Switzerland

Federal republic
Independent since 1499

Official:

Swiss Confederation

Local name:

Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera / Svizra

Region:

Western Europe

Area:

41,290 km²

Federal city:

Bern

Geography

Switzerland is a landlocked country in the Central European Alps. The land has a total area of 41,290 km² (15,942 mi²). This land area is approximately 164% of the area of Maryland. Switzerland is thus the 21st smallest country in Europe and ranked 136th in the world. A considerable share of the inhabitants (74%) belongs to the urban population.

Switzerland lies at an average elevation of 1350 m above sea level and is therefore one of the highest countries in the world. The highest mountain peak (Dufourspitze) is at 4,634 meters. There is no access to the open sea. There are direct national borders with the five neighboring countries Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein and Germany. The distance between New York City and the Capital Bern is about 6,270 km (3,896 mi).

On further pages:

Current time in Switzerland:

00:00

May 2023

The countrywide time in Switzerland is Central European Time (CET).
As in many countries far away from the equator, there is a daylight savings time in the summer. Related to GMT, the time difference is usually +1 hours in summer and +2 hours in winter. The next time change will be on October 29 at 2:00 am (local time).

Time zones and clock changes Public Holidays in Switzerland Sunrise and sunset

Population

Population:8,703,000

Population per km²:210.8

Life expectancy males:Ø 81.1 years

Life expectancy females:

Ø 85.1 years

Birth rate:

9.9 ‰

Death rate:

8.8 ‰

Males/Females:

49.6% : 50.4%

Population pyramid

The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss franc (CHF).
1 Franc is divided into 100 Rappen.
Status: 05/24/2023

1 US dollar = 0.90 Francs
1 Franc = 1.11 US dollar

The climate in Switzerland

Although Switzerland is a relatively small country, the climate varies from region to region. Overall, the climate is temperate. However, the Alps, which run from east to west across the country, ensure that the north is cut off from Mediterranean influences. The north is characterized by the continental climate of Europe, which is rather cool and humid. North of the main ridge of the Alps, most precipitation falls in the summer months. On the southern edge of the Alps, the warm winds from the Mediterranean are particularly noticeable, providing higher temperatures and less rain. In the higher Alps, temperatures are usually permanently below freezing. Lake Maggiore, on the other hand, is the lowest region in Switzerland and at the same time, one of the warmest.

Average daytime and nighttime temperatures

Detailed climate data for Switzerland and 7 individual greater regions

Languages

Official languages:

German, French, Italian, Romansh

Mother tongue	Distribution
German	62.5 %
French	21.3 %
Italian	8.3 %
Croatian	1.4 %
Albanian	1.3 %
Portuguese	1.2 %
Spanish	1.1 %
Romansh	0.5 %
other	2.4 %

Religions

Religion	Distribution
Roman Catholics	38.2%
Protestants	26.9%
other Christs	5.7%
Muslims	4.9%
Jews	0.2%
nondenominational	21.4%
other	2.7%

more...

Economy

GDP:	800.64 bn $
Exportations:	567.17 bn $
Importations:	462.34 bn $
› Tourism receipts:	9.99 bn $
› Unemployment rate:	4.2 %
› Inflation rate:	2.84 %
› Corruption index:	82 (good)
› Energy consumption:	56.4 bn kWh

With a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.962, Switzerland counts as one of the high developed economies by UN definition. The IMF also shares this classification.

Considering the purchasing power parity, Switzerland is among the 10 richest countries in the world and, with an average annual income of 90,600 USD is one of the high-income countries.

Switzerland is regularly listed as a tax haven by several organizations.

Land use

19% Urban areas:	7,898 km²
38% Agricultural areas:	15,765 km²
32% Forest:	13,262 km²
4% Water areas:	1,774 km²
11% Others:	4,365 km²

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Transport

Roadways:	71,557 km
Railways:	3,236 km
Waterways:	1,292 km
Commercial harbors:	20
› Airports:	5

A country without a capital

Apart from a few small city-states, Switzerland is the only country without a capital. The city of Bern was chosen in 1848 as the seat of the Federal Council and the Federal Assembly, but it was deliberately not formally established as the capital. Instead, Bern became a "federal city," which is not enshrined in the constitution. In 2004, the introduction of a federal city law was also abandoned. Although Bern today fulfills all the essential characteristics of a capital, and even calls itself (german) a capital, formally it is not.

Most important cities

City	Greater Region	Population
Bern / Federal city	Espace midland	134,000
Zürich	Zurich	415,000
Geneva	Lake Geneva region	202,000
Basel	Northwestern	172,000
Lausanne	Lake Geneva region	139,000
Winterthur	Zurich	112,000
Luzern	Central	82,000
Sankt Gallen	Eastern	76,000
Lugano	Ticino	63,000
Biel/Bienne	Espace midland	54,000
Thun	Espace midland	42,000
Fribourg	Espace midland	38,000
Köniz	Espace midland	37,000
Chur	Eastern	35,000
Rapperswil	Eastern	35,000
Schaffhausen	Eastern	34,000
Neuchâtel	Espace midland	31,000
Zug	Central	31,000
Vernier	Lake Geneva region	30,000
Sitten	Lake Geneva region	28,000
Emmen	Central	27,000
Kriens	Central	25,000
Uster	Zurich	23,000
Bellinzona	Ticino	17,000

Political indicators

(Based on the "Worldwide Governance Indicators" project of the World Bank)

Political stability:	◈
Rule of law:	◈
Effectivity:	◈
Regulatory quality:	◈
Voice accountability:	◈
Death penalty:	abolished in 1992

Existing trade agreements

EFTA - European Free Trade Association

Alliances

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