Switzerland
Essential Information
Area: 41,293 sq km
Population: 8.0 million (July 2013 est.)
Capital: Berne
Principal Towns: The conurbations of Zurich, Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne and Winterthur have populations of over 100,000 inhabitants.
Languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch are the official languages. English is widely spoken, particularly in business and commerce.
Gross Domestic Product: $362.4 billion (2012 est.)
Gross Domestic Product: $629.5 billion (2012 est.) (PPP)
GDP per capita (Nominal): $78,726 (2012 est.)
GDP per capita (PPP): $54,600 (2012 est.)
International reserves (of foreign exchange and gold): $331.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Climate: Switzerland's climate is a mixture of the major European climatic zones, due to the Alps, and is thus highly variable from place to place. Generally the summers are mild, about 25°C, and the winters cool at about 5°C.
Demography
Population: 7,996,026 (July 2013 est.)
Ethnic groups: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%
Age Distribution (2013 est.):
0-14 years: 15.2%
15-24 years: 11.6%
25-54 years: 44%
55-64 years: 12%
65 years and over: 17.3%
Population Growth: 0.85% (2013 est.)
Education: Of total population 99% age 15 and over can read and write (2003).