Therefore it only includes mountains that might generally be regarded as 'independent' and covers most of the country, even lower areas.
The two main mountain ranges are the Alps (south and east) and the Jura (north and west), separated by the Swiss Plateau which also includes a large number of hills.
Topographically, the three most important summits of Switzerland are those of Monte Rosa (most elevated), the Finsteraarhorn (most prominent) and Piz Bernina (most isolated).
[1] In order for a peak to qualify as an independent mountain, traditionally a prominence of at least 300 m (980 ft), or 10 times the aforementioned criterion value, has been used.
It also allows the incorporation of the lowest elevation (but prominent) hills as well as the highest mountains, maximizing territory coverage and ensuring a reasonably even distribution throughout the country.
For example, an impressive mountain peak dominating a valley may be connected via high ridges to a barely higher hidden summit.
For example, until 2009, the Col des Maisons Blanches which lies on the Corbassière Glacier was measured to be 3,418 m, while the more recent maps (2012) show it to be 3,404 m (11,168 ft) high.
Eight summits (sometimes called ultra-prominent peaks) have a prominence exceeding 1,500 m (4,920 ft), they are found in seven cantons.