Switzerland - Tourism and Travel

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west central Europe.

It has an area of 19,543 square miles (41,293 square kilometers.)

Switzerland is very mountainous. The Alps, which makes up three fifths of the country, are in the south. The Jura Mountains are in the northwest.

The Matterhorn, which lies on the border between Switzerland and Italy, is the highest mountain in the Alps. The Matterhorn is 14, 692 feet (4,478 meters) high.

Three glaciers have eroded hollows, or cirques, in the Matterhorn's sides, giving the mountain's peak its distinctive shape.

In the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland, are the Bernese Alps. The longest Alpine glacier, the Aletsch, is located in the Bernese Alps. Aletsch is 15 miles (24 kilometers) long.

The Alps were formed when the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided, a process that started 65 million years ago.

The rest of Switzerland consists of a high plateau.

This is where most of the people live.

The Rhine River lies on the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Lake Geneva is between the Swiss and French borders.

In general, Switzerland has cold, snowy winters and mild summers. The climate varies according to altitude.

Bern is the capital of Switzerland.

7,568,000 people live in Switzerland.

64% of the people are German, 20% are French, 6% are Italian and 1% are Romansch.

German, French and Italian are the official languages. Swiss-German and Romansch are also spoken.

42% of the people are Roman Catholic, 35% are Protestant and 4% are Muslim.

There are not many mineral resources in Switzerland. Most of the food and the raw materials needed for industry must be imported.

Nevertheless, Switzerland has one of the world's highest standards of living.

Important industries include tourism, banking and finance, pharmaceutical production, manufacturing and engineering.

The production of heavy machinery and the production of precision instruments play a significant role in the economy.

The city of Zurich is an important international banking center.

Many international organizations are located in Switzerland.

The United Nations has an office in Geneva, where many UN organizations, including the World Health Organization, are located. It is the second largest UN office, after the office in New York City, in the United States of America.

The World Trade Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross also have headquarters in Geneva.

Switzerland has a parliamentary system of government.

The country is known for its political neutrality. Switzerland has been politically neutral since 1815.

The official currency of Switzerland is the franc, which is equal to 100 rappen or 100 centimes.