SWISS BASE directory

About Switzerland, Tourism Information

If you could travel through only one European country, which might you choose? Italy? France? Germany? How about a taste of three in one? That can be only Switzerland. Switzerland, a lot to see and to enjoy in a small space.

Switzerland (French Suisse; German Schweiz; Italian Svizzera), is a federal republic in west central Europe, bounded on the north by France and Germany, on the east by Austria and Liechtenstein, on the south by Italy, and on the west by France. The country has an area of 41,288 sq km (15,941 sq mi). Its largest city is Zürich, and the capital is Bern.

Country
Switzerland is one of the most mountainous countries of Europe, with more than 70 percent of its area covered by the Alps in the central and southern sections and the Jura in the northwest. The Swiss Alps are part of the largest mountain system in Europe, and are well-known for their jagged peaks and steep gorges. The Jura (Celtic for "forest") are much lower and smaller than the Alps, and are popular for cross-country skiing in Winter and hiking in summer. Between these two mountain systems lies the Swiss plateau, it extends from Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) in the southwest to the Lake of Constance (Bodensee) in the northeast. The plateau is thickly studded with hills.

The principal river system is formed by the Rhine and its tributaries as Limmat, Reuss and Aare. Other important rivers are the Rhône, Ticino and Inn. Switzerland is famous for its many lakes, particularly those of the Alpine region, known for their scenic beauty. The most important lakes are Lake of Geneva, Lake of Constance, Lake of Lugano, and Lake Maggiore which are not wholly within Swiss borders; and Lake of Neuchâtel, Lake of Lucerne and Zürichsee, Brienzersee, and Thunersee, which are entirely within Switzerland.

Principal Cities in Switerzland
The capital of Switzerland is Bern. other major cities are Zürich, the largest city and financial center of Switzerland; Basel one of the oldest university town; Geneva, a cultural and financial centre also noted for its watch making and jewellery and last but not least Lausanne set in a lakeside decor, surrounded by rolling hills and vineyards.

Spoken languages in Switzerland
The official languages of Switzerland are German (spoken by about 64 percent of the population), French (19 percent), and Italian (7 percent). The fourth national language, Romansh, is spoken by less than 1 percent of the people. In a majority of the cantons the most commonly spoken language is Schwyzertütsch (Swiss German), an Allemanic dialect of German differing vastly from both written German and other German dialects. French is the most commonly spoken language in the cantons of Fribourg, Jura, Vaud, Valais, Neuchâtel, and Geneva, and Italian is the predominant language in Ticino. Romansh, is spoken chiefly in some regions of the canton Grison.

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