Composite satellite image of Switzerland. Clearly visible are the Alps, Lake Constance and Lake Geneva.

Geography of Switzerland File links The following pages link to this file: Geography of Switzerland Categories: NASA images | Satellite images ... File links The following pages link to this file: Geography of Switzerland Categories: NASA images | Satellite images ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Lake Constance, New Zealand. ... Lake Geneva or Lake Léman (French Lac Léman, le Léman, or Lac de Genève) is the second largest freshwater lake in Central Europe (after Lake Balaton). ...

Location: Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy, south of Germany, and west of Austria. Central Europe The Alpine Countries and the Visegrád Group (Political map, 2004) Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ...

• Geographic coordinates: 47°00′N, 8°00′E

Map references: Europe For the acronyms, see MAP and MAPS. A map is a symbolized depiction of a space which highlights relations between components (objects, regions, themes) of that space. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ...

Area: Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ...

• total: 41'290 km²
  • land: 39'770 km²
  • water: 1'520 km²

Land boundaries: To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 10,000 km² and 100,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 1,000 km² and 10,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ...

• total: 1'852 km
• border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 106 and 107 m (1,000 and 10,000 km). ... A landlocked country is one that has no coastline. ...

Maritime claims: none (landlocked) A landlocked country is one that has no coastline. ...

Climate: temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Terrain: mostly mountains (Alps in south and southeast, Jura in northwest), in between the Swiss plateau with rolling hills, plains, and large lakes This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Looking towards Lelex from near to Crêt de la Neige The Jura folds are located north of the main Alpine orogenic front and are being continually deformed, accommodating the northwards compression from Alpine folding. ... The Swiss plateau (plateau suisse in French, Schweizer Mittelland in German) constitutes one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the Jura mountains and the Alps. ... Blowdown Lake in the mountains near Pemberton, British Columbia A lake (from Latin lacus) is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size contained on a body of land. ...

Overview map of Switzerland

Natural resources: hydropower potential, timber, salt Image File history File links Sz-map. ... Image File history File links Sz-map. ... Undershot water wheels on the Orontes River in Hama, Syria Saint Anthony Falls Hydropower is the capture of the energy of moving water for some useful purpose. ... Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction or wood... For other uses, see Salt (disambiguation). ...

Land use:

• arable land: 10%
• permanent crops: 2%
• permanent pastures: 28%
• forests and woodland:32%
• other:28% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 250 km² (1993 est.) To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ...

Natural hazards: avalanches, landslides, flash floods A Himalayan avalanche near Mount Everest. ... Landslide of soil and regolith in Pakistan A landslide is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows. ... Lower Antelope Canyon was carved out of sandstone by flash floods A Flash Flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas (washes), rivers and streams, caused by the intense rainfall associated with a thunderstorm, or multiple training thunderstorms. ...

Environment - current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning; acid rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity Air pollution is a chemical, particulate matter, or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. ... The term acid rain or more accurately acid precipitation is commonly used to mean the deposition of acidic components in rain, snow, dew, or dry particles. ... Raw sewage and industrial waste flows into the U.S. from Mexico as the New River passes from Mexicali, Baja California to Calexico, California Water pollution is a large set of adverse effects upon water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater caused by human activities. ... Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ...

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea note - abbreviated as Air Pollution opened for signature - 13 November 1979 entered into force - 16 March 1983 objective - to protect the human environment against air pollution and to gradually reduce and prevent air pollution, including long-range transboundary air pollution parties - (48) Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria... Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes, opened for signature on 31 October 1988 and entered into force on 14 February 1991, was to provide for the control or reduction of nitrogen oxides and... Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or Their Transboundary Fluxes by at Least 30% opened for signature - July 8, 1985 entered into force - September 2, 1987 objective - to provide for a 30% reduction in sulphur emissions or transboundary fluxes... Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or Their Transboundary Fluxes opened for signature - November 18, 1991 entered into force - September 29, 1997 objective - to provide for the control and reduction of emissions of volatile organic compounds... The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earths only continent without a native population. ... The Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty that was adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. ... UNFCCC logo. ... The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa is an agreement to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements. ... The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between Governments, drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). ... note - abbreviated as Environmental Modification opened for signature - December 10, 1976 entered into force - October 5, 1978 objective - to prohibit the military or other hostile use of environmental modification techniques in order to further world peace and trust among nations parties - (66) Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria... The Basel Convention (verbose: Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal) is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent dumping of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs). ... Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter (London Convention) note - abbreviated as Marine Dumping opened for signature - 29 December 1972 entered into force - 30 August 1975 objective - to control pollution of the sea by dumping and to encourage regional agreements supplementary to the Convention... opened for signature - 29 April 1958 entered into force - 20 March 1966 objective - to solve through international cooperation the problems involved in the conservation of living resources of the high seas, considering that because of the development of modern technology some of these resources are in danger of being overexploited... The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes and was opened for signature in New York on 24 September 1996, when it was signed by 71 States, including the five nuclear weapon states at the time (which did not... The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer from depletion by phasing out the production of a number of substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion. ... Ship Pollution is an abbreviated form of the Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973. ... note - abbreviated as Tropical Timber 83 opened for signature - November 18, 1983 entered into force - April 1, 1985; this agreement expired when the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994, went into force. ... note - abbreviated as Tropical Timber 94 opened for signature - January 26, 1994 entered into force - January 1, 1997 objective - to ensure that by the year 2000 exports of tropical timber originate from sustainably managed sources; to establish a fund to assist tropical timber producers in obtaining the resources necessary to... The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i. ... The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling is an international agreement (see environmental agreement) signed in 1946 designed to make whaling sustainable. ... The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, also known as the Antarctic-Environmental Protocol is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. ... Kyoto Protocol Opened for signature December 11, 1997 in Kyoto, Japan Entered into force February 16, 2005. ... United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Opened for signature December 10, 1982 in Montego Bay (Jamaica) Entered into force November 16, 1994[1] Conditions for entry into force 60 ratifications Parties 149[2] For maritime law in general see Admiralty law. ...

