Administratively the Italian part of the range belongs to the
provinces of
Como and
Varese, while the Swiss one is divided between the
districts of
Bellinzona,
Locarno,
Lugano and
Mendrisio. The western slopes of the mountains are drained by the
Ticino, the eastern ones by
Adda and the southern-central part of them by
Lambro,
Olona and other minor rivers and streams, all of them directly or indirectly
tributaries of the
Po.
SOIUSA classification According to
SOIUSA (
International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain range is an Alpine section, classified in the following way: • main part =
Western Alps • major sector = North Western Alps • section = Lugano Prealps •
code = I/B-11
Borders Lugano Prealps' borders are (clockwise): •
Lago Maggiore (west), •
Ticino from
Locarno to
Bellinzona,
San Jorio Pass (2.010 m, which connects them with the
Lepontine Alps) and San Jorio valley till to
Gravedona (north); •
Como lake (east); •
Po Plain (south).
Subdivision The Lugano Prealps are divided into two subsections: •
Como Prealps -
SOIUSA code:I/B-11.I •
Varese Prealps -
SOIUSA code:I/B-11.II, which are separated by the
Monte Ceneri Pass. These subsections are further divided in supergroups: • Como Prealps: • supergroup catena Gino-Camoghè-Fiorina -
SOIUSA code:I/B-11.I-A • supergroup catena Tremezzo-Generoso-Gordona -
SOIUSA code:I/B-11.I-B • supergroup catena del Triangolo Lariano -
SOIUSA code:I/B-11.I-B • Varese Prealps: • supergroup catena Tamaro-Gambarogno-Lema -
SOIUSA code:I/B-11.II-A, • supergroup catena Piambello-Campo dei Fiori-Nudo -
SOIUSA code:I/B-11.II-B. ==Summits==