Geography of Switzerland

The geography of Switzerland features a mountainous landlocked country located in Western and Central Europe. Switzerland's natural landscape is marked by its numerous lakes and mountains. It is surrounded by five countries: Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, France to the west, Italy to the south and Germany to the north. Switzerland has a maximum north–south length of and an east–west length of about .

Switzerland is well known for the Alps in the south and south east. North of the Alps, the Swiss Plateau runs along the east–west axis of the country. Most of the population of Switzerland lives on the rolling hills and plains of the plateau. The smaller Jura Mountains are located on the north west side of the plateau. Much of the northern border with Germany follows the Rhine, though the Rhine enters Switzerland near Schaffhausen. The eastern border with Germany and a portion of Austria is drawn through Lake Constance (). A portion of the southwest border with France is drawn through Lake Geneva.

Switzerland is divided into 26 sovereign cantons. The cantons along the Swiss Plateau tend to be the most populous, industrial and religiously Protestant. The cantons in the Alps tend to be less populous, Catholic, and have an agrarian or tourism-based economy. From Bern east (except in the canton of Ticino) the population generally speaks German. West of Bern, the population generally speaks French. In the southern canton of Ticino, most people speak Italian. Romansh, a group of dialects descended from Vulgar Latin, is spoken in several regions in the canton of Graubünden.

Physical description

thumb|upright=1.6|Satellite image of Switzerland

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 , and the greatest breadth from north to south is nearly . Switzerland is a landlocked country, the closest coastline being at the Gulf of Genoa, 160 km south of Chiasso. Its political boundaries often do not coincide with those of nature. The entire canton of Ticino is south of the Alps, as are the valleys of Simplon (Valais), Mesocco, Bregaglia, Poschiavo and Müstair (all in Graubünden); except for a very small part of municipality of Stein am Rhein the whole of the canton of Schaffhausen, part of that of the canton of Basel-City, and a small part of the canton of Zürich are north of the Rhine, while the majority of Graubünden lies to the east of the Rhine basin, and Porrentruy is far down on the western slope of the Jura. Putting these exceptional cases aside, the physical geography of Switzerland may thus be described:

On the south runs the main chain of the Alps, which is joined (at Mont Dolent near Martigny) by the lower ranges that rise south of Lake Geneva and continue until Piz Lad to the east.
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 Jorat range above Lausanne, reaches maximum in the great snowy summits of the Bernese Alps and the Tödi group, before trending to the north near Chur and, after rising once more in the Säntis group, dies away on the southern shore of Lake Constance.
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 Pizzo Rotondo (west of the St Gotthard Pass), parting again near the Oberalp Pass (east of the St Gotthard). Between these two great snowclad ranges flow two of the mightiest European rivers, the Rhône towards the west and the Rhine towards the east, their headwaters being only separated by the tangled mountain mass between Pizzo Rotondo and the Oberalp Pass, which sends the Reuss towards the north and the Ticino towards the south.
To the north of the great northern outlier rises the Jura range, 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 plateau of Switzerland, consisting almost wholly of the undulating valley of the Aare (below Thun) with its numerous affluents. To that river valley, the valley of the Thur (a direct affluent of the Rhine), that lies between the Aare basin and the Rhine basin (Lake Constance) must be added.

Putting aside the valleys of the Ticino and Inn, 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 in the loftiest summit or Dufourspitze (wholly Swiss) of Monte Rosa, though the Dom (), in the Mischabel range, is the highest mountain mass which is entirely within Switzerland. The great northern outlier attains a height of in the Finsteraarhorn, while the lowest level () within the Confederation, is on Lake Maggiore (on the course of the Ticino). The highest permanently inhabited village in Switzerland is Juf () at the head of the high Alpine valley Avers (the Averser Rhein being a tributary of the Rhine), while the lowest is Ascona (), on Lake Maggiore.]]

