switzerland - geography

geography • topography

Switzerland is a mountain country, because 60% of its surface are in the Alps, thus more than half of our country are covered with mountains.

Even if the major part of the population lives in the lowlands of the "plateau" between the jura-mountains and the Alps we still have the reputation of rich people with even richer banks who are yodelling, while they eat chocolate and make cheese. In fact our live is not that different of other European countries like France or Germany. However, tourists and visitors will feel some very typical differences...

The topographical relief of the country is very varied. There are 3 main divisions:

Jura (10%),

The jura-mountains are characterised by his lime mountains. It is however fewer highly than the Alps and importantly more simply built. The arch of the Jura spreads over 300 km. Not all areas of the Jura were "built" at the same time and folded differently. Therefore landscape in Jura is divided in three zones: chains, high plains and waved hills

Swiss Plateau (30%),

formed of Molasse strata and formed by the glaciers of last Ice period, the Swiss plateau is the zone where the majority of the population lives. River valleys, lakes and some plains, but some small mountains too.

Alps (60%)

The Alps are formed of masses, of granite and gneiss, of crystalline massifs and limestone. They start in France and end in Austria. The Swiss part is not the highest one.

More pictures of our country...here

geography

© sherif dakaj, petar miljanovic, patrickhauser, martin voser
s3a sekundarschule spreitenbach, switzerland

Switzerland is a mountain country, because 60% of its surface are in the Alps, thus more than half of our country are covered with mountains.

Even if the major part of the population lives in the lowlands of the "plateau" between the jura-mountains and the Alps we still have the reputation of rich people with even richer banks who are yodelling, while they eat chocolate and make cheese. In fact our live is not that different of other European countries like France or Germany. However, tourists and visitors will feel some very typical differences...

The topographical relief of the country is very varied. There are 3 main divisions:
Jura (10%),	The jura-mountains are characterised by his lime mountains. It is however fewer highly than the Alps and importantly more simply built. The arch of the Jura spreads over 300 km. Not all areas of the Jura were "built" at the same time and folded differently. Therefore landscape in Jura is divided in three zones: chains, high plains and waved hills
Swiss Plateau (30%),	formed of Molasse strata and formed by the glaciers of last Ice period, the Swiss plateau is the zone where the majority of the population lives. River valleys, lakes and some plains, but some small mountains too.
Alps (60%)	The Alps are formed of masses, of granite and gneiss, of crystalline massifs and limestone. They start in France and end in Austria. The Swiss part is not the highest one.
	More pictures of our country...here