Location
· Located in west central Europe
· Bordered by: Italy, France, Austria, and Liechtenstein
Size
· Switzerland is measured to be 41,285 square kilometers
· It is about the size of Colorado which is 40, 271 square kilometers
Population
· 7.4 million people
· 60% of the population live in the cities
Natural Resources . Hydro-power potential
· Timber
· Salt
Natural Terrain
Switzerland has 3 major geographic regions
· Jura mountains
o Elevation 3 to 4 thousand feet
o Along the Swiss/French border
· Swiss Plateau
o Hilly but not mountainous region that covers 30% of the country
o Where all the major cities are located
· Swiss Alps
o Elevation; many alpine peak exceed 12 thousand feet
o Covers more than half of the country
o The Alps are a continental watershed
o The rain, snow, and melted water feed Switzerland’s Rivers and Lakes
Government
Switzerland is a republic
. The President is head of state and head of the government
o Elected annually by the legislature.
. The Federal Council is the main executive body
o Composed of seven members who are elected every 4 years by the legislature.
. The Federal Assembly is a bicameral legislative body
o Members are popularly elected
. Council of States
o 46 seats
o Serve 4 year terms
. National Council
o 200 seats
Specific Trade Agreements
. Although they are not a member of the European Union they have a bilateral agreement with the EU member states.
. Is part of the EFTA-European Free Trade Agreement
