[14] As of 2008[update], 38.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. In terms of area the Alps constitute about 60% of the country, the plateau 30% and the Jura 10%. Switzerland is a landlocked country, the closest coastline being at the Gulf of Genoa, 160km south of Chiasso. It is a country of gently rolling hills, many forests, rivers and streams, and lakes. It is also significantly lower to that of La Brvine, traditionally considered the coldest inhabited place in Switzerland. Of the agricultural land 149ha (370 acres) is fields and grasslands, and 643ha (1,590 acres) consists of alpine grazing areas. In 1880, only 50.2% spoke Romansh as a first language. Even so, the Swiss blend of federalism and direct democracy is unique in the world and is considered central to the countrys political and economic success. The most seismically active regions are the Rhine Rift Valley (region of Basel) and the Valais. [2] The city of Kaunas, with a population of about 400,000, had no water purification plant until 1999; sewage was sent directly into the Neman River. The data show that there were warm periods during the latter half of the eighteenth century and that the nineteenth century was a relatively cool period. It is the source of several major European rivers that ultimately flow into the North Sea (Rhine), into the Mediterranean Sea (Rhne), into the Black Sea (Inn, through the Danube) and into the Adriatic Sea (Ticino, through the Po and Rom through the Adige). At elevations above 11,500 feet (3,500 metres), all precipitation is in the form of snow, which compacts into perpetual snowfields and glaciers; the snow line is at about 9,200 feet (2,800 metres) in the northern Alps and about 10,800 feet (3,300 metres) in the southern Alps of the Valais. [15] The Alps, and in a minor way the Jura Mountains, have a considerable impact on the Swiss climate. Switzerland, federated country of central Europe. Located between the River Pegnitz in the east and the south, the River Regnitz in the west and the River Main in the north, its relief, which reaches 600 metres in height, forms the northern part of the Franconian Jura (Frankenjura). Popular pastimes include skiing, snowboarding, and hiking, and nearby there is also the world-famous Cresta Run toboggan course. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the district of the same name. Over the same time period the amount of forested land has increased by 33ha (82 acres). Ukraine is the second-largest European country, after Russia.Its various regions have diverse geographic features ranging from highlands to lowlands, as well as climatic range and a wide variety in hydrography. If they were to find St. Moritz attractive in winter, then he would invite them to stay as his guests for as long as they wished. [18] In 2013 the rate of construction of new housing units per 1000 residents was 9.32. Switzerlands cities have emerged as international centres of industry and commerce connected to the larger world, a very different tenor from Switzerlands isolated, more inward-looking past. [4] While improvements have been made, there are still issues with eutrophication (an increase in nitrogen and phosphates) in many lakes in the Swiss Plateau. [citation needed] Lithuania's terrain is an alternation of moderate lowlands and highlands. Physically, Switzerland is situated approximately in the middle of the portion of Europe west of the Carpathian Mountains. The average annual precipitation of three-fourths of the country exceeds 40 inches (1,000 mm), varying amounts of which fall as snow. [10]. info), Italian: San Maurizio, French: Saint-Moritz) is a high Alpine resort town in the Engadine in Switzerland, at an elevation of about 1,800 metres (5,910 ft) above sea level.It is Upper Engadine's major town and a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubnden. The Alps are a popular tourist destination and are one of the most recognizable symbols of Switzerland. [27] In 2001, the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN launched a nationwide programme to systematically monitor biodiversity (Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland).[29]. For the 1928 games, the cross-country skiing and the cross-country skiing part of the Nordic combined events took place around the hills of St. At elevations of 13,000 feet (4,000 metres), precipitation levels rise to some 160 inches (4,000 mm), and the Mnch (13,448 feet [4,099 metres]) in the Jungfrau group of mountains has the highest average annual precipitation in Switzerland, 163 inches (4,140 mm), while Stalden in the entrenched Vispa valley, 4 miles (6 km) south of the main Rhne valley, has the lowest, 21 inches (533 mm). Many people who work in the city prefer to live in the countryside to take advantage of cheaper land and better quality of life. [2] About the size of West Virginia, it is larger than Belgium, Denmark, Latvia, the Netherlands, or Switzerland. Bern is a placid city whose name derives from the bear pits the cantons medieval rulers established there as a heraldic symbol; the bear pits are now part of the citys popular zoo. Metropolitan (i.e. They influence it both on a horizontal level, by compartmentalizing it into distinct areas, and on a vertical level, by stratificating it into distinct layers. The Jura and Alpine foothills have more precipitation than the plains, with an average of 1,2001,600 millimetres (47.263.0in), while the high Alps may have over 3,000 millimetres (118.1in). The region that now comprises France consisted of open grassland during the Pleistocene Ice Age. