvretta and Rätikon mountain range in the south . Piz Buin is with 3312m the highest peak within the Silvretta mountain range . A ___MASK100___ is a large landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area , usually in the form ___MASK76___ a peak . A ___MASK100___ is generally steeper than a hill . Mountains are formed through tectonic forces or volcanism . These forces can locally raise the surface ___MASK76___ the earth . Mountains erode slowly through the action ___MASK76___ rivers , weather conditions , and glaciers . A few mountains are isolated summits , but ___MASK60___ occur in huge ___MASK100___ ranges . A principality ( or princedom ) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state , ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title ___MASK76___ ___MASK61___ or by a monarch with another title within the generic use ___MASK76___ the term " ___MASK61___ ". Terminology . Most ___MASK76___ these states have historically been a polity , but in some occasions were rather territories in respect ___MASK76___ which a princely title is held . The ___MASK61___ ' s estate and wealth may be located mainly or wholly outside the geographical confines ___MASK76___ the principality .