Different geological phenomena shaped the actual landscapes of Switzerland. The Alpine orogeny had the most visible effects on the landscape: this term covers entire geological movements contributing to the Alps’ formation.

A crystalline basement formed at the beginning of the Paleozoic era, between 540 and 360 million years ago. Later, between 205 and 96 million years ago, the alpine ocean or Tethys Ocean formed between Eurasia and Africa. The ocean reached its maximum width at the end of Jurassic 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 molasse, a sedimentary rock that formed at the bottom of the Tethys ocean.

Switzerland is situated in a relatively tectonically inactive area, although the city of Basel was completely destroyed in 1356 by an earthquake, the largest historical seismic event in central Europe. The most seismically active regions are the Rhine Rift Valley (region of Basel) and the Valais.

Physiographic divisions

[[File:Trois régions suisses 1.png|thumb|The three main geographic regions:

]]

Switzerland is divided in three main geographic regions: the Swiss Alps, the Central Plateau and the Jura, each corresponding to very different geological realities. In addition, two small regions are not part of those three. The first, north of the Rhine in the Basel area, is situated beyond the Jura. The second, on the south in the Mendrisio area, is located in the Po Valley. But these two territories are not extensive in comparison to the total area of the country.

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%.

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 Geneva, Zürich, Basel, Lucern, and Bern are located.

Central Plateau

thumb|left|Rolling hills of the [[Emmental]]

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 . 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 () and Lake Constance () are located in the plateau but are shared with other countries. The largest lake totally in Switzerland, Lake Neuchâtel (), is located in the Swiss Plateau.

thumb|The Rhine Falls () located near Schaffhausen is Europe's largest waterfall.

The Swiss Plateau is crossed by three great river valleys (Rhône, Rhine and Aare) and the smaller Thur valley. While the headwaters of these four rivers all lie in the Alps, they all cut across the plateau between the Alps and the Jura mountains. Near Schaffhausen the Rhine passes through the Rhine Falls, Europe's largest waterfall. The Rhine Falls are wide and high.

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 km2 (1,166 per square mile). 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.

Alps

thumb|Culminating at the [[Finsteraarhorn, the great northern range constitutes an important climatic barrier]]

The Swiss Alps form part of a chain of mountains that stretch across southern Europe and isolate Northern Europe from the Mediterranean Sea. 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 and cover nearly two thirds of the total surface area. Within the Alps there are 48 mountains that are or higher.

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 North Sea. The Rhône and the Ticino drain about 18% of the water into the Mediterranean Sea. The Inn which flows into the Danube outside of Switzerland drains about 4.4% of the water into the Black Sea. The Swiss Alps also contain many of Central Europe's glaciers. There are about 1,800 glaciers

thumb|left|[[Bernese Alps in Grindelwald]]

The Alps are a popular tourist destination and are one of the most recognizable symbols of Switzerland. The tallest point in Switzerland, Monte Rosa () in canton of Valais, is located in the Alps as is tallest mountain wholly in Switzerland, the Dom (). One of the most recognizable symbols of Switzerland, the Matterhorn, is also located in the Alps. The Matterhorn () is the seventh highest peak in the Swiss Alps and is the most photographed mountain in Switzerland. The tallest mountain in the northern outlier The Jura is considered one of the most important sites for dinosaur footprints in the world. In one area near the village of Courtedoux, over 13,000 footprints were discovered in between 2002 and 2011.

The range is being continually built up and decreasing in width by mountain building, accommodating the compression from alpine folding as the main Alpine orogenic front moves roughly northwards. The deformation becomes less pervasive away from the younger, more active Alpine mountain building.

thumb|left|The [[Doubs (river)|Doubs, marking the border with France]]

Structurally, the Jura consists of a sequence of  folds, the formation of which is facilitated by an evaporitic decollement layer. The box folds are still relatively young, evidenced by their defining the shape of the overlying landscape (meaning they have not existed long enough to experience erosion). The folds comprise three major (lithological units) bands of building evidence dated roughly by era: the Malm, Dogger, and Lias (part of the Jurassic Geologic period). Each era of folding represents effects on a previously shallow marine environment as evidenced by beds with particular carbonate sequences, containing abundant bioclasts and oolitic divisions between layers (called horizons).

