Area: 41,285 sq. km. (15,941 sq. mi.)
Capital: Bern (population about 123,000)
Other cities: Zurich (341,000), Geneva (176,000) Basel (165,000), Lausanne (116,000)
Terrain: 60% mountains, the remainder hills and plateau. Switzerland straddles the central ranges of the Alps.
Climate: Temperate, varying with altitude and season.
Population: (2002): 7.3 million
Annual growth rate: 0.8%
Ethnic groups: Mixed European
Religions: Roman Catholic 42%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 4.3%, others 5.4%, no religion 11%
Languages: German 63.7%, French 20.4%, Italian 6.5%, Romansch 0.5%, other 9.4%.
