Alps

context: The Alps (/ælps/; Italian: Alpi [ˈalpi]; French: Alpes [alp]; German: Alpen [ˈʔalpm̩]; Slovene: Alpe [ˈáːlpɛ]) are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) across eight Alpine countries: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia, and Switzerland. The Caucasus Mountains are higher, and the Urals longer, but both lie partly in Asia. The mountains were formed over tens of millions of years as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided. Extreme shortening caused by the event resulted in marine sedimentary rocks rising by thrusting and folding into high mountain peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. Mont Blanc spans the French–Italian border, and at 4,810 m (15,781 ft) is the highest mountain in the Alps. The Alpine region area contains about a hundred peaks higher than 4,000 m (13,123 ft), known as the "four-thousanders".
qas: answers: Europe
question: What Country are the Alps located in?

answers: 1,200 kilometres
question: How many kilometres do the Alps stretch?

answers: over tens of millions of years
question: How long has it taken for the Alps to form? 

answers: Mont Blanc
question: What is the highest mountain in the Alps?

answers: the "four-thousanders"
question: The Alpine region is also known as what? 

context: The altitude and size of the range affects the climate in Europe; in the mountains precipitation levels vary greatly and climatic conditions consist of distinct zones. Wildlife such as ibex live in the higher peaks to elevations of 3,400 m (11,155 ft), and plants such as Edelweiss grow in rocky areas in lower elevations as well as in higher elevations. Evidence of human habitation in the Alps goes back to the Paleolithic era.
qas: answers: The altitude and size of the range
question: What affects the climate in Europe? 

answers: ibex
question: What type of animal lives inn the higher peaks?

answers: Edelweiss
question: What plant grows in the rocky areas of the range?

answers: Paleolithic era
question: Evidence of human habitation in the Alps goes as far back to what era? 

context: A mummified man, determined to be 5,000 years old, was discovered on a glacier at the Austrian–Italian border in 1991. By the 6th century BC, the Celtic La Tène culture was well established. Hannibal famously crossed the Alps with a herd of elephants, and the Romans had settlements in the region. In 1800 Napoleon crossed one of the mountain passes with an army of 40,000. 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. In World War II, Adolf Hitler kept a base of operation in the Bavarian Alps throughout the war.
qas: answers: 5,000 years old
question: How old was the mummified man discovered at the Austrian-Italian bored?

answers: the Celtic La Tène culture
question: What culture was well established by the 6th Century BC? 

answers: Hannibal
question: Who famously crossed the Alps with a herd of elephants? 

answers: Napoleon
question: What person took an army of 40,000 across the mountain passes? 

answers: Bavarian Alps
question: Where was Adolf Hitlers base of operation during World War 2?

context: 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.
qas: answers: 14 million people
question: The alps is home to how many people?

answers: 120 million
question: How many visitors go to the Alps annually?

answers: tourist industry
question: What is the dominant industry in the Alpine region? 

context: The English word Alps derives from the Latin Alpes (through French). Maurus Servius Honoratus, an ancient commentator of Virgil, says in his commentary (A. X 13) that all high mountains are called Alpes by Celts. The term may be common to Italo-Celtic, because the Celtic languages have terms for high mountains derived from alp.
qas: answers: Alpes
question: The English word Alps derives from what Latin Word? 

answers: Maurus Servius Honoratus
question: Who says that all high mountains are called Alpes by Celts?

answers: Celtic languages
question: What languages have terms for high mountains derived from alp? 

context: This may be consistent with the theory that in Greek Alpes is a name of non-Indo-European origin (which is common for prominent mountains and mountain ranges in the Mediterranean region). According to the Old English Dictionary, the Latin Alpes might possibly derive from a pre-Indo-European word *alb "hill"; "Albania" is a related derivation. Albania, a name not native to the region known as the country of Albania, has been used as a name for a number of mountainous areas across Europe. In Roman times, "Albania" was a name for the eastern Caucasus, while in the English language "Albania" (or "Albany") was occasionally used as a name for Scotland.
qas: answers: Indo-European origin
question: There is a theory that in Greek Alpes is a name of what origin? 

answers: Albania
question: What name has been used as a name for a number of mountainous areas across Europe? 

answers: the eastern Caucasus
question: Albania was a name for what during Roman Times? 

answers: Scotland
question: Albania was occasionally used as a name for what in the English language? 

context: It's likely[weasel words] that alb ("white") and albus have common origins deriving from the association of the tops of tall mountains or steep hills with snow.
qas: answers: alb ("white") and albus
question: What words are likely to have common origins?

answers: the association of the tops of tall mountains or steep hills with snow.
question: Where do Alb and Albus share their origin from?

answers: white
question: Alb can also mean what? 

context: In modern languages the term alp, alm, albe or alpe refers to a grazing pastures in the alpine regions below the glaciers, not the peaks. An alp refers to a high mountain pasture where cows are taken to be grazed during the summer months and where hay barns can be found, and the term "the Alps", referring to the mountains, is a misnomer. The term for the mountain peaks varies by nation and language: words such as horn, kogel, gipfel, spitz, and berg are used in German speaking regions: mont, pic, dent and aiguille in French speaking regions; and monte, picco or cima in Italian speaking regions.
qas: answers: a grazing pastures in the alpine regions below the glaciers, not the peaks
question: The term alp, alm, albe or alpe refers to what in modern languages? 

answers: An alp
question: What refers to a high mountain pasture where cows are taken to be grazed during the summer months?

answers: German speaking regions
question: Words such as horn, kogel, gipfel, spitz, and berd are used in what regions?

answers: French speaking regions
question: Mont, pic, dent and aiguille are words used in what regions?

context: The Alps are a crescent shaped geographic feature of central Europe that ranges in a 800 km (500 mi) arc from east to west and is 200 km (120 mi) in width. The mean height of the mountain peaks is 2.5 km (1.6 mi). The range stretches from the Mediterranean Sea north above the Po basin, extending through France from Grenoble, eastward through mid and southern Switzerland. The range continues toward Vienna in Austria, and east to the Adriatic Sea and into Slovenia. To the south it dips into northern Italy and to the north extends to the south border of Bavaria in Germany. In areas like Chiasso, Switzerland, and Neuschwanstein, Bavaria, the demarcation between the mountain range and the flatlands are clear; in other places such as Geneva, the demarcation is less clear. The countries with the greatest alpine territory are Switzerland, France, Austria and Italy.
qas: answers: The Alps
question: What are the crescent shaped geographic feature of central Europe?

answers: 2.5 km (1.6 mi)
question: What is the mean height of the Alp's peak?

answers: the Mediterranean Sea north above the Po basin, extending through France from Grenoble, eastward through mid and southern Switzerland
question: How far does the Alps range stretch?

answers: alpine territory
question: Switzerland, France, Austria and Italy have the greatest what? 

context: The highest portion of the range is divided by the glacial trough of the Rhone valley, with the Pennine Alps from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa on the southern side, and the Bernese Alps on the northern. The peaks in the easterly portion of the range, in Austria and Slovenia, are smaller than those in the central and western portions.
qas: answers: the glacial trough of the Rhone valley
question: The highest portion of the Alp's range is divided by what? 

answers: the easterly portion
question: Where are the peaks smaller in the range? 

answers: northern
question: The Bernese Alps are located in what part of the range? 

context: The variances in nomenclature in the region spanned by the Alps makes classification of the mountains and subregions difficult, but a general classification is that of the Eastern Alps and Western Alps with the divide between the two occurring in eastern Switzerland according to geologist Stefan Schmid, near the Splügen Pass.
qas: answers: The variances in nomenclature
question: What makes the classification of the mountains and subregions difficult?

answers: geologist Stefan Schmid
question: Who came up with the general classification?

answers: Splügen Pass
question: Where is the divide between the Eastern Alps and Western Alps near?

context: The highest peaks of the Western Alps and Eastern Alps, respectively, are Mont Blanc, at 4,810 m (15,780 ft) and Piz Bernina at 4,049 metres (13,284 ft). The second-highest major peaks are Monte Rosa at 4,634 m (15,200 ft) and Ortler at 3,905 m (12,810 ft), respectively
qas: answers: Mont Blanc
question: The highest peak of the Western Alps is where? 

answers: 4,810 m
question: How tall is the peak at Mont Blanc? 

answers: Piz Bernina
question: The highest peak of the Eastern Alps is where?

answers: 4,049 metres
question: How tall is the peak of Piz Bernina

context: Series of lower mountain ranges run parallel to the main chain of the Alps, including the French Prealps in France and the Jura Mountains in Switzerland and France. The secondary chain of the Alps follows the watershed from the Mediterranean Sea to the Wienerwald, passing over many of the highest and most well-known peaks in the Alps. From the Colle di Cadibona to Col de Tende it runs westwards, before turning to the northwest and then, near the Colle della Maddalena, to the north. Upon reaching the Swiss border, the line of the main chain heads approximately east-northeast, a heading it follows until its end near Vienna.
qas: answers: France
question: Where are the French Prealps located? 

