Italy and Switzerland share a 359-mile border and 25 of those miles are covered by glaciers. When these glaciers melt it changes the how the border is defined and last Friday the Swiss Federal Council approved an agreement that will redraw the current border. Once Italy approves the changes they will be ratified and a new map will drawn. The border in the high alpine is defined by the watershed (glacial ridgelines). As they shift, so does the border:
“In the high mountains, significant sections of the Italian-Swiss border are determined by the watershed, represented by the crest line of glaciers, snowfields and perpetual snow. However, with the melting of the glaciers, these natural elements evolve and redefine the national border when it is defined dynamically.” –Swiss Government
The new borders are set to change the area at the base of the Matterhorn. It will impact the area around Zermatt and Cervinia ski resorts in southern Switzerland and northwestern Italy. Swiss federal authorities will not release the details of the change until Italy approves the agreement.
In 2000 the border was also redrawn after a glacier moved around 150 meters in Furggsattel area. As a result of the change, a chairlift station that was previously in Italy became Swiss.