Switzerland is a mountainous Central European country, home to numerous lakes, villages and the high peaks of the Alps. Its cities contain medieval quarters, with landmarks like capital Bern’s Zytglogge clock tower and Lucerne’s wooden chapel bridge. The country is also known for its ski resorts and hiking trails. Banking and finance are key industries, and Swiss watches and chocolate are world renowned.
Ethnic Groups: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%
Belief Systems: Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Muslim 4.3%, Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%, none 11.1%
Demographics:
Population: 7.79 million people (World Rank: 97th) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 504 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 69th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 0.363 %/yr (World Rank: 173rd) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 82.6 years (World Rank: 3rd) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 41.6 years (World Rank: 9th) (2010 estimate) Languages: German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 20.4%, Italian (official) 6.5%, Serbo-Croatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%, Portuguese 1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, Romansch (official) 0.5%, other 2.8%
Sites for More Information:
Map of Switzerland
Worldatlas.com
Switzerland
World Factbook
Switzerland
Encyclopedia.com
Travel Info for Switzerland
Travelnotes.org
Swedish Culture
Transportation
The Swiss Rail System
1st of August
The Swiss National Holiday
Basler Carnival
Switzerland's most famous Carnival
Chienbse
An exciting festival in the small town of Liestal
Swiss Chocolate
Some of the world's finest
Swiss Embassy
in Washington D.C.
Swiss Government Web Sites
by Gunnar Anzinger
