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SWITZERLAND |
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ABOUT SWITZERLAND |
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Called Helvetia in ancient times, Switzerland in 1291 was a league of cantons in the Holy Roman Empire. Fashioned around the nucleus of three German forest districts of Schwyz, Uri, and Unterwalden, the Swiss Confederation slowly added new cantons. In 1648 the Treaty of Westphalia gave Switzerland its independence from the Holy Roman Empire. |
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| Geography of Switzerland |
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Switzerland, in central Europe, is the land of the Alps. Its tallest peak is the Dufourspitze at 15,203 ft (4,634 m) on the Swiss side of the Italian border, one of 10 summits of the Monte Rosa massif. The tallest peak in all of the Alps, Mont Blanc (15,771 ft; 4,807 m), is actually in France. Most of Switzerland is composed of a mountainous plateau bordered by the great bulk of the Alps on the south and by the Jura Mountains on the northwest. |
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| Land area |
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15,355 sq mi (39,769 sq km); total area: 15,942 sq mi (41,290 sq km) |
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| Population(2006 est.) |
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7,523,934 (growth rate: 0.4%); birth rate: 9.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 4.3/1000; life expectancy: 80.5; density per sq mi: 490 |
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| Largest cities |
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Zurich, 971,800 (metro. area), 348,100 (city proper); Geneva, 178,900; Basel, 162,800; Lausanne, 117,400 |
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| Monetary unit |
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Swiss franc |
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| Languages |
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German 64%, French 20%, Italian 7% (all official); Romansch 0.5% (national) |
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| Ethnicity/race |
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German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6% |
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| Religions |
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Roman Catholic 42%, Protestant 35%, Orthodox 2%, Muslim 4%, none 11% (2000) |
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| Literacy rate |
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99% (1980 est.) |
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| Natural resources |
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Hydropower potential, timber, salt. |
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| Agriculture |
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Grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs. Labor force: 3.8 million; services 69%, industry 26%, agriculture 5% (1998). |
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| Visa Information |
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Every traveler must have a valid passport. Visa are required for a continuous stay of more than three months. If your stay is shorter than three months you only need to bring your valid passport with you. This applies to citizens of the following countries: countries of the American Continent (except Belize, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Peru), Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. |
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| Switzerland Tourism |
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The link below will take you to a page with a list of countries, click on the country of your passport (or the letters on the right), and visa information should all be explained. |
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