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</div> </a> <ul id="toc-Geology-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Physiographic_divisions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Physiographic_divisions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Physiographic divisions</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Physiographic_divisions-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Physiographic divisions subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Physiographic_divisions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Central_Plateau" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Central_Plateau"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Central Plateau</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Central_Plateau-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Alps" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Alps"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.2</span> <span>Alps</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Alps-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Jura" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Jura"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.3</span> <span>Jura</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Jura-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Hydrology" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hydrology"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Hydrology</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Hydrology-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Climate" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Climate"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Climate</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Climate-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Political_divisions_and_greater_regions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Political_divisions_and_greater_regions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Political divisions and greater regions</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Political_divisions_and_greater_regions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Land_use" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Land_use"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Land use</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Land_use-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Land use subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Land_use-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Surfaces_of_housing_and_infrastructure" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Surfaces_of_housing_and_infrastructure"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7.1</span> <span>Surfaces of housing and infrastructure</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Surfaces_of_housing_and_infrastructure-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Farmland" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Farmland"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7.2</span> <span>Farmland</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Farmland-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Forests" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Forests"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7.3</span> <span>Forests</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Forests-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Unproductive_areas" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Unproductive_areas"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7.4</span> <span>Unproductive areas</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Unproductive_areas-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Population" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Population"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Population</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Population-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Environment" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Environment"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>Environment</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Environment-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Environment subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Environment-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Air" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Air"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.1</span> <span>Air</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Air-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Water" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Water"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.2</span> <span>Water</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Water-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Biodiversity" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Biodiversity"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.3</span> <span>Biodiversity</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Biodiversity-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-International_agreements" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#International_agreements"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.4</span> <span>International agreements</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-International_agreements-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Area_and_borders" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Area_and_borders"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>Area and borders</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Area_and_borders-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Area and borders subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Area_and_borders-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Elevation_extremes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Elevation_extremes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10.1</span> <span>Elevation extremes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Elevation_extremes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Western_or_Central_Europe" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Western_or_Central_Europe"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11</span> <span>Western or Central Europe</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Western_or_Central_Europe-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Natural_World_Heritage_Sites" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Natural_World_Heritage_Sites"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">12</span> <span>Natural World Heritage Sites</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Natural_World_Heritage_Sites-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Topography" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Topography"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">13</span> <span>Topography</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Topography-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">14</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes_and_references" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes_and_references"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">15</span> <span>Notes and references</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Notes_and_references-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Notes and references subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Notes_and_references-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">15.1</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">15.2</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Bibliography" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Bibliography"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">16</span> <span>Bibliography</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Bibliography-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">17</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" 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Available in 36 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-36" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">36 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%A7_%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7" title="جغرافيا سويسرا – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="جغرافيا سويسرا" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ast mw-list-item"><a href="https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeograf%C3%ADa_de_Suiza" title="Xeografía de Suiza – Asturian" lang="ast" hreflang="ast" data-title="Xeografía de Suiza" data-language-autonym="Asturianu" data-language-local-name="Asturian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Asturianu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A1%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%AD%E0%A7%82%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B2" title="সুইজারল্যান্ডের ভূগোল – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="সুইজারল্যান্ডের ভূগোল" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>বাংলা</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%A8%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%86%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F" title="География на Швейцария – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="География на Швейцария" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geografie_%C5%A0v%C3%BDcarska" title="Geografie Švýcarska – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Geografie Švýcarska" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cy mw-list-item"><a href="https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daearyddiaeth_y_Swistir" title="Daearyddiaeth y Swistir – Welsh" lang="cy" hreflang="cy" data-title="Daearyddiaeth y Swistir" data-language-autonym="Cymraeg" data-language-local-name="Welsh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Cymraeg</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweiz%27_geografi" title="Schweiz' geografi – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Schweiz' geografi" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographie_der_Schweiz" title="Geographie der Schweiz – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Geographie der Schweiz" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geograf%C3%ADa_de_Suiza" title="Geografía de Suiza – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Geografía de Suiza" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81%DB%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C_%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%A6%DB%8C%D8%B3" title="جغرافیای سوئیس – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="جغرافیای سوئیس" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr badge-Q17437796 badge-featuredarticle mw-list-item" title="featured article badge"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A9ographie_de_la_Suisse" title="Géographie de la Suisse – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Géographie de la Suisse" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geografia_della_Svizzera" title="Geografia della Svizzera – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Geografia della Svizzera" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%92%D7%90%D7%95%D7%92%D7%A8%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%94_%D7%A9%D7%9C_%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%95%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A5" title="גאוגרפיה של שווייץ – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="גאוגרפיה של שווייץ" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%A0veicarijos_geografija" title="Šveicarijos geografija – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Šveicarijos geografija" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lietuvių</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sv%C3%A1jc_f%C3%B6ldrajza" title="Svájc földrajza – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Svájc földrajza" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mk mw-list-item"><a href="https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%A8%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%98%D1%86%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0" title="Географија на Швајцарија – Macedonian" lang="mk" hreflang="mk" data-title="Географија на Швајцарија" data-language-autonym="Македонски" data-language-local-name="Macedonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Македонски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geografie_van_Zwitserland" title="Geografie van Zwitserland – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Geografie van Zwitserland" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B9%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B9%E3%81%AE%E5%9C%B0%E7%90%86" title="スイスの地理 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="スイスの地理" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sveits%E2%80%99_geografi" title="Sveits’ geografi – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Sveits’ geografi" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nn mw-list-item"><a href="https://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sveitsisk_geografi" title="Sveitsisk geografi – Norwegian Nynorsk" lang="nn" hreflang="nn" data-title="Sveitsisk geografi" data-language-autonym="Norsk nynorsk" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Nynorsk" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk nynorsk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uz mw-list-item"><a href="https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shveysariya_geografiyasi" title="Shveysariya geografiyasi – Uzbek" lang="uz" hreflang="uz" data-title="Shveysariya geografiyasi" data-language-autonym="Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча" data-language-local-name="Uzbek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geografia_Szwajcarii" title="Geografia Szwajcarii – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Geografia Szwajcarii" 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dir="ltr"><p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox vcard"><caption class="infobox-title">Geography of Switzerland</caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Satellite_image_of_Switzerland_in_September_2002.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Satellite_image_of_Switzerland_in_September_2002.jpg/260px-Satellite_image_of_Switzerland_in_September_2002.jpg" decoding="async" width="260" height="167" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Satellite_image_of_Switzerland_in_September_2002.jpg/390px-Satellite_image_of_Switzerland_in_September_2002.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Satellite_image_of_Switzerland_in_September_2002.jpg/520px-Satellite_image_of_Switzerland_in_September_2002.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1410" data-file-height="904" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Continent</th><td class="infobox-data">Europe</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Region</th><td class="infobox-data">Western/Central Europe</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Coordinates</th><td class="infobox-data">47° N 8° E</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Area</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_area" title="List of countries and dependencies by area">Ranked 134</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"> • Total</th><td class="infobox-data">41,293.2 km<sup>2</sup> (15,943.4 sq mi)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"> • Land</th><td class="infobox-data">95.8%</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"> • Water</th><td class="infobox-data">4.2%</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Coastline</th><td class="infobox-data">0 km (0 mi)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Borders</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Land_borders" class="mw-redirect" title="Land borders">Total land borders</a>:<br />1,852 km (1,151 mi) <br />Italy: 734.2 km (456.2 mi)<br />France: 571.8 km (355.3 mi)<br />Germany: 345.7 km (214.8 mi)<br />Austria: 165.1 km (102.6 mi)<br />Liechtenstein: 41.1 km (25.5 mi)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Highest point</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Dufourspitze" title="Dufourspitze">Dufourspitze</a>: 4,634 m</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Lowest point</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Lake_Maggiore" title="Lake Maggiore">Lake Maggiore</a>: 193 m</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Longest river</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Rhine" title="Rhine">Rhine</a>: 375.5 km <br /> (longest entirely in Switzerland: <a href="/wiki/Aare" title="Aare">Aare</a>)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Largest lake</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Lake_Geneva" title="Lake Geneva">Lake Geneva</a> <br /> (largest entirely in Switzerland: <a href="/wiki/Lake_Neuch%C3%A2tel" title="Lake Neuchâtel">Lake Neuchâtel</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The <b>geography of Switzerland</b> features a mountainous and <a href="/wiki/Landlocked_country" title="Landlocked country">landlocked country</a> located in <a href="/wiki/Western_Europe" title="Western Europe">Western</a> and <a href="/wiki/Central_Europe" title="Central Europe">Central Europe</a>. Switzerland's natural landscape is marked by its numerous <a href="/wiki/List_of_lakes_of_Switzerland" title="List of lakes of Switzerland">lakes</a> and <a href="/wiki/List_of_prominent_mountains_of_Switzerland" title="List of prominent mountains of Switzerland">mountains</a>. It is surrounded by five countries: <a href="/wiki/Austria" title="Austria">Austria</a> and <a href="/wiki/Liechtenstein" title="Liechtenstein">Liechtenstein</a> to the east, <a href="/wiki/France" title="France">France</a> to the west, <a href="/wiki/Italy" title="Italy">Italy</a> to the south and <a href="/wiki/Germany" title="Germany">Germany</a> to the north. Switzerland has a maximum north–south length of 220 kilometres (140 mi) and an east–west length of about 350 kilometres (220 mi).<sup id="cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BFS_Environment-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Switzerland is well known for the <a href="/wiki/Swiss_Alps" title="Swiss Alps">Alps</a> in the south and south east. North of the Alps, the <a href="/wiki/Swiss_Plateau" title="Swiss Plateau">Swiss Plateau</a> runs along the east–west axis of the country. Most of the population of Switzerland lives on the rolling hills and plains of the <a href="/wiki/Swiss_Plateau" title="Swiss Plateau">plateau</a>. The smaller <a href="/wiki/Jura_Mountains" title="Jura Mountains">Jura Mountains</a> are located on the north west side of the plateau. Much of the northern border with Germany follows the <a href="/wiki/Rhine" title="Rhine">Rhine</a>, though the Rhine enters Switzerland near <a href="/wiki/Schaffhausen" title="Schaffhausen">Schaffhausen</a>. The eastern border with Germany and a portion of Austria is drawn through <a href="/wiki/Lake_Constance" title="Lake Constance">Lake Constance</a> (<a href="/wiki/German_language" title="German language">German</a>: <i lang="de">Bodensee</i>). A portion of the southwest border with France is drawn through <a href="/wiki/Lake_Geneva" title="Lake Geneva">Lake Geneva</a>. </p><p>Switzerland is divided into 26 <a href="/wiki/Cantons_of_Switzerland" title="Cantons of Switzerland">sovereign cantons</a>. The cantons along the Swiss Plateau tend to be the most populous,<sup id="cite_ref-Statistics_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Statistics-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> industrial and religiously <a href="/wiki/Protestant" class="mw-redirect" title="Protestant">Protestant</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Federal_Statistics_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Federal_Statistics-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The cantons in the Alps tend to be less populous, <a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church" title="Catholic Church">Catholic</a>, and have an agrarian or tourism-based economy.<sup id="cite_ref-Federal_Statistics_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Federal_Statistics-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Switzerland is divided by language as well. There are four national languages: <a href="/wiki/German_language" title="German language">German</a> (spoken by 63.7% of population), <a href="/wiki/French_language" title="French language">French</a> (by 20.4% of population), <a href="/wiki/Italian_Language" class="mw-redirect" title="Italian Language">Italian</a> (by 6.5%) and <a href="/wiki/Romansh_language" title="Romansh language">Romansh</a> (0.5%).<sup id="cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CIA_Factbook-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> From <a href="/wiki/Bern" title="Bern">Bern</a> east (except in the <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Ticino" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Ticino">canton of Ticino</a>) the population generally speaks German. West of Bern, the population generally speaks French. In the southern canton of Ticino, most people speak Italian. <a href="/wiki/Romansh_language" title="Romansh language">Romansh</a>, a group of dialects descended from <a href="/wiki/Vulgar_Latin" title="Vulgar Latin">Vulgar Latin</a>, is spoken in several regions in the <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Graub%C3%BCnden" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Graubünden">canton of Graubünden</a>. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Physical_description">Physical description</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Physical description"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Switzerland_ESA370220.tiff" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Switzerland_ESA370220.tiff/lossy-page1-350px-Switzerland_ESA370220.tiff.jpg" decoding="async" width="350" height="247" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Switzerland_ESA370220.tiff/lossy-page1-525px-Switzerland_ESA370220.tiff.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Switzerland_ESA370220.tiff/lossy-page1-700px-Switzerland_ESA370220.tiff.jpg 2x" data-file-width="18379" data-file-height="12989" /></a><figcaption>Satellite image of Switzerland</figcaption></figure> <p>Switzerland extends between the parallels 45°49'05 and 47°48'30 lat. and the meridians 5° 57'23 and 10°29'31 long. It forms an irregular quadrilateral, of which the greatest length from east to west is 350 kilometres (220 mi), and the greatest breadth from north to south is nearly 220 kilometres (140 mi). Switzerland is a landlocked country, the closest coastline being at the <a href="/wiki/Gulf_of_Genoa" title="Gulf of Genoa">Gulf of Genoa</a>, 160 km south of <a href="/wiki/Chiasso" title="Chiasso">Chiasso</a>. Its political boundaries often do not coincide with those of nature. The entire <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Ticino" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Ticino">canton of Ticino</a> is south of the <a href="/wiki/Alps" title="Alps">Alps</a>, as are the valleys of <a href="/wiki/Simplon_Pass" title="Simplon Pass">Simplon</a> (<a href="/wiki/Valais" title="Valais">Valais</a>), <a href="/wiki/Mesocco" title="Mesocco">Mesocco</a>, <a href="/wiki/Val_Bregaglia" title="Val Bregaglia">Bregaglia</a>, <a href="/wiki/Val_Poschiavo" title="Val Poschiavo">Poschiavo</a> and <a href="/wiki/Val_M%C3%BCstair" title="Val Müstair">Müstair</a> (all in <a href="/wiki/Graub%C3%BCnden" class="mw-redirect" title="Graubünden">Graubünden</a>); except for a very small part of municipality of <a href="/wiki/Stein_am_Rhein" title="Stein am Rhein">Stein am Rhein</a> the whole of the <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Schaffhausen" title="Canton of Schaffhausen">canton of Schaffhausen</a>, part of that of the <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Basel-City" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Basel-City">canton of Basel-City</a>, and a small part of the <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Z%C3%BCrich" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Zürich">canton of Zürich</a> are north of the <a href="/wiki/Rhine" title="Rhine">Rhine</a>, while the majority of Graubünden lies to the east of the Rhine basin, and <a href="/wiki/Porrentruy" title="Porrentruy">Porrentruy</a> is far down on the western slope of the <a href="/wiki/Jura_Mountains" title="Jura Mountains">Jura</a>. Putting these exceptional cases aside, the physical geography of Switzerland may thus be described:<sup id="cite_ref-EB_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-EB-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ul><li>On the south runs the main chain of the Alps, which is joined (at <a href="/wiki/Mont_Dolent" title="Mont Dolent">Mont Dolent</a> near <a href="/wiki/Martigny" title="Martigny">Martigny</a>) by the lower ranges that rise south of <a href="/wiki/Lake_Geneva" title="Lake Geneva">Lake Geneva</a> and continue until <a href="/wiki/Piz_Lad" title="Piz Lad">Piz Lad</a> to the east.