Switzerland

1. Switzerland Danielle Hughes 7B

2. Fast Facts • Originated in 1291 • Population: 7,907,000 (2011) • Capital: Bern • Literacy rate: 99% • Women life expectancy: 85 years • Men life expectancy: 80 years • Major cities: Zurich, Geneve, Basel, Bern • Largest city: Zurich Map of Switzerland Zurich, Switzerland Zurich Airport

3. Switzerland map showing bordering countries Location Switzerland borders the countries of: France, Italy, Germany, Liechtenstein, and Austria. Switzerland is located on the continent of Europe. Map showing Switzerland in Europe

4. Geography Switzerland Mountains • Switzerland is mostly mountains (with the Alps in the South) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes. • The highest point in Switzerland is Dufourspitze which is 4,634 meters high. • Switzerland is entirely surrounded by land and has no coastline or seaport. • The area of Switzerland is 41,290 square kilometers. Switzerland Landscape Dufourspitze Mountain

5. Geography (continued) The Rhine River • Switzerland houses 6 percent of Europe’s fresh water. The rivers in Switzerland that house fresh water are the Rhine River, the Rhone River, and the Inn River. • In addition, Switzerland has over 1,500 lakes. Lake Geneva and Lake Constance are the two largest lakes. They lie along the border and they are shared with other countries. • Switzerland’s biggest lake is Lake Neuchatel and the most known lake is Lake Lucerne. Lake Geneva Lake Lucerne

6. The Swiss Alps • The Swiss Alps cover 125 miles with an average altitude of 5, 576 feet. • The highest mountain in Switzerland is located in the Alps. • Many vacation homes, hotels, and sport centers are built here. • Some rivers that divide the mountain ranges are: The Rhone River The Upper Rhine River The Reuss River The Ticino River

7. Government • The type of government in Switzerland is a Federal Republic. • The president of Switzerland is EvelineWidmer- Schlumpf. The president changes every year in Switzerland. The president is always a member of the Federal Council and usually the president was the vice-president the previous year. • The vice-president of Switzerland is Ueli Maurer. EvelineWidmer-Schlumpf Ueli Maurer

8. Switzerland has a market economy. • Some exports are: machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, and agricultural products. • Some imports are: machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals, agricultural products, and textiles. • The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc. • GDP per capita: $44,900. (2011) Economy Swiss Francs

9. Language • Switzerland has four official languages. • They are typically spoken in different regions of the country. • They are: German, French, Italian, and Rumantsch. • Rumantsch was developed from Latin and is spoken in four different regions in Switzerland. Some German Words Bread- dos Brot Chips- Pommes frites Dog- derHund Road- die Strasse Child- das Kind

10. Religion Churches and religions in Switzerland • The main religion in Switzerland is Christianity. • Some other religions are: Jewish, Buddhism, Islam, Orthodox, and Hinduism.

11. Ice Hockey Sports • The most popular sport in Switzerland is football, also known as soccer. • Some other popular sports are: • Ice Hockey, Volleyball, Basketball, and Handball. Soccer Handball

12. Holidays in Switzerland • Carnival Monday- February 18, a day of parades, amazing costumes, masks, and talented musicians. • Church holiday- April 26, all Christians go to the church that they belong to, to pray and worship. • Father’s Day- June 2, a celebration for the fathers to celebrate with their families. • Children’s day- July 5, celebrated with speeches on children rights and events dedicated to children. • Swiss National Holiday- August 1, celebrated with events, speeches, and fireworks. • Reformation Day- November 3, a religious holiday to celebrate the Protestant Reformation. • Onion Market Day- November 25, everyone buys onions and some people dress in onion costumes. • Christmas- December 25, celebrating the birth of Jesus. • St. Stephen’s Day- December 26, considered the second day of Christmas and most people spend it with their family or friends. • New Year’s Eve- December 31, celebrating the coming of the new year.

13. Christmas Carnival Monday Holidays Church Holiday Onion Market Day St. Stephen’s Day Swiss National Day New Year’s Day

14. Jungfrau Region Chillon Castle St. Moritz Tourist Attractions The Rhine Falls Swiss National Park

15. Jungfrau Region Transportation you must take to get to the summit • Considered to be the most dramatic and most memorable mountain scenery in Switzerland. • Sometimes known as the “top of Europe.” • The ride up to the summit is said to be the ride of your life. • When you get to the top of the summit you can go sledding and drink hot chocolate. • There are many things to do like ski, hike, toboggan, bike, and go to the beautiful lakes in the region. Shops in the region Top of the summit

16. Chillon Castle • Built from constant building, adaptations, renovations, and restorations. • Built on a rocky island, which was a protection to control the passage between northern and southern Europe. • Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, which is at the bottom of the Alps. • Has over 1,000 years of history. • Has always inspired artists and writers. • The castle has many rooms underground, many courtyards, great halls, chambers, a chapel, and a weapons room. • The castle is known for its great wine. There is a vineyard on the grounds where they grow their own grapes.

17. Swiss National Park • Founded in 1914 as one of the first national parks in Europe. • The aim for the Swiss National Park is a sanctuary in which nature is protected against all interference by men and the entire environment is left to its natural development. • There is only one national park in Switzerland. • There are many different varieties of animals that you may see on your hike like eagles, snakes, marmots, and elk. • There are also many different varieties of plants like many different flowers, shrubs, and trees.

18. Saint Moritz • A famous playground of the wealthy, St. Moritz is a winter resort which offers skiing and a variety of summer and winter sports. • As well as mud or mineral baths and mud therapies. • Savour caviar and truffles in some of the resorts' fine restaurants or spa treatment at the Health Spa Centre is a special treat. • This town is also known for its active and expensive nightlife.

19. The Rhine Falls • The Rhine Falls are located in the town of Schaffhausen. • They are the largest waterfalls in Europe. • There are several viewing platforms to see the beautiful waterfalls. • You can also take a boat ride around the waterfalls themselves. • The waterfalls are lit up each summer for a special celebration. • One of the most popular tourist attractions in Switzerland.

20. Food • Switzerland’s food is greatly influenced by its neighboring countries of: Germany, Italy, and France. • Some specialties are: fresh potatoes, cheeses, and especially chocolate. • Some popular foods are: fondue, rosti, polenta, and chur meat pie. • Rosti is a meal of hash browns, polenta is cornmeal with cheese, and chur meat pie is a Swiss meat pie. Rosti Chur Meat Pie Polenta

21. Swiss Watches • Switzerland is one of the world’s largest watch manufacturers. • Switzerland produces half of the watches in the world. • The average price of a watch from Switzerland is $410. • Some watches are made of gold and cost several million dollars.

22. Swiss Chocolate • The Swiss began making chocolate in the mid 1800s. • It was World War I that really brought attention to the chocolate. • The U.S. Army had many American chocolate manufacturers provide 20-40 pound blocks of chocolate to the bases. • The blocks were chopped up into small pieces and given to doughboys in Europe. • When the war ended and the doughboys returned home the American Chocolate Business was guaranteed. • Chocolate still remains one of the greatest icons of Switzerland. • It might be surprising; being that Switzerland is a mountainous country that they are one of the world’s leading chocolate manufacturers.

23. Fun Facts • 15% of Switzerland’s population is under 15 years of age. • Switzerland was voted the 7th happiest place in the world. • Switzerland was voted 8th in top recyclers with 34.2% of waste recycled. • Switzerland was voted the 7th most kid-friendly country in the world. • Official name: The Swiss Confederation • You are never more than 10 miles from a lake. • Only one-third of the Swiss population live in their own home.

24. Thanks For Watching!