Capital: Bern
Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF)
Borders: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km,
Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km
Switzerland is a land-locked country and lies right in the heart of
Central Europe. In a clockwise order it is bordered by Germany to
the north, Austria to the East, Italy to the south and France to the
west. The terrain of Switzerland is mostly made up of high
elevations and includes the Swiss Alps on the Italian border. In
fact, Switzerland is home to some of the highest elevations in
Europe. The highest point is Dufourspitze at a height of 4634m. The
lowest point is Lake Maggiore at 195m. The centre of Switzerland
consists of a central plateau, lush rolling hills and fresh alpine
valleys. The total land area measures 39,770 sq km with a further
1520 sq km of water comprised of lakes Zurich, Geneva, Neuchatel,
Lucerne Maggiore and the Rhine River that feeds in from Germany and
Austria.
The ethnic mix is represented by Germans, French, Italians and the
Romansch group. The official languages are German, French and
Italian. The capital of Switzerland is neither Geneva nor Zurich but
Bern. This is the controversial topic of many a foreign discussion,
even within Switzerland! The national unit of currency is the Swiss
franc.
Switzerland enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the
world. Its modern market economy is one of the strongest and secure
in Europe. Switzerland remains isolated from the EU although there
is talk it will eventually become a member. The industries of
Switzerland are machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles and
precision instruments. The transport network consists of 4406 km of
railways and 71,059 km of highways, all of which are paved.
The climate of Switzerland is temperate although it varies with
altitude. The winters can be very cold with much snow and the
occasional threat of an avalanche. Summers are fairly mild with the
majority of the yearly rainfall hitting the ground at this time of
the year. |