</li> <li>To the north of this main chain there is another great range of mountains (wholly Swiss) only slightly inferior in extent and height, which starts from the hills known as the <a href="/wiki/Jorat_(Switzerland)" title="Jorat (Switzerland)">Jorat</a> range above <a href="/wiki/Lausanne" title="Lausanne">Lausanne</a>, reaches maximum in the great snowy summits of the <a href="/wiki/Bernese_Alps" title="Bernese Alps">Bernese Alps</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Glarus_Alps" title="Glarus Alps">Tödi group</a>, before trending to the north near <a href="/wiki/Chur" title="Chur">Chur</a> and, after rising once more in the <a href="/wiki/S%C3%A4ntis" title="Säntis">Säntis</a> group, dies away on the southern shore of <a href="/wiki/Lake_Constance" title="Lake Constance">Lake Constance</a>.</li> <li>The Swiss portion of the main chain of the Alps and the great northern outlier run parallel to each other from Martigny to near Chur, while for a short distance they actually unite near <a href="/wiki/Pizzo_Rotondo" title="Pizzo Rotondo">Pizzo Rotondo</a> (west of the <a href="/wiki/St_Gotthard_Pass" class="mw-redirect" title="St Gotthard Pass">St Gotthard Pass</a>), parting again near the <a href="/wiki/Oberalp_Pass" title="Oberalp Pass">Oberalp Pass</a> (east of the St Gotthard). Between these two great snowclad ranges flow two of the mightiest European rivers, the <a href="/wiki/Rh%C3%B4ne" title="Rhône">Rhône</a> towards the west and the <a href="/wiki/Rhine" title="Rhine">Rhine</a> towards the east, their headwaters being only separated by the tangled mountain mass between Pizzo Rotondo and the Oberalp Pass, which sends the <a href="/wiki/Reuss_(river)" title="Reuss (river)">Reuss</a> towards the north and the <a href="/wiki/Ticino_(river)" title="Ticino (river)">Ticino</a> towards the south.</li> <li>To the north of the great northern outlier rises the <a href="/wiki/Jura_Mountains" title="Jura Mountains">Jura range</a>, a huge spur of the Alps (with which it is connected by the Jorat range), while between the northern outlier and the Jura extends what may be called the plains or <a href="/wiki/Swiss_Plateau" title="Swiss Plateau">plateau of Switzerland</a>, consisting almost wholly of the undulating valley of the <a href="/wiki/Aare" title="Aare">Aare</a> (below <a href="/wiki/Thun" title="Thun">Thun</a>) with its numerous affluents. To that river valley, the valley of the <a href="/wiki/Thur_(Switzerland)" class="mw-redirect" title="Thur (Switzerland)">Thur</a> (a direct affluent of the Rhine), that lies between the Aare basin and the Rhine basin (Lake Constance) must be added.</li></ul> <p>Putting aside the valleys of the <a href="/wiki/Ticino_(river)" title="Ticino (river)">Ticino</a> and <a href="/wiki/Inn_(river)" title="Inn (river)">Inn</a>, Switzerland may thus be described as consisting of three great river valleys (Rhône, Rhine and Aare) with the smaller one of the Thur, which all lie to the north of the main chain of the Alps and include the region between the Alps and the Jura. If matters are examined more carefully, it can be noted that the Rhône and Rhine valleys are shut off from that of the Aare (and of the Thur) by the great northern outlier of the Alps, which consists of the Bernese and Glarus Alps. Two wide and undulating valleys (Aare and Thur) and two deeply cut trenches (Rhône and Rhine) thus lie on the northern slope of the Alps, to the north and south respectively of the great northern outlier of the Alps. The main chain of the Alps rises in Swiss territory to the height of 4,634 metres (15,203 ft) in the loftiest summit or <a href="/wiki/Dufourspitze" title="Dufourspitze">Dufourspitze</a> (wholly Swiss) of <a href="/wiki/Monte_Rosa" title="Monte Rosa">Monte Rosa</a>, though the <a href="/wiki/Dom_(mountain)" title="Dom (mountain)">Dom</a> (4,545 metres (14,911 ft)), in the Mischabel range, is the highest mountain mass which is entirely within Switzerland. The great northern outlier attains a height of 4,274 metres (14,022 ft) in the <a href="/wiki/Finsteraarhorn" title="Finsteraarhorn">Finsteraarhorn</a>, while the lowest level (193 metres (633 ft)) within the Confederation, is on <a href="/wiki/Lake_Maggiore" title="Lake Maggiore">Lake Maggiore</a> (on the course of the Ticino). The highest permanently inhabited village in Switzerland is <a href="/wiki/Juf" title="Juf">Juf</a> (2,126 metres (6,975 ft)) at the head of the high Alpine valley Avers (the <i>Averser Rhein</i> being a tributary of the Rhine), while the lowest is <a href="/wiki/Ascona" title="Ascona">Ascona</a> (196 metres (643 ft)), on Lake Maggiore.<sup id="cite_ref-EB_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-EB-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <table style="margin:1em auto;"> <caption> </caption> <tbody><tr> <td><figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Reliefkarte_Schweiz.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Reliefkarte_Schweiz.png/350px-Reliefkarte_Schweiz.png" decoding="async" width="350" height="240" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Reliefkarte_Schweiz.png/525px-Reliefkarte_Schweiz.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Reliefkarte_Schweiz.png/700px-Reliefkarte_Schweiz.png 2x" data-file-width="10129" data-file-height="6935" /></a><figcaption>Simple map of Switzerland</figcaption></figure> </td> <td><figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:General_Map_of_Switzerland.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/General_Map_of_Switzerland.jpg/350px-General_Map_of_Switzerland.jpg" decoding="async" width="350" height="251" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/General_Map_of_Switzerland.jpg/525px-General_Map_of_Switzerland.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/General_Map_of_Switzerland.jpg/700px-General_Map_of_Switzerland.jpg 2x" data-file-width="17280" data-file-height="12412" /></a><figcaption>Detailed map of Switzerland</figcaption></figure> </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Geology">Geology</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Geology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Geology_of_the_Alps" title="Geology of the Alps">Geology of the Alps</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Matterhorn_from_Domh%C3%BCtte_-_2.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Matterhorn_from_Domh%C3%BCtte_-_2.jpg/220px-Matterhorn_from_Domh%C3%BCtte_-_2.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Matterhorn_from_Domh%C3%BCtte_-_2.jpg/330px-Matterhorn_from_Domh%C3%BCtte_-_2.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Matterhorn_from_Domh%C3%BCtte_-_2.jpg/440px-Matterhorn_from_Domh%C3%BCtte_-_2.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1610" data-file-height="1073" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/Matterhorn" title="Matterhorn">Matterhorn</a>, a geomorphosite of the Alps and natural symbol of Switzerland<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></figcaption></figure> <p>Different geological phenomena shaped the actual landscapes of Switzerland. The <a href="/wiki/Alpine_orogeny" title="Alpine orogeny">Alpine orogeny</a> had the most visible effects on the landscape: this term covers entire geological movements contributing to the <a href="/wiki/Alps" title="Alps">Alps’ formation</a>. </p><p>A crystalline basement formed at the beginning of the <a href="/wiki/Paleozoic" title="Paleozoic">Paleozoic</a> era, between 540 and 360 million years ago. Later, between 205 and 96 million years ago, the alpine ocean or <a href="/wiki/Tethys_Ocean" title="Tethys Ocean">Tethys Ocean</a> formed between Eurasia and Africa. The ocean reached its maximum width at the end of <a href="/wiki/Jurassic" title="Jurassic">Jurassic</a> period, 135 million years ago. The collision between the Eurasian and African plates made it progressively disappear. This plate collision (still in progress) began 100 million years ago. The Alps resulted from this geological movement, the two plates creating folding zones. The Central Plateau is mainly composed of <a href="/wiki/Molasse" title="Molasse">molasse</a>, a sedimentary rock that formed at the bottom of the Tethys ocean. </p><p>Switzerland is situated in a relatively tectonically inactive area, although the city of Basel was <a href="/wiki/1356_Basel_earthquake" title="1356 Basel earthquake">completely destroyed in 1356 by an earthquake</a>, the largest historical seismic event in central Europe. The most seismically active regions are the <a href="/wiki/Rhine_Rift_Valley" class="mw-redirect" title="Rhine Rift Valley">Rhine Rift Valley</a> (region of <a href="/wiki/Basel" title="Basel">Basel</a>) and the <a href="/wiki/Valais" title="Valais">Valais</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Physiographic_divisions">Physiographic divisions</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Physiographic divisions"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Trois_r%C3%A9gions_suisses_1.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Trois_r%C3%A9gions_suisses_1.png/220px-Trois_r%C3%A9gions_suisses_1.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="156" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Trois_r%C3%A9gions_suisses_1.png/330px-Trois_r%C3%A9gions_suisses_1.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Trois_r%C3%A9gions_suisses_1.png/440px-Trois_r%C3%A9gions_suisses_1.png 2x" data-file-width="1122" data-file-height="794" /></a><figcaption>The three main geographic regions: <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r981673959">.mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}</style><div class="legend"><span class="legend-color mw-no-invert" style="background-color:#3da40a; color:black;"> </span> <a href="/wiki/Jura_Mountains" title="Jura Mountains">Jura</a></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r981673959"><div class="legend"><span class="legend-color mw-no-invert" style="background-color:#f3f582; color:black;"> </span> <a href="/wiki/Swiss_Plateau" title="Swiss Plateau">Plateau</a></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r981673959"><div class="legend"><span class="legend-color mw-no-invert" style="background-color:#ba923d; color:black;"> </span> <a href="/wiki/Swiss_Alps" title="Swiss Alps">Alps</a></div></figcaption></figure> <p>Switzerland is divided in three main geographic regions: the <a href="/wiki/Swiss_Alps" title="Swiss Alps">Swiss Alps</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Swiss_Plateau" title="Swiss Plateau">Central Plateau</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Jura_Mountains" title="Jura Mountains">Jura</a>, each corresponding to very different geological realities. In addition, two small regions are not part of those three. The first, north of the <a href="/wiki/Rhine" title="Rhine">Rhine</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Basel" title="Basel">Basel</a> area, is situated beyond the Jura. The second, on the south in the <a href="/wiki/Mendrisio" title="Mendrisio">Mendrisio</a> area, is located in the <a href="/wiki/Po_Valley" title="Po Valley">Po Valley</a>. But these two territories are not extensive in comparison to the total area of the country. </p><p>The Swiss Alps occupy the southern part of Switzerland. They were formed by the thrust of the African plate, which also caused the formation of the Jura in the north-east and the plateau between the two massifs. In terms of area the Alps constitute about 60% of the country, the plateau 30% and the Jura 10%. </p><p>The rugged terrain of the Jura and the Alps are very sparsely populated, except for some large valleys such as the Valais. Most of the population lives on the plateau where the country's major cities such as <a href="/wiki/Geneva" title="Geneva">Geneva</a>, <a href="/wiki/Z%C3%BCrich" class="mw-redirect" title="Zürich">Zürich</a>, <a href="/wiki/Basel" title="Basel">Basel</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lucern" class="mw-redirect" title="Lucern">Lucern</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Bern" title="Bern">Bern</a> are located. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Central_Plateau">Central Plateau</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Central Plateau"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Swiss_Plateau" title="Swiss Plateau">Swiss Plateau</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:2011-04-17_Balonveturo_(Foto_Dietrich_Michael_Weidmann)_159.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/2011-04-17_Balonveturo_%28Foto_Dietrich_Michael_Weidmann%29_159.JPG/220px-2011-04-17_Balonveturo_%28Foto_Dietrich_Michael_Weidmann%29_159.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/2011-04-17_Balonveturo_%28Foto_Dietrich_Michael_Weidmann%29_159.JPG/330px-2011-04-17_Balonveturo_%28Foto_Dietrich_Michael_Weidmann%29_159.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/2011-04-17_Balonveturo_%28Foto_Dietrich_Michael_Weidmann%29_159.JPG/440px-2011-04-17_Balonveturo_%28Foto_Dietrich_Michael_Weidmann%29_159.JPG 2x" data-file-width="3872" data-file-height="2592" /></a><figcaption>Rolling hills of the <a href="/wiki/Emmental" title="Emmental">Emmental</a></figcaption></figure> <p>The Swiss Plateau extends from Lake Geneva on the French border across central Switzerland to Lake Constance on the German and Austrian borders. In the north and northwest, the Swiss Plateau is sharply delimited geographically and geologically by the Jura Mountains. In the south, there is no clear border with the Alps. Usually, the rising of the terrain to altitudes above 1500 metres, which is very abrupt in certain places, is taken as a criterion for delimitation. The plateau has an average altitude of 580 metres (1,900 ft).<sup id="cite_ref-Plateau_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Plateau-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Even though the Swiss Plateau forms a basin, it is by no means a flat territory and it is covered with rolling hills, lakes and rivers. Most of Switzerland's large lakes are located in the plateau. Both Lake Geneva (581.3 square kilometres (224.4 sq mi)) and Lake Constance (541.1 square kilometres (208.9 sq mi)) are located in the plateau but are shared with other countries. The largest lake totally in Switzerland, <a href="/wiki/Lake_Neuch%C3%A2tel" title="Lake Neuchâtel">Lake Neuchâtel</a> (218.3 square kilometres (84.3 sq mi)), is located in the Swiss Plateau. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Rhine_Falls2.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Rhine_Falls2.jpg/220px-Rhine_Falls2.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="160" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Rhine_Falls2.jpg/330px-Rhine_Falls2.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Rhine_Falls2.jpg/440px-Rhine_Falls2.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1979" data-file-height="1443" /></a><figcaption>The Rhine Falls (<a href="/wiki/German_language" title="German language">German</a>: <i lang="de">Rheinfall</i>) located near Schaffhausen is Europe's largest waterfall.</figcaption></figure> <p>The Swiss Plateau is crossed by three great river valleys (<a href="/wiki/Rh%C3%B4ne" title="Rhône">Rhône</a>, <a href="/wiki/Rhine" title="Rhine">Rhine</a> and <a href="/wiki/Aare" title="Aare">Aare</a>) and the smaller <a href="/wiki/Thur_(Rhine)" title="Thur (Rhine)">Thur</a> valley. While the <a href="/wiki/Source_(river_or_stream)" class="mw-redirect" title="Source (river or stream)">headwaters</a> of these four rivers all lie in the Alps, they all cut across the plateau between the Alps and the Jura mountains. Near <a href="/wiki/Schaffhausen" title="Schaffhausen">Schaffhausen</a> the Rhine passes through the <a href="/wiki/Rhine_Falls" title="Rhine Falls">Rhine Falls</a>, Europe's largest waterfall. The Rhine Falls are 150 metres (490 ft) wide and 25 metres (82 ft) high. </p><p>The plateau occupies about one third of the land area of Switzerland, and about two thirds of the population live in this area. The population density on the plateau averages about 450 people per km<sup>2</sup> (1,166 per square mile).<sup id="cite_ref-Plateau_7-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Plateau-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the regions around Lake Geneva, <a href="/wiki/Lake_Zurich" title="Lake Zurich">Lake Zurich</a> and other cities, the population density exceeds 1000 people per km<sup>2</sup>.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> As well as the majority of the population, the Swiss Plateau is also home to the majority of industry, manufacturing and farming in Switzerland. The farms are generally small and very organized. Most farms include small meadows alternating with fields with a variety of crops and small wooded areas. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Alps">Alps</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Alps"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Swiss_Alps" title="Swiss Alps">Swiss Alps</a></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Geography_of_the_Alps" title="Geography of the Alps">Geography of the Alps</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Finsteraarhorn_and_surrounding_mounts.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Finsteraarhorn_and_surrounding_mounts.jpg/220px-Finsteraarhorn_and_surrounding_mounts.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="150" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Finsteraarhorn_and_surrounding_mounts.jpg/330px-Finsteraarhorn_and_surrounding_mounts.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Finsteraarhorn_and_surrounding_mounts.jpg/440px-Finsteraarhorn_and_surrounding_mounts.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3108" data-file-height="2120" /></a><figcaption>Culminating at the <a href="/wiki/Finsteraarhorn" title="Finsteraarhorn">Finsteraarhorn</a>, the great northern range constitutes an important climatic barrier</figcaption></figure> <p>The Swiss Alps form part of a chain of mountains that stretch across southern Europe and isolate Northern Europe from the <a href="/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea" title="Mediterranean Sea">Mediterranean Sea</a>. Several important passes through the Alps are located in Switzerland, and control of the passes has been important throughout Switzerland's history. The Alps have an average altitude of 1,700 metres (5,600 ft)<sup id="cite_ref-Swiss_World_Geography_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Swiss_World_Geography-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and cover nearly two thirds of the total surface area. Within the Alps there are 48 mountains that are 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) or higher. </p><p>The Alps are the watershed of Western Europe. The Rhine, together with its tributaries the Aare and the Thur drain about two thirds of the water into the <a href="/wiki/North_Sea" title="North Sea">North Sea</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Rh%C3%B4ne" title="Rhône">Rhône</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Ticino_(river)" title="Ticino (river)">Ticino</a> drain about 18% of the water into the Mediterranean Sea. The <a href="/wiki/Inn_(river)" title="Inn (river)">Inn</a> which flows into the <a href="/wiki/Danube" title="Danube">Danube</a> outside of Switzerland drains about 4.4% of the water into the <a href="/wiki/Black_Sea" title="Black Sea">Black Sea</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Swiss Alps also contain many of Central Europe's <a href="/wiki/Glacier" title="Glacier">glaciers</a>. There are about 1,800 glaciers<sup id="cite_ref-Swiss_World_Geography_9-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Swiss_World_Geography-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> which cover 1,200 square kilometres (460 sq mi) of the total glaciated area of the Alps. <sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Grindelwald.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Grindelwald.jpg/220px-Grindelwald.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="126" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Grindelwald.jpg/330px-Grindelwald.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Grindelwald.jpg/440px-Grindelwald.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1004" data-file-height="576" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Bernese_Alps" title="Bernese Alps">Bernese Alps</a> in <a href="/wiki/Grindelwald" title="Grindelwald">Grindelwald</a></figcaption></figure> <p>The Alps are a popular tourist destination and are one of the most recognizable symbols of Switzerland. The tallest point in Switzerland, <a href="/wiki/Monte_Rosa" title="Monte Rosa">Monte Rosa</a> (4,634 metres (15,203 ft)) in <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Valais" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Valais">canton of Valais</a>, is located in the Alps as is tallest mountain wholly in Switzerland, the <a href="/wiki/Dom_(Mischabel)" class="mw-redirect" title="Dom (Mischabel)">Dom</a> (4,545 metres (14,911 ft)). One of the most recognizable symbols of Switzerland, the <a href="/wiki/Matterhorn" title="Matterhorn">Matterhorn</a>, is also located in the Alps. The Matterhorn (4,478 metres (14,692 ft)) is the seventh highest peak in the Swiss Alps and is the most photographed mountain in Switzerland. The tallest mountain in the northern outlier<sup id="cite_ref-EB_5-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-EB-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> or <a href="/wiki/Bernese_Alps" title="Bernese Alps">Bernese Alps</a> is the <a href="/wiki/Finsteraarhorn" title="Finsteraarhorn">Finsteraarhorn</a> (4,274 metres (14,022 ft)). </p><p>Switzerland encompasses a significant portion of the south side of the Alps. Most of it is constituted by the canton of Ticino, almost reaching the plains of the Po and including Switzerland's lowest point on Lake Maggiore (193 metres (633 ft)).<sup id="cite_ref-EB_5-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-EB-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Graub%C3%BCnden" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Graubünden">canton of Graubünden</a> is also partially located on the south side of the Alps with the four valleys of <a href="/wiki/Misox" class="mw-redirect" title="Misox">Misox</a>, <a href="/wiki/Val_Bregaglia" title="Val Bregaglia">Bregaglia</a>, <a href="/wiki/Val_Poschiavo" title="Val Poschiavo">Poschiavo</a> and <a href="/wiki/Val_M%C3%BCstair" title="Val Müstair">Müstair</a>. Finally, the <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Valais" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Valais">canton of Valais</a> comprises the upper <a href="/wiki/Diveria" title="Diveria">Diveria</a> valley, located south of the <a href="/wiki/Simplon_Pass" title="Simplon Pass">Simplon Pass</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Jura">Jura</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Jura"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Jura_Mountains" title="Jura Mountains">Jura Mountains</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Jura.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Jura.jpg/220px-Jura.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="149" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Jura.jpg/330px-Jura.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Jura.jpg/440px-Jura.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3010" data-file-height="2036" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Creux_du_Van" title="Creux du Van">Creux du Van</a> in <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Neuchatel" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Neuchatel">canton of Neuchatel</a> showing the limestone layers visible in the Jura Mountains</figcaption></figure> <p>The Jura is a <a href="/wiki/Limestone" title="Limestone">limestone</a> mountain range running from Lake Geneva to the Rhine river. This area makes up about 12% of Switzerland's land area. Located about 700 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level, this region is characterized by a limestone highland with deep river valleys. </p><p>The limestone rock in the Jura is a <a href="/wiki/Jurassic" title="Jurassic">Jurassic</a> period rock with numerous <a href="/wiki/Fossil" title="Fossil">fossils</a> and <a href="/wiki/Dinosaur" title="Dinosaur">dinosaur</a> tracks. The name Jurassic actually refers to the Jura region where these fossils were studied at the end of the 18th century.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Jura is considered one of the most important sites for dinosaur footprints in the world. In one area near the village of <a href="/wiki/Courtedoux" title="Courtedoux">Courtedoux</a>, over 13,000 footprints were discovered in between 2002 and 2011.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The range is being continually built up and decreasing in width by mountain building, accommodating the compression from alpine folding as the main <a href="/wiki/Orogenic" class="mw-redirect" title="Orogenic">Alpine orogenic</a> front moves roughly northwards. The deformation becomes less pervasive away from the younger, more active Alpine mountain building. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Lac_des_Brenets_2008.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Lac_des_Brenets_2008.jpg/220px-Lac_des_Brenets_2008.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Lac_des_Brenets_2008.jpg/330px-Lac_des_Brenets_2008.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Lac_des_Brenets_2008.jpg/440px-Lac_des_Brenets_2008.