Switzerland Info

Alpine Switzerland's Profile

The name Switzerland comes from "Schwyz," one of the original cantons in the Confederation. The letters "CH" are the country's national designation and stands for "Confoederatio Helvetica" (Latin for Swiss Confederation).

Eiger, Monch, & Jungfrau

Switzerland is located in the very heart of Europe, with Germany to the North, France to the West, Italy to the South and Austria and Liechtenstein to the East. About 2/3 of Switzerland's landscape is made up of forests, lakes and mountains.

The Alps form the complex geological structure of Switzerland. They consist of granite, gneiss, limestone and crystalline seams. They have an average altitude of some 5550 ft (1700 m), with close to 100 peaks towering above 13,000 ft (4000 m).

They form part of the Alpine arc which stretches almost 1000 kilometers from Nice (French Maritime Alps) to Vienna (Austrian Alps). Switzerland embraces the center part of the Alps, with its four main passes - Grimsel, Furka, St. Gotthard and Oberalp; here also spring the sources of the rivers Rhone and Rhine.

Atlas & Quick Facts:

• Population: 7 Million
• Capital: Berne
• Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF)
• National Flag: a white cross centered on a square field of red.
• Religions: Protestant (44%), Roman Catholic (48%), others (8%)
• Area: 15,942 sq. MI./41,293 sq. km
• Distances: north south 137 mi./220 km; east west 216 mi./348 km
• Cantons: 23, three of which are subdivided into half-cantons
• Highest point: Dufour Peak in the Monte Rosa massif (Valais) 15,203 ft (4634 m)
• Highest Village: Juf (Graubunden) 7,000 ft (2,126 m)
• Lowest point: Lake Maggiore (Ticino) 633 ft. (193 m) ~ Switzerland has 1,484 lakes.
• Largest Glacier: The Aletsch (Valais), largest glacier in continental Europe. Switzerland has 140 glaciers.
• 5 Largest Cities: Zurich (largest), Basel. Geneva, Berne and Lucerne
• Hölloch in the Muotathal: the second largest cave system in the world
• Jungfraujoch: 11350 ft (3454 m), the highest railway station in Europe
• Lac Souterrain St. Léonard: Europe's largest underground lake
• Staubbach Falls: located in Lauterbrunnen, 920 ft (280 m) high
• Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen: most spectacular waterfall in central Europe
• Swiss National Park, Zernez: oldest National Park in Europe, established in 1914

National languages of Switzerland:

• German (central and north-eastern Switzerland) spoken by 2/3 of the population
• French (western Switzerland) spoken by about 20%
• Italian (southern Switzerland) spoken by 8%
• Rhaeto-Romanic, also known as Rumantsch (southeastern Switzerland), is spoken by less than 1% of the population.
• Switzerland is one of the most multilingual countries in Europe. Most Swiss, particularly those who work with visitors in one way or another, speak several languages, including English.

Climate:

Due to extreme topographical diversity within a small area, the weather may vary considerably from region to region. Different altitudes are also characterized by completely different climates and temperatures.

Switzerland is affected by Atlantic currents bringing moist air and Mediterranean currents bringing warm air. The southern part of Switzerland has subtropical vegetation and a mild climate year round. In the northern plateau, surrounded by mountains, the climate is mild and refreshing. The Valais area is noted for dryness.

Temperatures generally do not reach extremes of hot or cold. In the cities, summer temperatures seldom rise above 86°F (30° C), and the humidity is rather moderate. In winter temperatures often fall below 32°F (0° C) and there is snow and ice.

The Landscape:

History gave Switzerland only a little land. In fact, Oregon is six times larger than Switzerland. Oregon has 97,073 square miles compared to Switzerland's 15,936.

However, Nature has compensated Switzerland with the finest natural sights in Europe, and the Alpine region is the most beautiful of all. If you're looking for jaw dropping scenery, the Jungfrau region south of Interlaken has it!