Pre-Alps

a peripheral zone of the Alps, the mountain ranges that surround on the south, west, and north the high, primarily crystalline masses of the axial zone. The Pre-Alps, which are generally separated from the axial zone by longitudinal tectonic and erosion valleys, are composed primarily of limestones, marls, sandstones, and shales. Elevations reach 2,000–3,000 m. Characteristic is the alternation of tableland massifs and broad intermontane valleys and troughs, which are sometimes filled by lakes (Bodensee, Maggiore, Garda). Glaciers are found only in the highest parts. In the north there are mixed hardwood and coniferous forests; in the south there are sparse chestnut woodlands and low evergreen formations at low elevations and hardwood and coniferous forests at higher elevations. The Pre-Alps are divided into the Venetian and Lombardy regions in the south, the French region in the west, and the Swiss, Bavarian, and Austrian regions in the north.