Switzerland 1987 [antikvár]

The CountryIn the heart of Europe. The Alps, almost two thirds of the territory.A moderate overall climate with numerous microclimates.Protection of the environment and urban and rural planning: a difficult task.Diversity!If one were to try to capture in one word the essence of Switzerland as a whole, it would surely be the world 'diversity' that would be the most appropriate. More essentially, one could say that overall it is this diversity which gives Switzerland its unique identity. It is rare to find so small a country encompassing such scope, variety and individuality in its national life and above ail in its natural features. Situated in southern central Europe, Switzerland is first and foremost a land of hills and mountains. There is no direct access to the sea: the nearest port to the south of the country being Genoa, in Italy, some 250 kilométrés away. The most northerly point of Switzerland, near Oberbargen/Schaffhausen, lies on a latitude north of 47°48'35"; the most southerly point being on a latitude of 45°49'8" near Chiasso/Ticino. The country stretches from Geneva, 5°27'24" longitude east, to the Grisons on 10°29'36", and it operates by Central European Time (ie GMT + 1 ). Switzerland embraces the central part of the Alps, with its four main passes -Grimsel, Furka, St. Gotthard and Oberalp; here also spring the sources of the Rhőne and the Rhine. The Swiss rivers, Ticino and Inn, also feed the Po and the Danube, giving rise to its popular description as the 'Fountain of Europe'. Due to its central position, Switzerland has been, throughout its history, an important link in communications and transport between northern and southern Europe.Area 41 293.1 km2Frontiers 1881.5 kmMaximum North-South extent 220.1 km Maximum West-East extent 348.4 km Highest point: Dufour Peak 4 634 m Lowest point: Lago Maggiore water level. 193 m Highestvillage: Juf GR 2 126 m Lowest village: Ascona Tl 196 mwith Italy 741.3 km France 571.8 km Germany (FRG) 362.5 km Austria 164.8 km Liechtenstein 41.1 kmGeologyThe geological structure of Switzerland is complex. It forms part of the Alpine arc which stretches almost 1,000 kilométrés from Nice (French Maritime Alps) to Vienna (Austrian Alps). The Jura and the Central Plateau do not form part of the Alps but their development and variety of shapes have been very much affected by the Alpine chain. Although the country boundaries stretch as far as the upper Italian plateau in the south and to the Black Forest beyond the Rhine in the north, the major régions of Switzerland are, however, geologically speaking, the Alps and Pre-Alps (60%), the Central Plateau (30%) and the Jura (10%).The Rigi first became an important excursion destination during the pioneering years of mountain tourism atthe beginning of the 19th Century. Before the Vitznau-Rigi Railway came into opération in 1871, as the first cog railway in the Alps, the aristocratie visitors had themselves transported up to the peak in litters or on horseback: the rates in 1870 were Fr. 15-per horse or Fr. 7.- per bearer. The Rigi's fame is based on the sweeping, mist-free viewfrom this pre-Alpine peak and its central location and accessibility.