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 measures 220 kilometers (137 miles) from north to south and 350 km (217 miles) from east to west.

Schweizerkarte, Magazin “Schweiz”, Sommer 2012, Thema Wasser, Gewässer

The Jura, the Plateau and the Alps form the three main geographic regions of the country.

Switzerland has a population of 8 million. Population density is high, with 193 people per square km (500 per square mile) of the productive area in 2008. In the agglomerations, which cover about 20% of the total surface area, the density is 590 per square km (1528 per square mile).

Switzerland at a glance
Capital: Bern
Cantons: 26
Area: 41’200 km2
Distance North to Souths: 220 km (137 miles)
Distance East to West: 346 km (216 miles)
Highest point: Dufour Peak, in the Monte Rosa mountain range, 4,634 m (15,203 feet)
Lowest point: Lake Maggiore (Ticino) 193 m (633 feet)
Lakes: 1’484
Glaciers: 140
Population: 8 million

Population in larger cities (2018): 
Zürich: 415’367
Geneva: 201’818
Basel: 177’654
Lausanne: 139’111
Bern: 133’883
Winterthur: 111’851
Lucerne: 81’891
St. Gallen: 75’833
Lugano: 63’185