answers: the Jura Mountains
question: What mountains are located in Switzerland and France?

answers: The secondary chain of the Alps
question: What follows the watershed from the Mediterranean Sea to the Wienerwald?

answers: the line of the main chain
question: What heads approximately east-northeast once at the Swiss bored?

context: The Alps have been crossed for war and commerce, and by pilgrims, students and tourists. Crossing routes by road, train or foot are known as passes, and usually consist of depressions in the mountains in which a valley leads from the plains and hilly pre-mountainous zones. In the medieval period hospices were established by religious orders at the summits of many of the main passes. The most important passes are the Col de l'Iseran (the highest), the Brenner Pass, the Mont-Cenis, the Great St. Bernard Pass, the Col de Tende, the Gotthard Pass, the Semmering Pass, and the Stelvio Pass.
qas: answers: The Alps
question: What have been crossed for war and commerce? 

answers: hospices
question: What was established during medieval periods by religious orders?

answers: the summits of many of the main passes
question: Where were hospices established? 

answers: Col de l'Iseran
question: What is the highest of the most important passes of the Alps?

context: Crossing the Italian-Austrian border, the Brenner Pass separates the Ötztal Alps and Zillertal Alps and has been in use as a trading route since the 14th century. The lowest of the Alpine passes at 985 m (3,232 ft), the Semmering crosses from Lower Austria to Styria; since the 12th century when a hospice was built there it has seen continuous use. A railroad with a tunnel 1 mile (1.6 km) long was built along the route of the pass in the mid-19th century. With a summit of 2,469 m (8,100 ft), the Great St. Bernard Pass is one of the highest in the Alps, crossing the Italian-Swiss border east of the Pennine Alps along the flanks of Mont Blanc. The pass was used by Napoleon Bonaparte to cross 40,000 troops in 1800. The Saint Gotthard Pass crosses from Central Switzerland to Ticino; in the late 19th century the 14 km (9 mi) long Saint Gotthard Tunnel was built connecting Lucerne in Switzerland, with Milan in Italy. The Mont Cenis pass has been a major commercial road between Western Europe and Italy. Now the pass has been supplanted by the Fréjus Road and Rail tunnel. At 2,756 m (9,042 ft), the Stelvio Pass in northern Italy is one of the highest of the Alpine passes; the road was built in the 1820s. The highest pass in the alps is the col de l'Iseran in Savoy (France) at 2,770 m (9,088 ft).
qas: answers: the Brenner Pass
question: What seperates the Otztal Alps and Zillertal Alps?

answers: since the 14th century
question: How long has the Brenner Pass been used as a trading route? 

answers: 985 m (3,232 ft)
question: The lowest of the Alpine passes at what elevation? 

answers: Napoleon Bonaparte
question: Who crossed the Great St. Bernard Pass with 40,000 troops? 

answers: col de l'Iseran in Savoy (France)
question: Where is the highest point in the alps located? 

context: Important geological concepts were established as naturalists began studying the rock formations of the Alps in the 18th century. In the mid-19th century the now defunct theory of geosynclines was used to explain the presence of "folded" mountain chains but by the mid-20th century the theory of plate tectonics became widely accepted.
qas: answers: naturalists
question: Who began studying the rock formations of the Alps

answers: the 18th century
question: When did the studying of rock formations begin in the Alps?

answers: theory of geosynclines
question: What was used in the mid-19th century to explain the presence of "folded" mountain chains? 

answers: the theory of plate tectonics
question: What theory was more widely accepted by the mid-20th century? 

context: The formation of the Alps (the Alpine orogeny) was an episodic process that began about 300 million years ago. In the Paleozoic Era the Pangaean supercontinent consisted of a single tectonic plate; it broke into separate plates during the Mesozoic Era and the Tethys sea developed between Laurasia and Gondwana during the Jurassic Period. The Tethys was later squeezed between colliding plates causing the formation of mountain ranges called the Alpide belt, from Gibraltar through the Himalayas to Indonesia—a process that began at the end of the Mesozoic and continues into the present. The formation of the Alps was a segment of this orogenic process, caused by the collision between the African and the Eurasian plates that began in the late Cretaceous Period.
qas: answers: about 300 million years ago
question: When did the formation of the alps began?

answers: a single tectonic plate
question: What did the Pangaean supercontinent consisted of what during the Paleozoic Era?

answers: the Mesozoic Era
question: When did the single tectonic plate break into separate plates?

answers: Jurassic Period
question: The Tethys sea developed during what period of time? 

answers: the late Cretaceous Period
question: The collision between the African and the Eurasian plates began during what time? 

context: Under extreme compressive stresses and pressure, marine sedimentary rocks were uplifted, creating characteristic recumbent folds, or nappes, and thrust faults. As the rising peaks underwent erosion, a layer of marine flysch sediments was deposited in the foreland basin, and the sediments became involved in younger nappes (folds) as the orogeny progressed. Coarse sediments from the continual uplift and erosion were later deposited in foreland areas as molasse. The molasse regions in Switzerland and Bavaria were well-developed and saw further upthrusting of flysch.
qas: answers: marine sedimentary rocks
question: What was uplifted from extreme compressive stresses and pressure? 

answers: As the rising peaks underwent erosion
question: When did the layer of marine flysch sediments get deposited in the foreland basin?

answers: Coarse sediments
question: What were later deposited in foreland areas as molasse?

answers: flysch
question: Switzerland and Bavaria saw a further upthrusting of what?

context: The Alpine orogeny occurred in ongoing cycles through to the Paleogene causing differences in nappe structures, with a late-stage orogeny causing the development of the Jura Mountains. A series of tectonic events in the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods caused different paleogeographic regions. The Alps are subdivided by different lithology (rock composition) and nappe structure according to the orogenic events that affected them. The geological subdivision differentiates the Western, Eastern Alps and Southern Alps: the Helveticum in the north, the Penninicum and Austroalpine system in the center and, south of the Periadriatic Seam, the Southern Alpine system.
qas: answers: a late-stage orogeny
question: What caused the development of the Jura Mountains? 

answers: A series of tectonic events
question: What cause different paleogeographic regions in the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods?

answers: lithology
question: What is another word for rock composition? 

answers: Helveticum
question: What geological subdivision is located in the north?

context: According to geologist Stefan Schmid, because the Western Alps underwent a metamorphic event in the Cenozoic Era while the Austroalpine peaks underwent an event in the Cretaceous Period, the two areas show distinct differences in nappe formations. Flysch deposits in the Southern Alps of Lombardy probably occurred in the Cretaceous or later.
qas: answers: geologist
question: What is Stefan Schmid's profession?

answers: a metamorphic event
question: What happened to the Western Alps during the Cenozoic Era

answers: the Cretaceous Period
question: When did the Austroalpine peaks undergo their event?

answers: nappe formations
question: The Western Alps and the Austroalpine peaks show distinct differences in what?

answers: Cretaceous
question: When did Flysch deposits probably occur in the Southern Alps of Lombardy?

context: Peaks in France, Italy and Switzerland lie in the "Houillière zone", which consists of basement with sediments from the Mesozoic Era. High "massifs" with external sedimentary cover are more common in the Western Alps and were affected by Neogene Period thin-skinned thrusting whereas the Eastern Alps have comparatively few high peaked massifs. Similarly the peaks in Switzerland extending to western Austria (Helvetic nappes) consist of thin-skinned sedimentary folding that detached from former basement rock.
qas: answers: Houillière zone
question: What area do peaks in France, Italy, and Switzerland lie in? 

answers: High "massifs"
question: What are more common in the Western Alps?

answers: Eastern Alps
question: When compared to the Western Alps, what area has few high peaked massifs?

context: In simple terms the structure of the Alps consists of layers of rock of European, African and oceanic (Tethyan) origin. The bottom nappe structure is of continental European origin, above which are stacked marine sediment nappes, topped off by nappes derived from the African plate. The Matterhorn is an example of the ongoing orogeny and shows evidence of great folding. The tip of the mountain consists of gneisses from the African plate; the base of the peak, below the glaciated area, consists of European basement rock. The sequence of Tethyan marine sediments and their oceanic basement is sandwiched between rock derived from the African and European plates.
qas: answers: the structure of the Alps
question: Layers of rock from Europe, Africa and the ocean make up what?

answers: continental Europe
question: What is the origin of the bottom nappe structure? 

answers: the African plate
question: Where are the top of the nappes derived from? 

answers: The Matterhorn
question: What is an example of the ongoing orogeny?

