The uncultivated mountain areas are exploited by the tourism and the production of hydroelectricity. Switzerland Coronavirus update with statistics and graphs: total and new cases, deaths per day, mortality and recovery rates, current active cases, recoveries, trends and timeline. Nonetheless, social tensions sometimes have been evident, particularly where foreigners were perceived to have threatened the Swiss way of life and to have displaced Swiss workers. In the south, there is no clear border with the Alps. Smaller Alpine lakes such as the Oeschinensee are innumerable, and often constitute popular tourist destination. The limestone rock in the Jura is a Jurassic period rock with numerous fossils and dinosaur tracks. Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. In Lake Maggiore: −79 m (−259 ft). Chart. The vote underscored differences between linguistic groups, as French Swiss largely voted in favour of the agreement while most German and Italian Swiss were opposed to it. They were formed by the thrust of the African plate, which also caused the formation of the Jura in the north-east and the plateau between the two massifs. Population: 11,041,105. [6] In the regions around Lake Geneva, Lake Zurich and other cities, the population density exceeds 1000 people per km2. unece.org, "Zustand und Entwicklung der Bodennutzung - Arealstatistik 1979/85 und 1992/97", Population size and population composition – Data, indicators, United Nations Millennium Development Goals Indicators, National Geographic Traveler: Switzerland, Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Switzerland&oldid=977842825, Articles with German-language sources (de), Articles with French-language sources (fr), Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2020, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2001, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2005, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2002, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, On the south runs the main chain of the Alps, which is joined (at, To the north of this main chain there is another great range of mountains (wholly Swiss) only slightly inferior in extent and height, which starts from the hills known as the, The Swiss portion of the main chain of the Alps and the great northern outlier run parallel to each other from Martigny to near Chur, while for a short distance they actually unite near, To the north of the great northern outlier rises the, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, This page was last edited on 11 September 2020, at 08:58. It is the source of several major European rivers that ultimately flow into the North Sea (Rhine), into the Mediterranean Sea (Rhône), into the Black Sea (Inn, through the Danube) and into the Adriatic Sea (Ticino, through the Po and Rom through the Adige). The UN estimates the July 1, 2020 population at 8,654,622. Switzerland is divided by language as well. The main chain of the Alps rises in Swiss territory to the height of 4,634 metres (15,203 ft) in the loftiest summit or Dufourspitze (wholly Swiss) of Monte Rosa, though the Dom (4,545 metres (14,911 ft)), in the Mischabel range, is the highest mountain mass which is entirely within Switzerland. A portion of the southwest border with France is drawn through Lake Geneva. Thus, with the exception of the post office, most utilities and important services are privately owned or municipal enterprises, in some cases subsidized by cantonal governments. The ocean reached its maximum width at the end of Jurassic period, 135 million years ago. The current population of Switzerland is 8,665,720, based on projections of the latest United Nations data. Forests cover less than a third of the territory, but the area is increasing year by year. Switzerland extends between the parallels 45°49'05 and 47°48'30 lat. [3] The cantons in the Alps tend to be less populous, Catholic, and have an agrarian or tourism-based economy.[3]. This is an increase of 1.16 % (100,370 people) compared to population of 8,645,115 the year before. Growth was largest in the post-World War II period, when relatively high birth rates coincided with a period of high economic growth and immigration. The Central Plateau is mainly composed of molasse, a sedimentary rock that formed at the bottom of the Tethys ocean. The distribution of population is shaped by the topography of the country, the plateau being the most populous area and including the major cities of Switzerland. A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants. Dashboard.