# Records and extreme values A thematic map of the Atlas of Switzerland, the national atlas published by ETH Zurich. The map is drawn in the browser; this file describes it and lists its variants and links, but not the data values shown on the map. - Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/records-and-extreme-values/ - Short title: Records - Map id: 399 - Categories: Portrait of Switzerland › Geography of Switzerland - Keywords: Extreme values, Records - Published: 2016-08-04 - Last revised: 2025-01-20 - Content language: English - Other languages: [Deutsch](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/de/thema/rekorde-und-extremwerte.md), [Français](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/fr/theme/records-et-valeurs-extremes.md), [Italiano](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/it/tema/record-e-valori-estremi.md) ## Description People have always been fascinated by extreme values and records. As a result, some extreme values are considered general knowledge, but many records are rather unknown. Today, various media and advertising are helping record values to become more widespread. *Environment and geography* Virtually all Swiss citizens know that the highest point in Switzerland is the Dufourspitze in the Monte Rosa massif at 4,633 m above sea level. Many people also know that the Aletsch Glacier, with a current length of 23.5 km, is the largest glacier in Switzerland. La Brévine in the Neuchâtel Jura ("Siberia of Switzerland”) is the coldest place in Switzerland, with a lowest temperature of -41.8° C recorded on 12 January 1987. But where is the lowest point in Switzerland and what place has the highest annual rainfall? Where was the highest single-day snowfall measured? Answers to these questions can be found on the map. *Infrastructure and economy* The oldest section of motorway runs from Horw to Lucerne and the oldest railway line from 1874, the Swiss Northern Railway ("Spanish-Brötli-Bahn"), runs from Baden to Zurich. The first major Swiss bank was the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt (Swiss Credit Institution), which was founded in 1856. But it is not the oldest financial institution in Switzerland, as the bank Rahn and Bodmer of Zürich, existed already in 1795. Switzerland's largest employer is Nestlé, whose headquarters is located in Vevey on Lake Geneva. The food company employs approximately 335,000 people worldwide. Cailler, the oldest chocolate factory in Switzerland since 1819, is also located in western Switzerland. *Society and culture* Canton Zurich has the highest population, with roughly 95 times more people than the most scarcely populated half-canton Appenzell Innerhoden. By far the highest population density is attributed to the half-canton Basel-Stadt, the lowest to canton Grisons. This is not surprising, however, because Basel-Stadt is also the smallest canton in terms of area, and Grisons the largest. Since the municipality merger of 2016, Scuol in Unterengadin is the largest municipality in Switzerland in terms of area. At 438 km2, the area is even larger than the island state of Malta (316 km2). Switzerland also holds several sport records, such as the world's first miniature golf course, which was built in Ascona in 1954. In the cultural sector, the Lucerne Theatre, founded in 1838, is the oldest professional theatre. ## Data sources - COD (2015d): [Talsperren in der Schweiz](http://www.swissdams.ch/). Schweizerisches Talsperrenkomitee - ETH Zurich: [Atlas of Switzerland](https://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/) - FEDRO (2015h): Strassen und Verkehr. Zahlen und Fakten - FOEN: [Thema Wald und Holz](http://www.bafu.admin.ch/wald/index.html?lang=de) - FSO (2015g): [Raum, Umwelt](http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02.html). Bundesamt für Statistik - HLS (2015f): [Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz](http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/) - Knupfer (2015): [Die zehn höchsten Hochhäuser der Schweiz](http://www.handelszeitung.ch/content-default/biga-die-zehn-hoechsten-hochhaeuser-der-schweiz-566925). Handelszeitung - MeteoSwiss (2015a): [Rekorde Schweiz](https://www.meteoschweiz.admin.ch). Bundesamt für Meteorologie und Klimatologie - Pendicularas Svizras (2015i): [Fakten und Zahlen zur Schweizer Seilbahnbranche](http://www.seilbahnen.org/de/Branche/Fakten-Zahlen/Fakten-Zahlen) - Schmid (2015): [Schwimmbad-Portal. Schwimmen und Baden in der Schweiz](http://www.badi-info.ch/) - Schweiz Tourismus (2015): [Erlebnisse](http://www.myswitzerland.com) - SSPCP (2015e): [Kulturgüter](http://sgkgs.ch/de/Kulturgueter-1) - Swiss Geological Survey (2015b): [Geo.admin.ch](https://map.geo.admin.ch/) - TCS (2015): [Alles Wissenswerte über Schweizer Pässe](https://www.tcs.ch/de/tools/verkehrsinfo/paesse-in-der-schweiz.php) - Wikipedia contributors (2015c): [Wikipedia](https://www.wikipedia.org/) - WSL, Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft (2016): [Das Landesforstinventar LFI](https://www.lfi.ch/lfi/lfi.php). Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft ## Data owners - [Atlas of Switzerland (AoS)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/) ## Authors - [Atlas of Switzerland (AoS)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/) ## Citation The terms of use ask to name the Atlas of Switzerland and the data owners, and to keep the source references in exports, screenshots and embeds. Cite the map as: > Atlas of Switzerland (2025): Records and extreme values. ETH Zürich. Map data © AoS. https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/records-and-extreme-values/ ## Variants The map has 4 variants. Levels: variant → time. The `u` value of a variant selects it in the links below. - Overview - 2025: `u=A-4AAACG` (default) - Environment and Geography - 2025: `u=A-4AAACH` - Infastructure and Economy - 2025: `u=A-4AAACI` - Society and Culture - 2025: `u=A-4AAACJ` ## Links Replace `{u}` with the `u` value of a variant above, or leave out `u={u}` for the default variant. The map opens at its full extent; a link cannot set the map position. - Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/records-and-extreme-values/?u={u} - Short link, stays valid when the title changes: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/t/399/?u={u} - Side by side with another map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/comparison/?lt=399&lu={u}&rt={id of the other map}&ru={u of the other map, or leave out} Embed in another website (allowed by the terms of use, as long as the source references stay visible): ```html ``` In the embed URL, `dm` sets what is shown: `e` the map with its title bar (default), `p` also the values of an object clicked on the map, `m` only the map with a button that opens it in the atlas. `ig=1` (default) lets the map react to scrolling and dragging only after a click into it, `ig=0` right away. The size can be changed in `style`. ## Related maps - [Significance of selected Swiss mountains](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/significance-of-selected-swiss-mountains.md) (id 587) - [Major companies in Switzerland](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/major-companies-in-switzerland.md) (id 488) For the use and citation of maps and data, see the [terms of use](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/terms-of-use/).