context: The core regions of the Alpine orogenic belt have been folded and fractured in such a manner that erosion created the characteristic steep vertical peaks of the Swiss Alps that rise seemingly straight out of the foreland areas. Peaks such as Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, and high peaks in the Pennine Alps, the Briançonnais, and Hohe Tauern consist of layers of rock from the various orogenies including exposures of basement rock.
qas: answers: folded and fractured
question: What happened to the Alpine orogenic belt that gave it the steep vertical peak?

answers: layers of rock from the various orogenies
question: Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, and peaks in the Pennine Alps cosist of what?

answers: steep vertical peaks
question: What are the common characteristics of the Alpine Orogenic Belt?

context: The Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA) has defined a list of 82 "official" Alpine summits that reach at least 4,000 m (13,123 ft). The list includes not only mountains, but also subpeaks with little prominence that are considered important mountaineering objectives. Below are listed the 22 "four-thousanders" with at least 500 m (1,640 ft) of prominence.
qas: answers: Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA)
question: What group defined a list of 82 official Apline summits that reach 4,000m?

answers: subpeaks with little prominence that are considered important mountaineering objectives
question: What is included in the list of 82 official Apline summits other than Mountains?

answers: 500 m (1,640 ft)
question: The list of twenty two summits has summits with at least how much prominence?

context: While Mont Blanc was first climbed in 1786, most of the Alpine four-thousanders were climbed during the first half of the 19th century; the ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 marked the end of the golden age of alpinism. Karl Blodig (1859–1956) was among the first to successfully climb all the major 4,000 m peaks. He completed his series of ascents in 1911.
qas: answers: 1786
question: When was Mont Blanc first climbed?

answers: first half of the 19th century
question: When were most of the Alpine fourthousanders climber?

answers: 1865
question: When was the ascent of the Matterhorn?

answers: the end of the golden age of alpinism
question: What did the ascent of the Matterhorn mark?

answers: Karl Blodig
question: Who was among the first to successfully climb all the major 4,000m peaks?

context: The first British Mont Blanc ascent was in 1788; the first female ascent in 1819. By the mid-1850s Swiss mountaineers had ascended most of the peaks and were eagerly sought as mountain guides. Edward Whymper reached the top of the Matterhorn in 1865 (after seven attempts), and in 1938 the last of the six great north faces of the Alps was climbed with the first ascent of the Eiger Nordwand (north face of the Eiger).
qas: answers: 1788
question: When was the first British Mont Blanc ascent? 

answers: 1819
question: When was the first female ascent on Mont Blanc?

answers: the mid-1850s
question: When had Swiss mountaineers ascended most of the peaks? 

answers: 1865
question: What year did Edward Whymper reach the top of the Matterhorn?

answers: 1938
question: When were the last of the six great north faces of the Alps climbed? 

context: The Alps are a source of minerals that have been mined for thousands of years. In the 8th to 6th centuries BC during the Hallstatt culture, Celtic tribes mined copper; later the Romans mined gold for coins in the Bad Gastein area. Erzberg in Styria furnishes high-quality iron ore for the steel industry. Crystals are found throughout much of the Alpine region such as cinnabar, amethyst, and quartz. The cinnabar deposits in Slovenia are a notable source of cinnabar pigments.
qas: answers: minerals
question: What have been mined in the Alps for thousands of years? 

answers: copper
question: What did Celtic tribes mine from the Alps?

answers: gold
question: What did the Romans mine in the Bad Gastein area?

answers: high-quality iron ore
question: What does Erzberd in Styria furnish?

answers: Slovenia
question: The cinnabar deposits are found in what area?

context: Alpine crystals have been studied and collected for hundreds of years, and began to be classified in the 18th century. Leonhard Euler studied the shapes of crystals, and by the 19th century crystal hunting was common in Alpine regions. David Friedrich Wiser amassed a collection of 8000 crystals that he studied and documented. In the 20th century Robert Parker wrote a well-known work about the rock crystals of the Swiss Alps; at the same period a commission was established to control and standardize the naming of Alpine minerals.
qas: answers: hundreds of years
question: How long have Alpine crystals been studied and collected? 

answers: the 18th century
question: When did the alpine crystals begin to be classified? 

answers: Leonhard Euler
question: Who studied the shapes of crystals? 

answers: crystal hunting
question: By the 19th century what was common in the Alpine regions?

answers: David Friedrich Wiser
question: Who amassed a collection 8000 crystals?

context: In the Miocene Epoch the mountains underwent severe erosion because of glaciation, which was noted in the mid-19th century by naturalist Louis Agassiz who presented a paper proclaiming the Alps were covered in ice at various intervals—a theory he formed when studying rocks near his Neuchâtel home which he believed originated to the west in the Bernese Oberland. Because of his work he came to be known as the "father of the ice-age concept" although other naturalists before him put forth similar ideas.
qas: answers: Miocene Epoch
question: Where did the mountains undergo serve erosion?

answers: glaciation
question: What was the cause of the severe erosion?

answers: Louis Agassiz
question: Who noted the severe erosion of the mountains?

answers: the "father of the ice-age concept"
question: What was Louis Agassiz also known as? 

context: Agassiz studied glacier movement in the 1840s at the Unteraar Glacier where he found the glacier moved 100 m (328 ft) per year, more rapidly in the middle than at the edges. His work was continued by other scientists and now a permanent laboratory exists inside a glacier under the Jungfraujoch, devoted exclusively to the study of Alpine glaciers.
qas: answers: the Unteraar Glacier
question: Where did Agassiz study during the 1840s?

answers: 100 m (328 ft)
question: Agassiz found that the Unteraar Glacier moved how much per year? 

answers: the middle
question: The movement of the Unteraar Glacier moved more rapidly in what part?

context: Glaciers pick up rocks and sediment with them as they flow. This causes erosion and the formation of valleys over time. The Inn valley is an example of a valley carved by glaciers during the ice ages with a typical terraced structure caused by erosion. Eroded rocks from the most recent ice age lie at the bottom of the valley while the top of the valley consists of erosion from earlier ice ages. Glacial valleys have characteristically steep walls (reliefs); valleys with lower reliefs and talus slopes are remnants of glacial troughs or previously infilled valleys. Moraines, piles of rock picked up during the movement of the glacier, accumulate at edges, center and the terminus of glaciers.
qas: answers: The Inn valley
question: What is an example of a valley carved by glaciers during the ice ages? 

answers: Eroded rocks from the most recent ice age
question: What lays at the bottom of the Inn Valley

answers: erosion from earlier ice ages
question: The top of the Inn Valley consists of what?

answers: piles of rock picked up during the movement of the glacier
question: What are Moraines?

answers: at edges, center and the terminus of glaciers.
question: Where have moraines accumulated?

context: Alpine glaciers can be straight rivers of ice, long sweeping rivers, spread in a fan-like shape (Piedmont glaciers), and curtains of ice that hang from vertical slopes of the mountain peaks. The stress of the movement causes the ice to break and crack loudly, perhaps explaining why the mountains were believed to be home to dragons in the medieval period. The cracking creates unpredictable and dangerous crevasses, often invisible under new snowfall, which cause the greatest danger to mountaineers.
qas: answers: spread in a fan-like shape
question: How do Piedmont glaciers appear?

answers: The stress of the movement
question: What causes the ice to break and crack loudly?

answers: unpredictable and dangerous crevasses
question: What does the cracking of the ice create?

context: Glaciers end in ice caves (the Rhone Glacier), by trailing into a lake or river, or by shedding snowmelt on a meadow. Sometimes a piece of glacier will detach or break resulting in flooding, property damage and loss of life. In the 17th century about 2500 people were killed by an avalanche in a village on the French-Italian border; in the 19th century 120 homes in a village near Zermatt were destroyed by an avalanche.
qas: answers: a piece of glacier will detach or break
question: What causes flooding, property damage, and loss of life?

answers: an avalanche
question: What killed about 2500 people in the 17th century?

answers: 120 homes
question: How many homes in a village near Zermatt were destroyed by an avalanche in the 19th century? 

context: High levels of precipitation cause the glaciers to descend to permafrost levels in some areas whereas in other, more arid regions, glaciers remain above about the 3,500 m (11,483 ft) level. The 1,817 square kilometres (702 sq mi) of the Alps covered by glaciers in 1876 had shrunk to 1,342 km2 (518 sq mi) by 1973, resulting in decreased river run-off levels. Forty percent of the glaciation in Austria has disappeared since 1850, and 30% of that in Switzerland.
qas: answers: High levels of precipitation
question: What cause the glaciers to descend to permafrost levels in some areas? 

answers: to 1,342 km2 (518 sq mi)
question: From 1876 to 1973, how much did the glaciers that covered the Alps shrink?

answers: decreased river run-off levels.
question: What resulted from the loss of the area the glaciers over the Alps?

answers: Forty percent
question: How much of the glaciation in Austria disappeared?

answers: 30%
question: How much of the glaciation disappeared in Switzerland?

