Country data
Location: Europe
Time zone: CET
Total area: 41,277 km²
Land area: 39,997 km²
Water area: 1,280 km²
Length of the state border: 1,852 km
Bordering countries:
Germany: 334 km
France: 573 km
Italy: 740 km
Liechtenstein: 41 km
Austria: 164 km
Coastline: 0 km
Capital: Bern
Cantons: 26
Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Friborg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Lucerne, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich
Electric current: 220 V / 50 Hz
Telephone code: 00 41 (Source: Allcitycodes)
Highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m
Population
Population: approx. 8.1 million residents (Countryaah, 2021)
Population growth: 0.8% per year
Population density (residents per km²): 196
Life expectancy: 80 (male), 85 (female)
Official language: German, French, Italian, Romansh
Religions:
- 38% Roman Catholic
- 27% Protestants
- 5% Muslim
- 30% other
Climate
Since the altitudes show strong climatic differences, the climate in Switzerland is regionally different.
North and West:
The climate is temperate. The daytime temperatures are on average 15-20 ° C. In winter the temperature drops to 0 to -5 ° C.
South:
Due to the closer location to the Mediterranean Sea, it is always a bit warmer here than in the rest of Switzerland. During the day the thermometer rises to around 18-25 ° C. In winter, the temperature occasionally drops to 3 ° C.
Inland:
In the highlands of the Alps, there is daily sun almost all year round. However, due to the altitude, it is a few degrees Celsius colder than in the surrounding regions.
Currency / finance
Currency unit: Swiss franc (CHF)
Division: 1 franc = 100 cents
ATMs: Available in many cities, with credit / debit card and pin number.
International credit cards: These are accepted by many hotels and shops.
Regulations: Foreign and national currencies can be imported and exported in unlimited amounts.
Customs regulations
The following may be carried duty-free:
- 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco
- 1 liter of alcoholic beverages (max. 15% alcohol volume)
- small amounts of perfume
(Information applies to people aged 18 and over)
Tourists and people in transit can bring items of personal use with them duty-free.
Travel advice
There is currently no country-specific safety notice for Switzerland.
Economy
Thanks to industrial development, Switzerland has become an important industrial nation.
Although there are virtually no raw materials in the country, around a quarter of all working people are employed in industry.
Switzerland is best known for the high quality of its precision instruments. Watches are among the most popular and well-known export items.
Industries: chemistry, mechanical engineering, precision measuring instruments, textiles, tourism, clocks
Natural resources: wood, salt, hydropower
Land use:
- Usable land: 10%
- Grain cultivation: 2%
- Pasture area: 28%
- Forests: 32%
- other: 28%