Mont Blanc (*Monte Bianco* in Italian) is a mountain massif and the second highest peak (4,807 metres) in Europe, after Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus.
Located in the Alps, the massif lies along the French-Italian border and reaches into Switzerland. It extends southwestward from Martigny, Switzerland, for about 40 km and has a maximum width of 16 km.
The summit is in French territory. Surrounding the massif are the Graian Alps (south), the Chamonix Valley and Savoy Alps (west), the Pennine Alps (northeast), and the Valley of Courmayeur (east).
Other principal peaks within the massif include Mont Blanc du Tacul, Mont Maudit, Aiguille (“Peak”) du Géant, Les Grandes Jorasses, Mont Dolent, and Aiguille du Midi.
Glaciers cover approximately 100 square km of Mont Blanc, whence its name, meaning white mountain.
Ice streams stretch from the central ice dome down to below 1,500 metres. The Mer de Glace, the second longest glacier in the Alps, reached the elevation of 1,250 metres in 1930.
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Mont Blanc (*Monte Bianco* in Italian) is a mountain massif and the second highest peak (4,807 metres) in Europe, after Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus.
Located in the Alps, the massif lies along the French-Italian border and reaches into Switzerland. It extends southwestward from Martigny, Switzerland, for about 40 km and has a maximum width of 16 km.
The summit is in French territory. Surrounding the massif are the Graian Alps (south), the Chamonix Valley and Savoy Alps (west), the Pennine Alps (northeast), and the Valley of Courmayeur (east).
Other principal peaks within the massif include Mont Blanc du Tacul, Mont Maudit, Aiguille (“Peak”) du Géant, Les Grandes Jorasses, Mont Dolent, and Aiguille du Midi.
Glaciers cover approximately 100 square km of Mont Blanc, whence its name, meaning white mountain.
Ice streams stretch from the central ice dome down to below 1,500 metres. The Mer de Glace, the second longest glacier in the Alps, reached the elevation of 1,250 metres in 1930.