European Union vs. Switzerland
Geography
| European Union | Switzerland | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Europe between the North Atlantic Ocean in the west and Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine to the east | Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 4,236,351 sq km rank by area (sq km): 1. France (includes five overseas regions) 643,801 2. Spain 505,370 3. Sweden 450,295 4. Germany 357,022 5. Finland 338,145 6. Poland 312,685 7. Italy 301,340 8. Romania 238,391 9. Greece 131,957 10. Bulgaria 110,879 11. Hungary 93,028 12. Portugal 92,090 13. Austria 83,871 14. Czechia 78,867 15. Ireland 70,273 16. Lithuania 65,300 17. Latvia 64,589 18. Croatia 56,594 19. Slovakia 49,035 20. Estonia 45,228 21. Denmark 43,094 22. Netherlands 41,543 23. Belgium 30,528 24. Slovenia 20,273 25. Cyprus 9,251 26. Luxembourg 2,586 27. Malta 316 | total: 41,277 sq km land: 39,997 sq km water: 1,280 sq km |
| Area - comparative | less than one-half the size of the US | slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey |
| Land boundaries | total: 13,770 km border countries (19): Albania 212 km, Andorra 118 km, Belarus 1176 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 956 km, Holy See 3 km, Liechtenstein 34 km, Macedonia 396 km, Moldova 683 km, Monaco 6 km, Montenegro 19 km, Norway 2375 km, Russia 2435 km, San Marino 37 km, Serbia 1353 km, Switzerland 1729 km, Turkey 415 km, United Kingdom 499 km, Ukraine 1324 km; note - the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement (2020) commits the United Kingdom (UK) to maintain an open border in Ireland, so the border between Northern Ireland (UK) and the Republic of Ireland is only de jure and is not a hard border; the de facto border is the Irish Sea between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain note: data for European continent only | total: 1,770 km border countries (5): Austria 158 km, France 525 km, Italy 698 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 348 km |
| Coastline | 53,563.9 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Climate | cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south | temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers |
| Terrain | fairly flat along Baltic and Atlantic coasts; mountainous in the central and southern areas | mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Mont Blanc, France 4,810 m lowest point: Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m | highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m mean elevation: 1,350 m |
| Natural resources | iron ore, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, bauxite, uranium, potash, salt, hydropower, arable land, timber, fish | hydropower potential, timber, salt |
| Irrigated land | 154,539.82 sq km (2011 est.) | 630 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic | avalanches, landslides; flash floods |
| Environment - current issues | various forms of air, soil, and water pollution; see individual country entries | air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from agricultural fertilizers; chemical contaminants and erosion damage the soil and limit productivity; loss of biodiversity |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 2006 signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Total renewable water resources | 2,057.76 cubic meters (2011) | 53.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | population distribution varies considerably from country to country, but tends to follow a pattern of coastal and river settlement, with urban agglomerations forming large hubs facilitating large scale housing, industry, and commerce; the area in and around the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg (known collectively as Benelux), is the most densely populated area in the EU | population distribution corresponds to elevation with the northern and western areas far more heavily populated; the higher Alps of the south limit settlement |
Source: CIA Factbook
