Jura, Plateau, Alps

Switzerland lies in the middle of Europe and has no access to the sea. Such a country is called a landlocked country. Goods from overseas therefore come via ports in other countries or by ship up the Rhine to Basel. Switzerland is also not an island and not an exclave, which means it is not a separated piece of another country.

Switzerland has three large regions. In the north-west is the Jura, a mountain range with long, low ridges. In the south and east are the Alps with high mountains. In between lies the Plateau (Mittelland), an area with hills, lakes and rivers. The Alps cover about 60 percent of the area, the Plateau about 30 percent and the Jura about 10 percent.

About two thirds of the population live in the Plateau. There the land is flat enough for towns, industry, roads and agriculture. Large cities such as Zurich, Bern and Lausanne are located there. Far fewer people live in the Alps, although they make up the largest part of the country.

Memory aid: From north-west to south-east: Jura, Plateau, Alps. The Plateau is in the middle, and that is where most people live.