The Jura Mountains rise in Swiss territory to a height of at Mont Tendre. Other high summits are La Dôle (), the Chasseron () and the Chasseral (), all located in the western part of the range, in the cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel and Bern.

Hydrology

thumb|Many rivers, such as the [[Aare, take their source from the Alpine glaciers.]]

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. 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 North Sea (Rhine), into the Mediterranean Sea (Rhône), into the Black Sea (Inn, through the Danube) and into the Adriatic Sea (Ticino, through the Po and Rom through the Adige).

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 Bad Ragaz and Lake Constance), the Rhône, the Aare, the Reuss and in particular the great works on the Linth (carried out 1807–1810 by Hans Conrad Escher, earning him the surname of "Von der Linth") and the Zihl near the lakes of Neuchâtel and Biel, while the diversion of the Kander from its junction with the Aare to a channel by which it flows into Lake Thun was effected as early as 1714.

thumb|left|The [[Klöntalersee, one of the numerous Alpine lakes of Switzerland]]

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 Geneva and of Constance, 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 Neuchâtel, Lake Maggiore (partly Swiss only) coming next in the list, and being followed by the wholly Swiss lakes of Lucerne and of Zurich. Then come Lake Lugano, Lake Thun, Lake Biel, Lake Zug, Lake Brienz, Lake Walenstadt and Lake Murten. These thirteen only are over 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 Inn basin, the most extensive being that of Sils. Smaller Alpine lakes such as the Oeschinensee 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 Sihlsee and the Lake of Gruyère both approximately in extent. Also notable is Lac des Dix, withheld by the Grande Dixence, the tallest gravity dam in the world.

In total, lakes and reservoirs contain 50% of the stored water, glaciers 28%, groundwater 20% and rivers 2%.

thumb|600px|centre|View of [[Lake Geneva from the vineyards between Montreux and Lausanne]]

Climate

thumb|300px|[[Köppen climate classification types of Switzerland]]

The geography of Switzerland encompasses a wide range of climates, from subtropical to perennial snow climate. However, the lowlands are part of the temperate zone and typically experience neither extreme temperatures nor extreme weather conditions. In the Köppen climate classification, the Swiss Plateau and most low-elevation areas are at the transition between oceanic climate (Cfb) and continental climate (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 Atlantic Ocean) tends to prevent extreme temperatures in summer and winter, with changeable, often overcast weather. The Alps, and in a minor way the Jura Mountains, have a considerable impact on the Swiss climate. They influence it both on a horizontal level, by compartmentalizing it into distinct areas, and on a vertical level, by stratificating it into distinct layers. As a result, four other Köppen climate types are also found in Switzerland: humid subtropical climate (Cfa), subarctic climate (Dfc), tundra climate (ET) and ice cap climate (EF).

At lower altitudes, the weather is generally moderate. On the Plateau, freezing temperatures generally occur during December to early March with an average temperature of for elevations between . On the Plateau, the average precipitation is with a range of about . but also in Graubünden (Chur: ). 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 (Lucerne: 1,570, Zürich: 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).

The widest range of climates in Switzerland is spread vertically. As the elevation above sea-level ranges from , many ecosystems 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 , is the montane zone, 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 is the tree line, which marks the beginning of the Alpine zone. The latter marks the end of the inhabited regions as well, with a few exceptions, such as Juf. The final layer lies above . It is the snow zone (ice cap climate). It only concerns the high Alps, notably the Bernese Alps and Pennine Alps. The coldest meteorological station is at the Jungfraujoch, and overlook one of Europe's largest glaciers. The Jura and Alpine foothills have more precipitation than the plains, with an average of , while the high Alps may have over .

