Sixty percent of Switzerland is made up of
sparsely-populated mountainous regions. These regions, with their beautiful alpine scenery
and excellent facilities for skiers and hikers, are important economic centers. Here one
finds Switzerland's most famous resorts: St.Moritz, Davos, Gstaad, and Zermatt, and one
can enjoy the traditional Swiss lifestyle with its mountain meadows, its cows and small
chalets.
The Swiss Confederation is divided
into 26 cantons each of which retains considerable autonomy. Legend has it that
Switzerland was founded in 1291 when the inhabitants of three small valleys: Uri, Schwytz
and Unterwald, formed an alliance against their Austrian occupiers. Over the centuries,
other cantons joined the Confederation, the last to do so being Geneva, Neuchatel, and
Valais, which joined in 1815. The cantons of the plains, where the large cities are
situated, are mostly Protestant, while the ones in the mountains are Catholic.
Switzerland's largest cities are
quite small by European standards, but all of them are important economic centers.
Zürich, with a population of 380'000, is the home of Switzerland's largest banks and
insurance companies. It is also the center of Swiss technology. Basel
(population, 180'000) is famous for its chemical and pharmaceutical companies, while
Geneva (population, 170'000) is home to several hundred international organisations
, the most famous being the UNO, WHO, and WTO. It is also a center of private banking and
international trade. Bern (population, 140'000) is Switzerland's capital city and the seat
of its federal administration and central bank.
Because Switzerland is small, it is
easy to get from one region to another very quickly. Many people live in one city and work
in another, for example they might live in Lausanne and comute daily to Geneva.
Switzerland's wealthy tend to live in small communities where they can enjoy the beautiful
surroundings and the low taxes.
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