Land Use
Land use |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Main areas | Surface (in %) |
Land use | Surface (in ha) |
Surfaces of housing and infrastructure |
|
Building areas | 137,564 |
Industrial areas | 20,233 | ||
Special infrastructure areas | 16,111 | ||
Green spaces and recreation areas | 15,860 | ||
Transportation areas | 89,329 | ||
Agricultural land |
|
Orchards, vineyards, horticulture | 60,956 |
Arable land, local pastures | 926,378 | ||
Alpine pastures | 537,802 | ||
Forests |
|
Forest | 1,102,160 |
Scrub forests | 60,514 | ||
Other woodlands | 108,978 | ||
Unproductive areas |
|
Lakes | 142,234 |
Rivers | 31,724 | ||
Unproductive vegetation | 263,051 | ||
Unvegetated surfaces | 615,597 |
The Swiss territory is divided into four major types of land use. As of 2001, 36.9% of the land in Switzerland was used for farming. 30.8% of the country is covered with forests and woodlands, with an additional 6.8% covered with houses or buildings. About one-fourth (25.5%) of the country is either mountains, lakes or rivers and is categorised as unproductive.
Read more about this topic: Geography Of Switzerland
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