SWITZERLAND

one of the smal countries of Europe, having an area o pf; 16,000 square miles, It is one of the f countries that have no acce to the. rae. Germany, France, Italy, « - | Austria on its reapective north, we d/south, and east sides. The divers if i it | nature of ite surface, besides giving varie d } to ite products, offers scenery which attra s,| the world and has for centuries prot e| the source of freedom to its in habitan | Since they expelled the Austrians st t s.| beginning of the l4th century, the Sw r,| have maintained their freedom, and it dj sow guaranteed by the great Powe..| Having practically no "coal or mets r.| Switzerland can never excel in gre }, | manufactures, but the skill and ingenu i e| of its inhabitants in the lighter arts « pj) admirable. The Swi , about 3,000.0 | in number, use German or French as thy 1.) native tongue, eae most of the ed dicated cla es sp both, Bern, ¢t | capital (population 64,000), stands on t sijtiver Aar; Zurich (150,000), Gene (105,000), and Basle (113,000), are t t| next most important towns..| [s. 293]