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Prior to 1848, internal conflict was quite common, but Switzerland has enjoyed relative domestic tranquility since the mid-19th century, and its organization has remained essentially the same: it is a union of more than 3,000 communes, or municipalities, situated in 26 cantons, 6 of which are traditionally referred to as demicantons (half cantons) but function as full cantons. Afforestation contributes 13% to reforestation, and is conducted for compensation following a clearance or to provide protection against natural hazards in the mountainous areas (avalanches, landslides). The Central Plateau is mainly composed of molasse, a sedimentary rock that formed at the bottom of the Tethys ocean. Most of the great Swiss rivers, being in their origin mere mountain torrents, tend to overflow their banks. Located about 700 metres (2,300ft) above sea level, this region is characterized by a limestone highland with deep river valleys. The best-known dry area is the Rhne valley in the Valais, which is closely encircled by the highest (13,000 feet [4,000 metres]) mountain groups. The St. Moritz Match Race event is part of the prestigious World Match Racing Tour which covers three continents. Of the rest of the land, 9.0% is settled (buildings or roads) and 44.8% is unproductive land. [35][36] Some regions lack adequate supplies of potable water. Etymology and related terms. As much as two-thirds of the country's surface land consists of black earth, a resource that has made Ukraine one of the most fertile regions in the world and well known as a "breadbasket". The plateau occupies about one third of the land area of Switzerland, and about two thirds of the population live in this area. The identical supplied (BLU-26) boats are raced two at a time in an on the water dogfight which tests the sailors and skippers to the limits of their physical abilities. The plains have numerous highlands and lowlands caused by the uneven crystallized base of the East European craton. Today the climate attracts skiers as well as tourists seeking an escape from the polluted air of lowland Europe. As the elevation above sea-level ranges from 193 to 4,634 metres (633 to 15,203ft), many ecosystems are naturally found, from the regions of olives, vines, oaks and beeches, pines and firs, to those of the high mountain pastures, rhododendrons, and of eternal snow. [16], In St. Moritz about 65.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).[16]. Since rainfall tends to increase in direct proportion to altitude, precipitation varies according to relief. The borders of Switzerland were established by the original formation of the Helvetic Republic in 1798, the accession thereto of Valais and Grisons, and the incorporation of various remaining feudal territories such as the County of Neuchtel, Prince-Bishopric of Basel, Abbey of St. Gall, etc. Omissions? The western regions feature an alpine-like section of Carpathian Mountains, the Eastern Carpathians that stretches across Poland, Ukraine and Romania. European) France is divided into 12, One uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico which belongs directly to the central State, 2,751 kilometres (1,709mi) (metropolitan), 1,205 kilometres (749mi) (, Coastline: 3,427 kilometres (2,129mi) (metropolitan), 378 kilometres (235mi) (French Guiana), 306 kilometres (190mi) (Guadeloupe), 350 kilometres (220mi) (Martinique), 207 kilometres (129mi) (Runion), Territorial sea: 12nmi (22.2km; 13.8mi), Continental shelf: 200 metres (660ft) depth or to the depth of exploitation, This page was last edited on 22 October 2022, at 20:31. Different geological phenomena shaped the actual landscapes of Switzerland. Its a country challenge--are you up for it? The Jura Mountains rise in Swiss territory to a height of 1,679 metres (5,509ft) at Mont Tendre. In the north and northwest, the Swiss Plateau is sharply delimited geographically and geologically by the Jura Mountains. CIA. More than 95% of the rivers are part of those two seas' drainage basins. In the federal election, a total of 1,428 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 54.1%. The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2015[update], was 3.18%. [7], The land border of Ukraine totals 6,993 kilometers (4,345mi). The Alps resulted from this geological movement, the two plates creating folding zones. The Courland Lagoon, for example, separated from the Baltic Sea by a strip of high dunes and pine forests, is about 85 percent contaminated. Most of the population of Switzerland lives on the rolling hills and plains of the plateau. The precipitation levels