| Area |
41'284 km2 (15'940 square miles) |
| Population |
7'288'010 (as of 2002) |
| Capital |
Bern |
| Neighbors |
France in the west, Italy in the south, Germany
in the north, Austria
in the east. |
 |
|
| Highest mountains |
Dufour Spitze, 4’634 m (15'217 ft),
Matterhorn, 4'478 m (14'962 ft)
and the Jungfraujoch, 4’166
m (13'669 ft) |
|
|
| Government |
Federal republic since 1848. |
| Biggest cities |
Zürich (341'000)
Genf (176'000)
Basel (165'000)
Bern (123'000)
Lausanne (116'000) |
|
|
| Religion |
35% Protestant 41% Roman Catholic |
|
|
| |
Muslims, orthodox Christians and Jews only
make up a small percentage of the population. |
|
|
| Languages |
German 70%
French 20%
Italian 8%
Romansh
1% |
|
|
| Time zone |
GMT +1
GMT +2 (from the last Sunday in March until the last Sunday in October) |
|
|
| Electricity |
230 V - Adapters are available in the bigger
hotels. |
| Currency |
Swiss Francs (CHF) |
| |
Available banknotes: 1'000, 200, 100,
50, 20, 10
Available coins: 5, 2, 1, -.50, -.20, -.10, -.5 |
|
|
| Official holidays |
| January 1st |
Neujahr |
| January 2nd |
St. Berchtold’s Day |
| April 14 |
Good Friday |
| April 17 |
Easter Monday |
| Mai 25 |
Ascension Day |
| August 1st |
National holiday |
| December 25 |
Christmas |
| Dezember 26 |
St. Stephen’s Day |
|
