Quick Data on Switzerland
| Short Name | Switzerland |
| Capital | Bern |
| Long Name | Swiss Confederation |
| Country Code | SZ |
| Continent | Europe |
| Total Area | 41,277 sq km |
| Population | 8,403,994 |
| Language | German, French, Italian, Romansh |
| Nationality | Swiss (singular and plural) |
Geography of Switzerland
As a country in Europe, with coordinates at 47 00 N, 8 00 E, Switzerland neighbors Austria 158 km, France 525 km, Italy 698 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 348 km. The terrain in Switzerland is described as mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes, with an average elevation point of 1,350 m. The climate of Switzerland: temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers.
| Surface Total | 41,277 sq km |
| Land Surface | 39,997 sq km |
| Water Surface | 1,280 sq km |
| Land Boundaries | 1,770 km |
| Neighbor Countries | Austria 158 km, France 525 km, Italy 698 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 348 km |
| Coastline | 0 km |
| Lowest Elevation Point | Lake Maggiore 195 m |
| Highest Elevation Point | Dufourspitze 4,634 m |
Resources of Switzerland
The country enjoys many types of natural resources, with the main ones being hydropower potential, timber, salt. The agricultural land occupies 38.70% of Switzerland, while the land covered with forests is estimated at 31.50%.
| Percent of Total Land | Surface Sq km | Data | |
| Agricultural Land | 38.70% | 15,479 sq km | 2011 est. |
| Irrigated Land | 630 sq km | 2012 | |
| Forest Land | 31.50% | 12,599 sq km | 2011 est. |
| Other Land | 29.80% | 11,919 sq km | 2011 est. |
Population of Switzerland
The population of the country is estimated at 8,403,994 people, with the biggest urban area having 1.395 million Zurich, 430,000 BERN (capital) (2020). Known as Swiss (singular and plural), the people from Switzerland come from diversified ethnic groups such as Swiss 69.5%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.6%, French 2%, Kosovar 1.1%, other 17.3%, unspecified .1% (2018 est.). The official language is German, French, Italian, Romansh. Religions: Roman Catholic 35.9%, Protestant 23.8%, other Christian 5.9%, Muslim 5.4%, Jewish 0.3%, other 1.4%, none 26%, unspecified 1.4% (2017 est.).
| Population | 8,403,994 |
| Nationality | Swiss (singular and plural) |
| Official Language | German, French, Italian, Romansh |
| Other Languages | German (or Swiss German) (official) 62.6%, French (official) 22.9%, Italian (official) 8.2%, English 5.4%, Portuguese 3.7%, Albanian 3.2%, Serbo-Croatian 2.5%, Spanish 2.4%, Romansh (official) 0.5%, other 7.7% (2017 est.) |
| Birth Rate | 10.5 births / 1000 population (2020 est.) |
| Death Rate | 8.5 deaths / 1000 population (2020 est.) |
| Urban Population | 73.90% of total population (2020) |
| Physicians Density | 4.3 physicians/1,000 population (2017) |
| Hospital Beds Density | 4.7 beds/1,000 population (2017) |
Governing Type of Switzerland
Switzerland is a federal republic (formally a confederation). The legal system makes use of civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts, except for federal decrees of a general obligatory character.
| Governing Type | federal republic (formally a confederation) |
| Citizenship by Birth | no |
| Citizenship by Descent | at least one parent must be a citizen of Switzerland |
| Dual Citizenship | yes |
| Residency Requirement for Naturalization | 12 years including at least 3 of the last 5 years prior to application |
| Suffrage Vote | 18 years of age; universal |
Economy of Switzerland
From a population total of 8,403,994, the labor force is 5.159 million (2017 est.). The main products in agriculture are: grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs, dairy products. Among the main industries considerable for the economy are: machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals. Its exports cover machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products. The main import products are: machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles.
| Exports | $313.5 billion (2017 est.) |
| Imports | $264.5 billion (2017 est.) |
| Export Partners | Germany 15.2%, US 12.3%, China 8.2%, India 6.7%, France 5.7%, UK 5.7%, Hong Kong 5.4%, Italy 5.3% (2017) |
| Import Partners | Germany 20.9%, US 7.9%, Italy 7.6%, UK 7.3%, France 6.8%, China 5% (2017) |
| GDP / Capita | $62,100 (2017 est.) |
| Electricity Production | 59.01 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electrification Rate | electrification – total population: 100% (2016) |
| Internet Users | 7,312,744 |
| Internet Penetration Rate | 89.40% (July 2016 est.) |
For latest imports and exports data we recommend checking the website for the National Bank of Switzerland, statistics sectio
