ខ្មែរ
English
Switzerland is a relatively small country with great geographic and cultural range. Bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, Switzerland is landlocked. The cultural range comes from the four main linguistic and cultural regions – German, French, Italian, and Romansh-speaking people and their traditions. Altogether, they make Switzerland a unique place. About half the population is Catholic, and the other half is Protestant.
The Swiss Alps are a famous part of the country, and one of the most famous alpine regions in the world. The range has an average altitude of 1700 metres, with 48 mountains. The Swiss Plateau is hilly and stretches from Lake Geneva to Lake Constance in the northeast, and the Jura is a sub-alpine limestone range along the French border.
Alpine symbolism is a strong piece of Swiiss culture and nationalism and brings tourists from around the world. The Swiss Alps in the south make up 60% of the total area of the country, while most Swiss live in the Plateau. Forty-eight of Switzerland’s mountains are above 4000 metres.
Because of its mountainous regions, Switzerland is home to some of the most famous and excellent skiing in the world with the well known ski resorts like St. Moritz, Davos, Klosters, and Zermatt – and there are more than 300 more.
Berne is the capital of Switzerland and is itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its pretty and intricate infrastructure and narrow cobbled streets. The town has 6 kilometres of medieval arcades dating back to the 12th century featuring a number of decorative fountains depicting historical figures and characters from its folklore.
Berne’s clock tower (Zytglock) is where revolving figures appear and whirl around 4 minutes before each hour – you can take a tour of the clock to see how it works. A 15th century Gothic cathedral has Switzerland’s tallest spire, and Berne is famous for its bears. A bear park has been home to two bears since 2009 – before that the bears lived in a bear pit in the centre of the city.
