Switzerland is a territory which is situated in the western part of Europe. It has a total area of 41,285 km2 (15,590 sq.mi). Switzerland is considered one of the richest countries in the world. Zurich and Geneva which are the two cities in Switzerland have been ranked as having the second and third highest quality of life in the world.
Geography and climate:
Switzerland encompasses a great diversity of landscapes and climates on a limited area of 41,285 square km (15,940 sq mi). The population of Swiss has the population of approximately 7.8 million. The southern half of the country is far more sparsely populated than the northern half of the country.
Here, the summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall. The winters in the mountains alternate with sun and snowfall, while the lower lands tend to be more cloudy and foggy in winter. The driest conditions persist in the southern valleys. The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps.
The eastern part tends to be colder than western Switzerland and can experience a cold spell at any time of the year. Precipitation spreads moderately throughout the year, with minor variations across the seasons depending on locale. Autumn is frequently the driest season, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland can be highly variable from year to year, and difficult to predict.
Demographics:
Switzerland lies at the crossroads of several major European cultures that have heavily influenced the country’s languages and culture. It has four languages. German, French, Italian and Romansh.
Resident foreigners and temporary foreign workers make up about 22% of the population. Most of these (60%) are from European Union. The high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally unproblematic integration of foreigners, underlines Switzerland’s openness.
Culture:
Switzerland is the home of three of Europe’s major languages. Swiss culture is characterized by diversity, which is reflected in a wide range of traditional customs. It is home to many notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition the country attracted a number of creative persons during time of unrest or war in Europe. Around 1000 museums are distributed through the country and the number has more than tripled since 1950. Some areas throughout the year have a recreational culture that caters to tourism, yet the quieter seasons are spring and autumn when there are fewer visitors and a higher ratio of Swiss.
Transportation:
Switzerland has a very high density of railway network, with an average of 122 km of track for every 1000 km2. The Swiss Federal Railways run some 5000 passenger trains covering approximately 274,000 km daily, half of which are train operated by long distance services the other half being regional and suburban services. In 2008, 322 million passengers used the Swiss Federal Railways and each Swiss citizen ran on average 2,422 km by rail, which makes them the highest rail users.
Local bus services cover the whole country. It covers the smaller urban areas and every region not connected to the rail network.
Geneva International Airport is located 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of the city centre and has direct connections to motorways, bus lines and railways. The airport has a single concrete runway, which is the longest in Switzerland with a length of 3,900 m (12,795 ft), and a smaller, parallel, grass runway for light aircraft.
For nearly 60 shops are available in Geneva International Airport relating to food, chocolates, duty free shops, fashion & accessories, drugstore, gifts, flowers, books, music, perfumes, and so on. Services relating to post office, banks, business and multimedia, car rentals, car parks ate, are also available.
Car rental services:
The car rental services which are available are
• Avis car rental.
• Budget car rental.
• Europcar car rental.
• Hertz car rental.
• Alamo car rentals.
• SIXT car rental services.

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