context: The Alps provide lowland Europe with drinking water, irrigation, and hydroelectric power. Although the area is only about 11 percent of the surface area of Europe, the Alps provide up to 90 percent of water to lowland Europe, particularly to arid areas and during the summer months. Cities such as Milan depend on 80 percent of water from Alpine runoff. Water from the rivers is used in over 500 hydroelectricity power plants, generating as much as 2900 kilowatts of electricity.
qas: answers: The Alps
question: What provides Europe with drinking water, irrigation, and hydroelectric power?

answers: 11 percent of the surface area
question: How much of Europe does the Alps cover?

answers: 90 percent
question: How much water does the Alps provide to lowland Europe?

answers: 80 percent
question: How much water does Milan depend on from the Alpine runoff?

answers: 500
question: Water from the rivers is used in over how many hydroelectric power plants?

context: Major European rivers flow from Switzerland, such as the Rhine, the Rhone, the Inn, the Ticino and the Po, all of which have headwaters in the Alps and flow into neighbouring countries, finally emptying into the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea. Other rivers such as the Danube have major tributaries flowing into them that originate in the Alps. The Rhone is second to the Nile as a freshwater source to the Mediterranean Sea; the river begins as glacial meltwater, flows into Lake Geneva, and from there to France where one of its uses is to cool nuclear power plants. The Rhine originates in a 30 square kilometre area in Switzerland and represents almost 60 percent of water exported from the country. Tributary valleys, some of which are complicated, channel water to the main valleys which can experience flooding during the snow melt season when rapid runoff causes debris torrents and swollen rivers.
qas: answers: Switzerland
question: The Rhine, the Rhone, the Inn, the Ticino and the Po rivers flow from what Country?

answers: the Alps
question: Where do the major tributaries that flow through the Danube originate from?

answers: The Rhone
question: Which river is second to the Nile as a freshwater source to the Mediterranean?

answers: glacial meltwater
question: What does The Rhone begin as?

answers: a 30 square kilometre area in Switzerland
question: Where does the Rhine originate?

context: The rivers form lakes, such as Lake Geneva, a crescent shaped lake crossing the Swiss border with Lausanne on the Swiss side and the town of Evian-les-Bains on the French side. In Germany, the medieval St. Bartholomew's chapel was built on the south side of the Königssee, accessible only by boat or by climbing over the abutting peaks.
qas: answers: Germany
question: Where is the medieval St. Bartholomew Chapel located?

answers: south side
question: What side of the Konigssee was St. Bartholomew's chapel built?

answers: lakes
question: What do the rivers form?

context: Scientists have been studying the impact of climate change and water use. For example, each year more water is diverted from rivers for snowmaking in the ski resorts, the effect of which is yet unknown. Furthermore, the decrease of glaciated areas combined with a succession of winters with lower-than-expected precipitation may have a future impact on the rivers in the Alps as well as an effect on the water availability to the lowlands.
qas: answers: Scientists
question: Who have been studying the impact of climate change and water use?

answers: snowmaking in the ski resorts
question: Water is diverted from rivers for what purpose?

answers: unknown
question: What are the effects of diverting the water from rivers?

context: The Alps are a classic example of what happens when a temperate area at lower altitude gives way to higher-elevation terrain. Elevations around the world that have cold climates similar to those of the polar regions have been called Alpine. A rise from sea level into the upper regions of the atmosphere causes the temperature to decrease (see adiabatic lapse rate). The effect of mountain chains on prevailing winds is to carry warm air belonging to the lower region into an upper zone, where it expands in volume at the cost of a proportionate loss of temperature, often accompanied by precipitation in the form of snow or rain. The height of the Alps is sufficient to divide the weather patterns in Europe into a wet north and a dry south because moisture is sucked from the air as it flows over the high peaks.
qas: answers: The Alps
question: What are a classic example of what happens when a temperate area at lower altitude gives way to higher-elevation terrain?

answers: Alpine
question: Elevations around the world that have a cold climate similar to that of the polar region have been called what?

answers: A rise from sea level into the upper regions of the atmosphere
question: What causes the temperature to decrease?

answers: The height of the Alps
question: What is sufficient to divide the weather patterns in Europe into a wet north and dry south?

context: The severe weather in the Alps has been studied since the 18th century; particularly the weather patterns such as the seasonal foehn wind. Numerous weather stations were placed in the mountains early in the early 20th century, providing continuous data for climatologists. Some of the valleys are quite arid such as the Aosta valley in Italy, the Maurienne in France, the Valais in Switzerland, and northern Tyrol.
qas: answers: the 18th century
question: Since when has the severe weather in the Alps been studied? 

answers: the weather patterns
question: Particularly what part of the weather has been studied?

answers: Numerous weather stations
question: What was placed in the mountains early in the 20th century?

answers: Italy
question: Where is the Aosta valley located?

answers: Switzerland
question: Where is the Valais located?

context: The areas that are not arid and receive high precipitation experience periodic flooding from rapid snowmelt and runoff. The mean precipitation in the Alps ranges from a low of 2,600 mm (100 in) per year to 3,600 mm (140 in) per year, with the higher levels occurring at high altitudes. At altitudes between 1,000 and 3,000 m (3,281 and 9,843 ft), snowfall begins in November and accumulates through to April or May when the melt begins. Snow lines vary from 2,400 to 3,000 m (7,874 to 9,843 ft), above which the snow is permanent and the temperatures hover around the freezing point even July and August. High-water levels in streams and rivers peak in June and July when the snow is still melting at the higher altitudes.
qas: answers: The areas that are not arid and receive high precipitation
question: What areas experience periodic flooding from rapid snowmelt and runoff?

answers: 2,600 mm (100 in) per year to 3,600 mm (140 in) per year
question: What are the ranges of mean precipitation in the Alps?

answers: high altitudes
question: Where do the higher levels of precipitation occur? 

answers: At altitudes between 1,000 and 3,000 m
question: At what altitude does snowfall begin in November?

context: The Alps are split into five climatic zones, each with different vegetation. The climate, plant life and animal life vary among the different sections or zones of the mountains. The lowest zone is the colline zone, which exists between 500 and 1,000 m (1,640 and 3,281 ft), depending on the location. The montane zone extends from 800 to 1,700 m (2,625 to 5,577 ft), followed by the sub-Alpine zone from 1,600 to 2,400 m (5,249 to 7,874 ft). The Alpine zone, extending from tree line to snow line, is followed by the glacial zone, which covers the glaciated areas of the mountain. Climatic conditions show variances within the same zones; for example, weather conditions at the head of a mountain valley, extending directly from the peaks, are colder and more severe than those at the mouth of a valley which tend to be less severe and receive less snowfall.
qas: answers: five climatic zones
question: How many zones are the Alps split into?

answers: colline zone
question: What is the lowest zone of the Alps called?

answers: between 500 and 1,000 m
question: Where does the lowest zone of the Alps exist? 

answers: from 800 to 1,700 m
question: Where does the montane zone extend from?

answers: from 1,600 to 2,400 m
question: Where does the sub-Alpine zone extend from?

context: Various models of climate change have been projected into the 22nd century for the Alps, with an expectation that a trend toward increased temperatures will have an effect on snowfall, snowpack, glaciation, and river runoff.
qas: answers: Various models of climate change
question: What has been projected into the 22nd century for the Alps?

answers: increased temperatures
question: What will have an effect on snowfall, snowpack, glaciation, and river runoff?

answers: climate change
question: What have the various models been of?

context: Thirteen thousand species of plants have been identified in the Alpine regions. Alpine plants are grouped by habitat and soil type which can be limestone or non-calcerous. The habitats range from meadows, bogs, woodland (deciduous and coniferous) areas to soilless scree and moraines, and rock faces and ridges. A natural vegetation limit with altitude is given by the presence of the chief deciduous trees—oak, beech, ash and sycamore maple. These do not reach exactly to the same elevation, nor are they often found growing together; but their upper limit corresponds accurately enough to the change from a temperate to a colder climate that is further proved by a change in the presence of wild herbaceous vegetation. This limit usually lies about 1,200 m (3,940 ft) above the sea on the north side of the Alps, but on the southern slopes it often rises to 1,500 m (4,920 ft), sometimes even to 1,700 m (5,580 ft).
qas: answers: Thirteen thousand
question: How many species of plants have been identified in the Alpine regions?

answers: by habitat and soil type
question: How are Alpine plants grouped?

answers: chief deciduous trees
question: Oak, beech, ash, and sycamore maple make up what group of trees?

context: Above the forestry, there is often a band of short pine trees (Pinus mugo), which is in turn superseded by Alpenrosen, dwarf shrubs, typically Rhododendron ferrugineum (on acid soils) or Rhododendron hirsutum (on alkaline soils). Although the Alpenrose prefers acidic soil, the plants are found throughout the region. Above the tree line is the area defined as "alpine" where in the alpine meadow plants are found that have adapted well to harsh conditions of cold temperatures, aridity, and high altitudes. The alpine area fluctuates greatly because of regional fluctuations in tree lines.
qas: answers: a band of short pine trees
question: What is often above the forestry?

answers: acidic soil
question: What type of soil does Alpenrose prefer?

answers: alpine
question: What is the area above the treeline defined as?

answers: because of regional fluctuations in tree lines.
question: Why does the alpine area fluctuate greatly?

context: Alpine plants such the Alpine gentian grow in abundance in areas such as the meadows above the Lauterbrunnental. Gentians are named after the Illyrian king Gentius, and 40 species of the early-spring blooming flower grow in the Alps, in a range of 1,500 to 2,400 m (4,921 to 7,874 ft). Writing about the gentians in Switzerland D. H. Lawrence described them as "darkening the day-time, torch-like with the smoking blueness of Pluto's gloom." Gentians tend to "appear" repeatedly as the spring blooming takes place at progressively later dates, moving from the lower altitude to the higher altitude meadows where the snow melts much later than in the valleys. On the highest rocky ledges the spring flowers bloom in the summer.
qas: answers: Alpine plants such the Alpine gentian
question: What grows in abundance in areas such as the meadows above the Lauterbrunnental?

answers: the Illyrian king Gentius
question: What are Gentians named after?

answers: 40 species
question: How many species of the early-spring blooming flower grow in the Alps?

context: At these higher altitudes, the plants tend to form isolated cushions. In the Alps, several species of flowering plants have been recorded above 4,000 m (13,120 ft), including Ranunculus glacialis, Androsace alpina and Saxifraga biflora. The Eritrichium nanum, commonly known as the King of the Alps, is the most elusive of the alpine flowers, growing on rocky ridges at 2,600 to 3,750 m (8,530 to 12,303 ft). Perhaps the best known of the alpine plants is the Edelweiss which grows in rocky areas and can be found at altitudes as low as 1,400 m (4,593 ft) and as high as 3,400 m (11,155 ft). The plants that grow at the highest altitudes have adapted to conditions by specialization such as growing in rock screes that give protection from winds.
qas: answers: isolated cushions
question: What do the plants tend to form at higher altitudes? 

answers: above 4,000 m
question: Ranunculus glacialis have been recorded to have been found how far in the alps?

answers: the King of the Alps
question: What is Eritrichium nanum commonly known as?

answers: Edelweiss
question: What is the best known of the alpine plants?

context: The extreme and stressful climatic conditions give way to the growth of plant species with secondary metabolites important for medicinal purposes. Origanum vulgare, Prunella vulgaris, Solanum nigrum and Urtica dioica are some of the more useful medicinal species found in the Alps.
qas: answers: extreme and stressful climatic conditions
question: What gives way to the growth of plant species with secondary metabolites important for medicinal purposes?

answers: medicinal
question: Origanum Vulgare has what useful properties?

answers: the Alps
question: Where are Urtica dioica found?

context: Human interference has nearly exterminated the trees in many areas, and, except for the beech forests of the Austrian Alps, forests of deciduous trees are rarely found after the extreme deforestation between the 17th and 19th centuries. The vegetation has changed since the second half of the 20th century, as the high alpine meadows cease to be harvested for hay or used for grazing which eventually might result in a regrowth of forest. In some areas the modern practice of building ski runs by mechanical means has destroyed the underlying tundra from which the plant life cannot recover during the non-skiing months, whereas areas that still practice a natural piste type of ski slope building preserve the fragile underlayers.
qas: answers: Human interference
question: What has nearly exterminated the trees in many areas?

answers: forests of deciduous trees
question: What are rarely found after the extreme deforestation between the 17th and 19th centuries?

answers: The vegetation
question: What has changed since the second half of the 20th century?

answers: the underlying tundra
question: The practice of building ski runs by mechanical means has destroyed what?

context: The Alps are a habitat for 30,000 species of wildlife, ranging from the tiniest snow fleas to brown bears, many of which have made adaptations to the harsh cold conditions and high altitudes to the point that some only survive in specific micro-climates either directly above or below the snow line.
qas: answers: 30,000 species
question: How many species of wildlife habitat the Alps?

answers: made adaptations
question: What have the wildlife done to survive the harsh conditions of the Alps?

answers: directly above or below the snow line
question: Some species of wildlife can only survive in what specific environment?

context: The largest mammal to live in the highest altitudes are the alpine ibex, which have been sighted as high as 3,000 m (9,843 ft). The ibex live in caves and descend to eat the succulent alpine grasses. Classified as antelopes, chamois are smaller than ibex and found throughout the Alps, living above the tree line and are common in the entire alpine range. Areas of the eastern Alps are still home to brown bears. In Switzerland the canton of Bern was named for the bears but the last bear is recorded as having been killed in 1792 above Kleine Scheidegg by three hunters from Grindelwald.
qas: answers: alpine ibex
question: What is the largest mammal to live in the highest altitudes?

answers: as high as 3,000 m (9,843 ft)
question: How high have the Alpine Ibex been sighted?

answers: in caves
question: Where do the ibex live?

answers: chamois
question: What animal that live in the Alps are classified as antelopes?

answers: 1792
question: What year was the last brown bear recorded to have been killed?

context: Many rodents such as voles live underground. Marmots live almost exclusively above the tree line as high as 2,700 m (8,858 ft). They hibernate in large groups to provide warmth, and can be found in all areas of the Alps, in large colonies they build beneath the alpine pastures. Golden eagles and bearded vultures are the largest birds to be found in the Alps; they nest high on rocky ledges and can be found at altitudes of 2,400 m (7,874 ft). The most common bird is the alpine chough which can be found scavenging at climber's huts or at the Jungfraujoch, a high altitude tourist destination.
qas: answers: underground
question: Where do many rodents live?

answers: almost exclusively above the tree line as high as 2,700 m (8,858 ft)
question: Where do Marmots live?

answers: beneath the alpine pastures
question: Where do marmots build their colonies?

answers: the alpine chough
question: What is the most common bird found in the Alps?

context: Reptiles such as adders and vipers live up to the snow line; because they cannot bear the cold temperatures they hibernate underground and soak up the warmth on rocky ledges. The high-altitude Alpine salamanders have adapted to living above the snow line by giving birth to fully developed young rather than laying eggs. Brown trout can be found in the streams up to the snow line. Molluscs such as the wood snail live up the snow line. Popularly gathered as food, the snails are now protected.
qas: answers: they cannot bear the cold temperatures
question: Why do reptiles only live up to the snow line?

answers: they hibernate underground
question: What do reptiles due since they cannot bear the cold temperatures?

answers: by giving birth to fully developed young rather than laying eggs
question: How have the Alpine salamanders adapted to living above the snow line?

answers: Brown trout
question: What can be found in the streams up to the snow line?

context: A number of species of moths live in the Alps, some of which are believed to have evolved in the same habitat up to 120 million years ago, long before the Alps were created. Blue moths can commonly be seen drinking from the snow melt; some species of blue moths fly as high as 1,800 m (5,906 ft). The butterflies tend to be large, such as those from the swallowtail Parnassius family, with a habitat that ranges to 1,800 m (5,906 ft). Twelve species of beetles have habitats up to the snow line; the most beautiful and formerly collected for its colours but now protected is the Rosalia alpina. Spiders, such as the large wolf spider, live above the snow line and can be seen as high as 400 m (1,312 ft). Scorpions can be found in the Italian Alps.
qas: answers: 120 million years
question: How long have some species of moths believed to have evolved from the same habitat?

answers: Blue moths
question: What can be commonly seen drinking from the snow melt?

answers: 1,800 m (5,906 ft)
question: The swallowtail Parnassius family of butterfly habitat ranges up to how much?

answers: Rosalia alpina
question: What species of beetles are were collected for their colors before being protected?

context: Some of the species of moths and insects show evidence of having been indigenous to the area from as long ago as the Alpine orogeny. In Emosson in Valais, Switzerland, dinosaur tracks were found in the 1970s, dating probably from the Triassic Period.
qas: answers: having been indigenous to the area
question: Some species of moths and insects show evidence of what?

answers: the Alpine orogeny
question: How long ago does the evidence show moths and insects to have been indigenous?

answers: Valais, Switzerland
question: Where is Emosson located?

answers: the 1970s
question: When were dinosaur tracks found in Emosson?

context: About 10,000 years ago, when the ice melted after the last glacial period, late Paleolithic communities were established along the lake shores and in cave systems. Evidence of human habitation has been found in caves near Vercors, close to Grenoble; in Austria the Mondsee culture shows evidence of houses built on piles to keep them dry. Standing stones have been found in Alpine areas of France and Italy. The rock drawings in Valcamonica are more than 5000 years old; more than 200,000 drawings and etchings have been identified at the site.
qas: answers: About 10,000 years ago
question: When were late Paleolithic communities established along the lake shores?