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3632" data-file-height="2430" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/Doubs_(river)" title="Doubs (river)">Doubs</a>, marking the border with France</figcaption></figure> <p>Structurally, the Jura consists of a sequence of folds, the formation of which is facilitated by an <a href="/wiki/Evaporite" title="Evaporite">evaporitic</a> <a href="/wiki/Decollement" class="mw-redirect" title="Decollement">decollement</a> layer. The box folds are still relatively young, evidenced by their defining the shape of the overlying <a href="/wiki/Landscape" title="Landscape">landscape</a> (meaning they have not existed long enough to experience <a href="/wiki/Erosion" title="Erosion">erosion</a>). The folds comprise three major (<a href="/wiki/Lithological" class="mw-redirect" title="Lithological">lithological</a> units) bands of building evidence dated roughly by <a href="/wiki/Era" title="Era">era</a>: the <a href="/wiki/Late_Jurassic" title="Late Jurassic">Malm</a>, <a href="/wiki/Middle_Jurassic" title="Middle Jurassic">Dogger</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Early_Jurassic" title="Early Jurassic">Lias</a> (part of the <a href="/wiki/Jurassic" title="Jurassic">Jurassic</a> <a href="/wiki/Geologic_period" class="mw-redirect" title="Geologic period">Geologic period</a>). Each era of folding represents effects on a previously shallow marine environment as evidenced by beds with particular <a href="/wiki/Calcite" title="Calcite">carbonate</a> sequences, containing abundant <a href="/wiki/Bioclast" title="Bioclast">bioclasts</a> and <a href="/wiki/Oolite" title="Oolite">oolitic</a> divisions between layers (called horizons). </p><p>The Jura Mountains rise in Swiss territory to a height of 1,679 metres (5,509 ft) at <a href="/wiki/Mont_Tendre" title="Mont Tendre">Mont Tendre</a>. Other high summits are <a href="/wiki/La_D%C3%B4le" title="La Dôle">La Dôle</a> (1,677 metres (5,502 ft)), the <a href="/wiki/Chasseron" class="mw-redirect" title="Chasseron">Chasseron</a> (1,607 metres (5,272 ft)) and the <a href="/wiki/Chasseral" title="Chasseral">Chasseral</a> (1,607 metres (5,272 ft)), all located in the western part of the range, in the cantons of <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Vaud" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Vaud">Vaud</a>, <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Neuch%C3%A2tel" title="Canton of Neuchâtel">Neuchâtel</a> and <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Bern" title="Canton of Bern">Bern</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Hydrology">Hydrology</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Hydrology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Hydrology_of_Switzerland" title="Hydrology of Switzerland">Hydrology of Switzerland</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Aletschgebiet_aus_dem_Flugzeug.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Aletschgebiet_aus_dem_Flugzeug.jpg/220px-Aletschgebiet_aus_dem_Flugzeug.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="168" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Aletschgebiet_aus_dem_Flugzeug.jpg/330px-Aletschgebiet_aus_dem_Flugzeug.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Aletschgebiet_aus_dem_Flugzeug.jpg/440px-Aletschgebiet_aus_dem_Flugzeug.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1004" data-file-height="768" /></a><figcaption>Many rivers, such as the <a href="/wiki/Aare" title="Aare">Aare</a>, take their source from the Alpine glaciers.</figcaption></figure> <p>Often referred to as the water tower of Europe, Switzerland has 6% of all freshwater reserves of the continent, while only accounting for 0.4% of its total area.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The country shares five river basins and some of the largest lakes in western Europe with its neighbours. It is the source of several major European rivers that ultimately flow into the <a href="/wiki/North_Sea" title="North Sea">North Sea</a> (<a href="/wiki/Rhine" title="Rhine">Rhine</a>), into the <a href="/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea" title="Mediterranean Sea">Mediterranean Sea</a> (<a href="/wiki/Rh%C3%B4ne" title="Rhône">Rhône</a>), into the <a href="/wiki/Black_Sea" title="Black Sea">Black Sea</a> (<a href="/wiki/Inn_(river)" title="Inn (river)">Inn</a>, through the <a href="/wiki/Danube" title="Danube">Danube</a>) and into the <a href="/wiki/Adriatic_Sea" title="Adriatic Sea">Adriatic Sea</a> (<a href="/wiki/Ticino_(river)" title="Ticino (river)">Ticino</a>, through the <a href="/wiki/Po_(river)" title="Po (river)">Po</a> and <a href="/wiki/Rom_(river)" title="Rom (river)">Rom</a> through the <a href="/wiki/Adige" title="Adige">Adige</a>). </p><p>Most of the great Swiss rivers, being in their origin mere mountain torrents, tend to overflow their banks. Much has been done to prevent this by embanking them, regaining arable land: the Rhine (between <a href="/wiki/Bad_Ragaz" title="Bad Ragaz">Bad Ragaz</a> and Lake Constance), the Rhône, the Aare, the Reuss and in particular the great works on the <a href="/wiki/Linth" title="Linth">Linth</a> (carried out 1807–1810 by <a href="/wiki/Hans_Conrad_Escher" class="mw-redirect" title="Hans Conrad Escher">Hans Conrad Escher</a>, earning him the surname of "Von der Linth") and the <a href="/wiki/Zihl" class="mw-redirect" title="Zihl">Zihl</a> near the lakes of <a href="/wiki/Lake_Neuch%C3%A2tel" title="Lake Neuchâtel">Neuchâtel</a> and <a href="/wiki/Lake_Biel" title="Lake Biel">Biel</a>, while the diversion of the <a href="/wiki/Kander_(Switzerland)" title="Kander (Switzerland)">Kander</a> from its junction with the Aare to a channel by which it flows into <a href="/wiki/Lake_Thun" title="Lake Thun">Lake Thun</a> was effected as early as 1714. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Kl%C3%B6ntal.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Kl%C3%B6ntal.jpg/220px-Kl%C3%B6ntal.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Kl%C3%B6ntal.jpg/330px-Kl%C3%B6ntal.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Kl%C3%B6ntal.jpg/440px-Kl%C3%B6ntal.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="768" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/Kl%C3%B6ntalersee" title="Klöntalersee">Klöntalersee</a>, one of the numerous Alpine lakes of Switzerland</figcaption></figure> <p>Switzerland has considerable reserves of groundwater and a large number of lakes, large and small, can be found in most areas. The two most extensive, those of <a href="/wiki/Lake_Geneva" title="Lake Geneva">Geneva</a> and of <a href="/wiki/Lake_Constance" title="Lake Constance">Constance</a>, balance each other, as it were, at the south-west and north-east corners of the land. But neither of these is wholly Swiss, this distinction being claimed by the next in size, that of <a href="/wiki/Lake_Neuch%C3%A2tel" title="Lake Neuchâtel">Neuchâtel</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lake_Maggiore" title="Lake Maggiore">Lake Maggiore</a> (partly Swiss only) coming next in the list, and being followed by the wholly Swiss lakes of <a href="/wiki/Lake_Lucerne" title="Lake Lucerne">Lucerne</a> and of <a href="/wiki/Lake_Zurich" title="Lake Zurich">Zurich</a>. Then come <a href="/wiki/Lake_Lugano" title="Lake Lugano">Lake Lugano</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lake_Thun" title="Lake Thun">Lake Thun</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lake_Biel" title="Lake Biel">Lake Biel</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lake_Zug" title="Lake Zug">Lake Zug</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lake_Brienz" title="Lake Brienz">Lake Brienz</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lake_Walenstadt" class="mw-redirect" title="Lake Walenstadt">Lake Walenstadt</a> and <a href="/wiki/Lake_Murten" class="mw-redirect" title="Lake Murten">Lake Murten</a>. These thirteen only are over 20 km<sup>2</sup> (7.7 sq mi) in extent. Ten of them are in the Rhine basin (also in that of the Aare), two (Maggiore and Lugano) in that of the Po, and one (Geneva) in that of the Rhône. There are no large lakes in the Swiss portion of the <a href="/wiki/Inn_(river)" title="Inn (river)">Inn</a> basin, the most extensive being that of <a href="/wiki/Lake_Sils" title="Lake Sils">Sils</a>. Smaller Alpine lakes such as the <a href="/wiki/Oeschinensee" class="mw-redirect" title="Oeschinensee">Oeschinensee</a> are innumerable, and often constitute popular tourist destination. Since the twentieth century a large number of dams have been built in the Alps and elsewhere, resulting in many artificial lakes. The largest are the <a href="/wiki/Sihlsee" title="Sihlsee">Sihlsee</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Lake_of_Gruy%C3%A8re" title="Lake of Gruyère">Lake of Gruyère</a> both approximately 10 km<sup>2</sup> (3.9 sq mi) in extent. Also notable is <a href="/wiki/Lac_des_Dix" class="mw-redirect" title="Lac des Dix">Lac des Dix</a>, withheld by the <a href="/wiki/Grande_Dixence" class="mw-redirect" title="Grande Dixence">Grande Dixence</a>, the tallest gravity dam in the world. </p><p>In total, lakes and reservoirs contain 50% of the stored water, glaciers 28%, groundwater 20% and rivers 2%.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-halign-center" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Chexbres_-_1_-_2048x712.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Chexbres_-_1_-_2048x712.jpg/600px-Chexbres_-_1_-_2048x712.jpg" decoding="async" width="600" height="209" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Chexbres_-_1_-_2048x712.jpg/900px-Chexbres_-_1_-_2048x712.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Chexbres_-_1_-_2048x712.jpg/1200px-Chexbres_-_1_-_2048x712.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2048" data-file-height="712" /></a><figcaption>View of <a href="/wiki/Lake_Geneva" title="Lake Geneva">Lake Geneva</a> from the vineyards between <a href="/wiki/Montreux" title="Montreux">Montreux</a> and <a href="/wiki/Lausanne" title="Lausanne">Lausanne</a></figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Climate">Climate</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Climate"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_CHE_present.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/Koppen-Geiger_Map_CHE_present.svg/300px-Koppen-Geiger_Map_CHE_present.svg.png" decoding="async" width="300" height="140" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/Koppen-Geiger_Map_CHE_present.svg/450px-Koppen-Geiger_Map_CHE_present.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/Koppen-Geiger_Map_CHE_present.svg/600px-Koppen-Geiger_Map_CHE_present.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1816" data-file-height="850" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification" title="Köppen climate classification">Köppen climate classification</a> types of Switzerland</figcaption></figure> <p>The geography of Switzerland encompasses a wide range of <a href="/wiki/Climate" title="Climate">climates</a>, from subtropical to perennial snow climate. However, the lowlands are part of the <a href="/wiki/Temperate_zone" class="mw-redirect" title="Temperate zone">temperate zone</a> and typically experience neither extreme temperatures nor extreme weather conditions. In the <a href="/wiki/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification" title="Köppen climate classification">Köppen climate classification</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Swiss_Plateau" title="Swiss Plateau">Swiss Plateau</a> and most low-elevation areas are at the transition between <a href="/wiki/Oceanic_climate" title="Oceanic climate">oceanic climate</a> (Cfb) and <a href="/wiki/Continental_climate" title="Continental climate">continental climate</a> (Dfb). As a consequence, all four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter) are well marked and present distinct weather conditions. At the same time, the influence of the nearby seas (especially the <a href="/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean" title="Atlantic Ocean">Atlantic Ocean</a>) tends to prevent extreme temperatures in summer and winter, with changeable, often overcast weather.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/Alps" title="Alps">Alps</a>, and in a minor way the <a href="/wiki/Jura_Mountains" title="Jura Mountains">Jura Mountains</a>, have a considerable impact on the Swiss climate. They influence it both on a horizontal level, by <a href="/wiki/Mountain_range#Climate" title="Mountain range">compartmentalizing</a> it into distinct areas, and on a vertical level, by <a href="/wiki/Altitudinal_zonation" title="Altitudinal zonation">stratificating</a> it into distinct layers. As a result, four other Köppen climate types are also found in Switzerland: <a href="/wiki/Humid_subtropical_climate" title="Humid subtropical climate">humid subtropical climate</a> (Cfa), <a href="/wiki/Subarctic_climate" title="Subarctic climate">subarctic climate</a> (Dfc), <a href="/wiki/Tundra_climate" title="Tundra climate">tundra climate</a> (ET) and <a href="/wiki/Ice_cap_climate" title="Ice cap climate">ice cap climate</a> (EF). </p><p>At lower altitudes, the weather is generally moderate. On the Plateau, freezing temperatures generally occur during December-early March<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> with an average temperature of 9 °C (48.2 °F) for elevations between 400–600 metres (1,312–1,969 ft). On the Plateau, the average <a href="/wiki/Precipitation_(meteorology)" class="mw-redirect" title="Precipitation (meteorology)">precipitation</a> is 1,000 millimetres (39 in) with a range of about 800–1,300 millimetres (31.5–51.2 in).<sup id="cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BFS_Environment-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Ticino, on the south side of the Alps, is usually 2–4 °C (3.6–7.2 °F) warmer, and wetter than the Plateau, with often different weather conditions, which are particularly noticeable when crossing the <a href="/wiki/Gotthard_Base_Tunnel#Description" title="Gotthard Base Tunnel">Gotthard</a> or other major tunnels through the Alps. </p><p>Horizontally, the low-elevation regions having a distinct climate are essentially the Plateau (north of the Alps), southern Switzerland (south of the Alps) and the inner valleys (neither really north of south of the Alps but well within them). To those can be added the northerly regions of <a href="/wiki/Ajoie" title="Ajoie">Ajoie</a>, both cantons of Basel (<a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Basel-City" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Basel-City">canton of Basel-City</a> and <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Basel-Country" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Basel-Country">canton of Basel-Country</a>) and <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Schaffhausen" title="Canton of Schaffhausen">canton of Schaffhausen</a> (well beyond the Jura Mountains), which are comparable to the Plateau. In those regions, the lowest averages temperatures can be found on the Plateau (<a href="/wiki/Bern" title="Bern">Bern</a>: 8.8 °C (47.8 °F)) or north of the Jura Mountains (<a href="/wiki/Fahy" title="Fahy">Fahy</a>: 8.9 °C (48.0 °F)). On the other hand, the highest average temperatures are found south of the Alps (<a href="/wiki/Locarno" title="Locarno">Locarno</a>: 12.4 °C (54.3 °F), <a href="/wiki/Lugano" title="Lugano">Lugano</a>: 12.4 °C (54.3 °F)), which are partially subtropical. The precipitation levels are also deeply affected by the Alps, with the highest rainfalls being experienced south of the Alps (Locarno: 1,897 millimetres (74.7 in), <a href="/wiki/Lugano" title="Lugano">Lugano</a>: 1,559 millimetres (61.4 in)). In general, the proximity to the Alpine foothills increases the precipitations (<a href="/wiki/Interlaken" title="Interlaken">Interlaken</a> 1,196 millimetres (47.1 in)), <a href="/wiki/Lucerne" title="Lucerne">Lucerne</a>: 1,173 millimetres (46.2 in)), while places further away from the Alps experience less precipitation (<a href="/wiki/Basel" title="Basel">Basel</a>: 842 millimetres (33.1 in)). The driest regions of the country are, however, deep within the Alps (the inner valleys), particularly in Valais (<a href="/wiki/Sion,_Switzerland" title="Sion, Switzerland">Sion</a>: 603 millimetres (23.7 in)), which is often described as "semi-arid",<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> but also in <a href="/wiki/Graub%C3%BCnden" class="mw-redirect" title="Graubünden">Graubünden</a> (<a href="/wiki/Chur" title="Chur">Chur</a>: 849 millimetres (33.4 in)). Precipitation levels do not always negatively correlate with sunshine hours. While Locarno is one of the wettest low-elevation locations in the country, it is also the one with the most sunshine hours (2,171). In comparison, the drier locations on the Plateau experience much less sunshine hours (<a href="/wiki/Lucerne" title="Lucerne">Lucerne</a>: 1,570, <a href="/wiki/Z%C3%BCrich" class="mw-redirect" title="Zürich">Zürich</a>: 1,544). Being sheltered by the mountains, the regions well within the Alps also naturally experience more sunshine hours than the north side of the Alps (Sion: 2,093, Chur: 1,692). </p><p>The widest range of climates in Switzerland is spread vertically. As the elevation above sea-level ranges from 193 to 4,634 metres (633 to 15,203 ft), many <a href="/wiki/Ecosystems" class="mw-redirect" title="Ecosystems">ecosystems</a> are naturally found, from the regions of olives, vines, oaks and beeches, pines and firs, to those of the high mountain pastures, rhododendrons, and of eternal snow. In general, rainfall increase with elevation, while temperature decrease with it. Just above the plains and the foothills zone, at roughly 800 metres (3,000 ft), is the <a href="/wiki/Montane_ecosystems" title="Montane ecosystems">montane zone</a>, which still encompasses numerous inhabited regions of the Alps and Jura Mountains. In the montane zone, which comprehends a large diversity of ecosystems, coniferous trees and snowfall progressively replace deciduous tree and rainfall. At roughly 2,000 metres (7,000 ft) is the <a href="/wiki/Tree_line" title="Tree line">tree line</a>, which marks the beginning of the <a href="/wiki/Alpine_zone" class="mw-redirect" title="Alpine zone">Alpine zone</a>. The latter marks the end of the inhabited regions as well, with a few exceptions, such as <a href="/wiki/Juf" title="Juf">Juf</a>. The final layer lies above 3,000 metres (10,000 ft). It is the snow zone (<a href="/wiki/Ice_cap_climate" title="Ice cap climate">ice cap climate</a>). It only concerns the high Alps, notably the <a href="/wiki/Bernese_Alps" title="Bernese Alps">Bernese Alps</a> and <a href="/wiki/Pennine_Alps" title="Pennine Alps">Pennine Alps</a>. The coldest meteorological station is at the <a href="/wiki/Jungfraujoch" title="Jungfraujoch">Jungfraujoch</a>, and overlook one of Europe's largest glaciers. The Jura and Alpine foothills have more precipitation than the plains, with an average of 1,200–1,600 millimetres (47.2–63.0 in), while the high Alps may have over 3,000 millimetres (118.1 in). </p><p>While the highest temperature ever recorded in Switzerland was 41.5 °C (106.7 °F) in August 2003 in <a href="/wiki/Grono,_Switzerland" title="Grono, Switzerland">Grono</a>, the lowest officially recorded was −41.8 °C (−43.2 °F) in January 1987 in <a href="/wiki/La_Br%C3%A9vine" title="La Brévine">La Brévine</a>. Lower temperatures have also been registered, independently from the <a href="/wiki/MeteoSwiss" title="MeteoSwiss">Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology</a>, for instance at <a href="/wiki/Glattalpsee" title="Glattalpsee">Glattalpsee</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <table class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;"> <caption><b>Climatic diversity</b> (period between 1981 and 2010)<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </caption> <tbody><tr> <th scope="col" style="width: 150px;">Place </th> <th>Altitude of meteorological station (m) </th> <th>Average rainfall (mm per year) </th> <th>Average sunshine in August (%) </th> <th>Average sunshine in December (%) </th> <th>Average maximum temperature in July (°C) </th> <th>Average minimum temperature in January (°C) </th> <th>Illustration </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Jungfraujoch" title="Jungfraujoch">Jungfraujoch</a> <br /> (Alps) </td> <td align="right">3571 </td> <td align="right">>3000<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td> <td align="center">49 </td> <td align="center">48 </td> <td align="right">+3.1 </td> <td align="right">-15.7 </td> <td><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Sphinx_et_Jungfrau_-_img_06980.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="The Sphinx and the Jungfraujoch. Note the prevalence of ice and snow and the absence of vegetation."><img alt="The Sphinx and the Jungfraujoch. Note the prevalence of ice and snow and the absence of vegetation." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Sphinx_et_Jungfrau_-_img_06980.jpg/120px-Sphinx_et_Jungfrau_-_img_06980.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="80" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Sphinx_et_Jungfrau_-_img_06980.jpg/180px-Sphinx_et_Jungfrau_-_img_06980.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Sphinx_et_Jungfrau_-_img_06980.jpg/240px-Sphinx_et_Jungfrau_-_img_06980.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2496" data-file-height="1664" /></a></span> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/S%C3%A4ntis" title="Säntis">Säntis</a> <br /> (Alps) </td> <td align="right">2501 </td> <td align="right">2837 </td> <td align="center">40 </td> <td align="center">44 </td> <td align="right">+8.8 </td> <td align="right">-9.6 </td> <td><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Imposanter_S%C3%A4ntis.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Below the summit of Säntis. Note the almost barren landscape with some patches of tundra and snow."><img alt="Below the summit of Säntis. Note the almost barren landscape with some patches of tundra and snow." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Imposanter_S%C3%A4ntis.jpg/120px-Imposanter_S%C3%A4ntis.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="80" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Imposanter_S%C3%A4ntis.jpg/180px-Imposanter_S%C3%A4ntis.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Imposanter_S%C3%A4ntis.jpg/240px-Imposanter_S%C3%A4ntis.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3456" data-file-height="2304" /></a></span> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Arosa" title="Arosa">Arosa</a> <br /> (Alps) </td> <td align="right">1878 </td> <td align="right">1365 </td> <td align="center">51 </td> <td align="center">48 </td> <td align="right">+15.4 </td> <td align="right">-7.0 </td> <td><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Arosa_Untersee.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Untersee in Arosa. Note the prevalence of coniferous forests and the presence of dwarf trees, indicating the proximity of the tree line."><img alt="Untersee in Arosa. Note the prevalence of coniferous forests and the presence of dwarf trees, indicating the proximity of the tree line." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Arosa_Untersee.jpg/120px-Arosa_Untersee.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="80" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Arosa_Untersee.jpg/180px-Arosa_Untersee.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Arosa_Untersee.jpg/240px-Arosa_Untersee.jpg 2x" data-file-width="6000" data-file-height="4000" /></a></span> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/La_Chaux-de-Fonds" title="La Chaux-de-Fonds">La Chaux-de-Fonds</a> <br /> (Jura Mountains) </td> <td align="right">1017 </td> <td align="right">1441 </td> <td align="center">50 </td> <td align="center">35 </td> <td align="right">+20.7 </td> <td align="right">-6.0 </td> <td><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:MaisonBlanche.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Maison Blanche in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Note the mixed coniferous-deciduous forest in background."><img alt="Maison Blanche in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Note the mixed coniferous-deciduous forest in background." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/MaisonBlanche.jpg/120px-MaisonBlanche.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="75" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/MaisonBlanche.jpg/180px-MaisonBlanche.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/MaisonBlanche.jpg/240px-MaisonBlanche.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3857" data-file-height="2410" /></a></span> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Bern" title="Bern">Bern</a> <br /> (Swiss Plateau) </td> <td align="right">553 </td> <td align="right">1059 </td> <td align="center">54 </td> <td align="center">20 </td> <td align="right">+24.3 </td> <td align="right">-3.6 </td> <td><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Bern_007_(35250800705).jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Aare river in Bern. Note the prevalence of deciduous trees."><img alt="Aare river in Bern. Note the prevalence of deciduous trees." