Fold mountains form along converging plate boundaries such as collision or destructive boundaries. As the plates are pushed together, the sediment that has formed in the seas between them is compressed and pushed upwards, as seen opposite.

The most recent period of mountain building involved the creating of the Alps, Andes, Rockies and the Himalayas.

Our Case study involves the Alps and these were formed 30-40 million years ago. They are located in central Europe and are found in France, Italy, Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The Alps consist of many high mountains such as Mt. Blanc, the Matterhorn and Eiger. This is also where Europe's great rivers begin such as the Rhine, Rhone and Danube. Finally it is also where some of the largest lakes in Europe are located such as Lake Garda, Geneva and Como.

The main features of this region  are the U - shaped valleys, glaciers and the snow especially in the winters. See below

Livigno in Winter

A Map showing the main features of the Alps

Farming

The valley floor is ideal for farming and the main type is usually is Dairy Farming although vineyards can be found in warmer areas. It is ideal here  because:
 * The land is flatter
 * The soils are deeper and more fertile
 * There are better communications
The traditional type of farming was known as Transhumance. This was where the cows were taken up on to the Alps in summer after the snow had melted and returned in the Autumn to be kept in barns over winter and fed on the straw that had been grown on the valley floor. This type of farming is rare now as much of the valley floor is taken up with villages and ski-resorts which are far more profitable.

Tourism

Tourism is one of the biggest growing industries in the Alps (see DVD on Livigno). Over 20 million people visit the Alps every year and the main reasons are as follows:
* Beautiful winter scenery with snow capped peaks and forests
* Winter sports resorts for skiing, skating and tobogganing
* Summer lake resorts such as at Lake Como, Lake Garda and Lake Geneva
Excellent communications which includes motorways, railways and airports. Tunnels have been built to access ski resorts such as Livigno
* The alpine climate have attracted many for the snow and clean dry air, especially those with breathing problems.   

HEP & Industry

The Alps are an ideal location for the production of HEP as there are steep slopes to produce fast flowing streams. The area has high rainfall and of course the snow melts in the spring/summer. Finally the narrow valleys are easy to dam. As a result the electricity produced is usually very cheap and this attracts industries who rely on the cheap energy.
The main industry in the region is forestry which relies on the conifers for building purposes, paper, fuel and even for cuckoo clocks.
 

The Problems of Alpine Valleys

Few people live in Alpine areas for a number of reasons:
* Poor communications due to the mountains
* Few industries are attracted so there are few jobs
* High altitude areas with cold wet climates
* Avalanches and landslides are dangerous and can cause problems
* Farming is difficult due to the steep slopes and short growing season