While the highest temperature ever recorded in Switzerland was in August 2003 in Grono, the lowest officially recorded was in January 1987 in La Brévine. Lower temperatures have also been registered, independently from the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, for instance at Glattalpsee.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;"

|+ Climatic diversity (period between 1981 and 2010)

! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" | Place

!Altitude of meteorological station (m)

!Average rainfall (mm per year)

!Average sunshine in August (%)

!Average sunshine in December (%)

!Average maximum temperature in July (°C)

!Average minimum temperature in January (°C)

!Illustration

|-----

|Jungfraujoch (Alps)

| align="right" |3571

| align="right" |>3000

| align="center" |49

| align="center" |48

| align="right" | +3.1

| align="right" | -15.7

| 120px|The Sphinx and the Jungfraujoch. Note the prevalence of ice and snow and the absence of vegetation.

|-----

|Säntis (Alps)

| align="right" |2501

| align="right" |2837

| align="center" |40

| align="center" |44

| align="right" | +8.8

| align="right" | -9.6

|120px|Below the summit of Säntis. Note the almost barren landscape with some patches of tundra and snow.

|-----

|Arosa (Alps)

| align="right" |1878

| align="right" |1365

| align="center" |51

| align="center" |48

| align="right" | +15.4

| align="right" | -7.0

|120px|Untersee in Arosa. Note the prevalence of coniferous forests and the presence of dwarf trees, indicating the proximity of the tree line.

|-----

|La Chaux-de-Fonds (Jura Mountains)

| align="right" |1017

| align="right" |1441

| align="center" |50

| align="center" |35

| align="right" | +20.7

| align="right" | -6.0

| 120px|Maison Blanche in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Note the mixed coniferous-deciduous forest in background.

|-----

|Bern (Swiss Plateau)

| align="right" |553

| align="right" |1059

| align="center" |54

| align="center" |20

| align="right" | +24.3

| align="right" | -3.6

| 120px|Aare river in Bern. Note the prevalence of deciduous trees.

|-----

|Sion (Inner valleys)

| align="right" |482

| align="right" |603

| align="center" |64

| align="center" |50

| align="right" | +27.0

| align="right" | -3.6

| 120px|Valère Basilica hill in Sion. Note the prevalence of steppic vegetation in the foreground and vineyards in the background.

|-----

|Locarno (Southern Switzerland)

| align="right" |367

| align="right" |1897

| align="center" |62

| align="center" |57

| align="right" | +27.1

| align="right" | +0.8

|120px|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.

|-----

Political divisions and greater regions

As a federal state, Switzerland is composed of 26 cantons, which are further divided into districts and municipalities. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia (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.

{| style="float: left; border: 0px; margin: 2.6em 0 0 0;"

| valign="top" | 350px

{| class="wikitable"

