CERN is the world's largest particle physics centre. Founded in 1954, the laboratory was one of Europe's first joint ventures, and has become a shining example of international collaboration. The CERN site on the edge of Geneva crosses the border between France and Switzerland. CERN was a logical location for the Large Hadron Collider because of the extensive experience and infrastructure, and the opportunity to use an existing tunnel presently housing the LEP collider. At any other location, tunneling costs would have been a significant fraction of the costs of constructing a new particle collider.
