The whole country has an area of 41,285 square kilometers. It  measures 220 kilometres from north to south and 350 km from east to west. If the total inhabitants is only of 7.4 million, the population density is high. Especially in the agglomerations, which cover about 20% of the total surface area.

Switzerland borders Germany in the north, Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein in the east, Italy in the south and France in the west. This means that three important European cultures meets here - that of the German-speaking area, the French and the Italian. Thus on a journey across the country the language can change two, three or even four times. Switzerland is a land of contrasts : completely different landscapes and diverse climatic conditions can be found within the space of only a few dozen kilometres. The three main geographical regions are the Jura, Plateau and the Alps.

The Plateau stretches from Lake Geneva in the south west to Lake Constance in the north east, with an average altitude of 580 m. It covers about 30 percent of the country`s surface area. The Jura, a limestone range stretching from Lake Geneva to the Rhine, makes up about 12 per cent of Switzerland’s surface area. Located on average 700 meters above sea level, it is a picturesque highland crossed by river valleys. The Alps span some 200 kilometres, at an average altitude of 1700 m, and cover nearly two thirds of Switzerland's total surface area. The snow line begins at 2,500 meters. There are 48 mountains which are 4,000 meters or higher and about 1,800 glaciers.

The geography of Switzerland means that the climate varies greatly from one region to another. Depending on the area and the time of year, Switzerland could experience conditions reminiscent both of Alaska and of the Mediterranean.