located_in_the_administrative_territorial_entity grand gendarme
The Matterhorn ( ) is a ___MASK63___ ___MASK78___ 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 ___MASK78___ the Pennine Alps , whose summit is high , making it one ___MASK78___ the highest summits in the Alps and Europe . The four steep faces , rising above the surrounding glaciers , face the four compass points and are split by the " Hörnli ", " Furggen ", " Leone " and " Zmutt " ridges . The ___MASK63___ overlooks the Swiss town ___MASK78___ Zermatt in the ___MASK3___ to the north - east and the Italian town ___MASK78___ Breuil - Cervinia in the Aosta Valley to the south . Just east ___MASK78___ 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 . A ___MASK63___ range ( also ___MASK63___ barrier , belt , or system ) is a geographic area containing numerous geologically related mountains . A ___MASK63___ system or system ___MASK78___ ___MASK63___ ranges , sometimes is used to combine several geological features that are geographically ( regionally ) related . On Earth , most significant ___MASK63___ ranges are the result ___MASK78___ plate tectonics , though ___MASK63___ ranges are formed by a range ___MASK78___ processes , are found on many planetary mass objects in the Solar System and are likely a feature ___MASK78___ most terrestrial planets . The ___MASK28___ (( official ) or ( usual ); / ( official ) or ( usual )) is a mountainous semi - autonomous region in northwestern ___MASK71___ . It is bordered by ___MASK18___ - Rhône - Alpes , France to the west , Valais , Switzerland to the ___MASK58___ and the region ___MASK78___ Piedmont to the south and east . ___MASK57___ is a municipality in the district ___MASK78___ Visp in the German - speaking section ___MASK78___ the ___MASK3___ in Switzerland . It has a population ___MASK78___ about 5 , 800 inhabitants . The Grand Gendarme is a minor ___MASK62___ on the Weisshorn ___MASK58___ ridge in the Pennine Alps . Because ___MASK78___ its small prominence it was included in the enlarged list ___MASK78___ alpine four - thousanders . ___MASK1___ ( Piedmontese and ) is one ___MASK78___ the 20 regions ___MASK78___ Italy . It has an area ___MASK78___ 25 , 402 square kilometres ( 9 , 808 sq mi ) and a population ___MASK78___ about 4 . 6 million . The capital ___MASK78___ ___MASK1___ is Turin . The Pennine Alps , also known as the " Valais Alps ", and formerly called " Alpes Poeninae ", are a ___MASK63___ range in the western part ___MASK78___ the Alps . They are located in Switzerland ( Valais ) and Italy ( Piedmont and the Aosta Valley ). Alpes Poeninae , also known as Alpes Graiae , was a small ___MASK2___ province ___MASK78___ the Roman Empire , one ___MASK78___ three such provinces in the western Alps between Italy and Gaul . It comprised the Val d ' Aosta region ( Italy ) and the Canton Valais ( Switzerland ). ___MASK50___ , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic in Europe . It consists ___MASK78___ 26 cantons , and the city ___MASK78___ Bern is the seat ___MASK78___ the federal authorities . The country is situated in Western - Central Europe , and is bordered by Italy to the south , France to the west , Germany to the north , and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east . ___MASK50___ is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps , the Swiss Plateau and the Jura , spanning an area ___MASK78___ . While the Alps occupy the greater part ___MASK78___ the territory , the Swiss population ___MASK78___ 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 . The ___MASK3___ is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland , situated in the southwestern part of the country , around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva , separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps . The canton is simultaneously one of the driest regions of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley and among the wettest , having large amounts of snow and rain up on the highest peaks found in Switzerland . The ___MASK3___ is widely known for the Matterhorn and resort towns such as Crans - Montana , Saas Fee and Zermatt . It is composed of 13 districts ( hence the 13 stars on the flag ) and its capital is Sion . The Alps are the highest and ___MASK39___ extensive ___MASK63___ range system that lies entirely in Europe , stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries : ___MASK54___ , France , Germany , Italy , Liechtenstein , Monaco , Slovenia , and Switzerland . The mountains were formed over tens ___MASK78___ millions ___MASK78___ 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 ___MASK63___ peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn . Mont Blanc spans the French  Italian border , and at is the highest ___MASK63___ in the Alps . The Alpine region area contains about a hundred peaks higher than 4000 metres ( just over 13 , 000 feet ). ___MASK84___ is a municipality in the ___MASK41___ ___MASK78___ Sierre in the ___MASK3___ in Switzerland . It was formed through the merger ___MASK78___ six municipalities in Val d ' ___MASK84___ : Ayer , Chandolin , Grimentz , Saint - Jean , Saint - Luc and Vissoie . The merger became effective 1 January 2009 , creating the third largest municipality ___MASK78___ Switzerland by surface area . ___MASK86___ ( French : " Aoste " - ) is the principal city ___MASK78___ ___MASK86___ Valley , a bilingual region in the Italian Alps , north - northwest ___MASK78___ Turin . It is situated near the Italian entrance ___MASK78___ the Mont Blanc Tunnel , at the confluence ___MASK78___ the Buthier and the Doire baltée , and at the junction ___MASK78___ the Great and Little St . Bernard routes . ___MASK86___ is not the capital ___MASK78___ the province , because ___MASK86___ Valley is the only Italian region not divided into provinces . Provincial administrative functions are instead shared by the region and the communes . ___MASK71___ , officially the Italian Republic , is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe . Located in the heart ___MASK78___ the Mediterranean Sea , ___MASK71___ shares open land borders with France , Switzerland , Austria , Slovenia , San Marino and Vatican City . ___MASK71___ covers an area ___MASK78___ and has a largely temperate seasonal climate and Mediterranean climate ; due to its shape , it is often referred to in ___MASK71___ as " lo Stivale " ( the Boot ). With 61 million inhabitants , it is the fourth most populous EU member state . The Monte Rosa ( or synonymously used as a pleonasm : " Monte Rosa massif " is a ___MASK63___ massif located in the eastern part ___MASK78___ the Pennine Alps . It is located between Switzerland ( Valais ) and Italy ( Piedmont and Aosta Valley ). Monte Rosa is the second highest ___MASK63___ in the Alps and western Europe . The Weisshorn ( German , lit . " white peak / ___MASK63___ ") is a major peak ___MASK78___ the Alps and Switzerland , culminating at above sea level . It is part ___MASK78___ the Pennine Alps and is located between the valleys ___MASK78___ Anniviers and Zermatt in the ___MASK3___ . In the latter valley , the Weisshorn is one ___MASK78___ the many 4000ers surrounding Zermatt , with Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn .