Alpine states
The term Alpine states or Alpine countries refers to the territory of eight countries associated with the Alpine region, as defined by the Alpine Convention of 1991: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia, and Switzerland. This territory includes 83 NUTS 3-level local administrative divisions and about 6,200 municipalities.
In a narrow sense, the term "Alpine states" could be applied to Austria, Italy, and France, which represent more than 77% of the Alpine territory and more than three quarters of the Alpine population. However, the Alpine share of the larger Italian and French state territories only amounts to 17% and 7% respectively. From a strictly national point of view, and with the exception of microstates Liechtenstein and Monaco, the Alps are dominant in only two countries: Austria and Switzerland.
