Switzerland
- Zurich
Population: 6.9 million
Size: 41,295 sq. km
Official Languages: German, French, Italian and
Romansch
Capital: Bern
Currency: Swiss Frank or CHF
Switzerland sits squarely in the stomach of western Europe, landlocked by France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria and Italy. The Alps occupy the central and southern regions of the country and the modest Jura Mountains straddle the border with France in the north-east. The Bernese Mittelland - an area of hills, rivers and winding valleys - lies between the two mountain systems and has spawned Switzerland's most populous cities. Over 60% of the country is mountainous and a quarter of it is covered in forests. Farming of cultivated land is intensive and cows graze in Alpine meadows as soon as the retreating snow line permits. The Dufour summit (4634m) of Monte Rosa is the highest peak, though the Matterhorn (4478m) is more well known.
Switzerland is a linguistic melting pot with three official federal languages. German is spoken by about 66% of the population, French by 18% and Italian by 10%. A fourth language, Romansch, is spoken by 1% of the population, mainly in the canton of Graubünden. Derived from Latin, it's a linguistic relic which has survived in the isolation of mountain valleys.
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