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Bern_007_%2835250800705%29.jpg/120px-Bern_007_%2835250800705%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="90" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Bern_007_%2835250800705%29.jpg/180px-Bern_007_%2835250800705%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Bern_007_%2835250800705%29.jpg/240px-Bern_007_%2835250800705%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3992" data-file-height="2992" /></a></span> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Sion,_Switzerland" title="Sion, Switzerland">Sion</a> <br /> (Inner valleys) </td> <td align="right">482 </td> <td align="right">603 </td> <td align="center">64 </td> <td align="center">50 </td> <td align="right">+27.0 </td> <td align="right">-3.6 </td> <td><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Val%C3%A8re_castle_in_Sion,_Switzerland,_Photo_by_Giles_Laurent.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Valère Basilica hill in Sion. Note the prevalence of steppic vegetation in the foreground and vineyards in the background."><img alt="Valère Basilica hill in Sion. Note the prevalence of steppic vegetation in the foreground and vineyards in the background." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Val%C3%A8re_castle_in_Sion%2C_Switzerland%2C_Photo_by_Giles_Laurent.jpg/120px-Val%C3%A8re_castle_in_Sion%2C_Switzerland%2C_Photo_by_Giles_Laurent.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="68" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Val%C3%A8re_castle_in_Sion%2C_Switzerland%2C_Photo_by_Giles_Laurent.jpg/180px-Val%C3%A8re_castle_in_Sion%2C_Switzerland%2C_Photo_by_Giles_Laurent.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Val%C3%A8re_castle_in_Sion%2C_Switzerland%2C_Photo_by_Giles_Laurent.jpg/240px-Val%C3%A8re_castle_in_Sion%2C_Switzerland%2C_Photo_by_Giles_Laurent.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3840" data-file-height="2160" /></a></span> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Locarno" title="Locarno">Locarno</a> <br /> (Southern Switzerland) </td> <td align="right">367 </td> <td align="right">1897 </td> <td align="center">62 </td> <td align="center">57 </td> <td align="right">+27.1 </td> <td align="right">+0.8 </td> <td><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Locarno_from_Monti_Trinita.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Locarno from Monti Trinità. Note the presence of palm trees in the foreground and the brown mountains in the background, showing the prevalence of deciduous trees (before foliation) at even high elevations."><img alt="Locarno from Monti Trinità. Note the presence of palm trees in the foreground and the brown mountains in the background, showing the prevalence of deciduous trees (before foliation) at even high elevations." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Locarno_from_Monti_Trinita.jpg/120px-Locarno_from_Monti_Trinita.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="91" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Locarno_from_Monti_Trinita.jpg/180px-Locarno_from_Monti_Trinita.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Locarno_from_Monti_Trinita.jpg/240px-Locarno_from_Monti_Trinita.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4301" data-file-height="3260" /></a></span> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Political_divisions_and_greater_regions">Political divisions and greater regions</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Political divisions and greater regions"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Subdivisions_of_Switzerland" title="Subdivisions of Switzerland">Subdivisions of Switzerland</a></div> <p>As a federal state, Switzerland is composed of <a href="/wiki/Cantons_of_Switzerland" title="Cantons of Switzerland">26 cantons</a>, which are further divided into <a href="/wiki/Districts_of_Switzerland" title="Districts of Switzerland">districts</a> and <a href="/wiki/Municipalities_of_Switzerland" title="Municipalities of Switzerland">municipalities</a>. Each canton was a fully <a href="/wiki/Sovereignty" title="Sovereignty">sovereign</a> state<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> with its own borders, army and currency from the <a href="/wiki/Treaty_of_Westphalia" class="mw-redirect" title="Treaty of Westphalia">Treaty of Westphalia</a> (1648) until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848. There are considerable differences between the individual cantons, most particularly in terms of population and geographical area; hence seven larger and more homogeneous regions have been defined. They do not, however, constitute administrative units and are mostly used for statistical and economic purposes.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <table style="float: left; border: 0px; margin: 2.6em 0 0 0;"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Karte_Grossregionen_der_Schweiz_2011.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Karte_Grossregionen_der_Schweiz_2011.png/350px-Karte_Grossregionen_der_Schweiz_2011.png" decoding="async" width="350" height="241" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Karte_Grossregionen_der_Schweiz_2011.png/525px-Karte_Grossregionen_der_Schweiz_2011.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Karte_Grossregionen_der_Schweiz_2011.png/700px-Karte_Grossregionen_der_Schweiz_2011.png 2x" data-file-width="4133" data-file-height="2848" /></a></span> </td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <th>Regions </th> <th>Cantons of </th> <th>Regions </th> <th>Cantons of </th></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="3" style="background: #d9d4e9;"><div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;"><a href="/wiki/Northwestern_Switzerland" title="Northwestern Switzerland">Northwestern<br />Switzerland</a></div> </td> <td style="background: #d9d4e9;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Aargau" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Aargau">Aargau</a> </td> <td rowspan="6" style="background: #f5c491;"><div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;"><a href="/wiki/Central_Switzerland" title="Central Switzerland">Central<br />Switzerland</a></div> </td> <td style="background: #f5c491;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Lucerne" title="Canton of Lucerne">Lucerne</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background: #d9d4e9;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Basel-Landschaft" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Basel-Landschaft">Basel-Landschaft</a> </td> <td style="background: #f5c491;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Nidwalden" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Nidwalden">Nidwalden</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background: #d9d4e9;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Basel-Stadt" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Basel-Stadt">Basel-Stadt</a> </td> <td style="background: #f5c491;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Obwalden" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Obwalden">Obwalden</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="5" style="background: #d9e979;"><div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;"><a href="/wiki/Espace_Mittelland" title="Espace Mittelland">Espace<br />Mittelland</a></div> </td> <td style="background: #d9e979;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Bern" title="Canton of Bern">Bern</a> </td> <td style="background: #f5c491;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Schwyz" title="Canton of Schwyz">Schwyz</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background: #d9e979;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Fribourg" title="Canton of Fribourg">Fribourg</a> </td> <td style="background: #f5c491;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Uri" title="Canton of Uri">Uri</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background: #d9e979;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Jura" title="Canton of Jura">Jura</a> </td> <td style="background: #f5c491;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Zug" title="Canton of Zug">Zug</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background: #d9e979;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Neuch%C3%A2tel" title="Canton of Neuchâtel">Neuchâtel</a> </td> <td rowspan="7" style="background: #fffcc8;"><div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;"><a href="/wiki/Eastern_Switzerland" title="Eastern Switzerland">Eastern<br />Switzerland</a></div> </td> <td style="background: #fffcc8;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Appenzell_Ausserrhoden" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden">Appenzell Ausserrhoden</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background: #d9e979;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Solothurn" title="Canton of Solothurn">Solothurn</a> </td> <td style="background: #fffcc8;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Appenzell_Innerrhoden" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden">Appenzell Innerrhoden</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td rowspan="3" style="background: #b6ddc7;"><div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;"><a href="/wiki/Lake_Geneva_region" title="Lake Geneva region">Lake Geneva</a></div> </td> <td style="background: #b6ddc7;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Geneva" title="Canton of Geneva">Geneva</a> </td> <td style="background: #fffcc8;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Glarus" title="Canton of Glarus">Glarus</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background: #b6ddc7;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Valais" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Valais">Valais</a> </td> <td style="background: #fffcc8;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Grisons" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Grisons">Graubünden</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background: #b6ddc7;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Vaud" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Vaud">Vaud</a> </td> <td style="background: #fffcc8;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Schaffhausen" title="Canton of Schaffhausen">Schaffhausen</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background: #f8c6db;"><div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Z%C3%BCrich" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Zürich">Zürich</a></div> </td> <td style="background: #f8c6db;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Z%C3%BCrich" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Zürich">Zürich</a> </td> <td style="background: #fffcc8;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_St._Gallen" title="Canton of St. Gallen">St. Gallen</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background: #ee9a85;"><div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;"><a href="/wiki/Ticino" title="Ticino">Ticino</a></div> </td> <td style="background: #ee9a85;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Ticino" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Ticino">Ticino</a> </td> <td style="background: #fffcc8;"><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Thurgau" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Thurgau">Thurgau</a> </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Land_use">Land use</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Land use"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="280" style="float:right; border:1px solid gray; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:80%; margin:0 0.5em 1em;"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="4"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Re_482_mit_Containerzug_bei_Oberr%C3%BCti.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Countryside in Aargau"><img alt="Countryside in Aargau" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Re_482_mit_Containerzug_bei_Oberr%C3%BCti.jpg/280px-Re_482_mit_Containerzug_bei_Oberr%C3%BCti.jpg" decoding="async" width="280" height="176" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Re_482_mit_Containerzug_bei_Oberr%C3%BCti.jpg/420px-Re_482_mit_Containerzug_bei_Oberr%C3%BCti.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Re_482_mit_Containerzug_bei_Oberr%C3%BCti.jpg/560px-Re_482_mit_Containerzug_bei_Oberr%C3%BCti.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3200" data-file-height="2013" /></a></span> </td></tr> <tr> <th align="center" bgcolor="lightblue" colspan="4"><big><b>Land use</b></big> <br /> <small>Source: <a href="/wiki/Federal_Statistical_Office_(Switzerland)" title="Federal Statistical Office (Switzerland)">FSO</a> (1992–1997)</small><sup id="cite_ref-bfsluse_25-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bfsluse-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </th></tr> <tr> <th scope="col">Main areas </th> <th scope="col">Surface <br />(in %) </th> <th scope="col">Land use </th> <th scope="col">Surface <br />(in <a href="/wiki/Hectare" title="Hectare">ha</a>) </th></tr> <tr> <th scope="row" rowspan="5"><b>Surfaces of housing and infrastructure</b></th> <th rowspan="5" align="right"><div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;">6.8</div> </th> <td>Building areas</td> <td align="right">137,564 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Industrial areas</td> <td align="right">20,233 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Special infrastructure areas</td> <td align="right">16,111 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Green spaces and recreation areas</td> <td align="right">15,860 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Transportation areas</td> <td align="right">89,329 </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row" rowspan="3"><b>Agricultural land</b></th> <th rowspan="3" align="right"><div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;">36.9</div> </th> <td>Orchards, vineyards, horticulture</td> <td align="right">60,956 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Arable land, local pastures</td> <td align="right">926,378 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Alpine pastures</td> <td align="right">537,802 </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row" rowspan="3"><b>Forests</b></th> <th rowspan="3" align="right"><div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;">30.8</div> </th> <td>Forest</td> <td align="right">1,102,160 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Scrub forests</td> <td align="right">60,514 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Other woodlands</td> <td align="right">108,978 </td></tr> <tr> <th scope="row" rowspan="4"><b>Unproductive areas</b></th> <th rowspan="4" align="right"><div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;">25.5</div> </th> <td>Lakes</td> <td align="right">142,234 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Rivers</td> <td align="right">31,724 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Unproductive vegetation</td> <td align="right">263,051 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Unvegetated surfaces</td> <td align="right">615,597 </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The Swiss territory is divided into four major types of <a href="/wiki/Land_use" title="Land use">land use</a>. As of 2001<sup class="plainlinks noexcerpt noprint asof-tag update" style="display:none;"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit">[update]</a></sup>, 36.9%<sup id="cite_ref-BFS_26-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BFS-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> of the land in Switzerland was used for farming. 30.8% of the country is covered with forests and woodlands,<sup id="cite_ref-BFS_26-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BFS-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> with an additional 6.8% covered with houses or buildings.<sup id="cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BFS_Environment-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> About one-fourth (25.5%) of the country is either mountains, lakes or rivers and is categorised as unproductive.<sup id="cite_ref-bfsluse_25-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bfsluse-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Surfaces_of_housing_and_infrastructure">Surfaces of housing and infrastructure</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Surfaces of housing and infrastructure"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The habitat is mainly developed in the Swiss Plateau and the northern slopes of the Alps, near lakes and along major rivers. It occupies 14.6% of the Plateau, the Jura (7.4%), the southern (4.3%) and the northern Alps (4%), and finally the western central Alps (2.9%) and Eastern Alps (1.6%). </p><p>Habitat areas and infrastructure grow around the urban areas but also in the countryside, at the expense of agricultural land. This growth (called <i><a href="/wiki/Suburbanization" title="Suburbanization">suburbanization</a></i>) is particularly pronounced along the main transport routes such as motorways and railways. New roads lead to a significant increase in construction activity in the affected regions. Many people who work in the city prefer to live in the countryside to take advantage of cheaper land and better quality of life. This is also reflected in the construction statistics: single-family homes arise mainly in rural areas, multi-family homes in the cities. Household structures are also evolving and tend to become smaller. In twelve years, the area devoted to housing increased by 25% while the increase of the population was only 9%. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Farmland">Farmland</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Farmland"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Agriculture_in_Switzerland" title="Agriculture in Switzerland">Agriculture in Switzerland</a></div> <p>Although it is declining, agriculture represents the most important use of the territory in Switzerland. Farmlands dominates the Plateau, occupying just over half of the area. The situation is similar in the Jura (44%), on the northern slopes of the Alps (38.2%) and in the eastern Central Alps (31.4%). In the mountainous regions of the western Central Alps (Valais) and in the south, the agricultural areas (mostly pastures) are proportionately lower. </p><p>In 1993 it was estimated that 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi) (or about 0.6%) of the entire country was irrigated<sup id="cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CIA_Factbook-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> meaning that most Swiss farms receive enough rainfall to grow. </p><p>The protection of forested areas led to numerous conflicts of interests around the farmland, especially on the Plateau and near urban areas where the habitat area development and infrastructure tend to reduce the amount of arable land. Conversely, the number of farms in the mountains tend to decrease, many areas are left for the benefit of woodlands to the detriment of landscape diversity. This decline is particularly marked in Valais and Ticino. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Forests">Forests</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Forests"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Forests_of_Switzerland" title="Forests of Switzerland">Forests of Switzerland</a></div> <p>Forests cover less than a third of the territory, but the area is increasing year by year. The <a href="/wiki/Reforestation" title="Reforestation">reforestation</a> is essentially natural, mainly in the Alps where the forest areas reoccupy those abandoned by farmers. <a href="/wiki/Afforestation" title="Afforestation">Afforestation</a> contributes 13% to reforestation, and is conducted for compensation following a clearance or to provide protection against natural hazards in the mountainous areas (avalanches, landslides). Forests are more predominant in the Jura and in the southern Alps, occupying respectively 47.7% and 47.2% of the soil in these regions. On the northern slopes of the Alps, Alpine forest occupy 33.2% and on the Plateau 24.6%. It is in the Central Alps that forest areas occupy less floor with about 22% coverage. </p><p>Switzerland is home to mixed maple-ash forests of fertile and deep earth that collects at the base of slopes. They replace the moist oak-hornbeam forests in areas with higher rainfall. This type of forest has been called "one of the most productive in Switzerland" and the tree growth has been described as "aggressive". It takes one third of the time for trees to reach the same height as it would in a mull-beech forest and within 100 years trees in maple-ash forests can reach a height of 35m, though the quality of wood will not be as high. The rich undergrowth of these forests is dominated by the <i><a href="/wiki/Allium_ursinum" title="Allium ursinum">allium ursinum</a></i> (wild garlic) common throughout Western Europe.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Unproductive_areas">Unproductive areas</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Unproductive areas"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The unproductive areas correspond to all areas occupied by rocks, boulders, ice, snow fields and unproductive vegetation beyond the limits of forests. Lakes, rivers and wetlands are also unproductive areas. Occupying 25.5% of Swiss soil, these surfaces are in very slight decline (-0.1% over 10 years). They are predominant in the Central Alps (half of the soil), on the contrary they only cover 10% of the surface of the plateau and 1% of the Swiss Jura. The uncultivated mountain areas are exploited by the tourism and the production of <a href="/wiki/Hydroelectricity" title="Hydroelectricity">hydroelectricity</a>. Climatic conditions strongly affect the landscape of these areas: water <a href="/wiki/Seepage" class="mw-redirect" title="Seepage">seepage</a>, <a href="/wiki/Landslides" class="mw-redirect" title="Landslides">landslides</a>, <a href="/wiki/Avalanche" title="Avalanche">avalanches</a>, <a href="/wiki/Torrent_(stream)" class="mw-redirect" title="Torrent (stream)">torrents</a> in spate. Man intervenes on 0.2% of this surface area to create infrastructure protecting against floods or avalanches. The channels of communication, with many works of art occupy a portion of these surfaces. </p><p>In the plains, lakes and streams near areas of habitat are used for recreation and relaxation. Habitats, damp or dry, and nature reserves are managed and these areas contribute to maintain <a href="/wiki/Biodiversity" title="Biodiversity">biodiversity</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Population">Population</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Population"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Demographics_of_Switzerland" title="Demographics of Switzerland">Demographics of Switzerland</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:CH-population-density-2007.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/CH-population-density-2007.png/220px-CH-population-density-2007.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="142" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/CH-population-density-2007.png/330px-CH-population-density-2007.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/CH-population-density-2007.png/440px-CH-population-density-2007.png 2x" data-file-width="3944" data-file-height="2552" /></a><figcaption>Density of population by municipality (2007)</figcaption></figure> <p>The population of Switzerland is heavily urbanised. In 2009, 74% of the 7,785,800 inhabitants lived in urban areas. The distribution of population is shaped by the topography of the country, the plateau being the most populous area and including the major cities of Switzerland. With a population density of 450 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>, it is one of the most densely populated region in Europe. There are large disparities of population densities between the cantons lying in the plateau and those lying in the Alps. Thus, the population densities of the cantons of <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Lucerne" title="Canton of Lucerne">Lucerne</a>, <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Solothurn" title="Canton of Solothurn">Solothurn</a> and <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Z%C3%BCrich" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Zürich">Zürich</a> are respectively 261.0, 319.7 and 813.6 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>. On the other hand, the cantons of <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Uri" title="Canton of Uri">Uri</a> and <a href="/wiki/Graub%C3%BCnden" class="mw-redirect" title="Graubünden">Graubünden</a> have very low population densities, respectively 33.4 and 27.0 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>. In the southern Alps, the <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Ticino" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Ticino">canton of Ticino</a> also has a population density less than the national average, with 122.5 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup> (against 194.7).<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Environment">Environment</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Environment"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Environmental_movement_in_Switzerland" title="Environmental movement in Switzerland">Environmental movement in Switzerland</a> and <a href="/wiki/Health_in_Switzerland#Environmental_issues_related_to_health" title="Health in Switzerland">Health in Switzerland § Environmental issues related to health</a></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Gletscherschmelze.