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
Zug general information
Zug is a German speaking city located on Lake Zug. It has a population of around 26'000 people. Known as a tax haven, it is a sought after location for both private residence and head offices. Companies such as Xstrata, Transocean, Siemens Building Technologies and V-Zug are based here.
Most places of interest and museums can be found in the old town. Trips to the Zugerberg or the ruins of the Hünenberg castle, followed by a barbeque or picnic, are popular in summer. The local speciality, Zuger Kirschtorte, is a layer cake of nut meringue, sponge cake and butter cream, flavoured with Kirsch. Zug Tourism offers guided bakery tours. Read more about these aspects of the city in the articles Enjoying Zug and Entertainment, News & Media in Zug.
Photo: swiss-image.ch/Robert Boesch
