Title: Alps - Wikipedia
Headings: Alps
Alps
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Contents
Etymology and toponymy
Geography
Passes
Highest mountains
Geology and orogeny
Minerals
Glaciers
Rivers and lakes
Climate
Ecology
Flora
Fauna
History
Prehistory to Christianity
Christianity, feudalism, and Napoleonic wars
Exploration
The Romantics and Alpinists
The Nazis
Largest cities
Alpine people and culture
Tourism
Avalanche/snow-slide
Transportation
References
Notes
References
Works cited
External links

Content: The 18th and 19th centuries saw an influx of naturalists, writers, and artists, in particular, the Romantics, followed by the golden age of alpinism as mountaineers began to ascend the peaks. The Alpine region has a strong cultural identity. The traditional culture of farming, cheesemaking, and woodworking still exists in Alpine villages, although the tourist industry began to grow early in the 20th century and expanded greatly after World War II to become the dominant industry by the end of the century. The Winter Olympic Games have been hosted in the Swiss, French, Italian, Austrian and German Alps. At present, the region is home to 14 million people and has 120 million annual visitors. Contents
1 Etymology and toponymy
2 Geography
3 Passes
4 Highest mountains
5 Geology and orogeny
6 Minerals
7 Glaciers
8 Rivers and lakes
9 Climate
10 Ecology
10.1 Flora
10.2 Fauna
11 History
11.1 Prehistory to Christianity
11.2 Christianity, feudalism, and Napoleonic wars
11.3 Exploration
11.4 The Romantics and Alpinists
11.5 The Nazis
12 Largest cities
13 Alpine people and culture
14 Tourism
15 Avalanche/snow-slide
16 Transportation
17 References
17.1 Notes
17.2 References
17.3 Works cited
18 External links
Etymology and toponymy
See also: Albion § Etymology
An "Alp" refers to a high mountain pasture, often with a structure, such as this one on the south side of the Alps, where cows are taken for grazing. The English word Alps comes from the Latin Alpes . The Latin word Alpes could possibly come from the adjective albus ("white"), which could possibly come from the Greek goddess Alphito, whose name is related to alphita, the "white flour"; alphos, a dull white leprosy;