Switzerland is a central European country. Situated in the heart of the Alps, it borders Germany in the north, Austria and Liechtenstein in the east, Italy in the south and France in the west. The Swiss territory has an area of 41 290 km 2 . The main cities in Switzerland are Zurich, with 351 700 residents (2004) and a metropolitan area with 979 000 residents, Basel (161 800 residents; metropolitan area, 554 400 residents), Geneva (180 400 residents), Bern, the administrative capital (127 217 inhab.), and Lausanne, the judicial capital (118 200 inhab.).
The country is divided into three geographical regions (from northwest to southeast): the Jura mountains, the central plateau and the Alps. The Jura Mountains occupy 12% of the total area. It is a sparsely forested area but covered with grasslands. The central plateau occupies a quarter of the territory and is an area rich in agriculture; it is also here that cities and other economic activities are concentrated. The Alps are made up of superb rugged rocks, snowy peaks and vast deep, narrow valleys with rugged slopes. Monte Rosa, near the border with Italy, is the highest point in Switzerland; it has 4634 meters of altitude. The 50 alpine peaks have an average of 3660 meters of altitude. The central alpine region, around S. Gotardo, is where Europe’s largest water tables are located and is also where the country’s two largest rivers are born.
Climate
The climate is temperate, with a transition between sea and continental, with great differentiation caused by altitude, both in temperature and rainfall. On slopes exposed to humid winds, precipitation is much higher.
Economy
The standard of living of the Swiss is among the highest in the world. It has an economy based on the tertiary sector, with emphasis on financial services and tourism. The equally advanced industry exports mainly machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles and food products (cheeses, chocolates). Agriculture is an important sector in spite of the rugged terrain, especially sugar beet, potatoes, wheat and barley. Switzerland’s main trading partners are Germany, France, the United States of America and Italy. Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita (metric tons, 1999), is 5.7.
Population
In 2006, Switzerland had 7 523 934 residents, which corresponds to a population density of 181.39 inhab./km 2 . The birth and death rates are, respectively, 9.71% o and 8.49% o. Average life expectancy is 80.51 years. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.932 and the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.927 (2001). It is estimated that, in 2025, the population will be 7 359 000 residents. The main religions are Catholicism (46%), Protestantism (40%) and Islam (2%). Switzerland has three major language groups, German to the north, center and east, French to the west and Italian to the south. Two thirds of the population speak German. The official languages are French, German and Italian. There is also a fourth official language, Romansh, spoken by 1% of the population.
- Countryaah: provides country profile of Switzerland, including its state flag, official language, population rankings, land area, history overview, summary of economy and culture as well as map of Switzerland.
- Abbreviationfinder: Comprehensive list of all abbreviations associated with Switzerland. Sorted by popularity. Also offers the 2-letter and 3-letter acronyms for what is the abbreviation for Switzerland.
Bank Leu
Personalized private bank in Switzerland provides advice on tax and succession planning and investing. Review the stock-market comments and maps.
Website: http://www.leu.com/
Bank of New York – Inter Maritime Bank
Geneva, Switzerland, bank offers services such as estate planning, investment and collective-fund management, and private and corporate banking.
Website: http://r.lksm.com/go/t=34:0|60791004;g=z/Website: http://www.bny-imb.
Banque de Depot et de Gestion
Lausanne-based bank with branches in Neuchatel and Lugano, Switzerland, offers private banking services, including portfolio management and investment counseling.
Website: http://www.bdg.ch/en2.htm
Banque Financiere de la Cite
Private banking highlights its services which include equity and bond trading and time deposits. Learn about the bank’s confidentiality plans.
Website: http://www.bfc.ch/welcomeheather.html
BEKB BCBE Bank
Read about the financial products and services offered by this bank include investments and online and telebanking.
Website: http://www.bekb.ch/eng/
BSI Bank
Swiss bank offers a profile, an event calendar, and other company information, and allows its customers to perform some transactions functions.
Website: http://www.bsi.ch/
Credit Suisse
Large bank of Switzerland showcases its sophisticated network of branches throughout the world. Tap into its research publications.
Website: http://www.credit-suisse.com/
Swiss Banks Directory
Search the collection of links to Swiss banks. Service also offers FAQs to Switzerland’s reputable savings and loans system.
Website: http://www.swconsult.ch/chbanks.htm
UBS Bank Canada
Check out details about private clients, corporate clients, products and services, and divisions of this bank. Includes career information.
Website: http://www.ubs.com/e/pb/pbwmap/canada.html
Union Bancaire Privee
Private Swiss bank offers financial services to institutions and private individuals. Read about its asset management and alternative and structured investment funds.
Website: http://www.ubp.ch/
United Trust of Switzerland
Established in 1931, this company offers international financial-advisory services, including asset-management tools.
Website: http://www.switzerland-company.com/
