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Agralp-Development of mountain areas
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Key Figures of the Convention Area Switzerland
With its famous mountains, the Matterhorn, the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau, as well as its long-standing vacation spots in the cantons of Graubünden, Valais and Ticino, Switzerland is the centre of the Alps. The Swiss Alpine region makes up 60% of the entire area of Switzerland which, together with its great importance for tourism and its mountain agriculture, lends significant political influence to the region.
Since both Switzerland and Liechtenstein are not members of the European Union, the Swiss agricultural policy differs from that of the EU. Numerous legislative decrees were issued to the benefit of mountain agriculture to counter-balance the income disparities of the Swiss mountain farmers.
The Swiss Convention area encompasses the following cantons: Appenzell I.Rh, Appenzell A.Rh, Berne, Fribourg, Glarus, Graubünden, Lucerne, Nidwalden, Obwalden, St. Gall, Schwyz, Ticino, Uri, Vaud and Valais. The natural space of the Swiss Alps stretches out to the northern part with central European characteristics and the southern part with Mediterranean characteristics as well as inner-Alpine dry regions in the centre of the Alps.
  Switzerland with its numerous Alpine resorts represents the centre state of the Convention area.
With an area of 41,285 km², Switzerland belongs to the smaller countries in Europe. 13.0% of the entire Alpine Convention area, i.e. an area of 24,862 km², is on Swiss territory so that the country holds the fourth-largest proportion of the Alpine Convention after Austria, Italy and France.
The total Alpine versus the Swiss Convention area (km²), 2000
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Total Convention area
1 |
Swiss Convention area
2 |
2 / 1 (%) |
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Area (km²) |
190,642 |
24,862 |
13.0 |
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Minicipalities |
5,954 |
944 |
15.9 |
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Inhabitants |
13,630,577 |
1,742,960 |
12.8 | Sources
The Swiss Convention area accounts for 60.2% of the country's total area and 944 (32.6%) of the 2,896 Swiss municipalities. Despite the difficult natural conditions in the region, 24.2% of the Swiss population, or 1.742 million citizens, live in the Alps. Austria is the only country with an even higher proportion (40.0%) of its population living in the relevant Convention area.
Switzerland versus the Swiss Alpine Conventione area (km²), 2000
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Switzerland
1 |
Swiss Convention area
2 |
2 / 1 (%) |
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Area (km²) |
41,285 |
24,862 |
60.2 |
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Municipalities |
2,896 |
944 |
32.6 |
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Inhabitants |
7,204,100 |
1,742,960 |
24.2 | Sources
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