Zermatt, Switzerland. Zermatt souvenirs.
Image details
Contributor:
Michael DeFreitas Europe / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
CW8BFNFile size:
33.5 MB (2.8 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
2790 x 4200 px | 23.6 x 35.6 cm | 9.3 x 14 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
2011Location:
switzerlandMore information:
Switzerland, in its full name the Swiss Confederation is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in western Europe, [note 4] where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41, 285 km2 (15, 940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are to be found. Among them are the two global cities and economic centres of Zurich and Geneva. Zermatt is famed as a mountaineering and ski resort of the Swiss Alps. Until the mid-19th century, it was predominantly an agricultural community; the first and tragic ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 was followed by a rush on the mountains surrounding the village, leading to the construction of many tourist facilities. The year round population (as of December 2010) is 5, 720, though there may be several times as many tourists in town at any one time. Much of the local economy is based on tourism, with about half of the jobs in town in hotels or restaurants and just under half of all apartments are vacation apartments. Just over one-third of the permanent population was born in the village, while another third moved to Zermatt from outside Switzerland.