answers: Evidence of human habitation
question: What has been found in caves near Vercors?

answers: to keep them dry
question: Why were houses built on piles?

answers: Standing stones
question: What have been found in Alpine areas of France and Italy?

answers: more than 5000 years old
question: How old are rock drawings in Valcamonica?

context: In 1991 a mummy of a neolithic body, known as Ötzi the Iceman, was discovered by hikers on the Similaun glacier. His clothing and gear indicate that he lived in an alpine farming community, while the location and manner of his death - an arrowhead was discovered in his shoulder - suggests he was travelling from one place to another. Analysis of the mitochondrial DNA of Ötzi, has shown that he belongs to the K1 subclade which cannot be categorized into any of the three modern branches of that subclade. The new subclade has provisionally been named K1ö for Ötzi.
qas: answers: a mummy of a neolithic body
question: Who was Otzi the Iceman?

answers: In 1991
question: When was Otzi the Iceman found?

answers: the Similaun glacier
question: Where was Otzi the Iceman discovered?

context: Celtic tribes settled in Switzerland between 1000 to 1500 BC. The Raetians lived in the eastern regions, while the west was occupied by the Helvetii and the Allobrogi settled in the Rhone valley and in Savoy. Among the many substances Celtic tribes mined was salt in areas such as Salzburg in Austria where evidence of the Hallstatt culture was found by a mine manager in the 19th century. By the 6th century BC the La Tène culture was well established in the region, and became known for high quality decorated weapons and jewelry. The Celts were the most widespread of the mountain tribes—they had warriors that were strong, tall and fair skinned skilled with iron weapons, which gave them an advantage in warfare.
qas: answers: between 1000 to 1500 BC
question: When did Celtic tribes settle in Switzerland? 

answers: the eastern regions
question: The Raetians lived in what region?

answers: the west
question: The Helvetii occupied which region?

answers: salt
question: What did the Celtic tribes mine?

answers: The Celts
question: Which were the most widespread of the mountain tribes?

context: During the Second Punic War in 218 BC, the Carthaginian general Hannibal probably crossed the Alps with an army numbering 38,000 infantry, 8,000 cavalry, and 37 war elephants. This was one of the most celebrated achievements of any military force in ancient warfare, although no evidence exists of the actual crossing or the place of crossing. The Romans, however, had built roads along the mountain passes, which continued to be used through the medieval period to cross the mountains and Roman road markers can still be found on the mountain passes.
qas: answers: 218 BC
question: When was the Second Punic War?

answers: Hannibal
question: Who was the Carthaginian general?

answers: roads
question: What did the Romans build along the mountain passes?

answers: Roman road markers
question: What can still be found on the mountain passes?

context: The Roman expansion brought the defeat of the Allobrogi in 121 BC and during the Gallic Wars in 58 BC Julius Caesar overcame the Helvetii. The Rhaetians continued to resist but were eventually conquered when the Romans turned northward to the Danube valley in Austria and defeated the Brigantes. The Romans built settlements in the Alps; towns such as Aosta (named for Augustus) in Italy, Martigny and Lausanne in Switzerland, and Partenkirchen in Bavaria show remains of Roman baths, villas, arenas and temples. Much of the Alpine region was gradually settled by Germanic tribes, (Lombards, Alemanni, Bavarii, and Franks) from the 6th to the 13th centuries mixing with the local Celtic tribes.
qas: answers: The Roman expansion
question: What brought the defeat of the Allobrogi?

answers: in 121 BC
question: When were the Allobrogi defeated?

answers: 58 BC
question: When did Julius Caesar overcome the Helvetii?

answers: Germanic tribes
question: What tribes settled much of the Alpine region?

context: Christianity was established in the region by the Romans, and saw the establishment of monasteries and churches in the high regions. The Frankish expansion of the Carolingian Empire and the Bavarian expansion in the eastern Alps introduced feudalism and the building of castles to support the growing number of dukedoms and kingdoms. Castello del Buonconsiglio in Trento, Italy, still has intricate frescoes, excellent examples of Gothic art, in a tower room. In Switzerland, Château de Chillon is preserved as an example of medieval architecture.
qas: answers: Romans
question: Who established Christianity in the region?

answers: feudalism
question: What did the Frankish expansion and the Bavarian expansion introduce?

answers: Castello del Buonconsiglio in Trento, Italy
question: What area still has intricate frescoes?

answers: Château de Chillon
question: What is preserved as an example of medieval architecture?

context: Much of the medieval period was a time of power struggles between competing dynasties such as the House of Savoy, the Visconti in northern Italy and the House of Habsburg in Austria and Slovenia. In 1291 to protect themselves from incursions by the Habsburgs, four cantons in the middle of Switzerland drew up a charter that is considered to be a declaration of independence from neighboring kingdoms. After a series of battles fought in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, more cantons joined the confederacy and by the 16th century Switzerland was well-established as a separate state.
qas: answers: power struggles
question: Much of the medieval period was a time of what?

answers: northern Italy
question: Where were the Visconti from?

answers: the House of Habsburg
question: What dynastie was from Austria and Slovenia?

answers: Switzerland
question: What Country was a well-established separate state by the 16th century?

context: During the Napoleonic Wars in the late 18th century and early 19th century, Napoleon annexed territory formerly controlled by the Habsburgs and Savoys. In 1798 he established the Helvetic Republic in Switzerland; two years later he led an army across the St. Bernard pass and conquered almost all of the Alpine regions.
qas: answers: the Napoleonic Wars
question: What wars took place during the late 18th century and early 19th century?

answers: Napoleon
question: Who annexed territory formerly controlled by the Habsburgs and Savoys?

answers: 1798
question: When was the Helvetic Republic established?

answers: Switzerland
question: Where was the Helvetic Republic established?

context: After the fall of Napoléon, many alpine countries developed heavy protections to prevent any new invasion. Thus, Savoy built a series of fortifications in the Maurienne valley in order to protect the major alpine passes, such as the col du Mont-Cenis that was even crossed by, Charlemagne and his father to defeat the Lombarts. The later indeed became very popular after the construction of a paved road ordered by Napoléon Bonaparte. The Barrière de l'Esseillon is a serie of forts with heavy batteries, built on a cliff with a perfect view on the valley, a gorge on one side and steep mountains on the other side.
qas: answers: After the fall of Napoléon
question: When did many alpine countries develop heavy protection to prevent new invasion?

answers: Savoy
question: Who built a series of fortifications in the Maurienne valley?

answers: to protect the major alpine passes
question: Why were a series of fortifications in the Maurienne valley built?

answers: Napoléon Bonaparte
question: Who ordered the construction of a paved road?

context: In the 19th century, the monasteries built in the high Alps during the medieval period to shelter travelers and as places of pilgrimage, became tourist destinations. The Benedictines had built monasteries in Lucerne, Switzerland, and Oberammergau; the Cistercians in the Tyrol and at Lake Constance; and the Augustinians had abbeys in the Savoy and one in the center of Interlaken, Switzerland. The Great St Bernard Hospice, built in the 9th or 10th centuries, at the summit of the Great Saint Bernard Pass was shelter for travelers and place for pilgrims since its inception; by the 19th century it became a tourist attraction with notable visitors such as author Charles Dickens and mountaineer Edward Whymper.
qas: answers: the monasteries built in the high Alps
question: What became tourist destinations during the 19th century?

answers: The Benedictines
question: Who built monasteries in Lucerne, Switzerland and Oberammergau?

answers: the Augustinians
question: Who had abbeys in the Savor and one in the center of Interlaken?

answers: the 9th or 10th centuries
question: When was the Great St. Bernard Hospice built?

context: Radiocarbon dated charcoal placed around 50,000 years ago was found in the Drachloch (Dragon's Hole) cave above the village of Vattis in the canton of St. Gallen, proving that the high peaks were visited by prehistoric people. Seven bear skulls from the cave may have been buried by the same prehistoric people. The peaks, however, were mostly ignored except for a few notable examples, and long left to the exclusive attention of the people of the adjoining valleys. The mountain peaks were seen as terrifying, the abode of dragons and demons, to the point that people blindfolded themselves to cross the Alpine passes. The glaciers remained a mystery and many still believed the highest areas to be inhabited by dragons.
qas: answers: 50,000 years
question: How old was the charcoal placed in the Drachloch cave?

answers: the high peaks were visited by prehistoric people
question: What does the finding of charcoal in Dragon's Hole prove?

answers: Seven bear skulls
question: What may have been buried by the same prehistoric people?

answers: Alpine passes
question: People blindfolded themselves to cross what?

