This website offers
free pictures of Switzerland (CH: Confoederatio Helvetica). Get an impression of a host of
towns, villages and other fascinating locations in countries all
over the world by surfing through the pictures shown. Lean back,
relax and let your computer mouse take you off to far-away
places. Or perhaps give you a whole new perspective on spots
closer to home. One picture says more than a 1000 words! Most of
the photos on these websites were taken with a Nikon D200.
Switzerland ( Schweiz, suisse, Svizzera ) is a small,
landlocked, multi-cultural, multi-lingual country that shares
its borders with Austria, France, Germany, Italy and the tiny
Principality of Liechtenstein. Its central location in the heart
of Europe makes it quickly and easily accessible from major
European cities. Switzerland is best known for its banks, watch
industry, cheese, chocolate, utterly reliable railway system and
of course its scenic beauty. The mountains provide diversity and
charm with a climate ranging from Mediterranean in lakeside
towns to Arctic on snow-capped peaks.
Economy
Though poor in mineral resources, Switzerland is a
technologically highly developed country with a strong
export-orientated economy and a reputation for high quality. The
main export markets are EU countries such as France, Germany,
Italy and the UK, but also the USA and Japan. The main exports
are machines, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, jewellery and
watches. Switzerland is a European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
member, but as yet not a member of the EU. Insurance and banking
are two of the main sources of income in the tertiary sector,
but tourism is the most important.
Gastronomy
The Swiss hospitality industry has produced numerous outstanding
chefs. Many with international acclaim work in leading hotels
all over the world. Swiss cuisine is very varied and eating out
is always a pleasure. In addition to regional traditional Swiss
food and wines, there is also a wide variety of international
cuisine.
A few facts
Switzerland has a land area of 41,284 sq km (15,936 sq miles),
about 60% of which is made up of foothills and the Alps.
It has approximately 7, 550,000 inhabitants.
Four languages are spoken: German, French, Italian and Romansch.
Bern is the capital city and has a population of almost 123,000.
It is a beautiful city and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The largest city is Zurich with a population of almost 337,000.
The highest peak is the Dufourspitze (Canton Valais): 4,634 m /
15,203 ft.
The highest village is Juf (Canton Graubunden): 2,126 m / 7,000
ft
The lowest village is Ascona (Canton Ticino): 196 m / 690 ft.
You can use all pictures as desktop wallpaper.
| |
Swiss Flag |
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|