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Gletscherschmelze.jpg/300px-Gletscherschmelze.jpg" decoding="async" width="300" height="152" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Gletscherschmelze.jpg/450px-Gletscherschmelze.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Gletscherschmelze.jpg/600px-Gletscherschmelze.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="519" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/Retreat_of_glaciers_since_1850" title="Retreat of glaciers since 1850">retreat</a> of <a href="/wiki/Aletsch_Glacier" title="Aletsch Glacier">Aletsch Glacier</a> (situation in 1979, 1991 and 2002), due to <a href="/wiki/Global_warming" class="mw-redirect" title="Global warming">global warming</a></figcaption></figure> <p>With the delicate alpine and glacial environments making up a significant portion of the country and providing a major industry, Switzerland has been concerned with environmental issues. Some of the main issues are listed below. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Air">Air</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Air"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The main environmental issues in Switzerland's air is <a href="/wiki/Air_pollution" title="Air pollution">air pollution</a> from vehicle emissions and open-air burning as well as <a href="/wiki/Acid_rain" title="Acid rain">acid rain</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CIA_Factbook-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 2004, the average amount of <a href="/wiki/Carbon_dioxide" title="Carbon dioxide">carbon dioxide</a> (CO<sub>2</sub>) emissions per resident was 6 <a href="/wiki/Tonne" title="Tonne">tonnes</a> (6.6 <a href="/wiki/Short_ton" title="Short ton">short tons</a>; 5.9 <a href="/wiki/Long_ton" title="Long ton">long tons</a>)<sup id="cite_ref-BFS_26-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BFS-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and in 2005 was 6.2 tonnes (6.8 short tons; 6.1 long tons).<sup id="cite_ref-MDG_29-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-MDG-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> With these numbers, Switzerland is 31st to 33rd among the 45 nations listed by United Nations <a href="/wiki/Millennium_Development_Goals" title="Millennium Development Goals">Millennium Development Goals</a> Indicators as <a href="/wiki/Developed_nation" class="mw-redirect" title="Developed nation">developed nations</a> and 69th worldwide.<sup id="cite_ref-MDG_29-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-MDG-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 2009 Switzerland announced that they expected by 2010 to reduce their total greenhouse gas emissions by 8% to 10% over emissions in 1990.<sup id="cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BFS_Environment-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The population (as of 2005<sup class="plainlinks noexcerpt noprint asof-tag update" style="display:none;"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit">[update]</a></sup>) uses 3.76 <a href="/wiki/Tonne_of_oil_equivalent" title="Tonne of oil equivalent">tonnes of oil equivalent</a> per person per year, of which 43.7% comes from <a href="/wiki/Petroleum" title="Petroleum">petroleum</a> and 19% from <a href="/wiki/Nuclear_power" title="Nuclear power">nuclear power</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-BFS_26-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BFS-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Water">Water</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: Water"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The major water issue in Switzerland is <a href="/wiki/Water_pollution" title="Water pollution">water pollution</a> from the increased use of agricultural fertilizers as well as <a href="/wiki/Hydrocarbon" title="Hydrocarbon">hydrocarbon</a> pollution from transport and industry.<sup id="cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CIA_Factbook-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> While improvements have been made, there are still issues with <a href="/wiki/Eutrophication" title="Eutrophication">eutrophication</a> (an increase in nitrogen and phosphates) in many lakes in the Swiss Plateau.<sup id="cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BFS_Environment-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The total renewable <a href="/wiki/Water_resources" title="Water resources">water resources</a> of Switzerland, as of 2005<sup class="plainlinks noexcerpt noprint asof-tag update" style="display:none;"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit">[update]</a></sup>, totals 53.3 km<sup>3</sup> (1.17<span style="margin:0 .15em 0 .25em">×</span>10<sup>13</sup> imp gal; 1.41<span style="margin:0 .15em 0 .25em">×</span>10<sup>13</sup> US gal),<sup id="cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CIA_Factbook-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> of which the total <a href="/wiki/Freshwater" class="mw-redirect" title="Freshwater">freshwater</a> withdrawal is 2.5 km<sup>3</sup> (5.5<span style="margin:0 .15em 0 .25em">×</span>10<sup>11</sup> imp gal; 6.6<span style="margin:0 .15em 0 .25em">×</span>10<sup>11</sup> US gal) per year. This breaks down to a <i><a href="/wiki/Per_capita" title="Per capita">per capita</a></i> freshwater withdrawal of 348 m<sup>3</sup> (77,000 imp gal; 92,000 US gal) per year. Of that water (as of 2002<sup class="plainlinks noexcerpt noprint asof-tag update" style="display:none;"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit">[update]</a></sup>), 24% is used in households, 74% in industry and only 2% is used for agriculture.<sup id="cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CIA_Factbook-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In Switzerland, there are officially 38,000 polluted sites, 4,000 of which represent a real threat to <a href="/wiki/Groundwater" title="Groundwater">groundwater</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Biodiversity">Biodiversity</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: Biodiversity"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Alpine_Ibex.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Alpine_Ibex.jpg/220px-Alpine_Ibex.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="161" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Alpine_Ibex.jpg/330px-Alpine_Ibex.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Alpine_Ibex.jpg/440px-Alpine_Ibex.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1004" data-file-height="736" /></a><figcaption>An alpine ibex in the <a href="/wiki/L%C3%B6tschental" title="Lötschental">Lötschental</a></figcaption></figure> <p>Switzerland is facing a <a href="/wiki/Biodiversity_loss" title="Biodiversity loss">loss of biodiversity</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CIA_Factbook-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> While the country is quite small, the wide range of climates allow a variety of organisms to flourish. There are about 50,000 animal and plant species living in Switzerland.<sup id="cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BFS_Environment-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> While most species that live on north and south foothills of the Alps are generally doing well, the Swiss Plateau is seeing a decrease in many species. The pressure from city and agricultural growth is reducing or eliminating the habitat of many species that once flourished along the plateau. There are about 60 species that are considered endangered that live in Switzerland.<sup id="cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BFS_Environment-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> To help offset this, 28.6% of the country is set aside as a protected natural area.<sup id="cite_ref-MDG_29-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-MDG-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 2001, the <a href="/wiki/Federal_Office_for_the_Environment" title="Federal Office for the Environment">Federal Office for the Environment</a> FOEN launched a nationwide programme to systematically monitor biodiversity (<a href="/wiki/Biodiversity_Monitoring_Switzerland" title="Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland">Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland</a>).<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="International_agreements">International agreements</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=20" title="Edit section: International agreements"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><i>Party to:</i> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Convention_on_Long-Range_Transboundary_Air_Pollution" title="Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution">Air Pollution</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nitrogen_Oxide_Protocol" title="Nitrogen Oxide Protocol">Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sulphur_Emissions_Reduction_Protocol_(disambiguation)" class="mw-redirect mw-disambig" title="Sulphur Emissions Reduction Protocol (disambiguation)">Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Volatile_Organic_Compounds_Protocol" title="Volatile Organic Compounds Protocol">Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds</a></li> <li>Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Antarctic_Treaty_System" title="Antarctic Treaty System">Antarctic Treaty</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Convention_on_Biological_Diversity" title="Convention on Biological Diversity">Biodiversity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/United_Nations_Framework_Convention_on_Climate_Change" title="United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change">Climate Change</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_to_Combat_Desertification" title="United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification">Desertification</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Convention_on_International_Trade_in_Endangered_Species_of_Wild_Fauna_and_Flora" class="mw-redirect" title="Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora">Endangered Species</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Convention_on_the_Prohibition_of_Military_or_Any_Other_Hostile_Use_of_Environmental_Modification_Techniques" class="mw-redirect" title="Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques">Environmental Modification</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Basel_Convention" title="Basel Convention">Hazardous Wastes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Convention_on_the_Prevention_of_Marine_Pollution_by_Dumping_Wastes_and_Other_Matter" class="mw-redirect" title="Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter">Marine Dumping</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Convention_on_Fishing_and_Conservation_of_Living_Resources_of_the_High_Seas" class="mw-redirect" title="Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas">Marine Life Conservation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nuclear_Test_Ban" class="mw-redirect" title="Nuclear Test Ban">Nuclear Test Ban</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Montreal_Protocol_on_Substances_That_Deplete_the_Ozone_Layer" class="mw-redirect" title="Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer">Ozone Layer Protection</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/International_Convention_for_the_Prevention_of_Pollution_from_Ships" class="mw-redirect" title="International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships">Ship Pollution</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/International_Tropical_Timber_Agreement,_1983" class="mw-redirect" title="International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983">Tropical Timber 83</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/International_Tropical_Timber_Agreement,_1994" class="mw-redirect" title="International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994">Tropical Timber 94</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Convention_on_Wetlands_of_International_Importance_Especially_As_Waterfowl_Habitat" class="mw-redirect" title="Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially As Waterfowl Habitat">Wetlands</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/International_Convention_for_the_Regulation_of_Whaling" title="International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling">Whaling</a></li></ul> <p><i>Signed, but not ratified:</i> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Protocol_on_Environmental_Protection_to_the_Antarctic_Treaty" title="Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty">Antarctic-Environmental Protocol</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol" title="Kyoto Protocol">Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Sea" title="United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea">Law of the Sea</a><sup id="cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CIA_Factbook-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Area_and_borders">Area and borders</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=21" title="Edit section: Area and borders"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><span class="anchor" id="Borders"></span> </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Swiss-German_border" class="mw-redirect" title="Swiss-German border">Swiss-German border</a>, <a href="/wiki/Swiss-Austrian_border" class="mw-redirect" title="Swiss-Austrian border">Swiss-Austrian border</a>, <a href="/wiki/Swiss-Italian_border" class="mw-redirect" title="Swiss-Italian border">Swiss-Italian border</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Swiss-French_border" class="mw-redirect" title="Swiss-French border">Swiss-French border</a></div> <p>The borders of Switzerland were established by the original formation of the <a href="/wiki/Helvetic_Republic" title="Helvetic Republic">Helvetic Republic</a> in 1798, the accession thereto of <a href="/wiki/Valais" title="Valais">Valais</a> and <a href="/wiki/Grisons" title="Grisons">Grisons</a> and the incorporation of various remaining feudal territories such as the <a href="/wiki/County_of_Neuch%C3%A2tel" class="mw-redirect" title="County of Neuchâtel">County of Neuchâtel</a>, <a href="/wiki/Prince-Bishopric_of_Basel" title="Prince-Bishopric of Basel">Prince-Bishopric of Basel</a> and <a href="/wiki/Abbey_of_St._Gall" class="mw-redirect" title="Abbey of St. Gall">Abbey of St. Gall</a>. The cantons largely have had their current borders since 1815 (at the accession of <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Valais" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Valais">canton of Valais</a>, <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Neuch%C3%A2tel" title="Canton of Neuchâtel">canton of Neuchâtel</a> and <a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Geneva" title="Canton of Geneva">canton of Geneva</a>), except for the notable change <a href="/wiki/Jura_separatism" title="Jura separatism">when Jura seceded from Berne</a> in 1979. The total length of the border is 1,899 km,<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> enclosing an area of 41,290 km<sup>2</sup> (15,940 sq mi) (land: 39,770 km<sup>2</sup> (15,360 sq mi), water: 1,520 km<sup>2</sup> (590 sq mi)). </p> <table class="wikitable"> <tbody><tr> <th>Border </th> <th>km </th> <th>mi </th> <th>Cantons </th> <th>Lowest point </th> <th>Highest point </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Swiss%E2%80%93Italian_border" class="mw-redirect" title="Swiss–Italian border">with Italy</a><sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>note 1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td> <td>734.2 </td> <td>460 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Valais" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Valais">Valais</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Ticino" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Ticino">Ticino</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Graub%C3%BCnden" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Graubünden">Graubünden</a> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Lake_Maggiore" title="Lake Maggiore">Lake Maggiore</a> (193 m) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Grenzgipfel" title="Grenzgipfel">Grenzgipfel</a> (4,618 m) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/France%E2%80%93Switzerland_border" title="France–Switzerland border">with France</a><sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>note 2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td> <td>571.8 </td> <td>356 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Basel-Stadt" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Basel-Stadt">Basel-City</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Basel-Landschaft" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Basel-Landschaft">Basel-Country</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Solothurn" title="Canton of Solothurn">Solothurn</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Jura" title="Canton of Jura">Jura</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Neuch%C3%A2tel" title="Canton of Neuchâtel">Neuchâtel</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Vaud" title="Vaud">Vaud</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Geneva" title="Canton of Geneva">Geneva</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Valais" title="Valais">Valais</a> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Rhine" title="Rhine">Rhine</a> at Basel (246 m) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Aiguille_d%27Argenti%C3%A8re" title="Aiguille d'Argentière">Aiguille d'Argentière</a> (3,901 m) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/German-Swiss_border" class="mw-redirect" title="German-Swiss border">with Germany</a><sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>note 3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td> <td>345.7 </td> <td>208 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Basel-Stadt" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Basel-Stadt">Basel-City</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Basel-Landschaft" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Basel-Landschaft">Basel-Country</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Aargau" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Aargau">Aargau</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Z%C3%BCrich" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Zürich">Zürich</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Schaffhausen" title="Canton of Schaffhausen">Schaffhausen</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Thurgau" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Thurgau">Thurgau</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_St._Gallen" title="Canton of St. Gallen">St. Gallen</a> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Rhine" title="Rhine">Rhine</a> at Basel (246 m) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Randen_(mountain)" class="mw-redirect" title="Randen (mountain)">Randen mountains</a> near Beggingen (900 m) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Austria%E2%80%93Switzerland_border" title="Austria–Switzerland border">with Austria</a><sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>note 4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td> <td>165.1 </td> <td>102 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_St._Gallen" title="Canton of St. Gallen">St. Gallen</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Graub%C3%BCnden" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Graubünden">Graubünden</a> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Lake_Constance" title="Lake Constance">Lake Constance</a> (395 m) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Fluchthorn" title="Fluchthorn">Fluchthorn</a> (3,398 m) </td></tr> <tr> <td>with <a href="/wiki/Liechtenstein" title="Liechtenstein">Liechtenstein</a> </td> <td>41.1 </td> <td>25 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_St._Gallen" title="Canton of St. Gallen">St. Gallen</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Graub%C3%BCnden" class="mw-redirect" title="Canton of Graubünden">Graubünden</a> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Rhine" title="Rhine">Rhine</a> near Sennwald (430 m) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Grauspitz" title="Grauspitz">Grauspitz</a> (2599 m) </td></tr> <tr> <td><b>Total</b> </td> <td>1852 </td> <td>1,151 </td> <td><i>the ones mentioned above</i> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Lake_Maggiore" title="Lake Maggiore">Lake Maggiore</a> (193 m) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Grenzgipfel" title="Grenzgipfel">Grenzgipfel</a> (4,618 m) </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The border of Switzerland has six <a href="/wiki/Tripoint" title="Tripoint">tripoints</a>, of which two are located in rivers, one undefined location in the <a href="/wiki/Lake_of_Constance" class="mw-redirect" title="Lake of Constance">Lake of Constance</a>, and the three others in high mountains. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Elevation_extremes">Elevation extremes</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=22" title="Edit section: Elevation extremes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/List_of_extreme_points_of_Switzerland" title="List of extreme points of Switzerland">List of extreme points of Switzerland</a></div> <ul><li>Lowest point: <a href="/wiki/Lake_Maggiore" title="Lake Maggiore">Lake Maggiore</a>: 193 m (633 ft)</li> <li>Highest point: <a href="/wiki/Monte_Rosa" title="Monte Rosa">Monte Rosa</a>: 4,634 m (15,203 ft)</li> <li>Deepest point: in Lake Maggiore: −79 m (−259 ft)</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Western_or_Central_Europe">Western or Central Europe</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=23" title="Edit section: Western or Central Europe"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Extreme_points_of_Europe.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Extreme_points_of_Europe.png/220px-Extreme_points_of_Europe.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="178" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Extreme_points_of_Europe.png/330px-Extreme_points_of_Europe.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Extreme_points_of_Europe.png/440px-Extreme_points_of_Europe.png 2x" data-file-width="1160" data-file-height="940" /></a><figcaption>Current measurements of extreme points of Europe and its centres</figcaption></figure> <p>No subdivision of <a href="/wiki/Europe" title="Europe">Europe</a> is universally accepted, therefore naming the different European regions and defining the borders between them is subject to debates. Depending on the definition chosen, Switzerland can be either part of <a href="/wiki/Western_Europe" title="Western Europe">Western</a> or <a href="/wiki/Central_Europe" title="Central Europe">Central Europe</a>: both concepts depend heavily on context and carry cultural, economic and political connotations. </p><p>The term "Western Europe" commonly indicates the region west of the <a href="/wiki/Baltic_Sea" title="Baltic Sea">Baltic</a> and <a href="/wiki/Adriatic_Sea" title="Adriatic Sea">Adriatic Sea</a>. Countries described as Western European (including Switzerland, according to the <a href="/wiki/United_Nations_Statistics_Division" title="United Nations Statistics Division">United Nations Statistics Division</a> and the <a href="/wiki/National_Geographic_Society" title="National Geographic Society">National Geographic Society</a><sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>) are invariably high-income developed countries, characterized by stable democratic political systems, <a href="/wiki/Mixed_economy" title="Mixed economy">mixed economies</a> combining the <a href="/wiki/Free_market" title="Free market">free market</a> with aspects of the <a href="/wiki/Welfare_state" title="Welfare state">welfare state</a>. On the other hand, the term "Central Europe" refers to the region between Western and <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Europe" title="Eastern Europe">Eastern Europe</a>. Central European countries (including Switzerland in the westernmost part, according to the <a href="/wiki/World_Factbook" class="mw-redirect" title="World Factbook">World Factbook</a><sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and various encyclopedias such as <a href="/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica" title="Encyclopædia Britannica">Britannica</a> and <a href="/wiki/Columbia_Encyclopedia" title="Columbia Encyclopedia">Columbia</a>) show high disparities with regard to income but possibly share similar cultural characteristics. The concept came back into use by the end of the Cold War, which had divided Europe politically into the <a href="/wiki/Western_World" class="mw-redirect" title="Western World">Western World</a> and the <a href="/wiki/East_Bloc" class="mw-redirect" title="East Bloc">East Bloc</a>, splitting Central Europe in half. Before World War I, the German-speaking world used the somewhat-related term <i><a href="/wiki/Mitteleuropa" title="Mitteleuropa">Mitteleuropa</a></i> (from German: <i>Middle Europe</i>) for an area larger than most conceptions of Central Europe, notably encompassing Switzerland among the other German-speaking countries. </p><p>Physically, Switzerland is situated approximately in the middle of the portion of Europe west of the <a href="/wiki/Carpathian_Mountains" title="Carpathian Mountains">Carpathian Mountains</a>. Defining the <a href="/wiki/Ural_Mountains" title="Ural Mountains">Ural Mountains</a> as the eastern limit of the continent, Switzerland is located within the western third of Europe, approximately 15 <a href="/wiki/Degree_(angle)" title="Degree (angle)">degrees</a> of <a href="/wiki/Longitude" title="Longitude">longitude</a> away from the extreme west and 50 degrees away from extreme east.