Switzerland
is yours | About Switzerland | Contact Us
Switzerland is a small, culturally-diverse country. Right in
the middle of western Europe, it is strongly influenced by its three main neighbours:
Germany, Italy and France, though it also has a strong character of its own.
Languages
The three main languages spoken
in Switzerland are German, French and Italian. Also, the
people in the German-speaking region use Germanic dialects
when speaking to each other. The fourth national language is Rumantsch, a Latin-Germanic
language spoken in Grisons. Most people have at least a basic command of English.
The four languages spoken in Switzerland
 |
 |
 |
 |
| French |
German |
Italian |
Rumantsch |
There are about 7 million people
living in Switzerland, among them more than 1 million foreigners.
Switzerland's two main religions
are Protestant and Catholic, with the Catholic community
gaining in importance due to significant immigration from Latin European countries.
Switzerland's cultural diversity
is the consequence of three factors : geography, which divides the
country into dozens of valleys between which for centuries communication was difficult;
strong cultural influences from Germany, Austria, Italy and France; and
the 700-year-old federalist, democratic tradition which let every canton
have its own laws (for some matters) and its own voice in federal matters, be it Appenzel,
with its 25,000 inhabitants or Zürich, with its 1 million voters.
Switzerland is now a country of immigrants
because of its need for a larger workforce and the high standard of living it has to offer
its inhabitants.
| The population of Switzerland is
concentrated north of the Alps on the plain which forms a corridor extending from Lake
Geneva to the Bodensee. However, many scenic areas, which foreigners find so attractive,
are located within the Alps or south of the mountains, in Ticino. |
|
Click here to view a map
showing the population density. |
Switzerland
is yours | About Switzerland | Contact Us |
