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Location: Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy
Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
Total: 41,290 sq kLand: 39,770 sq km
Water: 1,520 sq km
Area - comparative: Slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries: total: 1,852 km
border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km,
Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: None (landlocked)
Climate: Temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy,
rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
Terrain: Mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a
central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
Elevation extremes:
Lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
Highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m
Natural resources: Hydropower potential, timber, salt
Land use:
arable land: 9.91%
permanent crops: 0.58%
other: 89.51% (2005)
Irrigated land: 250 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards: Avalanches, landslides, flash floods
Environment - current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions and
open-air burning; acid rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural
fertilizers; loss of biodiversity
Environment - international agreements: Party to: Air
Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: Landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern
Europe; along with south eastern France, northern Italy, and south western
Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps
This information comes from the CIA
World Factbook January 2008.
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