Neutral State By Roxy Baker Highlands Middle School 6 th Grade

Geography, Climate, and Natural Resources Essential Question: How does Switzerland’s geography, climate, and natural resources affect their daily life and jobs?  Small- 15,942 square miles  Home of the Swiss Alps  Valleys  Lakes  Mountains  Summer: About 80 ◦ F  Winter: 27 ◦ -32 ◦ F  Average of 10,00 annual avalanches every year

Economic Data Essential Question: What does the economic data reveal about their quality of life?  GDP growth- 2.1% (159)  Per capita GDP- $43,900  Unemployment rate- 3.1%  Poverty rate- 6.9%  Industries- Machinery, textiles, tourism, banking  Exports- $312.5 billion  Export partners- Germany, US, France, Italy  Imports- $ million  Import partners-Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands, Austria

Culture Essential Question: What do we need to know about these people that makes their culture unique?  Meat, potatoes, milk products (cheese, yogurt, creams)  Almost ½ population is Roman Catholic  Swiss soldiers gained reputation for their fighting powers  Handshakes are usual greeting  Attending to personal hygiene in public is not appropriate  Photography and graphic arts are popular  Home to the popular: “Yodeli-he-hoo~”

Current Events Essential Question: How has this event affected the US? Or, how has the US affected this event. Executive compensation- the salary of an important business leader that works with the government  Swiss citizens voted on March 3 nd  Voting was a triumph for Thomas Miller  Swissair company collapse leads to nationwide strike against “rip-off” salesmen

Switzerland