Glaciers melt, Swiss get some territory from Italy

[August 19, 2009]  BERN, Switzerland (AP) -- Switzerland has expanded its border at Italy's expense because of melting glaciers in the high Alps.

The Swiss government on Wednesday approved shifting the border up to 150 meters (164 yards) into Italian territory in some areas.

The changes were made after the Swiss Federal Office of Topography found that the watershed which determined the border in 1942 had moved because of melting glaciers and snow fields.

Topographer Daniel Gutknecht says Switzerland has become "a little bit" larger, but he added: "We won't be correcting the atlas."

The Italian embassy in Bern said the change has already been approved by Rome.

The shift moves the final stop of the Furggsattel Sesselbahn ski station near the famed Matterhorn peak onto Swiss territory.

[Associated Press]

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