! Regions

! Cantons of

! Regions

! Cantons of

| rowspan="3" style="background: #d9d4e9;" |

| style="background: #d9d4e9;" | Aargau

| rowspan="6" style="background: #f5c491;" |

| style="background: #f5c491;" | Lucerne

| style="background: #d9d4e9;" | Basel-Landschaft

| style="background: #f5c491;" | Nidwalden

| style="background: #d9d4e9;" | Basel-Stadt

| style="background: #f5c491;" | Obwalden

| rowspan="5" style="background: #d9e979;" |

| style="background: #d9e979;" | Bern

| style="background: #f5c491;" | Schwyz

| style="background: #d9e979;" | Fribourg

| style="background: #f5c491;" | Uri

| style="background: #d9e979;" | Jura

| style="background: #f5c491;" | Zug

| style="background: #d9e979;" | Neuchâtel

| rowspan="7" style="background: #fffcc8;" |

| style="background: #fffcc8;" | Appenzell Ausserrhoden

| style="background: #d9e979;" | Solothurn

| style="background: #fffcc8;" | Appenzell Innerrhoden

| rowspan="3" style="background: #b6ddc7;" |

| style="background: #b6ddc7;" | Geneva

| style="background: #fffcc8;" | Glarus

| style="background: #b6ddc7;" | Valais

| style="background: #fffcc8;" | Graubünden

| style="background: #b6ddc7;" | Vaud

| style="background: #fffcc8;" | Schaffhausen

| style="background: #f8c6db;" |

| style="background: #f8c6db;" | Zürich

| style="background: #fffcc8;" | St. Gallen

| style="background: #ee9a85;" |

| style="background: #ee9a85;" | Ticino

| style="background: #fffcc8;" | Thurgau

Land use

{| 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;"

| colspan=4 | 280px|Countryside in Aargau

! align="center" bgcolor="lightblue" colspan="4" |<big>Land use</big> Source: FSO (1992–1997)

!scope=col|Main areas

!scope=col|Surface (in %)

!scope=col|Land use

!scope=col|Surface (in ha)

!scope=row rowspan="5" |Surfaces of housing and infrastructure|| rowspan="5" align="right"|

|Building areas ||align="right"|

|Industrial areas||align="right"|

|Special infrastructure areas||align="right"|

|Green spaces and recreation areas||align="right"|

|Transportation areas||align="right"|

!scope=row rowspan="3" |Agricultural land||rowspan="3" align="right"|

|Orchards, vineyards, horticulture||align="right"|

|Arable land, local pastures||align="right"|

|Alpine pastures||align="right"|

!scope=row rowspan="3" |Forests||rowspan="3" align="right"|

|Forest||align="right"|

|Scrub forests||align="right"|

|Other woodlands||align="right"|

!scope=row rowspan="4" |Unproductive areas||rowspan="4" align="right"|

|Lakes||align="right"|

|Rivers||align="right"|

|Unproductive vegetation||align="right"|

|Unvegetated surfaces||align="right"|

The Swiss territory is divided into four major types of land use. , 36.9% of the land in Switzerland was used for farming. 30.8% of the country is covered with forests and woodlands,

Unproductive areas

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 hydroelectricity. Climatic conditions strongly affect the landscape of these areas: water seepage, landslides, avalanches, torrents 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.

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 biodiversity.

Population

thumb|Density of population by municipality (2019)

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 km2, 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 Lucerne, Solothurn and Zürich are respectively 261.0, 319.7 and 813.6 inhabitants per km2. On the other hand, the cantons of Uri and Graubünden have very low population densities, respectively 33.4 and 27.0 inhabitants per km2. In the southern Alps, the canton of Ticino also has a population density less than the national average, with 122.5 inhabitants per km2 (against 194.7).

Environment

thumb|300px|The [[Retreat of glaciers since 1850|retreat of Aletsch Glacier (situation in 1979, 1991 and 2002), due to global warming]]

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.

Air

The main environmental issues in Switzerland's air is air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning as well as acid rain. With these numbers, Switzerland is 31st to 33rd among the 45 nations listed by United Nations Millennium Development Goals Indicators as developed nations and 69th worldwide.

Biodiversity

thumb|An alpine ibex in the [[Lötschental]]

Switzerland is facing a loss of biodiversity.

International agreements

Party to:

Air Pollution
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides
Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Antarctic Treaty
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Biodiversity
Climate Change
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Desertification
Endangered Species
Environmental Modification
Hazardous Wastes
Law of the Sea

enclosing an area of (land: , water: ).

