Switzerland in a nutshell
Switzerland is a small, landlocked country in the heart of Europe. It is wealthy, densely populated and well-known for its mountains, chocolate, cheese and watches. Swiss society is complex and organised. Although citizens don't share one linguistic or ethnic identity they are linked by a common historic background and federal system of direct democracy.
The Swiss World website is a good place to start familiarising with the basics of the country, its history and its resources.
Swiss facts and figures
- Surrounding countries: Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein
- Confederation founded: 1291
- Surface area: 41,285 km² (as compared to France, which has a surface area of 640,000 km2)
- Cantons: 26
- Capital city: Bern
- Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF)
- Population: 8 million
- Average percentage of foreigners: 23.3 %
- Cities with the highest percentages of foreigners: Geneva 39.4%; Basel Stadt 33.1%
- Average population density: 198.9/km²
- Highest population density: Basel Stadt 5033.9/km²; Geneva 1873.5/km²; Zurich 838.3/km²
- 74% of the Swiss population lives in urban areas and half of this number live in the 5 largest cities
- GDP 2012: CHF 592 Billion
- Unemployment rate: 3.2 % (2013)
- Average life expectancy: women: 84; men: 80
Source: Swiss Federal Statistical Office
Languages in Switzerland
Switzerland has four national languages, German, French, Italian and Romansh. Almost two-thirds of the population speak Swiss-German, a regionally spoken Alemannic dialect. High German is the written language and the medium of instruction in schools. Around 22.6% of the population speak French, and 8.34% Italian. Only 0.5% speak Romansh. Other spoken languages include Serbo-Croatian, Albanian, Portuguese, Spanish, English and Turkish.
Source: Swiss Federal Statistical Office
Basel general information
Basel is Switzerland's third largest city with a total population of about 170'000 inhabitants on an area of 37 km2. The spoken language is the regional Swiss German dialect known as Baslerdytsch. The Rhine River is a commercial channel that separates Kleinbasel from Grossbasel. Basel has a mild continental climate with average temperatures of 10.3 °C in spring, 18.8 °C in summer, 10.5 °C in autumn and 2.4°C in winter.
Basel is well known for its chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Hofmann-La Roche and Novartis are both based in Basel. The city is also well known for its vibrant cultural scene, particularly in art and theatre. Basel has a generous offering of art galleries, museums, opera houses, and theatres. Read more about these aspects of the city in the articles Enjoying Basel and Entertainment, News & Media in Basel.
Sources: Basel City statistics, Canton Basel and Swiss World.
Photo: swiss-image.ch/Andreas Zimmerman
