Surface: 41.288 km²
Population: 6.872.000 inhabitants
Density of population: 163 inhabitants/km²
Capital: Bern (135.000 inhabitants)
Official language: Italian, French, German
Official currency: Swiss Franc
Exported products: cars, electronics, textiles, medicines, metal products
Brut Intern Product: 33.340 $/inhabitant
State type: Republic

Geographical Characteristics
The country is situated in the Central Europe. It has the highest altitude average in Europe. The Alps Mountains with a medium altitude of 1.786 m are massive and high, the maximum altitude is in Dufourspitze Peak 4.634 m. The Jura Mountains with a medium altitude of 890 m are situated in north-west and have the shape of wavy plateaus. Their maximum altitude is in Tendre Peak: 1.679 m. Between Jura and Alps Mountains there is band with a breadth between 20 and 60 km called Mitteland (its medium altitude is 580 m) and a hills and plateaus region which are modeled by the glacier erosion.

Climate
The climate is temperate-continental with cold winters (the medium temperature in January is 0°C) and moderated summers with medium rainfalls of 800 mm annually. The hydrographic network is rich and drained by four seas: Northern Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Adriatic Sea. The country has 1.000 natural lakes and the most important are the tectonic-glacier ones (Geneve, Constance, Neuchatel and Zurich). The natural vegetation is formed of temperate forest and grasslands. The faun is rich and has species characteristic to the vegetation type. Switzerland has many protected areas and natural reservations.

Population and Cities
The capital of the country is Bern and has 135.000 inhabitants. The country has 6.872.000 inhabitants. The birth rate is 12.6‰ and the death rate is 9.2‰. 60% of the population lives in cities. The most important cities are: Zurich (341.000 inhabitants), Basel (171.000 inhabitants), Geneve (167.000 inhabitants), Lausanne (123.000 inhabitants), Winterthur (86.000 inhabitants), St. Gallen (73.000 inhabitants), Lucerna (59.000 inhabitants) and Biel (53.000 inhabitants). Swiss people who speak German are 65%, French 18%, Italian 10% and Reto-roman 1%. A big part of the population is concentrated in Mitteland, the plateaus region in Alps and Jura. The most important religions are: Catholicism 48% and Protestantism 44%.

State
The country is a parliamentary republic, federal state, according to the Constitutional in 1874. The legislative activity is exerted by the Federal Assembly formed of the States Council and National Council and the executive by the Federal Council. The political parties are 18 and some of them are: the Swiss Democratic Radical Party, the Swiss Christian Democrat Party, the Swiss Democrat Social Party, the Swiss Liberal Party, the Swiss Ecologist Party and the Independent Alliance.

Economy
The country has a well developed economy based on processing industries, financial services and tourism. 1/3 of the active population works in industries. They are modern and concentrated in Jura and Mitteland. Because Switzerland doesn't have subsoil resources the industry is based on producing cars, electronics, textiles, medicines and metal products. Agriculture is intensive and assures much of the internal needs. Switzerland is one of the world's greatest financial centers.

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Tags: franc, republic, bern, alps mountains

Date Added: 14 December '06

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