Geography of Switzerland

The country of Switzerland is historically very rich but its primary strong point is its captivating Geography. There are a number of remarkable aspects in the Geography of Switzerland which makes it such a beautiful country. This global tourist destination is internationally so reputed that every year thousands and thousands of tourists from different parts of the world arrive at Switzerland. The country of Switzerland is not very big and most of the areas of the country are covered by mountains and mountain ranges. Located at the heart of the continent of Europe, Switzerland Geography is quite unique. The total area of the country is about 41,290 sq. km, of which 39,770 sq. km is land and 1520 sq. km is water. Geography of Switzerland reveals that it is a “landlocked” country as it is surrounded by the countries of Austria, France, Italy and Germany.

The south and the south east part of the country houses the magnificent and spectacular Alps, the Swiss plateau runs along the east-west of the country of Switzerland. The plateau plains and the rolling hills are the places where most of the inhabitants of the country resides. On the plateau's north west side, lies the Jura Mountains. The Rhine river flows along the north border of the country, despite the river entering at a place close to Schaffhausen. Lake Constance lies in the eastern border whereas Lake Geneva is in the south western border of Switzerland.

The country of Switzerland is divided into twenty three cantons, and further three cantons are sub divided. The cantons close to the Swiss plateau are the more populated, Protestant and industrial, whereas the cantons in the Alps region are more agriculture oriented, Catholic, and their economies are primarily based on tourism. Another remarkable fact about Geography of Switzerland is that the country is also split up by language. Of the total population, 63.7% speak German, 20.4% speak French, 6.5% speak Italian, and 0.5% speak Romansh. The languages are spoken by people of the various regions in the country. The geography of the country forms an important part of Switzerland Travel Guide as tourists need to have a clear idea about the country.

The Swiss Plateau initiates from Lake Geneva on the border area of France and Switzerland to Lake Constance which is located at the border area shared by Switzerland with Germany and Austria. The median altitude of the Swiss plateau is about 1902 ft. Small lakes, rolling hills and rivers cover the plateau region. The two lakes stretches across other countries of Europe, besides the country of Switzerland. The largest lake, entirely in the country, is Lake Neuchatel with an area of 218.3 sq. km. The major rivers in the country have their origin in the Swiss Alps. The Rhine Falls, the largest waterfall in Europe, is situated in the country of Switzerland. The Swiss Alps runs through the country of Switzerland and a number of passes through the mountains are situated in the country of Switzerland. The Swiss Alps is the most popular tourist attraction in the country and one of the most striking feature of the Geography of Switzerland. The climate and weather remains pretty moderate throughout the year.