Pioneers, hydropower, pharmaceuticals

In the 19th century Switzerland became a modern industrial country. An important person in this was the Zurich politician and entrepreneur Alfred Escher (1819-1882). He campaigned for building railways, for example the Gotthard railway. He helped found the ETH in Zurich in 1854/55. In 1856 he founded the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt, which later became Credit Suisse.

Switzerland has hardly any mineral resources such as oil, coal or gold. Its most important natural resource is water. The Alps have many lakes, rivers and glaciers. They are used to run hydroelectric power stations. Hydropower supplies about 60 percent of Switzerland's electricity. Oil, gas and coal, on the other hand, Switzerland has to import.

Today the pharmaceutical and chemical industry is the most important export sector. Its centre is the Basel region. Large companies such as Roche and Novartis have their headquarters there. They are among the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The industry grew out of dye factories on the Rhine. That is why Basel is known above all as a location for pharmaceuticals, not as a wine region.

Memory aid: Escher built the foundation: railway, bank, education (ETH).