The
Alpine region of
Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the
Swiss Alps (, , , ), represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the
Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the
Jura Mountains, one of its three main
physiographic regions. The Swiss Alps extend over both the
Western Alps and the
Eastern Alps, encompassing an area sometimes called
Central Alps. While the northern ranges from the
Bernese Alps to the
Appenzell Alps are entirely in Switzerland, the southern ranges from the
Mont Blanc massif to the
Bernina massif are shared with other countries such as
France,
Italy,
Austria and
Liechtenstein.