The pyramid-shaped Matterhorn straddles the Swiss-Italian border. Its pyramid shape was formed millions of years ago when two landmasses crashed into each other and forced the ground upward. Testing has shown that the rock at the very top of the Matterhorn is from the African continental plate. The Matterhorn was formed by the African continental plate smashing into the European plate. The pyramid shape formed sometime after that from natural erosion.
Besides forming its famous shape, the Matterhorn’s four sides are special for another reason: they align with the cardinal directions, north, south, east, and west.