Geography - note: landlocked; crossroads of central and southern Europe; along with southeastern France and northern Italy, contains the highest elevations in Europe

Gallery

View of the Matterhorn from Riffelalp Valais Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Valais (German:  ) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the south-western part of the country, in the Pennine Alps around the valley of the Rhone River from its springs to Lake Geneva. ...	Liskamm, Pennine Alps Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3456x2304, 3062 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Mountain Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Lyskamm (or Liskamm) (4,527 m) is a mountain in the Alps lying on the border between Switzerland and Italy. ... The Pennine Alps (also: Valais Alps) are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. ...	Château de Chillon Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 883 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Beschreibung: Gesamtansicht Schloss Chillon mit Genfersee, Veytaux-Montreux, Schweiz Quelle: FreePiP (Free Pictures Project) Fotograf: Benjamin Gimmel BenHur File history Legend: (cur) = this is the... Château de Chillon Château de Chillon The Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon) is located on the shore of Lake Geneva near Montreux, Switzerland. ...	Jungfraujoch Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Jungfraujoch Observatorium Jungfrau Jungfraujoch Observatorium Jungfrau Jungfraujoch Observatorium Jungfrau Jungfraujoch and Jungfrau The Jungfraujoch is a col or saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau in the Bernese Alps on the boundary between the cantons of Bern and Valais. ...
Kapellbrücke in Lucerne Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 403 KB) Kapellbrücke in Lucerne, Switzerland Author: Wojsyl File links The following pages link to this file: Covered bridge Kapellbrücke Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or... Kapellbrücke and Wasserturm The Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge in German) is a 204 m (670 ft) long bridge crossing the Reuss River in the city of Lucerne in Switzerland. ... Another view across Lake Lucerne. ...	The United Nations in Geneva Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German:   //, Italian: Ginevra //, Romansh: Genevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ...	Messeturm in Basel Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1038x1557, 561 KB) Uploaded to the German Wikipedia repository by CdaMVvWgS Copied from the German repository to the common one by Modulo File History @ deWP 17:23, 9. ... Basel (British English traditionally: Basle and more recently Basel , German: , French: , Italian: ) is Switzerlands third most populous city (166,563 inhabitants (2004); 690,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area stretching across the immediate cantonal and national boundaries made Basel Switzerlands second-largest urban area as of 2003). ...	Gornergratbahn Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Gornergratbahn (GGB) is a 6 km long meter gauge mountain rack railway, with abt rack system, out of Zermatt, Switzerland, (Canton Valais). ...
Bundeshaus Image File history File links Description North view of the Bundeshaus in Bern (house of the Swiss parliament) Source Parliament publications, used with permission [1] [2]. File links The following pages link to this file: Federal Assembly of Switzerland ... Curia Confoederationis Helveticae Bundeshaus or Federal Palace (French: Palais fédéral, Italian: Palazzo federale; Latin: Curia Confoederationis Helveticae) is the name of the building in Bern in which the Swiss Federal Assembly (federal parliament) and the Federal Council is housed. ...	ETH Zurich Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 526 pixelsFull resolution (1085 × 713 pixel, file size: 123 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The ETH Zurich, often called Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, is a science and technology university in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. ...	The Glacier Express Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 387 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2000 × 3099 pixel, file size: 2. ... The Glacier Expresss route through Switzerland The Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. ...	Engadin Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 698 KB) Photograph taken by my mother Tinelot Wittermans and released under GFDL File links The following pages link to this file: Engadin Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Lej da Segl and Lej da Silvaplauna, Upper Engadin Piz Roseg and Vadret da Roseg as seen from Fuorcla Surlej The Engadine (German: Engadin, Romansch: Engiadina) is a long mountain valley located in the canton of Graubünden in southeast of Switzerland. ...
Piz Bernina Image File history File links Size of this preview: 400 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1250 × 1875 pixel, file size: 1. ... Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the eastern Alps with an elevation of 4049 metres. ...	Mittel Allalin in Saas Fee Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 2. ... Saas-Fee is a Swiss village and tourism centre in the Saas-Valley in the Wallis mountains. ...	Rhine Falls Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Rhine falls with castle Laufen The Rhine Falls (Rheinfall in German) are the largest waterfalls of Europe. ...	The Grande Dixence dam Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Map of Lac des Dix The Grande Dixence dam, at the head of the Val dHérens in the canton of Valais in Switzerland, is at 285 metres high one of the worlds tallest dams. ...
