Switzerland - Play Grounds Of the Earth

Switzerland is rather small, but pretty famous country. It is widely known for its picturesque mountains, financial institutions, cheese and chocolate, perfect watches and excellent public traffic.Switzerland is a country that covers a total territory of 41 293 square kilometers. It is 220 kilometers long (from north to south) and 348 kilometers wide (from east to west). The length of the borderline is 1 881 kilometers. Switzerland is bounded by France to the west, Germany to the north, Austria and the principality of Liechtenstein to the east and Italy to the south.The landscape is mostly mountainous, including the Swiss Alps, the hilly Swiss Mittelland and the Swiss Jura – also a line of rugged mountains. The highest peaks in Switzerland are all located in Valais – Dufourspitze (4 634 meters), Dom (4 545 meters), Weisshorn (4 506 meters) and Matterhorn (4 478 meters).Except mountains, there are also glaciers (140 in total) in Switzerland and many gorgeous lakes (1 484).
The largest glacier when it comes to territory is Aletsch in Valais, which covers a territory of 117 sq kilometers and is 24 kilometers long. The list of the largest lakes includes Lake Geneva (582 sq km), Lake Constance (539 sq km), Lake Neuchâtel (218 sq km), Lake Maggiore (212 sq km), Lake Lucerne (114 sq km) and Lake Zurich (88 sq km).The settlement in Switzerland which is located at the highest elevation is Juf in Graubunden – 2 126 meters above sea level. And respectively the lowest one is located at 196 meters elevation – Ascona in Ticino. The capital of Switzerland is Berne and the total population in the country is 7,4 million people with average density of 172 people per square kilometer. The most populated cities in the country are Zurich (336 800 people), Geneva (173 500), Basel (168 700), Berne (122 700) and Lucerne (57 000). Switzerland is a democratic Parliamentary Federal State since 1848. It is divided into 20 full and 6 half cantons – Argovia, Appenzell Outer-Rhodes, Appenzell Inner-Rhodes, Basle-Country, Basle-Town, Berne, Fribourg, Geneva, Glarus, Grisons, Jura, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, St.Gall, Thurgovia, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug and Zurich.

The spoken languages are German (spoken by 64% of the people; in North, Central and Eastern Switzerland), French (19% of the people; in Western Switzerland), Italian (8% of the people; in Southern Switzerland) and Romansch – a derivative from Latin (1% of the people; South-Eastern Switzerland). English is also a widely used language.
As far as religion is concerned, around 48% of the people are Catholic and the Protestants are almost as much – 44%. The rest of the people profess other different religions.There are also some non-official regions in Switzerland. The Zurich Region is famous for its diversity of lakes, rivers, hills and woods, all just next to the Alps. The Basel Region is rather different and known for the excellent displays of modern art and architecture. In the Valais Region you will find many ponds, forests and vineyards and in Lake Geneva Region you can admire the perfect Alpine views. If you want gorgeous lush plains, farms and canyons, you should visit the Jura Region, but if you are more of a culture type – the Geneva Region with its cosmopolitan city is the place for you. In Eastern Switzerland and the Graubünden Region you will also find marvelous Alpine slopes and plains. Also famous are Central Switzerland and the Schweizer Mittelland, with its calm rivers and farmhouses. In the Bernese Oberland you can find a diversity of waterfalls, cliffs, glaciers and canyons. And if you want a sense of Italy, the Mediterranean Ticino Region is a perfect place.
Climate
The climate in Switzerland is moderate without extreme heat, cold or humidity. Between July and August the daytime temperature ranges between 18 and 28 °C and between January and February it ranges from -2 to 7 °C. Throughout spring and autumn, the daytime temperature is usually between 8 and 15 °C. But of course with the altitude the temperatures change, so it is advisable to bring a sweater, light coat and sunglasses.