Geography, Weather, & Wildlife of Switzerland
Geography
Matterhorn
Switzerland is a landlocked country in the western half
of Central Europe (or arguably in Western Europe). Switzerland borders
France (west), Italy (south), Liechtenstein
(east), Austria (east), and Germany
(north).
Geographically, Switzerland is very mountainous as the
Alps peak in this area. The country, however is also consumed with the rivers rushing
down from these mountains so there are a number of river valleys and lakes through
the country. Generally speaking, the north and west are much flatter than the south
and it is in these regions where much of the population lives and nearly every significantly-sized
city is located. However, the numerous valleys and alpine lakes allow settlements
throughout the country, although most can only grow as far as the mountains allow
them to.
Weather
Blenio Valley
Switzerland's seasons are very distinct and the
country has a great number of geographical variations, making generalizations somewhat
difficult. Winters (December-March in the mountains) can be cold, as the mountains
are covered in snow. In the Alps, temperatures tend to be consistently below freezing,
but in the valleys and major cities, temperatures tends to move from below to above
freezing during these months, giving them a combination of rain and snow.
The spring and fall (autumn) are ideal in the cities and valleys, but many of the
mountain passes are snowed in.
From a temperature standpoint, summers are the ideal time in
Switzerland with averages between 60-70˚ F (16-21˚ C) in the mountains and
65-75˚ F (18-24˚ C) in the cities of Zurich and Geneva, but daytime highs typically
reach another 10-15˚ F (5-11˚ C) hotter in the cities.