The Jet d'eau in Geneva Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (467x700, 90 KB) Description Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Jet dEau Fountain ... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German:   //, Italian: Ginevra //, Romansh: Genevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ...	The Einsiedeln Abbey Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 377 pixelsFull resolution (3264 × 1538 pixel, file size: 386 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Einsiedeln abbey. ... , Einsiedeln abbey Einsiedeln abbey Lady Fountain Einsiedeln is a Benedictine monastery in Einsiedeln town, in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland, dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, that title being derived from the circumstances of its foundation, from which the name Einsiedeln is also said to have originated. ...	The lake of Oeschinen Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...	The Aletsch Glacier Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 2441 KB) Summary For camera information and shooting conditions see the EXIF info fields, contained in the file. ... Aletsch Glacier Aletsch Glacier Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps, covers more than 120 square kilometres (more than 45 square miles) in southern Switzerland. ...
The three castles of Bellinzona Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 608 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Castello di Montebello e il Castello di Sasso Corbaro a Bellinzona. ... Location within Switzerland Bellinzona is the capital city of canton Ticino in Switzerland. ...	View from Klein Matterhorn Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 127 KB) Summary Location: Zermatt, Switzerland Author: Sikander Date: September 25th 2005 Details: http://www. ... Matterhorn observation point The Klein Matterhorn (known as the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise) is the highest point in the Zermatt-Cervinia ski area, and the end point of the highest cable car in Europe. ...	The St. Gotthard Pass Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 750 pixel, file size: 117 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The modern concrete span of the Devils bridge (Teufelsbrücke) across the Schöllenen Gorge replaces the older bridge below. ...	Stockalper Castle in Brig Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
City Hall of Basel Image File history File links Size of this preview: 391 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 2300 pixel, file size: 577 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Basilea, ayuntamiento City Hall, Basel, Switzerland Photograph Tobias Helfrich, November 14th, 2004. ... Basel (British English traditionally: Basle and more recently Basel , German: , French: , Italian: ) is Switzerlands third most populous city (166,563 inhabitants (2004); 690,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area stretching across the immediate cantonal and national boundaries made Basel Switzerlands second-largest urban area as of 2003). ...	The North face of Dent Blanche Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Dent Blanche is a mountain in the Swiss Alps, west of Zermatt and north of the Matterhorn. ...	Zurich Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 535 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 669 pixel, file size: 247 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Location within Switzerland   Zürich[?] (German pronunciation IPA: ; usually spelled Zurich in English) is the largest city in Switzerland (population: 366,145 in 2004; population of urban area: 1,091,732) and capital of the canton of Zürich. ...	Jungfrau Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... The Jungfrau (German: virgin) is the highest peak of a mountain massif of the same name, located in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps, overlooking Grindelwald. ...

Topography

• List of islands of Switzerland
• List of lakes in Switzerland
• List of mountain ranges in Switzerland
• List of mountain passes in Switzerland
• List of rivers of Switzerland
• List of glaciers in Switzerland
• Extreme points of Switzerland

This is a list of islands of Switzerland. ... Largest Lakes in Switzerland (Area larger than 20 km²) Lake Geneva (Lac Léman, Lac de Genève) - 581. ... The Swiss Alps are the central portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. ... This is a list of mountain passes in Switzerland. ... Rivers of Switzerland: The longest Swiss rivers (> 100 km) Rhine - 375 km - 36494 km² Aar - 295 km - 17779 km² Rhone River - 264 km - 10403 km² Reuss River - 158 km - 3425 km² Linth / Limmat - 140 km - 2416 km² Saane/Sarine - 128 km - 1892 km² Thur... This is a list of the glaciers in Switzerland. ... This is a list of the extreme points of Switzerland. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Geography of Switzerland

• Swiss cartography