<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-39"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Phytogeography" title="Phytogeography">Phytogeographically</a>, the part of Switzerland that lies north of the Alps belongs to Central Europe, while the part south of the Alps belongs to <a href="/wiki/Southern_Europe" title="Southern Europe">Southern Europe</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Natural_World_Heritage_Sites">Natural World Heritage Sites</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=24" title="Edit section: Natural World Heritage Sites"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Culture_of_Switzerland#Cultural_World_Heritage_Sites" title="Culture of Switzerland">Culture of Switzerland § Cultural World Heritage Sites</a></div> <ul class="gallery mw-gallery-traditional"> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 235px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 230px; height: 190px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Lago_di_Lugano3.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Monte San Giorgio"><img alt="Monte San Giorgio" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Lago_di_Lugano3.jpg/200px-Lago_di_Lugano3.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="156" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Lago_di_Lugano3.jpg/300px-Lago_di_Lugano3.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Lago_di_Lugano3.jpg/400px-Lago_di_Lugano3.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2182" data-file-height="1700" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Monte_San_Giorgio" title="Monte San Giorgio">Monte San Giorgio</a></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 235px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 230px; height: 190px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Sernftal.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Glarus thrust"><img alt="Glarus thrust" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Sernftal.jpg/200px-Sernftal.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="150" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Sernftal.jpg/300px-Sernftal.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Sernftal.jpg/400px-Sernftal.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="768" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Glarus_thrust" title="Glarus thrust">Glarus thrust</a></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 235px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 230px; height: 190px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:LakeOeschinen.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Oeschinen Lake"><img alt="Oeschinen Lake" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/LakeOeschinen.jpg/200px-LakeOeschinen.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="101" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/LakeOeschinen.jpg/300px-LakeOeschinen.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/LakeOeschinen.jpg/400px-LakeOeschinen.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1280" data-file-height="644" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Oeschinen_Lake" title="Oeschinen Lake">Oeschinen Lake</a></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 235px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 230px; height: 190px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Oberaletsch.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Oberaletsch Glacier"><img alt="Oberaletsch Glacier" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Oberaletsch.jpg/200px-Oberaletsch.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="146" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Oberaletsch.jpg/300px-Oberaletsch.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Oberaletsch.jpg/400px-Oberaletsch.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1160" data-file-height="848" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Oberaletsch_Glacier" title="Oberaletsch Glacier">Oberaletsch Glacier</a></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 235px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 230px; height: 190px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Great_Aletsch_Glacier.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Aletsch Glacier"><img alt="Aletsch Glacier" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Great_Aletsch_Glacier.jpg/200px-Great_Aletsch_Glacier.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="140" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Great_Aletsch_Glacier.jpg/300px-Great_Aletsch_Glacier.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Great_Aletsch_Glacier.jpg/400px-Great_Aletsch_Glacier.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2204" data-file-height="1543" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Aletsch_Glacier" title="Aletsch Glacier">Aletsch Glacier</a></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 235px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 230px; height: 190px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Aletschhorn_from_Konkordiaplatz.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Konkordiaplatz"><img alt="Konkordiaplatz" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Aletschhorn_from_Konkordiaplatz.jpg/200px-Aletschhorn_from_Konkordiaplatz.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="150" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Aletschhorn_from_Konkordiaplatz.jpg/300px-Aletschhorn_from_Konkordiaplatz.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Aletschhorn_from_Konkordiaplatz.jpg/400px-Aletschhorn_from_Konkordiaplatz.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1500" data-file-height="1125" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Konkordiaplatz" title="Konkordiaplatz">Konkordiaplatz</a></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 235px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 230px; height: 190px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Jungfrau_from_Jungfraujoch.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Jungfraujoch"><img alt="Jungfraujoch" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Jungfrau_from_Jungfraujoch.jpg/200px-Jungfrau_from_Jungfraujoch.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="150" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Jungfrau_from_Jungfraujoch.jpg/300px-Jungfrau_from_Jungfraujoch.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Jungfrau_from_Jungfraujoch.jpg/400px-Jungfrau_from_Jungfraujoch.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1600" data-file-height="1200" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Jungfraujoch" title="Jungfraujoch">Jungfraujoch</a></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 235px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 230px; height: 190px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Lauteraarh%C3%BCtte.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Unteraar Glacier"><img alt="Unteraar Glacier" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Lauteraarh%C3%BCtte.jpg/200px-Lauteraarh%C3%BCtte.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="160" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Lauteraarh%C3%BCtte.jpg/300px-Lauteraarh%C3%BCtte.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Lauteraarh%C3%BCtte.jpg/400px-Lauteraarh%C3%BCtte.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1500" data-file-height="1200" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"> <a href="/wiki/Unteraar_Glacier" class="mw-redirect" title="Unteraar Glacier">Unteraar Glacier</a></div> </li> </ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Topography">Topography</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=25" title="Edit section: Topography"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1184024115">.mw-parser-output .div-col{margin-top:0.3em;column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .div-col-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .div-col-rules{column-rule:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .div-col dl,.mw-parser-output .div-col ol,.mw-parser-output .div-col ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .div-col li,.mw-parser-output .div-col dd{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}</style><div class="div-col"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Extreme_points_of_Switzerland" class="mw-redirect" title="Extreme points of Switzerland">Extreme points of Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geographical_centre_of_Switzerland" title="Geographical centre of Switzerland">Geographical centre of Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_glaciers_in_Switzerland" title="List of glaciers in Switzerland">List of glaciers in Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_islands_of_Switzerland" title="List of islands of Switzerland">List of islands of Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_lakes_in_Switzerland" class="mw-redirect" title="List of lakes in Switzerland">List of lakes in Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_mountain_passes_in_Switzerland" title="List of mountain passes in Switzerland">List of mountain passes in Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_Alps" title="Swiss Alps">List of mountain ranges in Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_mountains_in_Switzerland" class="mw-redirect" title="List of mountains in Switzerland">List of mountains in Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_rivers_of_Switzerland" title="List of rivers of Switzerland">List of rivers of Switzerland</a></li></ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=26" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1259569809">.mw-parser-output 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typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="flag" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Flag_of_Switzerland.svg/28px-Flag_of_Switzerland.svg.png" decoding="async" width="28" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Flag_of_Switzerland.svg/42px-Flag_of_Switzerland.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Flag_of_Switzerland.svg/56px-Flag_of_Switzerland.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="512" /></span></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Switzerland" title="Portal:Switzerland">Switzerland portal</a></span></li><li class="portalbox-entry"><span class="portalbox-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Terra.png/28px-Terra.png" decoding="async" width="28" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Terra.png/42px-Terra.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/Terra.png/56px-Terra.png 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="600" /></span></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Geography" title="Portal:Geography">Geography portal</a></span></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_the_Alps" title="Geography of the Alps">Geography of the Alps</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_cartography" class="mw-redirect" title="Swiss cartography">Swiss cartography</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Valleys_of_the_Alps" class="mw-redirect" title="Valleys of the Alps">Valleys of the Alps</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Little_Switzerland_(landscape)" title="Little Switzerland (landscape)">Little Switzerland (landscape)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spatial_planning_in_Switzerland" title="Spatial planning in Switzerland">Spatial planning in Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_Federal_Office_of_Topography" class="mw-redirect" title="Swiss Federal Office of Topography">Swiss Federal Office of Topography</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes_and_references">Notes and references</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=27" title="Edit section: Notes and references"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Notes">Notes</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=28" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width reflist-columns-2"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-33">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Regions_of_Italy" title="Regions of Italy">Italian regions</a> of <a href="/wiki/Aosta_Valley" title="Aosta Valley">Aosta Valley</a> (canton of Valais), <a href="/wiki/Piedmont" title="Piedmont">Piedmont</a> (cantons of Valais and Ticino), <a href="/wiki/Lombardy" title="Lombardy">Lombardy</a> (cantons of Ticino and Graubünden) and <a href="/wiki/Trentino-Alto_Adige/S%C3%BCdtirol" title="Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol">Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol</a> (canton of Graubünden)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-34">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Regions_of_France" title="Regions of France">French regions</a> of <a href="/wiki/Grand_Est" title="Grand Est">Grand Est</a> (cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Solothurn and Jura), <a href="/wiki/Bourgogne-Franche-Comt%C3%A9" title="Bourgogne-Franche-Comté">Bourgogne-Franche-Comté</a> (cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel and Jura) and <a href="/wiki/Auvergne-Rh%C3%B4ne-Alpes" title="Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes">Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes</a> (cantons of Geneva, Vaud and Valais)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-35">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/States_of_Germany" title="States of Germany">German states</a> of <a href="/wiki/Bavaria" title="Bavaria">Bavaria</a> (cantons of St. Gallen and Thurgau) and <a href="/wiki/Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg" title="Baden-Württemberg">Baden-Württemberg</a> (cantons of St. Gallen, Thurgau, Schaffhausen, Zürich, Aargau, Basel-Landschaft and Basel-Stadt)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-36">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/States_of_Austria" class="mw-redirect" title="States of Austria">Austrian states</a> of <a href="/wiki/Tyrol_(state)" title="Tyrol (state)">Tyrol</a> (canton of Graubünden) and <a href="/wiki/Vorarlberg" title="Vorarlberg">Vorarlberg</a> (cantons of Graubünden and St. Gallen)</span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="References">References</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=29" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239543626"><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-BFS_Environment-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-BFS_Environment_1-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFBundesamt_fur_Statistik_(Federal_Department_of_Statistics)2009" class="citation web cs1">Bundesamt fur Statistik (Federal Department of Statistics) (2009). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/01/pan.html">"Land and Environment (Raum und Umwelt: Panorama)"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2009-09-25</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Land+and+Environment+%28Raum+und+Umwelt%3A+Panorama%29&rft.date=2009&rft.au=Bundesamt+fur+Statistik+%28Federal+Department+of+Statistics%29&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bfs.admin.ch%2Fbfs%2Fportal%2Fde%2Findex%2Fthemen%2F02%2F01%2Fpan.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span> <span class="languageicon">(in German and French)</span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Statistics-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Statistics_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.about.ch/statistics/index.html">"Switzerland: Statistical information"</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Switzerland%3A+Statistical+information&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.about.ch%2Fstatistics%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Federal_Statistics-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Federal_Statistics_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Federal_Statistics_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/05/blank/key/religionen.html">"Swiss Federal Statistics Office, in German"</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Swiss+Federal+Statistics+Office%2C+in+German&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bfs.admin.ch%2Fbfs%2Fportal%2Fde%2Findex%2Fthemen%2F01%2F05%2Fblank%2Fkey%2Freligionen.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-CIA_Factbook-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-CIA_Factbook_4-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/switzerland/">"CIA - The World Factbook - Switzerland"</a>. 9 April 2024.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=CIA+-+The+World+Factbook+-+Switzerland&rft.date=2024-04-09&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cia.gov%2Fthe-world-factbook%2Fcountries%2Fswitzerland%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-EB-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-EB_5-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-EB_5-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-EB_5-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-EB_5-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFChisholm1911" class="citation encyclopaedia cs1"><a href="/wiki/Hugh_Chisholm" title="Hugh Chisholm">Chisholm, Hugh</a>, ed. (1911). <span class="cs1-ws-icon" title="s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Switzerland/Geography"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Switzerland/Geography">"Switzerland § Geography" </a></span>. <i><a href="/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Eleventh_Edition" title="Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition">Encyclopædia Britannica</a></i>. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Switzerland+%C2%A7+Geography&rft.btitle=Encyclop%C3%A6dia+Britannica&rft.edition=11th&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=1911&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHuguet,_Francis2023" class="citation journal cs1">Huguet, Francis (December 2023). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2577444123000667">"The Matterhorn, an emblematic mountain in Switzerland, the time scales of a geomorphosite"</a>. <i>International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks</i>. <b>11</b> (4): 624–633.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=International+Journal+of+Geoheritage+and+Parks&rft.atitle=The+Matterhorn%2C+an+emblematic+mountain+in+Switzerland%2C+the+time+scales+of+a+geomorphosite&rft.volume=11&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=624-633&rft.date=2023-12&rft.au=Huguet%2C+Francis&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedirect.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fpii%2FS2577444123000667&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Plateau-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Plateau_7-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Plateau_7-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071225100547/http://www.swissworld.org/en/geography/the_three_regions/the_swiss_plateau/">"The Swiss Plateau - Switzerland - Information"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.swissworld.org/en/geography/the_three_regions/the_swiss_plateau/">the original</a> on 2007-12-25<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2007-12-04</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Swiss+Plateau+-+Switzerland+-+Information&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swissworld.org%2Fen%2Fgeography%2Fthe_three_regions%2Fthe_swiss_plateau%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/regionen/thematische_karten/maps/bevoelkerung/bevoelkerungsstand/0/bevoelkerungsstand.parsys.0003.PhotogalleryDownloadFile2.tmp/k01.62s.pdf">Swiss Federal Statistics Office Map <span class="languageicon">(in German)</span></a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080409212805/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/regionen/thematische_karten/maps/bevoelkerung/bevoelkerungsstand/0/bevoelkerungsstand.parsys.0003.PhotogalleryDownloadFile2.tmp/k01.62s.pdf">Archived</a> 2008-04-09 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Swiss_World_Geography-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Swiss_World_Geography_9-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Swiss_World_Geography_9-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081016001204/http://www.swissworld.org/en/geography/the_three_regions/the_alps/">"The Alps - Switzerland - Information"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.swissworld.org/en/geography/the_three_regions/the_alps/">the original</a> on 2008-10-16<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2007-12-04</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Alps+-+Switzerland+-+Information&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swissworld.org%2Fen%2Fgeography%2Fthe_three_regions%2Fthe_alps%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.about.ch/geography/index.html#CH_Geo_Rivers">"Geography of Switzerland"</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Geography+of+Switzerland&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.about.ch%2Fgeography%2Findex.html%23CH_Geo_Rivers&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.about.ch/geography/index.html#CH_Geo_Glaciers">"Geography of Switzerland"</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Geography+of+Switzerland&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.about.ch%2Fgeography%2Findex.html%23CH_Geo_Glaciers&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081016005202/http://www.swissworld.org/en/geography/the_three_regions/the_jura/">"The Jura - Switzerland - Information"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.swissworld.org/en/geography/the_three_regions/the_jura/">the original</a> on 2008-10-16<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2007-12-04</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Jura+-+Switzerland+-+Information&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swissworld.org%2Fen%2Fgeography%2Fthe_three_regions%2Fthe_jura%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.letemps.ch/Page/Uuid/b9a87eb2-310b-11e3-8d12-114e9e6d89a0#.Ula6H-AsSlA">"Le Temps article, October 10, 2013"</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Le+Temps+article%2C+October+10%2C+2013&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.letemps.ch%2FPage%2FUuid%2Fb9a87eb2-310b-11e3-8d12-114e9e6d89a0%23.Ula6H-AsSlA&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span><sup class="noprint Inline-Template"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot" title="Wikipedia:Link rot"><span title=" Dead link tagged May 2024">permanent dead link</span></a></i><span style="visibility:hidden; color:transparent; padding-left:2px">‍</span>]</span></sup></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/en/home/topics/water/info-specialists/international-water-protection.html">Water: international affairs</a>, <a href="/wiki/Federal_Office_for_the_Environment" title="Federal Office for the Environment">Federal Office for the Environment</a> (FOEN). ("Switzerland is well known as a rich source of water: 6% of Europe's freshwater reserves are to be found in this country, although it only accounts for 0.4% of the total area of the continent."). Retrieved 26-02-2021</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.unece.org/env/water/meetings/ecosystem/Reports/Switzerland_en.pdf">"Switzerland National Report, Convention on Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. unece.org"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Switzerland+National+Report%2C+Convention+on+Protection+and+Use+of+Transboundary+Watercourses+and+International+Lakes.+unece.org&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.unece.org%2Fenv%2Fwater%2Fmeetings%2Fecosystem%2FReports%2FSwitzerland_en.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/home/climate/the-climate-of-switzerland.html">The Climate of Switzerland</a>, <a href="/wiki/Federal_Office_of_Meteorology_and_Climatology" class="mw-redirect" title="Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology">Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology</a> MeteoSwis. ("Switzerland's climate is heavily influenced by the Alps as well as by the Atlantic Ocean."). Retrieved 26-02-2021</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.myswitzerland.com/en.cfm/about_switzerland/weather">"Weather - Switzerland Tourism"</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Weather+-+Switzerland+Tourism&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myswitzerland.com%2Fen.cfm%2Fabout_switzerland%2Fweather&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210721-switzerlands-gravity-defying-solution">Switzerland's gravity-defying solution</a>, <a href="/wiki/BBC" title="BBC">BBC</a>, 22 July 2021, ("The sight of a scuttling scorpion is a clue to the Valais semi-arid climate, where six species of cactus thrive, alongside figs and snakes.")