Switzerland

Location	Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy
Geographic coordinates	47 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references	Europe
Area	total: 41,277 sq km land: 39,997 sq km water: 1,280 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)
Total renewable water resources	53.3 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 2.52 cu km/yr (24%/74%/2%) per capita: 348 cu m/yr (2002)
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 southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps