Switzerland is a small alpine country in western Europe of some 7.7 million people. It is bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. The mountainous southern half of the country is less populated than the more hospitable north of pleasant hilly, partly forested lakeland areas.
The Swiss Alps are an extreme environment with many peaks over 4000 m interspersed with valleys, waterfalls and glaciers. These are the source of the major European rivers and flow into the largest Swiss lakes such as Lake Geneva and Lake Constance.