context: Charles VII of France ordered his chamberlain to climb Mont Aiguille in 1356. The knight reached the summit of Rocciamelone where he left a bronze triptych of three crosses, a feat which he conducted with the use of ladders to traverse the ice. In 1492 Antoine de Ville climbed Mont Aiguille, without reaching the summit, an experience he described as "horrifying and terrifying." Leonardo da Vinci was fascinated by variations of light in the higher altitudes, and climbed a mountain—scholars are uncertain which one; some believe it may have been Monte Rosa. From his description of a "blue like that of a gentian" sky it is thought that he reached a significantly high altitude. In the 18th century four Chamonix man almost made the summit of Mont Blanc but were overcome by altitude sickness and snowblindness.
qas: answers: France
question: Where was Charles VII from?

answers: climb Mont Aiguille
question: What was Charles VII chamberlain ordered to do?

answers: a bronze triptych of three crosses
question: What did the knight leave at the summit of Rocciamelone?

answers: 1492
question: When did Antioine de Ville climb Mont Aiguille?

answers: 18th century
question: When did four Chamonix men almost reach the summit of Mont Blanc?

context: Conrad Gessner was the first naturalist to ascend the mountains in the 16th century, to study them, writing that in the mountains he found the "theatre of the Lord". By the 19th century more naturalists began to arrive to explore, study and conquer the high peaks; they were followed by artists, writers and painters. Two men who first explored the regions of ice and snow were Horace-Bénédict de Saussure (1740–1799) in the Pennine Alps, and the Benedictine monk of Disentis Placidus a Spescha (1752–1833). Born in Geneva, Saussure was enamored with the mountains from an early age; he left a law career to become a naturalist and spent many years trekking through the Bernese Oberland, the Savoy, the Piedmont and Valais, studying the glaciers and the geology, as he became an early proponent of the theory of rock upheaval. Saussure, in 1787, was a member of the third ascent of Mont Blanc—today the summits of all the peaks have been climbed.
qas: answers: Conrad Gessner
question: Who was the first naturalist to ascend the mountains?

answers: Geneva
question: Where was Horace-Benedict de Saussure born?

answers: Saussure
question: Who was a member of the third ascent of Mont Blanc?

context: Jean-Jacques Rousseau was the first of many to present the Alps as a place of allure and beauty, banishing the prevalent conception of the mountains as a hellish wasteland inhabited by demons. Rousseau's conception of alpine purity was later emphasized with the publication of Albrecht von Haller's poem Die Alpen that described the mountains as an area of mythical purity. Late in the 18th century the first wave of Romantics such as Goethe and Turner came to admire the scenery; Wordsworth visited the area in 1790, writing of his experiences in The Prelude. Schiller later wrote the play William Tell romanticising Swiss independence. After the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the Alpine countries began to see an influx of poets, artists, and musicians, as visitors came to experience the sublime effects of monumental nature.
qas: answers: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
question: Who was the first of many to present the Alps as a place of allure and beauty?

answers: Albrecht von Haller
question: Who wrote the poem Die Alpen?

answers: After the end of the Napoleonic Wars
question: When did the Alpine countries see an influx of poets, artists, and musicians?

answers: the sublime effects of monumental nature
question: What did the visitors come to experience in the Alpine countries?

context: In 1816 Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and his wife Mary Shelley visited Geneva and all three were inspired by the scenery in their writings. During these visits Shelley wrote the poem "Mont Blanc", Byron wrote "The Prisoner of Chillon" and the dramatic poem Manfred, and Mary Shelley, who found the scenery overwhelming, conceived the idea for the novel Frankenstein in her villa on the shores of Lake Geneva in the midst of a thunderstorm. When Coleridge travelled to Chamonix, he declaimed, in defiance of Shelley, who had signed himself "Atheos" in the guestbook of the Hotel de Londres near Montenvers, "Who would be, who could be an atheist in this valley of wonders". By the mid-19th century scientists began to arrive en masse to study the geology and ecology of the region.
qas: answers: Geneva
question: Percy and Mary Shelley were inspired by what region's scenery?

answers: Mont Blanc
question: What poem did Shelley write during the visits to Geneva?

answers: the mid-19th century
question: When did scientists began to arrive en masse to study the geology and ecology of the Alpine region?

context: Austrian-born Adolf Hitler had a lifelong romantic fascination with the Alps and by the 1930s established a home in the Obersalzberg region outside of Berchtesgaden. His first visit to the area was in 1923 and he maintained a strong tie there until the end of his life. At the end of World War II the US Army occupied Obersalzberg, to prevent Hitler from retreating with the Wehrmacht into the mountains.
qas: answers: Austrian
question: Where was Adolf Hitler born?

answers: the Alps
question: What did Adolf Hitler have a lifelong romantic fascination with? 

answers: the Obersalzberg region
question: Where did Adolf Hitler establish a home in the 1930s?

answers: 1923
question: When was Adolf Hitlers first visit to the Alps?

context: By 1940 the Third Reich had occupied many of the Alpine countries. Austria underwent a political coup that made it part of the Third Reich; France had been invaded and Italy was a fascist regime. Switzerland was the only country to luckily avoid invasion. The Swiss Confederate mobilized its troops—the country follows the doctrine of "armed neutrality" with all males required to have military training—a number that General Eisenhower estimated to be about 850,000. The Swiss commanders wired the infrastructure leading into the country, and threatening to destroy bridges, railway tunnels and passes in the event of a Nazi invasion, and then they retreated to the heart of the mountain peaks where conditions were harsher and a military invasion would involve difficult and protracted battles.
qas: answers: the Third Reich
question: By 1940 who occupied many of the Alpine countries?

answers: Austria
question: What country underwent a political coup that made it part of the Third Reich?

answers: Switzerland
question: What was the only country that avoided invasion from the Third Reich?

answers: The Swiss commanders
question: Who wired the infrastructure leading into Switzerland?

context: Ski troops were trained for the war, and battles were waged in mountainous areas such as the battle at Riva Ridge in Italy, where the American 10th Mountain Division encountered heavy resistance in February 1945. At the end of the war, a substantial amount of Nazi plunder was found stored in Austria, where Hitler had hoped to retreat as the war drew to a close. The salt mines surrounding the Altaussee area, where American troops found 75 kilos of gold coins stored in a single mine, were used to store looted art, jewels, and currency; vast quantities of looted art were found and returned to the owners.
qas: answers: Ski troops
question: Who were trained for the war?

answers: Italy
question: Where was the battle at Riva Ridge?

answers: Austria
question: Where was a substantial amount of Nazi plunder found at the end of the war?

answers: The salt mines surrounding the Altaussee area
question: Where did American troops find 75 kilos of gold coins?

context: The population of the region is 14 million spread across eight countries. On the rim of the mountains, on the plateaus and the plains the economy consists of manufacturing and service jobs whereas in the higher altitudes and in the mountains farming is still essential to the economy. Farming and forestry continue to be mainstays of Alpine culture, industries that provide for export to the cities and maintain the mountain ecology.
qas: answers: 14 million
question: What is the population of the Alpine region?

answers: manufacturing and service jobs
question: What does the economy consist of on the rim of the mountains?

answers: Alpine culture
question: Farming and Forestry continue to be a mainstay of what?

context: Much of the Alpine culture is unchanged since the medieval period when skills that guaranteed survival in the mountain valleys and in the highest villages became mainstays, leading to strong traditions of carpentry, woodcarving, baking and pastry-making, and cheesemaking.
qas: answers: Alpine culture
question: Much of what has not changed since the medieval period?

answers: the medieval period
question: When were skills that guaranteed survival in the mountain valleys most important?

answers: carpentry
question: What is one of the strongest traditions in Alpine culture?

context: Farming had been a traditional occupation for centuries, although it became less dominant in the 20th century with the advent of tourism. Grazing and pasture land are limited because of the steep and rocky topography of the Alps. In mid-June cows are moved to the highest pastures close to the snowline, where they are watched by herdsmen who stay in the high altitudes often living in stone huts or wooden barns during the summers. Villagers celebrate the day the cows are herded up to the pastures and again when they return in mid-September. The Alpanschluss or Désalpes ("coming down from the alps") is celebrated by decorating the cows with garlands and enormous cowbells while the farmers dress in traditional costumes.
qas: answers: Farming
question: What has been a traditional occupation for centuries?

answers: tourism
question: What made farming less dominant in the 20th century? 

answers: because of the steep and rocky topography of the Alps
question: Why is pasture land limited? 

answers: mid-June
question: When are cows moved to the highest pastures close to the snowline?

context: Cheesemaking is an ancient tradition in most Alpine countries. A wheel of cheese from the Emmental in Switzerland can weigh up to 45 kg (100 lb), and the Beaufort in Savoy can weight up to 70 kilograms (150 lb). Owners of the cows traditionally receive from the cheesemakers a portion in relation to the proportion of the cows' milk from the summer months in the high alps. Haymaking is an important farming activity in mountain villages which has become somewhat mechanized in recent years, although the slopes are so steep that usually scythes are necessary to cut the grass. Hay is normally brought in twice a year, often also on festival days. Alpine festivals vary from country to country and often include the display of local costumes such as dirndl and trachten, the playing of Alpenhorns, wrestling matches, some pagan traditions such as Walpurgis Night and, in many areas, Carnival is celebrated before Lent.
qas: answers: Cheesemaking
question: What is an ancient tradition in most Alpine countries?

