Geographical Setting

As many already know Switzerland is located in the continent of Europe, more specifically the country is to the east of France and the north of Italy. The country is 41,277 square kilometers, which is about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined together. Switzerland is most known for their mountainous regions such as the Alps in the south, but the country is full of rolling hills, plains and lakes. There are more than 1500 lakes around the country and at any time a person is no more than 10 miles from one of the beautiful lakes.

Switzerland has extreme climates that can change the weather at any time.The highest altitude in the country is Dufourspitze at 4,634 meters and the lowest point is Lake Maggiore at 195 meters. The weather in the mountains and other high altitudes will vary greatly from weather in the plains. Overall, the climate is moderate and changes as expected among each season. Winters are cold, cloudy, and snowy. The summer months are humid, rainy and generally warm but are also cloudy at times. The Alps and other high climates cater to cold weather and suit people that enjoy winter sports. Switzerland's climate and geography allow it to be the crossroads between southern and northern Europe.  The capital of Switzerland is Bern and is located in the center of the country. It was chosen as the capital over other large cities because of its French speaking regions.