The Alps dominate southern Switzerland while the Central Plateau covers about a third of the country

Background

The southern part of the country is dominated by the Alps, some of which are snow-capped. North of the Alps, the landscape descends into the Central Plateau, which covers about a third of Switzerland and is home to major cities like Zurich and the de facto capital city, Bern. It is the most densely populated region and hosts the majority of the country’s industry, manufacturing and farming. Along the northwestern edge of the country are the Jura mountains, consisting of a sequence of folds in the geology. The Aletsch Glacier, the largest in the Alps, has a curved x-shape, and owing to climate change the glaciers in this region are showing long-term retreat. Switzerland has thousands of lakes shaped by glaciers during the last ice age, about 15 000 years ago. Lake Geneva in the west is shared with France, while Lake Constance in the east is shared with Germany and Austria, making Lake Neuchâtel in the northwest the largest entirely within Switzerland. Lake Lucerne, near the centre of the country, has four arms.