The Alps have existed for about 30 million years. A collision of the African and European tectonic plates lifted the massive mountain chain. Furthermore, this collision also created valleys and lakes.
The Alps are the highest mountain range in Europe and reach eight countries. These are Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia and Switzerland.
Mont Blanc, located between France and Italy, is the highest point in the Alps at 4,810 metres. In contrast, the Po Valley in Italy is the lowest point at just 300 metres above sea level.
The most famous rivers in the mountain range include the Danube, the Rhone and the Po. Mountains that should be known in the Alps are Mont Blanc (between France & Italy), the Matterhorn (between Switzerland & Italy) and the Zugspitze (between Germany & Austria).
Types of rocks in the Alps:
Metamorphic rocks: gneiss, schist and marble.
igneous rocks: granite and basalt
Sedimentary rocks: sandstone and limestone (in the valleys and plateaus)
Minerals: gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc (mined in mines)
Sources:
https://www.erlebnisreisen-weltweit.de/reisenews/die-alpen-2/
https://www.simplyscience.ch/teens/wissen/die-entstehung-der-alpen
https://www.berggenuss.de/alpenlaender
