SWITZERLAND TRAVEL: Essential Information to Know

Geography of Switzerland

Switzerland has a total area of 41,285 km² or 15,940 square miles. The productive land – excluding lakes, rivers, and vegetation – covers 30,753 km² or 11,870 square miles.

Geographic Coordinates:
The northernmost point is at N 47° 48’ 35’’.
The southernmost point is at S 45° 49’ 08’’.
The easternmost point is at E 10° 29’ 36’’.
The westernmost point is at E 5° 57’ 24’’.

The distance from north to south is approximately 220 kilometers or 137 miles, while the distance from east to west is 350 kilometers or 217 miles.

Switzerland’s landscape is divided into three primary geographic regions.
The Jura accounts for 10 percent of the land.
The Plateau or Middle Land makes up 30 percent of the surface area.
The Alps dominate with 60 percent of the landmass.

Time Zone

Switzerland is located in the Central European Time zone (CET), also known as the Middle European Time zone (MET), which is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1).

Daylight saving time, where clocks are set forward by one hour compared to winter time, begins in early spring and ends in late autumn. This schedule aligns with the European Union countries.

Jura Region

The Jura is a limestone mountain range extending from Lake Geneva in the south to the Rhine River in the north, covering over 10 percent of Switzerland’s surface area. With an average elevation of 700 meters (2,300 feet) above sea level, the Jura forms a picturesque plateau filled with valleys and rivers.

Numerous fossils and dinosaur tracks have been discovered in the Jura region, which lends its name to the Jurassic Period. The rocks of the Jura were formed between 208 million and 144 million years ago. Although Jurassic rocks can be found in many parts of the world, the Jura was the first region where they were studied in the late 18th century.

The Alps

The Alps stretch approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) across Switzerland, with an average elevation of 1,700 meters (5,576 feet) above sea level. The snow line typically begins at around 2,500 meters (8,200 feet). Switzerland is home to 48 peaks that reach or exceed 4,000 meters (13,120 feet), and there are approximately 1,800 glaciers across the Alps.

The highest mountain in Switzerland is Dufourspitze in the canton of Valais, standing at 4,634 meters (15,203 feet).

The Alps provide significant opportunities for recreation and relaxation for urban residents. The region is well-developed, featuring mountain railways, sports centers, hotels, and resorts.

Sixty percent of Switzerland’s tourism activities are centered in the Alps and their foothills, supporting local economies but also raising ecological concerns. Approximately 75 percent of visitors to the Alps travel by private car.

Rivers and Lakes

Switzerland holds 6 percent of Europe’s freshwater reserves. The Rhine, Rhone, and Inn rivers all originate in Switzerland, although their waters flow toward three different seas.

• The Rhine River, along with its tributaries Aare and Thur, directs 67.7 percent of its flow to the North Sea.
• The Rhone and Ticino Rivers channel 18 percent of their water to the Mediterranean Sea.
• The Inn River sends 4.4 percent of its flow to the Black Sea.

The Rhine Falls, located a few kilometers downstream from Schaffhausen, is the largest waterfall in Europe, measuring 150 meters (450 feet) wide and 25 meters (80 feet) high.

Switzerland is also home to more than 1,500 lakes. The two largest, Lake Geneva and Lake Constance, lie on the country’s borders.

• Lake Geneva is shared with France.
• Lake Constance is shared with Germany and Austria.
• Lake Geneva, fed by the Rhone River, is the largest freshwater lake in central Europe.

The largest lake entirely within Switzerland is Lake Neuchâtel, covering 218.4 square kilometers (84.3 square miles).

One of Switzerland’s most famous lakes is Lake Lucerne, centrally located and spanning 113.7 square kilometers (44 square miles).

Switzerland also has numerous reservoir lakes, primarily used to drive turbines in hydropower plants.

Economy of Switzerland

Switzerland's economy relies heavily on a highly skilled workforce engaged in tasks that demand advanced expertise and exceptional quality.

The primary sectors include microtechnology, high-tech industries, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, as well as banking and insurance. The service sector employs the largest portion of the workforce.

Most Swiss workers are employed by small and medium-sized enterprises, which play a crucial role in the Swiss economy.

The Swiss place great importance on minimizing the environmental impact of economic activities. Switzerland’s energy and transportation policies are designed to be environmentally friendly.

The era of unlimited economic growth in Switzerland has passed. In recent years, unemployment concerns have become a significant issue for the Swiss population.

Switzerland lacks natural resources and has limited land area. Its wealth depends heavily on foreign trade. With a population of just over 7.7 million, the small domestic market encourages Swiss manufacturers to seek opportunities abroad to maximize returns on investments in research and development.

Switzerland imports raw materials and exports high-quality goods. In 2003, the value of one ton of Swiss exports was 2.25 times higher than the value of an equivalent amount of imports.

Switzerland’s economy is not based on mass production but on high-quality products and a well-trained workforce. Many Swiss companies adopt a niche strategy, focusing on a limited number of high-end product lines. As a result, even small firms can dominate global markets in their specialized fields.

Key Swiss exports include microtechnology, high-tech equipment, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and financial services in banking and insurance.

Swiss products command premium prices globally because consumers are willing to pay for superior quality. However, to maintain this competitive edge, Swiss companies must continuously invest in innovation.

Switzerland has one of the highest rates of employment in research and development among industrialized nations.

In 2004, more than 2.9 percent of the nation’s GDP was allocated to research, with over two-thirds of the funding coming from the private sector.