{| class="wikitable"

! Border

! km

! mi

! Cantons

! Lowest point

! Highest point

| with Italy

| 734.2

| 460

| Valais Ticino Graubünden

| Lake Maggiore (193 m)

| Grenzgipfel (4,618 m)

| with France

| 571.8

| 356

| Basel-City Basel-Country Solothurn Jura Neuchâtel Vaud Geneva Valais

| Rhine at Basel (246 m)

| Aiguille d'Argentière (3,901 m)

| with Germany

| 345.7

| 208

| Basel-City Basel-Country Aargau Zürich Schaffhausen Thurgau St. Gallen

| Rhine at Basel (246 m)

| Randen mountains near Beggingen (900 m)

| with Austria

| 165.1

| 102

| St. Gallen Graubünden

| Lake Constance (395 m)

| Fluchthorn (3,398 m)

| with Liechtenstein

| 41.1

| 25

| St. Gallen Graubünden

| Rhine near Sennwald (430 m)

| Grauspitz (2599 m)

| Total

| 1852

| 1,151

| the ones mentioned above

| Lake Maggiore (193 m)

| Grenzgipfel (4,618 m)

The border of Switzerland has six tripoints, of which two are located in rivers, one undefined location in the Lake of Constance, and the three others in high mountains.

Elevation extremes

Lowest point: Lake Maggiore:
Highest point: Monte Rosa:
Deepest point: in Lake Maggiore:

Western or Central Europe

thumb|Current measurements of extreme points of Europe and its centres

No subdivision of Europe 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 Western or Central Europe: both concepts depend heavily on context and carry cultural, economic and political connotations.

The term "Western Europe" commonly indicates the region west of the Baltic and Adriatic Sea. Countries described as Western European (including Switzerland, according to the United Nations Statistics Division and the National Geographic Society) are invariably high-income developed countries, characterized by stable democratic political systems, mixed economies combining the free market with aspects of the welfare state. On the other hand, the term "Central Europe" refers to the region between Western and Eastern Europe. Central European countries (including Switzerland in the westernmost part, according to the World Factbook and various encyclopedias such as Britannica and Columbia) 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 Western World and the East Bloc, splitting Central Europe in half. Before World War I, the German-speaking world used the somewhat-related term Mitteleuropa (from German: Middle Europe) for an area larger than most conceptions of Central Europe, notably encompassing Switzerland among the other German-speaking countries.

Physically, Switzerland is situated approximately in the middle of the portion of Europe west of the Carpathian Mountains. Defining the Ural Mountains as the eastern limit of the continent, Switzerland is located within the western third of Europe, approximately 15 degrees of longitude away from the extreme west and 50 degrees away from extreme east. Phytogeographically, the part of Switzerland that lies north of the Alps belongs to Central Europe, while the part south of the Alps belongs to Southern Europe.

Natural World Heritage Sites

File:Lago di Lugano3.jpg|Monte San Giorgio

File:Sernftal.jpg|Glarus thrust

File:LakeOeschinen.jpg|Oeschinen Lake

File:Oberaletsch.jpg|Oberaletsch Glacier

File:Great Aletsch Glacier.jpg|Aletsch Glacier

File:Aletschhorn from Konkordiaplatz.jpg|Konkordiaplatz

File:Jungfrau from Jungfraujoch.jpg|Jungfraujoch

File:Lauteraarhütte.jpg| Unteraar Glacier

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Topography

Extreme points of Switzerland
Geographical centre of Switzerland
List of caves in Switzerland
List of glaciers in Switzerland
List of islands of Switzerland
List of lakes in Switzerland
List of mountain passes in Switzerland
List of mountain ranges in Switzerland
List of mountains in Switzerland
List of rivers of Switzerland
List of waterfalls of Switzerland

Notes and references

Notes

References

Bibliography

Martine Rebetez, La Suisse se réchauffe. Effet de serre et changement climatique, fourth edition, collection « Le savoir suisse », Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes, 2011 ().

External links

Switzerland in The World Factbook
Geography of Switzerland (About.ch)
Official on-line maps of Switzerland

Physical description

Physiographic divisions

Central Plateau

Alps

Hydrology

Climate

Political divisions and greater regions

Land use

Unproductive areas

Population

Environment

Air

Biodiversity

International agreements

Elevation extremes

Western or Central Europe

Natural World Heritage Sites

Topography

See also

Notes and references

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links