</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Christian Moser, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://sgeo-ge.ch/les-bisses-du-valais-mythes-et-realites-par-christian-moser/">Les bisses du Valais : mythes et réalités</a>, Société de Géographie de Genève, 11 July 2020 ("Si cette zone climatique que les géographes qualifient de semi-aride permet des cultures de céréales sans recours à l’irrigation, elle ne convient toutefois pas à une production intensive de fourrage indispensable à un élevage bovin.")</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation news cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.luzernerzeitung.ch/zentralschweiz/muotathal-klirrende-kaelte-auf-der-glattalp-ld.62680">"Muotathal: Klirrende Kälte auf der Glattalp"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Luzerner_Zeitung" title="Luzerner Zeitung">Luzerner Zeitung</a></i> (in German). 15 December 2009<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 21,</span> 2021</span>. <q>Am 7. Februar 1991 wurde auf der Glattalp mit -52.5 Grad der schweizerische Minusrekord gemessen.</q> [On February 7, 1991, the Swiss minus record was measured on the Glattalp with -52.5 degrees.]</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Luzerner+Zeitung&rft.atitle=Muotathal%3A+Klirrende+K%C3%A4lte+auf+der+Glattalp&rft.date=2009-12-15&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.luzernerzeitung.ch%2Fzentralschweiz%2Fmuotathal-klirrende-kaelte-auf-der-glattalp-ld.62680&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/home/climate/swiss-climate-in-detail/climate-normals/climate-diagrams-and-normals--per-station.html">Climate diagrams and normals per station</a>, <a href="/wiki/Federal_Office_of_Meteorology_and_Climatology" class="mw-redirect" title="Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology">Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology</a> (MeteoSwiss), Retrieved 24-02-2021</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-22">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/home/climate/swiss-climate-in-detail/climate-normals/norm-value-ch">Norm value charts</a><sup class="noprint Inline-Template"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot" title="Wikipedia:Link rot"><span title=" Dead link tagged June 2024">permanent dead link</span></a></i><span style="visibility:hidden; color:transparent; padding-left:2px">‍</span>]</span></sup>, <a href="/wiki/Federal_Office_of_Meteorology_and_Climatology" class="mw-redirect" title="Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology">Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology</a> (MeteoSwiss), Retrieved 24-02-2021 (over 3000 mm according to Mean Yearly Precipitation map, no precise measurement)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Cantons, In the Old Confederation until 1798</i> in <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/d/D26414.php"><span title="Cantons, In the Old Confederation until 1798 in German">German</span></a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/f/F26414.php"><span title="Cantons, In the Old Confederation until 1798 in French">French</span></a> and <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/i/I26414.php"><span title="Cantons, In the Old Confederation until 1798 in Italian">Italian</span></a> in the online <i><a href="/wiki/Historical_Dictionary_of_Switzerland" title="Historical Dictionary of Switzerland">Historical Dictionary of Switzerland</a></i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/grossreg/01.html">Nomenklaturen – Grossregionen</a> admin.ch</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-bfsluse-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-bfsluse_25-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bfsluse_25-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090725063713/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/key/01/zustand_und_entwicklung__tabelle.html">"Zustand und Entwicklung der Bodennutzung - Arealstatistik 1979/85 und 1992/97"</a> (in German). Bundesamt für Statistik. 2010. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/key/01/zustand_und_entwicklung__tabelle.html">the original</a> on 2009-07-25<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2010-06-03</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Zustand+und+Entwicklung+der+Bodennutzung+-+Arealstatistik+1979%2F85+und+1992%2F97&rft.pub=Bundesamt+f%C3%BCr+Statistik&rft.date=2010&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bfs.admin.ch%2Fbfs%2Fportal%2Fde%2Findex%2Fthemen%2F02%2F03%2Fblank%2Fkey%2F01%2Fzustand_und_entwicklung__tabelle.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-BFS-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-BFS_26-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-BFS_26-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-BFS_26-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-BFS_26-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBundesamt_fur_Statistik_(Federal_Department_of_Statistics)2008" class="citation web cs1">Bundesamt fur Statistik (Federal Department of Statistics) (2008). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/international/laenderportraets/schweiz/blank/kennzahlen.html">"Statistics for Switzerland"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2008-12-01</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Statistics+for+Switzerland&rft.date=2008&rft.au=Bundesamt+fur+Statistik+%28Federal+Department+of+Statistics%29&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bfs.admin.ch%2Fbfs%2Fportal%2Fde%2Findex%2Finternational%2Flaenderportraets%2Fschweiz%2Fblank%2Fkennzahlen.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span> <span class="languageicon">(in German)</span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=dOQ2DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA450"><i>Ecology of Central European Forests</i></a>. Springer. 22 September 2017. pp. 450–451. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9783319430423" title="Special:BookSources/9783319430423"><bdi>9783319430423</bdi></a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">28 March</span> 2019</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Ecology+of+Central+European+Forests&rft.pages=450-451&rft.pub=Springer&rft.date=2017-09-22&rft.isbn=9783319430423&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DdOQ2DwAAQBAJ%26pg%3DPA450&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/themen/01/02/blank/key/raeumliche_verteilung/agglomerationen.html">Population size and population composition – Data, indicators</a> bfs.admin.ch. Retrieved 2011-04-11</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-MDG-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-MDG_29-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-MDG_29-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-MDG_29-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx">United Nations Millennium Development Goals Indicators</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110317081247/http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx">Archived</a> 2011-03-17 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> accessed December 2, 2008</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-30">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/7982248-la-suisse-compte-encore-pres-de-38000-sites-pollues-a-assainir.html">"La Suisse compte encore près de 38'000 sites pollués à assainir"</a>. 2 September 2016.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=La+Suisse+compte+encore+pr%C3%A8s+de+38%27000+sites+pollu%C3%A9s+%C3%A0+assainir&rft.date=2016-09-02&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rts.ch%2Finfo%2Fsuisse%2F7982248-la-suisse-compte-encore-pres-de-38000-sites-pollues-a-assainir.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.biodiversitymonitoring.ch/en/home.html"><i>biodiversitymonitoring.ch.</i></a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200804055413/https://www.biodiversitymonitoring.ch/en/home.html">Archived</a> 2020-08-04 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> Website of the Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland. Retrieved 2019-05-08.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/internet/swisstopo/en/home/topics/survey/border.html">National boundary</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141020021751/http://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/internet/swisstopo/en/home/topics/survey/border.html">Archived</a> 2014-10-20 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> (<a href="/wiki/Swisstopo" title="Swisstopo">swisstopo</a>)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-37">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090522011907/http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/travel-books/western-europe-text/17">"National Geographic Traveler: Switzerland"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/travel-books/western-europe-text/17">the original</a> on May 22, 2009.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=National+Geographic+Traveler%3A+Switzerland&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Ftraveler.nationalgeographic.com%2Ftravel-books%2Fwestern-europe-text%2F17&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-38">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/switzerland/">"World Factbook: Switzerland"</a>. 9 April 2024.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=World+Factbook%3A+Switzerland&rft.date=2024-04-09&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cia.gov%2Fthe-world-factbook%2Fcountries%2Fswitzerland%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGeography+of+Switzerland" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-39">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Swiss World Atlas, Physical Map of Europe, 1993 edition</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-40">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Wolfgang_Frey" title="Wolfgang Frey">Wolfgang Frey</a> and Rainer Lösch; <i>Lehrbuch der Geobotanik. Pflanze und Vegetation in Raum und Zeit</i>. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, München 2004</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Bibliography">Bibliography</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=30" title="Edit section: Bibliography"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><span class="languageicon">(In French)</span> <a href="/wiki/Martine_Rebetez" title="Martine Rebetez">Martine Rebetez</a>, <i>La Suisse se réchauffe. Effet de serre et changement climatique</i>, fourth edition, collection « Le savoir suisse », <a href="/wiki/Presses_polytechniques_et_universitaires_romandes" title="Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes">Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes</a>, 2011 (<link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9782880749224" title="Special:BookSources/9782880749224">9782880749224</a>).</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&action=edit&section=31" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output 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href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1235681985"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1237033735"><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/45px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/59px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></span></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikimedia Commons has media related to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Geology_of_Switzerland" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:Geology of Switzerland">Geology of Switzerland</a></span>.</div></div> </div> <ul><li><i>Geography</i> in <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/d/D8266.php"><span title="Geography in German">German</span></a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/f/F8266.php"><span title="Geography in French">French</span></a> and <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/i/I8266.php"><span title="Geography in Italian">Italian</span></a> in the online <i><a href="/wiki/Historical_Dictionary_of_Switzerland" title="Historical Dictionary of Switzerland">Historical Dictionary of Switzerland</a></i>.</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/switzerland/">Switzerland</a> in <i><a href="/wiki/The_World_Factbook" title="The World Factbook">The World Factbook</a></i></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.about.ch/geography/index.html">Geography of Switzerland (About.ch)</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://map.geo.admin.ch">Official on-line maps of Switzerland</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul 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title="Special:EditPage/Template:Geography of Europe"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Geography_of_Europe" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Europe" title="Geography of Europe">Geography of Europe </a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Sovereign states</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Albania" title="Geography of Albania">Albania</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Andorra" title="Geography of Andorra">Andorra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Armenia" title="Geography of Armenia">Armenia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Austria" title="Geography of Austria">Austria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Azerbaijan" title="Geography of Azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Belarus" title="Geography of Belarus">Belarus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Belgium" title="Geography of Belgium">Belgium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina" title="Geography of Bosnia and Herzegovina">Bosnia and Herzegovina</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Bulgaria" title="Geography of Bulgaria">Bulgaria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Croatia" title="Geography of Croatia">Croatia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Cyprus" title="Geography of Cyprus">Cyprus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_the_Czech_Republic" title="Geography of the Czech Republic">Czech Republic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Denmark" title="Geography of Denmark">Denmark</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Estonia" title="Geography of Estonia">Estonia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Finland" title="Geography of Finland">Finland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_France" title="Geography of France">France</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Georgia_(country)" title="Geography of Georgia (country)">Georgia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Germany" title="Geography of Germany">Germany</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Greece" title="Geography of Greece">Greece</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Hungary" title="Geography of Hungary">Hungary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Iceland" title="Geography of Iceland">Iceland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_the_Republic_of_Ireland" class="mw-redirect" title="Geography of the Republic of Ireland">Ireland</a></li> <li class="mw-empty-elt"></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Italy" title="Geography of Italy">Italy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Kazakhstan" title="Geography of Kazakhstan">Kazakhstan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Latvia" title="Geography of Latvia">Latvia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Liechtenstein" title="Geography of Liechtenstein">Liechtenstein</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Lithuania" title="Geography of Lithuania">Lithuania</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Luxembourg" title="Geography of Luxembourg">Luxembourg</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Malta" title="Geography of Malta">Malta</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Moldova" title="Geography of Moldova">Moldova</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Monaco" class="mw-redirect" title="Geography of Monaco">Monaco</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Montenegro" title="Geography of Montenegro">Montenegro</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_the_Netherlands" title="Geography of the Netherlands">Netherlands</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_North_Macedonia" title="Geography of North Macedonia">North Macedonia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Norway" title="Geography of Norway">Norway</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Poland" title="Geography of Poland">Poland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Portugal" title="Geography of Portugal">Portugal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Romania" title="Geography of Romania">Romania</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Russia" title="Geography of Russia">Russia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_San_Marino" title="Geography of San Marino">San Marino</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Serbia" title="Geography of Serbia">Serbia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Slovakia" title="Geography of Slovakia">Slovakia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Slovenia" title="Geography of Slovenia">Slovenia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Spain" title="Geography of Spain">Spain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Sweden" title="Geography of Sweden">Sweden</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Turkey" title="Geography of Turkey">Turkey</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Ukraine" title="Geography of Ukraine">Ukraine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="Geography of the United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Vatican_City" title="Geography of Vatican City">Vatican City</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">States with limited<br />recognition</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Abkhazia" title="Geography of Abkhazia">Abkhazia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Kosovo" title="Geography of Kosovo">Kosovo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Northern_Cyprus" class="mw-redirect" title="Geography of Northern Cyprus">Northern Cyprus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_South_Ossetia" class="mw-redirect" title="Geography of South Ossetia">South Ossetia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Transnistria" class="mw-redirect" title="Geography of Transnistria">Transnistria</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Dependencies and<br />other entities</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_%C3%85land" title="Geography of Åland">Åland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_the_Faroe_Islands" title="Geography of the Faroe Islands">Faroe Islands</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Gibraltar" class="mw-redirect" title="Geography of Gibraltar">Gibraltar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Guernsey" class="mw-redirect" title="Geography of Guernsey">Guernsey</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_the_Isle_of_Man" title="Geography of the Isle of Man">Isle of Man</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Jersey" title="Geography of Jersey">Jersey</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Svalbard" title="Geography of Svalbard">Svalbard</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other entities</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Geography_of_the_European_Union" title="Geography of the European Union">European Union</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Climate_of_Europe" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Europe_topic" title="Template:Europe topic"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Europe_topic" title="Template talk:Europe topic"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Europe_topic" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Europe topic"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Climate_of_Europe" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Europe" title="Climate of Europe">Climate of Europe </a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Sovereign states</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Albania" title="Climate of Albania">Albania</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Andorra" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Andorra">Andorra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Armenia" title="Climate of Armenia">Armenia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Austria" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Austria">Austria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Azerbaijan" title="Climate of Azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Belarus" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Belarus">Belarus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Belgium" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Belgium">Belgium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Bosnia and Herzegovina">Bosnia and Herzegovina</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Bulgaria" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Bulgaria">Bulgaria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Croatia" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Croatia">Croatia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Cyprus" title="Climate of Cyprus">Cyprus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_the_Czech_Republic" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of the Czech Republic">Czech Republic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Denmark" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Denmark">Denmark</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Estonia" title="Climate of Estonia">Estonia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Finland" title="Climate of Finland">Finland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_France" title="Climate of France">France</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Georgia_(country)" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Georgia (country)">Georgia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Germany" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Germany">Germany</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Greece" title="Climate of Greece">Greece</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Hungary" title="Climate of Hungary">Hungary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Iceland" title="Climate of Iceland">Iceland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_the_Republic_of_Ireland" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of the Republic of Ireland">Ireland</a></li> <li class="mw-empty-elt"></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Italy" title="Climate of Italy">Italy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Kazakhstan" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Kazakhstan">Kazakhstan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Latvia" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Latvia">Latvia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Liechtenstein" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Liechtenstein">Liechtenstein</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Lithuania" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Lithuania">Lithuania</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Luxembourg" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Luxembourg">Luxembourg</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Malta" title="Climate of Malta">Malta</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Moldova" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Moldova">Moldova</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Monaco" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Monaco">Monaco</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Montenegro" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Montenegro">Montenegro</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_the_Netherlands" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of the Netherlands">Netherlands</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_North_Macedonia" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of North Macedonia">North Macedonia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Norway" title="Climate of Norway">Norway</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Poland" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Poland">Poland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Portugal" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Portugal">Portugal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Romania" title="Climate