answers: up to 45 kg (100 lb)
question: How much can a wheel of cheese from the Emmental weigh?

answers: Haymaking
question: What is an important farming activity in mountain villages?

answers: twice
question: How many times is Hay normally brought each year?

answers: before Lent
question: When is Carnival celebrated? 

context: In the high villages people live in homes built according to medieval designs that withstand cold winters. The kitchen is separated from the living area (called the stube, the area of the home heated by a stove), and second-floor bedrooms benefit from rising heat. The typical Swiss chalet originated in the Bernese Oberland. Chalets often face south or downhill, and are built of solid wood, with a steeply gabled roof to allow accumulated snow to slide off easily. Stairs leading to upper levels are sometimes built on the outside, and balconies are sometimes enclosed.
qas: answers: medieval designs that withstand cold winters
question: What do people in high villages build their homes according to?

answers: the stube
question: What is the area of the home heated by a stove called? 

answers: the Bernese Oberland
question: The typic Swiss chalet originated from where?

answers: south or downhill
question: Which direction do Chalets often face? 

answers: solid wood
question: What are Chalets built of? 

context: Food is passed from the kitchen to the stube, where the dining room table is placed. Some meals are communal, such as fondue, where a pot is set in the middle of the table for each person to dip into. Other meals are still served in a traditional manner on carved wooden plates. Furniture has been traditionally elaborately carved and in many Alpine countries carpentry skills are passed from generation to generation.
qas: answers: the stube
question: The food is passed from the kitchen to where? 

answers: the stube
question: Where is the dining room table placed? 

answers: carved wooden plates
question: Traditionally, what are meals served on? 

answers: elaborately
question: How is furniture traditionally carved? 

context: Roofs are traditionally constructed from Alpine rocks such as pieces of schist, gneiss or slate. Such chalets are typically found in the higher parts of the valleys, as in the Maurienne valley in Savoy, where the amount of snow during the cold months is important. The inclination of the roof cannot exceed 40%, allowing the snow to stay on top, thereby functioning as insulation from the cold. In the lower areas where the forests are widespread, wooden tiles are traditionally used. Commonly made of Norway spruce, they are called "tavaillon". The Alpine regions are multicultural and linguistically diverse. Dialects are common, and vary from valley to valley and region to region. In the Slavic Alps alone 19 dialects have been identified. Some of the French dialects spoken in the French, Swiss and Italian alps of Aosta Valley derive from Arpitan, while the southern part of the western range is related to Old Provençal; the German dialects derive from Germanic tribal languages. Romansh, spoken by two percent of the population in southeast Switzerland, is an ancient Rhaeto-Romanic language derived from Latin, remnants of ancient Celtic languages and perhaps Etruscan.
qas: answers: Alpine rocks
question: What are roofs traditionally constructed from? 

answers: the higher parts of the valleys
question: Where are chalets typically used for roof construction found?? 

answers: 40%
question: The inclination of the roof cannot exceed how much? 

answers: 19
question: How many dialects have been identified in the Slavic Alps?

answers: Romansh
question: What language is spoken by two percent of the population in southeast Switzerland? 

context: At present the Alps are one of the more popular tourist destinations in the world with many resorts such Oberstdorf, in Bavaria, Saalbach in Austria, Davos in Switzerland, Chamonix in France, and Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy recording more than a million annual visitors. With over 120 million visitors a year tourism is integral to the Alpine economy with much it coming from winter sports although summer visitors are an important component of the tourism industry.
qas: answers: the Alps
question: What's one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world? 

answers: Austria
question: Where is Saalbach located? 

answers: over 120 million
question: How many people visit the Alps every year? 

answers: tourism
question: What is an integral part of the Alpine economy?

context: The tourism industry began in the early 19th century when foreigners visited the Alps, traveled to the bases of the mountains to enjoy the scenery, and stayed at the spa-resorts. Large hotels were built during the Belle Époque; cog-railways, built early in the 20th century, brought tourists to ever higher elevations, with the Jungfraubahn terminating at the Jungfraujoch, well above the eternal snow-line, after going through a tunnel in Eiger. During this period winter sports were slowly introduced: in 1882 the first figure skating championship was held in St. Moritz, and downhill skiing became a popular sport with English visitors early in the 20th century, as the first ski-lift was installed in 1908 above Grindelwald.
qas: answers: the early 19th century
question: When did the tourism industry begin? 

answers: during the Belle Époque
question: When were large hotels built in the Alps? 

answers: early in the 20th century
question: When were cog-railways built in the Alps?

answers: 1882
question: When was the first figure skating championship held? 

answers: St. Moritz
question: Where was the first figure skating championship held? 

context: In the first half of the 20th century the Olympic Winter Games were held three times in Alpine venues: the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France; the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland; and the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. During World War II the winter games were canceled but after that time the Winter Games have been held in St. Moritz (1948), Cortina d'Ampezzo (1956), Innsbruck, Austria (1964 and 1976), Grenoble, France, (1968), Albertville, France, (1992), and Torino (2006). In 1930 the Lauberhorn Rennen (Lauberhorn Race), was run for the first time on the Lauberhorn above Wengen; the equally demanding Hahnenkamm was first run in the same year in Kitzbühl, Austria. Both races continue to be held each January on successive weekends. The Lauberhorn is the more strenuous downhill race at 4.5 km (2.8 mi) and poses danger to racers who reach 130 km/h (81 mph) within seconds of leaving the start gate.
qas: answers: Chamonix, France
question: Where were the Winter Olympics held in 1924?

answers: St. Moritz, Switzerland
question: Where were the Winter Olympics held in 1928?

answers: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
question: Where were the Winter Olympics held in 1936?

answers: 1930
question: When was the Lauberhorn Rennen ran for the first time on the Lauberhorn above Wengen?

answers: (1992)
question: When were the Winter Olympics held in Albertville, France? 

context: During the post-World War I period ski-lifts were built in Swiss and Austrian towns to accommodate winter visitors, but summer tourism continued to be important; by the mid-20th century the popularity of downhill skiing increased greatly as it became more accessible and in the 1970s several new villages were built in France devoted almost exclusively to skiing, such as Les Menuires. Until this point Austria and Switzerland had been the traditional and more popular destinations for winter sports, but by the end of the 20th century and into the early 21st century, France, Italy and the Tyrol began to see increases in winter visitors. From 1980 to the present, ski-lifts have been modernized and snow-making machines installed at many resorts, leading to concerns regarding the loss of traditional Alpine culture and questions regarding sustainable development as the winter ski industry continues to develop quickly and the number of summer tourists decline.
qas: answers: post-World War I
question: When were ski-lifts built in Swiss and Austrian towns?

answers: the 1970s
question: When were several new villages built in France almost exclusively for skiing?

answers: France
question: Where is Les Menuires located? 

context: The region is serviced by 4,200 km (2,600 mi) of roads used by 6 million vehicles. Train travel is well established in the Alps, with, for instance 120 km (75 mi) of track for every 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi) in a country such as Switzerland. Most of Europe's highest railways are located there. Moreover, plans are underway to build a 57 km (35 mi)-long sub-alpine tunnel connecting the older Lötschberg and Gotthard tunnels built in the 19th century.
qas: answers: 4,200 km (2,600 mi)
question: How much area is devoted to roads in the Alpine region?

answers: 6 million
question: How many vehicles use the roads? 

answers: Switzerland
question: Where are most of Europe's highest railways located? 

answers: 57 km
question: How long is the tunnel connecting Lotschberg and Gotthard planned to be? 

context: Some high mountain villages, such as Avoriaz (in France), Wengen, and Zermatt (in Switzerland) are accessible only by cable car or cog-rail trains, and are car free. Other villages in the Alps are considering becoming car free zones or limiting the number of cars for reasons of sustainability of the fragile Alpine terrain.
qas: answers: France
question: Where is the village of Avoriaz located? 

answers: Switzerland
question: Where are the villages of Wengen and Zermatt located? 

answers: reasons of sustainability
question: Why are villages considering becoming car free zones?

context: The lower regions and larger towns of the Alps are well-served by motorways and main roads, but higher mountain passes and byroads, which are amongst the highest in Europe, can be treacherous even in summer due to steep slopes. Many passes are closed in winter. A multitude of airports around the Alps (and some within), as well as long-distance rail links from all neighbouring countries, afford large numbers of travellers easy access from abroad.
qas: answers: winter
question: When are many passes in the Alps closed? 

answers: motorways
question: The lower regions and larger towns of the Alps are well-served by what?

answers: mountain passes
question: What can be treacherous even in summer due to steep slopes?