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Zurich Citizenship Test: Geography of Switzerland and Zurich

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What this area covers

The geography area asks about Switzerland’s landscapes, waters, borders and language regions, its population and economy, and the geography of the canton of Zurich. Some questions show a picture, for example of a well-known mountain, and ask you to name it.

Below are the facts you should know, in our own words. We do not reproduce the canton’s questions.

Landscapes and size

  • Switzerland has three large regions: the Jura, the Mittelland (Swiss Plateau) and the Alps. Most people live in the Mittelland.
  • Switzerland is landlocked. It measures about 220 km from north to south and about 350 km from east to west.
  • The highest peak is the Dufourspitze. The Matterhorn, with its pyramid shape, is the best-known mountain.
  • Graubünden is the largest canton by area. Valais is a typical mountain canton.
  • Simplon, Gotthard and Great St Bernard are Alpine passes. The Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest railway tunnel in the world, and the Swiss rail network is one of the densest in the world.

Waters and climate

  • The Rhine flows into the North Sea, the Rhone into the Mediterranean.
  • Switzerland has a lot of water and produces much of its electricity in hydropower plants.
  • The Föhn is a warm, dry wind from the south.
  • Global warming makes the glaciers shrink, and foresters plant tree species that cope better with heat. Spatial planning protects landscapes from building.

Neighbours and languages

  • Switzerland borders Germany (north), Austria and Liechtenstein (east), Italy (south) and France (west).
  • There are four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh.
  • French is spoken in the Romandie (Welschland), Italian in Ticino, and Romansh in Graubünden. Fribourg is a bilingual canton (French and German).
  • The Röstigraben is the cultural divide between German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland.

Population and economy

  • The catalogue uses figures from 2020: about 8.6 million inhabitants, about a quarter of them without Swiss citizenship (about 2.1 million). Roughly two thirds of the foreign population come from EU countries. The population has grown since; the Federal Statistical Office publishes the current figures.
  • Zurich is the largest city and the most populous canton.
  • The European Union is Switzerland’s most important trading partner.

The canton of Zurich

  • The canton lies in the Mittelland in the north of Switzerland and borders Germany.
  • It has six neighbouring cantons: Aargau, Schaffhausen, Thurgau, St. Gallen, Schwyz and Zug.
  • Its capital is the city of Zurich. The three largest cities are Zurich, Winterthur and Uster.
  • The canton has 12 districts and 160 political communes, and more than 1.5 million inhabitants.
  • The largest lake is Lake Zurich, followed by the Greifensee; the Pfäffikersee also lies in the canton.
  • The Limmat flows through the canton; the Sihl joins it in the city of Zurich. The Töss flows through Winterthur.
  • The hills along Lake Zurich are the Uetliberg, the Albis and the Pfannenstiel.
  • Zurich Airport is on the territory of Kloten. Kyburg Castle is in the canton.
  • About 41 per cent of the canton’s area is farmland.

How to study this area

Use a map. Find the three regions, the big rivers and where they flow, the neighbouring countries and the language regions. For Zurich, draw the canton with its lakes, rivers, the three largest cities and the six neighbours. Picture questions are easier if you have seen photos of the best-known places.

Next step

Practise this area with the free questions. The other areas: Democracy and federalism, Social state and civil society, History, Culture and everyday culture. Cantonal and communal topics: Canton and communes of Zurich.