of Romania">Romania</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Russia" title="Climate of Russia">Russia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_San_Marino" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of San Marino">San Marino</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Serbia" title="Climate of Serbia">Serbia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Slovakia" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Slovakia">Slovakia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Slovenia" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Slovenia">Slovenia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Spain" title="Climate of Spain">Spain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Sweden" title="Climate of Sweden">Sweden</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Switzerland" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Switzerland">Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Turkey" title="Climate of Turkey">Turkey</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Ukraine" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Ukraine">Ukraine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="Climate of the United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Vatican_City" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Vatican City">Vatican City</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">States with limited<br />recognition</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Abkhazia" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Abkhazia">Abkhazia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Kosovo" title="Climate of Kosovo">Kosovo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Northern_Cyprus" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Northern Cyprus">Northern Cyprus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_South_Ossetia" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of South Ossetia">South Ossetia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Transnistria" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Transnistria">Transnistria</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Dependencies and<br />other entities</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_%C3%85land" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Åland">Åland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_the_Faroe_Islands" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of the Faroe Islands">Faroe Islands</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Gibraltar" title="Climate of Gibraltar">Gibraltar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Guernsey" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Guernsey">Guernsey</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_the_Isle_of_Man" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of the Isle of Man">Isle of Man</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Jersey" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Jersey">Jersey</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Svalbard" title="Climate of Svalbard">Svalbard</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other entities</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_the_European_Union" title="Climate of the European Union">European Union</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r886047488">.mw-parser-output .nobold{font-weight:normal}</style><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886047488"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Switzerland_articles" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="3"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Switzerland_topics" title="Template:Switzerland topics"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Switzerland_topics" title="Template talk:Switzerland topics"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Switzerland_topics" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Switzerland topics"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Switzerland_articles" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Switzerland" title="Switzerland">Switzerland</a> <a href="/wiki/Outline_of_Switzerland" title="Outline of Switzerland">articles</a></div></th></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="3"><div><b>Major topics</b></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/History_of_Switzerland" title="History of Switzerland">History</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_Swiss_history" title="Timeline of Swiss history">Timeline</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Enlargement_of_Switzerland" class="mw-redirect" title="Enlargement of Switzerland">Enlargement</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Early_history_of_Switzerland" title="Early history of Switzerland">Early history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Switzerland_in_the_Roman_era" title="Switzerland in the Roman era">Roman era</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Old_Swiss_Confederacy" title="Old Swiss Confederacy">Old Confederacy</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Federal_Charter_of_1291" title="Federal Charter of 1291">Federal Charter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/R%C3%BCtli_Oath" title="Rütli Oath">Rütli Oath</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Growth_of_the_Old_Swiss_Confederacy" title="Growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy">Growth</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Reformation_in_Switzerland" title="Reformation in Switzerland">Reformation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Early_Modern_Switzerland" class="mw-redirect" title="Early Modern Switzerland">Early Modern era</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Switzerland_in_the_Napoleonic_era" title="Switzerland in the Napoleonic era">Napoleonic era</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Restoration_and_Regeneration_in_Switzerland" title="Restoration and Regeneration in Switzerland">Restoration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Switzerland_as_a_federal_state" title="Switzerland as a federal state">Federal state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Switzerland_during_the_World_Wars" class="mw-redirect" title="Switzerland during the World Wars">World wars</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Modern_history_of_Switzerland" title="Modern history of Switzerland">Modern history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Military_history_of_Switzerland" title="Military history of Switzerland">Military history</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Switzerland" title="List of wars involving Switzerland">list of wars</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Historiography_of_Switzerland" title="Historiography of Switzerland">Historiography</a></li></ul> </div></td><td class="noviewer navbox-image" rowspan="5" style="width:1px;padding:0 0 0 2px"><div><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Switzerland_(Pantone).svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Coat_of_Arms_of_Switzerland_%28Pantone%29.svg/80px-Coat_of_Arms_of_Switzerland_%28Pantone%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="80" height="89" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Coat_of_Arms_of_Switzerland_%28Pantone%29.svg/120px-Coat_of_Arms_of_Switzerland_%28Pantone%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Coat_of_Arms_of_Switzerland_%28Pantone%29.svg/160px-Coat_of_Arms_of_Switzerland_%28Pantone%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="604" data-file-height="669" /></a></span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Geography</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0.5em;font-weight:normal;">Physiographic areas</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_Alps" title="Swiss Alps">Swiss Alps</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_Plateau" title="Swiss Plateau">Swiss Plateau</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jura_Mountains" title="Jura Mountains">Jura Mountains</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0.5em;font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Subdivisions_of_Switzerland" title="Subdivisions of Switzerland">Subdivisions</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Cantons_of_Switzerland" title="Cantons of Switzerland">Cantons</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Appenzell_Innerrhoden" title="Appenzell Innerrhoden">AI</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aargau" title="Aargau">AG</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Appenzell_Ausserrhoden" title="Appenzell Ausserrhoden">AR</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Bern" title="Canton of Bern">BE</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Basel-Landschaft" title="Basel-Landschaft">BL</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Basel-Stadt" title="Basel-Stadt">BS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Fribourg" title="Canton of Fribourg">FR</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Geneva" title="Canton of Geneva">GE</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Glarus" title="Canton of Glarus">GL</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grisons" title="Grisons">GR</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Jura" title="Canton of Jura">JU</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Lucerne" title="Canton of Lucerne">LU</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Neuch%C3%A2tel" title="Canton of Neuchâtel">NE</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nidwalden" title="Nidwalden">NW</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Obwalden" title="Obwalden">OW</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_St._Gallen" title="Canton of St. Gallen">SG</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Schaffhausen" title="Canton of Schaffhausen">SH</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Solothurn" title="Canton of Solothurn">SO</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Schwyz" title="Canton of Schwyz">SZ</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thurgau" title="Thurgau">TG</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ticino" title="Ticino">TI</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Uri" title="Canton of Uri">UR</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vaud" title="Vaud">VD</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Valais" title="Valais">VS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Zug" title="Canton of Zug">ZG</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canton_of_Zurich" title="Canton of Zurich">ZH</a></li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Districts_of_Switzerland" title="Districts of Switzerland">Districts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Municipalities_of_Switzerland" title="Municipalities of Switzerland">Municipalities</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Switzerland" title="List of cities in Switzerland">list of cities and towns</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NUTS_statistical_regions_of_Switzerland" title="NUTS statistical regions of Switzerland">Statistical regions</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0.5em;font-weight:normal;">By topic</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Climate_of_Switzerland" class="mw-redirect" title="Climate of Switzerland">Climate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_Switzerland" title="List of earthquakes in Switzerland">Earthquakes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_extreme_points_of_Switzerland" title="List of extreme points of Switzerland">Extreme points</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fauna_of_Switzerland" title="Fauna of Switzerland">Fauna</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Forests_of_Switzerland" title="Forests of Switzerland">Forests</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_glaciers_in_Switzerland" title="List of glaciers in Switzerland">Glaciers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrology_of_Switzerland" title="Hydrology of Switzerland">Hydrology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_islands_of_Switzerland" title="List of islands of Switzerland">Islands</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_lakes_of_Switzerland" title="List of lakes of Switzerland">Lakes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_mountain_passes_in_Switzerland" title="List of mountain passes in Switzerland">Mountain passes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_prominent_mountains_of_Switzerland" title="List of prominent mountains of Switzerland">Mountains</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nature_parks_in_Switzerland" title="Nature parks in Switzerland">Parks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_rivers_of_Switzerland" title="List of rivers of Switzerland">Rivers</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Politics_of_Switzerland" title="Politics of Switzerland">Politics</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Subdivisions_of_Switzerland" title="Subdivisions of Switzerland">Administrative divisions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_Federal_Constitution" title="Swiss Federal Constitution">Constitution</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federal_courts_of_Switzerland" title="Federal courts of Switzerland">Courts</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Federal_Supreme_Court_of_Switzerland" title="Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland">Supreme Court</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Elections_in_Switzerland" title="Elections in Switzerland">Elections</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Switzerland" title="Foreign relations of Switzerland">Foreign relations</a></li> <li>Government <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Federal_Council_(Switzerland)" title="Federal Council (Switzerland)">Federal Council</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/President_of_the_Swiss_Confederation" title="President of the Swiss Confederation">President of the Confederation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federal_administration_of_Switzerland" title="Federal administration of Switzerland">Federal administration</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Human_rights_in_Switzerland" title="Human rights in Switzerland">Human rights</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Switzerland" class="mw-redirect" title="LGBT rights in Switzerland">LGBT</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Landsgemeinde" title="Landsgemeinde">Landsgemeinde</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Law_of_Switzerland" title="Law of Switzerland">Law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Law_enforcement_in_Switzerland" title="Law enforcement in Switzerland">Law enforcement</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_Armed_Forces" title="Swiss Armed Forces">Military</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_Redoubt_(Switzerland)" title="National Redoubt (Switzerland)">National Redoubt</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_neutrality" title="Swiss neutrality">Neutrality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federal_Assembly_(Switzerland)" title="Federal Assembly (Switzerland)">Parliament</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/National_Council_(Switzerland)" title="National Council (Switzerland)">National Council</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Council_of_States_(Switzerland)" title="Council of States (Switzerland)">Council of States</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Switzerland" title="List of political parties in Switzerland">Political parties</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Popular_initiative_in_Switzerland" title="Popular initiative in Switzerland">Popular initiative</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voting_in_Switzerland" title="Voting in Switzerland">Voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federal_decree" title="Federal decree">Federal decree</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Economy_of_Switzerland" title="Economy of Switzerland">Economy</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Economic_history_of_Switzerland" title="Economic history of Switzerland">Economic history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Agriculture_in_Switzerland" title="Agriculture in Switzerland">Agriculture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Banking_in_Switzerland" title="Banking in Switzerland">Banking</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_National_Bank" title="Swiss National Bank">Central bank</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_banks_in_Switzerland" title="List of banks in Switzerland">Private banks</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_companies_of_Switzerland" title="List of companies of Switzerland">Companies</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Energy_in_Switzerland" title="Energy in Switzerland">Energy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_franc" title="Swiss franc">Franc <span style="font-size:85%;">(currency)</span></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pharmaceutical_industry_in_Switzerland" class="mw-redirect" title="Pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland">Pharmaceutical industry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_Switzerland" title="Science and technology in Switzerland">Science and technology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/SIX_Swiss_Exchange" title="SIX Swiss Exchange">Stock exchange</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_made" title="Swiss made">Swiss made</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Taxation_in_Switzerland" title="Taxation in Switzerland">Taxation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Telecommunications_in_Switzerland" title="Telecommunications in Switzerland">Telecommunications</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tourism_in_Switzerland" title="Tourism in Switzerland">Tourism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Trade_unions_in_Switzerland" title="Trade unions in Switzerland">Trade unions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Transport_in_Switzerland" title="Transport in Switzerland">Transport</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_airports_in_Switzerland" title="List of airports in Switzerland">air</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Switzerland" title="Rail transport in Switzerland">rail</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Swiss_main_roads" title="List of Swiss main roads">road</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Waste_management_in_Switzerland" title="Waste management in Switzerland">Waste management</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Category:Society_of_Switzerland" title="Category:Society of Switzerland">Society</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Abortion_in_Switzerland" title="Abortion in Switzerland">Abortion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Switzerland" title="Capital punishment in Switzerland">Capital punishment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Conscription_in_Switzerland" title="Conscription in Switzerland">Conscription</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corruption_in_Switzerland" title="Corruption in Switzerland">Corruption</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Crime_in_Switzerland" title="Crime in Switzerland">Crime</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Demographics_of_Switzerland" title="Demographics of Switzerland">Demographics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Education_in_Switzerland" title="Education in Switzerland">Education</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Euthanasia_in_Switzerland" title="Euthanasia in Switzerland">Euthanasia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Firearms_regulation_in_Switzerland" title="Firearms regulation in Switzerland">Firearms regulation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Health_in_Switzerland" title="Health in Switzerland">Health</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Healthcare_in_Switzerland" title="Healthcare in Switzerland">Healthcare</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Homelessness_in_Switzerland" title="Homelessness in Switzerland">Homelessness</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Human_trafficking_in_Switzerland" title="Human trafficking in Switzerland">Human trafficking</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Immigration_to_Switzerland" title="Immigration to Switzerland">Immigration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pension_system_in_Switzerland" title="Pension system in Switzerland">Pensions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_prisons_in_Switzerland" title="List of prisons in Switzerland">Prisons</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poverty_in_Switzerland" title="Poverty in Switzerland">Poverty</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prostitution_in_Switzerland" title="Prostitution in Switzerland">Prostitution</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Social_security_in_Switzerland" title="Social security in Switzerland">Social security</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_people" title="Swiss people">Swiss people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Public_Welfare_Policy_in_Switzerland" title="Public Welfare Policy in Switzerland">Welfare</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Women_in_Switzerland" title="Women in Switzerland">Women</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0.5em;font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Culture_of_Switzerland" title="Culture of Switzerland">Culture</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_Psalm" title="Swiss Psalm">Anthem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Architecture_of_Switzerland" title="Architecture of Switzerland">Architecture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cinema_of_Switzerland" title="Cinema of Switzerland">Cinema</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Switzerland" title="Coat of arms of Switzerland">Coat of arms</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_cuisine" title="Swiss cuisine">Cuisine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Flag_of_Switzerland" title="Flag of Switzerland">Flag</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_folklore" title="Swiss folklore">Folklore</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Helvetia" title="Helvetia">Helvetia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Languages_of_Switzerland" title="Languages of Switzerland">Languages</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_Standard_German" title="Swiss Standard German">German</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_French" title="Swiss French">French</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_Italian" title="Swiss Italian">Italian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Romansh_language" title="Romansh language">Romansh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/R%C3%B6stigraben" title="Röstigraben">Röstigraben</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_literature" title="Swiss literature">Literature</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mass_media_in_Switzerland" title="Mass media in Switzerland">Media</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Music_of_Switzerland" title="Music of Switzerland">Music</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Switzerland" title="Public holidays in Switzerland">Public holidays</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_National_Day" title="Swiss National Day">National Day</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Religion_in_Switzerland" title="Religion in Switzerland">Religion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sport_in_Switzerland" title="Sport in Switzerland">Sport</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_symbols_of_Switzerland" title="National symbols of Switzerland">Symbols</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_Inventory_of_Cultural_Property_of_National_and_Regional_Significance" title="Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance">Cultural Property of National Significance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Switzerland" title="List of World Heritage Sites in Switzerland">World Heritage Sites</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="3" style="font-weight:bold;"><div><div style="margin-bottom:-0.4em;"><ul><li><span class="nobold"><a href="/wiki/Outline_of_Switzerland" title="Outline of Switzerland">Outline</a></span></li><li><span class="nobold"><a href="/wiki/Outline_of_Switzerland" title="Outline of Switzerland">Index</a></span></li></ul></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Switzerland" title="Category:Switzerland">Category</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Portal:Switzerland" title="Portal:Switzerland">Portal</a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link 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