Europe is home to Switzerland. In the heart of Europe, Switzerland is a landlocked country. The land borders of this country are shared with the countries of Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy, and France. Nestle, the world's biggest publicly traded food and nutrition company, is based in this country in the middle of Europe. So are many other pharmaceutical companies, including drug giants Hoffman-LaRoche and Novartis. Switzerland is a modern country with a highly educated and active population. The country also ranks highly for how stable its government and economy are. While GIS, a geopolitical economic forecaster, noted that Switzerland's exports of watches and clocks—which account for over 25 million units annually—accounted for only 9 percent of Switzerland's total exports, the country's small and medium-sized firms make up 99 percent of the country's total number of enterprises. Over 44% of the country's exports are chemicals and pharmaceuticals, while over 14% are machinery and electronics. Switzerland is home to one of the greatest per capita GDPs and most educated workforces in the world. The unemployment rate is likewise extremely low in this country.
Bern is the name of the capital city of Switzerland. On the other hand, Zurich, with 1.3 million people, is Switzerland's biggest city. It takes up about half as much space as Austria or just under twice as much space as New Jersey, USA. Switzerland has the world's tallest mountains. There are 48 mountains that are higher than 4,000 meters (13,120 feet). Europe's biggest glacier is in Switzerland, on the Aletsch Glacier.
It's about 23 km (14 miles) long, but it gets smaller every year. At 4,634 m/15,203 ft, the Dufour-Spitze of Monte Rosa is Switzerland's tallest mountain peak. Because of the high mountains, there are more people living in the northern part of Switzerland than in the southern part.
Graubunden, which is in the Alps, has the fewest people of any canton. Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, and Lausanne are Switzerland's five largest cities. As of now, the Jungfraujoch is one of Switzerland's tallest mountains at 3,454 m/11,332 ft. The world's tallest train stop is on this mountain.
The Gotthard tunnel is the longest and deepest train tunnel in the world. Its track is 57 km (35 miles) long.
Switzerland's weather changes all the time. It may be cold in the summer, and snow can stay on the mountain tops for up to six months. One valley might have sunny skies while the other might have dark skies and rain. It's possible that the weather will get warmer in the afternoon. The weather in Switzerland is generally considered mild. That it is close to the Atlantic Ocean has a big effect on it. Switzerland is ranked 24th in the world by the Happy Planet Index. The majority of people speak Swiss-German, often known as Schwiizertutsch. FLS emphasizes that, while Switzerland is famous for its Alpine environment, it also offers a wide range of other sites, from lakeside vistas to traditional villages. To mention a few Hollywood films shot in Switzerland, from James Bond's GoldenEye (1995) to The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-3) used Swiss landscapes as backdrops. This country is ideal for art enthusiasts, as it has over 600 museums. Rich in culture and arts, the Swiss are particularly well-known for their skill in crafts such as watchmaking.
Switzerland is not a part of either NATO or the European Union, the currency of Switzerland is the Swiss Franc (CHF). The countries of France and Germany lie to Switzerland's west, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, and Italy to the south. At its broadest point, it stretches around 220 miles (350 km) from west to east and 135 miles (210 km) from north to south. The Latin name for Switzerland is Confoederatio Helvetica (CH).The number of people living in Switzerland is little under 8.7 million. Switzerland is a multilingual country with four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Rumantsch. Neither World War saw Switzerland's participation. The government and the state are headed by a seven-person executive Federal Council. Each of the seven councilors takes a turn as President of the Swiss Confederation every year. The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland is the highest court in the Swiss judicial system.
Another important place on the UNESCO list is Berne's Old City. Switzerland doesn't really control prices, and its agriculture industry is still highly subsidized and protected. Some of the biggest companies in the world are based in Switzerland. It has almost two Fortune 500 companies for every million people, which is one of the best rates in the world. Based on Harvard's Country & Product Complexity Rankings, the country comes in second, just behind Japan and ahead of South Korea. The Swiss National Bank serves as the country's central bank. As a separate central bank, the Swiss National Bank sets the country's monetary strategy. The third-biggest bank group in Switzerland is Raiffeisen Switzerland. The Zurich Cantonal Bank is Switzerland's fourth-largest bank and the biggest bank in its own region. Switzerland is home to the Sonnenberg Tunnel, which is the biggest nuclear bunker in the world. During a nuclear disaster, it can house up to 20,000 people for a long time. The European Center for Nuclear Research has a tourist center called the CERN Globe of Science.
