SWITZERLAND

Switzerland lies between 45.80N and 47.70N and between 6.00E and 10.50E. It
covers an area of 41,293Km2 and a population of 7.7 million people. The
average population density is 186 people per sq. Km. It is a land locked country
in central Europe and it is bordered by Germany in the North, Austria and the
Principality of Liechtenstein in the East, Italy in the South and France in the
West. The capital City is Bern and the largest city is Zurich. Other major towns
include Geneva, Basel, Lucerne, Lausanne, Winterthur and St. Gallen.
Switzerland is a major watershed (an area where rivers originate from) or a
divide (highland area dividing different river systems). Major rivers with their
sources in Switzerland include the Rhine, Rhone, Ticino and Inn. River Rhine
drains into the North Sea, Rhone into the Mediterranean Sea, Ticino into the
Adriatic Sea and river Inn into Eastern Europe.
Switzerland is mountainous and more so in the south where there is limited
land for cultivation. The country has limited natural resources. There are a few
minerals and forests. However it has a well developed Tourism and Industrial
sector.

Disadvantages of Land lockedness to Switzerland

a) The county’s imports and exports are subjected to taxation by the
countries through which they pass.
b) The foreign routes have to be paid for.
c) In times of political misunderstanding, the county’s export and import
trade may become difficult.

Drainage of Switzerland
Switzerland is drained by the rivers Rhine, Rhone, Ticino, Inn, Aare and
Emmental. The lakes include: Thun, Brienz, Constance (Bodensee), Geneva,
Neuchatel, Maggiore, Zurich, Lucerne and Lugano.

THE PHYSICAL DIVISIONS OF SWITZERLAND

Switzerland has three (3) major physical divisions which include the following:
a) Swiss Alps
b) Swiss plateau (Mitteland)
c) Jura

THE SWISS ALPS:

This covers about 2⁄3 or 60% of the country. It is made up of a complicated
mountainous zone formed by a number of folded mountain systems which
include the Bernese oberland, Rhaetian alps, Glarus alps, Leopontine alps,
Pennine alps and Adula alps. It extends from Lake Geneva to Austria and
Germany in the East and North respectively. It also extends to Italy in the
south. It is a region of low agricultural value since the soils were heavily eroded
by glaciers and is sparsely populated. It has a population density of about 25
persons per Km2.

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© Gayaza High School Geography Department
The Swiss Alps is characterised by the following:
 Rugged terrain with steep slopes.
 Dominance of glaciated landscape like pyramidal peaks, arêtes, cirques,
U-shaped valleys, hanging valleys etc.
 It is dissected by a number of river valleys.
 Wide spread snow fields and glaciers.
 Shallow and rocky soils.
 Has an average height of 1,700 metres.
 The highest point/elevation is Dufourspitse of Mount Rosa i.e. 4,634
metres high.
The conditions in the Alps have limited cultivation to the valleys. However,
the glaciated scenery has been used to promote the Tourism Industry.

Reasons for the low population in the Swiss Alps

a) The very cold conditions and snow cover.
b) The infertile and rocky nature of the soils that has limited cultivation.
c) The difficult relief i.e. rugged terrain that has made construction of
transport routes and homesteads very difficult.
d) The risk if avalanches or glacial landslides that are destructive.

Economic activities in the Swiss Alps

1. Tourism: A number of tourist attractions and more so glaciated scenery
exist in the region. Winter sporting activities are also carried out in the
region.
2. Pastoralism: During winter animals are stall fed in the valleys and
during summer the animals are grazed outdoors in the highlands on the
flat sections known as benches. Benches with pastures are known as
saeters. This farming system characterised seasonal migration of animals
is referred to transhumance.
3. Cultivation in the valleys: Arable farming is practiced and the crops
grown include wheat, barley, vines, sugar beets and fruits. This is
because the valley soils are relatively fertile.
4. Lumbering: Trees are felled for timber and other products. The trees
felled are either coniferous or deciduous.
5. Forestry: This involves the growing and maintenance of trees for
economic and environmental purposes. There are coniferous, deciduous
and mixed forests.
6. Mining: There is some small scale mining of salt, sand, clay, marble,
gravel, and anthracite (coal).

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© Gayaza High School Geography Department
 THE SWISS PLATEAU (Mitteland)
This covers 30% or 1⁄3 of the total land area. It extends from Lake Geneva in the
West to Lake Constance in the North East and lies between the Swiss Alps and
the Jura.

Characteristics of the Swiss Plateau

a) It tends to be gently sloping towards the North.
b) It comprises of gently rolling hills or undulating land formed by
glaciation thousands of years ago.
c) It is made up of sediments which piled up from the Alps due to glacial
deposition.
d) The average height of land is 460 metres.
e) Soils are made up of morainic (glacial) deposits and tend to be fertile.
The region has a number of lakes which include Lake Zurich, Lucerne and
Constance (Bodensee). Some of these lakes are moraine-dammed lakes. They
were formed as a result of moraine being deposited across a river channel and
blocking the course of the river leading to the accumulation of water into a lake
on the upstream side.
The region is the most densely populated area in Switzerland and most of the
economic activities are concentrated in this region.

Reasons for the high population density in the Swiss Plateau

1. The relatively flat or gently sloping nature of the land that has favoured
settlement.
2. The mild climatic conditions that has favoured human habitation i.e.
there are no extreme climatic conditions.
3. The fertile soils that have enabled cultivation of crops.
4. The industrial development in the area as well as several other economic
activities that have attracted population to the region for employment.
5. Existence of a well developed transport and communication system in
the area.

Economic activities in the Swiss Plateau

a) Industrial processing and manufacturing.
b) Cultivation of crops such as wheat, maize, barley etc.
c) Pastoralism: There is cattle keeping and more especially dairy farming.
d) Trade and commercial activities like banking, insurance services etc.
e) Tourism activities such as sightseeing, hiking, sailing etc.
f) Transportation and provision of postal and telecommunication services.
g) Forestry: maintenance of coniferous and deciduous forests.

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© Gayaza High School Geography Department
 THE JURA
This covers only 10% of the total area of Switzerland. It covers the Northern
and Western parts of the country.

Characteristics of the Jura

1. They are low simple mountain ranges consisting of less rugged terrain.
2. They are young folded mountain ranges.
3. The folded ranges have been dissected by erosion creating gaps referred
to as cluses.
4. Towards the North West it tends to be plateau land.
5. The altitude varies from 700 – 1,700 metres. The average height is 1,300
metres.
6. The geology or rock material is mainly of limestone nature.
7. The region has several Karst features resulting from the weathering of
limestone rocks e.g. Caverns, Sinkholes, limestone gorges etc.

The Jura as compared to the Swiss Plateau is sparsely populated. There is

limited surface drainage because of the porous or permeable nature of the
rocks in that water tends to sink or soak into the ground and then develops
into underground rivers. These rivers flow a long rock joints, erode the
surrounding rocks and later lead to the development of underground caves
(Caverns).

Economic activities in the Jura

a) Mining of minerals like salt in the valleys, limestone quarrying etc.
b) Pastoralism or rearing of animals like cattle, goats and sheep.
c) Forestry i.e. conservation of forests especially on the slopes.
d) Lumbering in the forested areas.
e) Tourism e.g. hiking, sightseeing etc.
f) Trade and commercial activities like banking.
g) Transportation services by road, air, water and rail. Basel is the chief
port of Switzerland and also has an international Airport nearby.
h) Industrial processing and manufacturing of products like textiles,
watches etc.

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© Gayaza High School Geography Department
Map Showing the physical divisions, drainage features and cities of Switzerland

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© Gayaza High School Geography Department