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Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco (French and Italian, respectively, meaning "White Mountain") is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises 4810 m (15780.8 ft) above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence. It is also sometimes known as "La Dame Blanche" (French for "The White Lady"). The mountain lies between the regions of Aosta Valley, Italy, and Haute-Savoie, France. The location of the summit is on the French-Italian border but French and Swiss cartographers place it within France's boundaries on maps. Recently, at the end of his studies of many different maps and with auxiliary of Istituto Cartografico dell’Esercito, Antonio Napolitano, the Italian leader of a mixed commission, claimed exclusive Italian ownership of the summit. The two most famous towns near Mont Blanc are Courmayeur, in Aosta Valley, Italy, and Chamonix, in Haute-Savoie, France - the site of the first Winter Olympics. A cable car ascends and crosses the mountain from Chamonix to Courmayeur. Begun in 1957 and completed in 1965, the 11.6 km (7¼ mi) Mont Blanc Tunnel runs beneath the mountain between these two countries and is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes. The Mont Blanc Massif is popular for mountaineering, hiking, skiing and snowboarding. |