are also deeply affected by the Alps, with the highest rainfalls being experienced south of the Alps (Locarno: 1,897 millimetres (74.7in), Lugano: 1,559 millimetres (61.4in)). Kausani (Kumaoni: Ksn) is a hill station and Village situated in Bageshwar district in the state of Uttarakhand, India.It is famous for its scenic splendour and its spectacular 300 km-wide panoramic view of Himalayan peaks like Trisul, Nanda Devi and Panchchuli. [24], The major water issue in Switzerland is water pollution from the increased use of agricultural fertilizers as well as hydrocarbon pollution from transport and industry. The geography of France consists of a terrain that is mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in the north and west and mountainous in the south (including the Massif Central and the Pyrenees) and the east (the highest points being in the Alps). The Rhne and the Ticino drain about 18% of the water into the Mediterranean Sea. The population of Switzerland is heavily urbanised. The highest permanently inhabited village in Switzerland is Juf (2,126 metres (6,975ft)) at the head of the Avers valley (a tributary of the Rhine), while the lowest is Ascona (196 metres (643ft)), on Lake Maggiore.[5]. Its various regions have diverse geographic features ranging from highlands to lowlands, as well as climatic range and a wide variety in hydrography. The 1.72km (1.07mi) ice channel also known as the world's biggest "ice sculpture" is built every winter from the ground up with only snow and water. The processes and features caused by or related to glaciers are referred to as glacial. [2] The other larger waterways are the Neris (510km (320mi)), Venta (346km (215mi)), and eup (298km (185mi)) rivers. However, the lowlands are part of the temperate zone and do typically neither experience extreme temperatures nor extreme weather conditions. Forest in Sollires-Sardires (Natura 2000 site). Occupying 25.5% of Swiss soil, these surfaces are in very slight decline (-0.1% over 10 years). [17] The negative impacts of climate change on agriculture are mostly felt in the south of the country, which has a steppe climate. [2] Forests affected by acid rain are found in the vicinity of Jonava, Maeikiai, and Elektrnai, which are the chemical, oil, and power-generation centers. Being sheltered by the mountains, the regions well within the Alps also naturally experience more sunshine hours than the north side of the Alps (Sion: 2,093, Chur: 1,692). Metropolitan France has a total size of 551,695 km 2 (213,011 sq mi) (Europe only). Although the sun shines almost year round, there are slight seasonal variations in the weather. Significant natural resources in Ukraine include lithium,[4] natural gas,[5] kaolin,[5] timber[6] and an abundance of arable land. For many outsiders, Switzerland also evokes a prosperous if rather staid and unexciting society, an image that is now dated. The tallest point in Switzerland, Monte Rosa (4,634 metres (15,203ft)) in Canton Valais, is located in the Alps as is tallest mountain wholly in Switzerland, the Dom (4,545 metres (14,911ft)). It extends about 135 miles (220 km) from north to south and 220 miles (350 km) at its widest extent from west to east. The area of Germany ranked 63nd and covers 357,021 km 2 (137,847 sq mi), consisting of 349,223 km 2 The deformation becomes less pervasive away from the younger, more active Alpine mountain building. Metropolitan France has a total size of 551,695km2 (213,011sqmi) (Europe only). The second, on the south in the Mendrisio area, is located in the Po Valley. Geography and climate Location Basel is located in Northwestern Switzerland and is commonly considered to be the capital of that region. Four major European climates affect Switzerland. Man intervenes on 0.2% of this surface area to create infrastructure protecting against floods or avalanches. Horizontally, the low-elevation regions having a distinct climate are essentially the Plateau (north of the Alps), southern Switzerland (south of the Alps) and the inner valleys (neither really north of south of the Alps but well within them). In the southern canton of Ticino, most people speak Italian. [22], The Swiss territory is divided into four major types of land use. On the northern slopes of the Alps, Alpine forest occupy 33.2% and on the Plateau 24.6%. [2] Simply speaking, 20C (68F) is frequent on summer days and 14C (57.2F) at night. [16] Western Ukraine, particularly in the Carpathian Mountains receive around 1,200 millimetres (47.2in) of precipitation annually, while Crimea and the coastal areas of the Black Sea receive around 400 millimetres (15.7in). Habitats, damp or dry, and nature reserves are managed and these areas contribute to maintain biodiversity. In 1519, the Medici pope, Leo X, promised full absolution to anyone making a pilgrimage to the church of the springs. [citation needed], The longest measured temperature records from the Baltic area cover about 250 years. St. Moritz railway station is situated in the centre of the town, near the lakeshore and at the bottom of Via Serlas.
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