Switzerland

C

Plants and Animals

Mediterranean plants and trees such as the palm, magnolia, chestnut, walnut, apple, pear, cherry, and almond grow in the lowlands and on the Swiss plateau. Highly productive forests cover about 25 per cent of the total land area, primarily at elevations between about 550 and 1,980 m (1,800 and 6,500 ft). Deciduous forests of beech, maple, and oak are characteristic below about 1,370 m (4,500 ft), and coniferous forests, primarily of pine and fir, flourish above that height. At higher elevations, the flora consists of Alpine species such as edelweiss, anemone, lily, and Swiss pines.

The chamois and marmot inhabit the Alpine regions. In the forests are fox and many species of bird, including the woodpecker and blue jay. Trout are common in the streams, and salmon are found in several rivers.

D

Environmental Concerns

The environmental problems faced by Switzerland stem largely from the steady deterioration of natural systems, coupled with increased human impact due to tourism and rising standards of living. The most significant threats to the environment include damage to forests from acid rain, the destruction of river systems because of hydroelectric dams, pollution from agricultural chemicals such as nitrates, urban sprawl, and increased traffic. Air quality has improved in recent years due to stringent vehicle emission standards and the banning of leaded petrol and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Municipal waste-water treatment is very successful, and more than 90 per cent of the population is now served by treatment plants.

About 29 per cent (1995) of Switzerland is covered by forest, only a tiny part of which is virgin forest. Overall, protected land makes up about 18 per cent (1997) of the country, and Swiss laws are strict regarding the violation of protected areas. Certain threatened wetland biomes are especially well protected, including bogs, fens, mire landscapes, and reserves for migratory water birds. Eight sites have been designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and one biosphere reserve has been declared as part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere Program. Nine sites have been designated as Council of Europe (CE) biogenetic reserves. Major Swiss environmental laws are made at the level of the central government, although protected areas are usually managed by the individual cantons. Non-governmental organizations, such as the Swiss League for the Protection of Nature, play an important part in conservation, environmental policy-making, and management of protected areas.

Switzerland generates 54 per cent of its electricity from hydroelectric facilities and 40 per cent from nuclear energy, produced at four sites. Small amounts of geothermal and thermal energy are also produced. In the early 1990s, public environmental concerns prompted the country to discontinue expansion of the nuclear programme. Nuclear waste disposal is problematic because it is dangerous to transport the waste through the mountains, and there are no truly isolated regions in the country.

Internationally, Switzerland is bound by environmental agreements on air pollution, the Antarctic Treaty, biodiversity, climate change, endangered species, environmental modification, hazardous wastes, marine dumping, marine life, nuclear test ban, ozone layer, ship pollution, tropical timber, and whaling. Regionally, Switzerland participates with its neighbours in agreements to protect the delicate environments of the Alps. The country also shares a transborder park with Italy.

III

Population

The Swiss people as a whole are mainly of Alpine, Nordic, and Slavic or Dinaric descent. The ethnic composition of Switzerland is generally defined by the major language communities: German, French, Italian, and Romansh (Rhaeto-Romanic). Less than 10 per cent of the population is made up of other ethnic groups, such as Spanish and Turkish.

A

Population Characteristics

Switzerland has a population of 7,581,520 (2008 estimate) yielding an overall population density of about 191 people per sq km (494 per sq mi). The population is unevenly distributed, with the principal concentrations occurring in the Swiss plateau. Approximately 68 per cent of the population is classified as urban, but most live in small towns. Population growth is slow, and a surplus of jobs means that foreign labourers and their families make up nearly 15 per cent of the population.

B

Political Divisions

Switzerland is a confederation of 23 states, called cantons, 3 of which are subdivided into half-cantons for administrative purposes. The cantons and half-cantons are as follows: Aargau; Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden (half-canton); Appenzell Inner-Rhoden (half-canton); Basel-Land (half-canton); Basel-Town (half-canton); Bern; Fribourg; Geneva (Genève); Glarus; Graubünden (Grisons); Jura; Lucerne (Luzern); Neuchâtel; Nidwalden (half-canton); Obwalden (half-canton); St Gallen; Schaffhausen; Schwyz; Solothurn (Soleure); Thurgau; Ticino; Uri; Valais; Vaud; Zug; and Zurich.