The climate is moderate with no excessive heat, cold or humidity.

From July to August the daytime temperature range is 18 to 28 °C (65° - 82° F) and from January to February the range is -2 to 7 °C (28° - 45° F). In spring and autumn, the daytime temperature range is 8 to 15 °C (46° - 59° F).

Depending on the altitude the temperature range may vary. It is highly recommended to visitors to pack a sweater, good walking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, a compact umbrella and/or a light rain coat.

Seasons

The seasons are clearly distinguishable. In autumn (September to November), the fruit ripens and the leaves of deciduous trees change colour.

The winters were formerly generally cold and snowy, but now freezing temperatures and snow are no longer the rule, especially in the lowlands. Nowadays, many ski resorts could hardly survive without artificial snow.

In spring (March to May) the trees blossom and the meadows turn green. Sometimes in April the winter returns for a short period and sometimes there are summer conditions as early as May.

Summer temperatures rise to 25 to 30°C, with temperatures exceeding the 30°C mark during hot summers.
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  • Security, Criminality and Insurance

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  • Population

    There are 8,7 Mio. people living in Switzerland. Demographic trends are being influenced by multilingualism, the rising average age and the high proportion of foreigners living in the country.

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  • Language distribution

    Switzerland has four unevenly distributed languages and a wealth of dialects. German (62.6 %) German is by far the most widely spoken language in Switzerland: 19 of the country’s 26 cantons are predominantly (Swiss) German-speaking. French...

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  • Religion

    The majority of people living in Switzerland are Christians. 34.4 % are Roman Catholic, and 22.5 % Protestant. There are also many other religions represented in Switzerland: 5.4 % Muslim, 2.6 % Orthodox Christians, 0.5 % Buddhist, 0.2% Jewish. The...

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  • Politics

    1848: The founding of Switzerland The establishment of the modern state of Switzerland dates back to 1848. Prior to this, Switzerland consisted of a loose alliance of independent cantons. In 1848 Switzerland formed a modern constitution which made a...

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  • Swissness

    The language communities eat different things and have different traditions and customs. Even their shared history only goes back about two centuries. The Swiss themselves are sometimes puzzled about what they have in common apart from their...

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  • Geography

    Switzerland has an area of 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 square miles). The productive area - that is, the area without the lakes, rivers, unproductive vegetation and no vegetation at all - covers 30,753 square km (11,870 square miles). It...

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  • Economy

    Switzerland’s economy is based on a highly qualified labour force performing highly skilled work. The main areas include microtechnology, hitech, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, as well as banking and insurance know-how. The service sector now...

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  • Sustainability & environment

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