Berne: Facts & Figures
Figures and percentages are part and parcel of life in every canton - from numbers of residents to altitude above mean sea level, water consumption or number of places in education. As home to around 13% of the total Swiss population, Berne is not only Switzerland's second-largest canton in population terms (after Zurich), but also ranks second in terms of area (after Graubünden), at 5,958 square kilometres.
Did you know…?
- Berne's clock tower, rebuilt after fire destroyed the city in 1405, was fitted with its big gilt hands in 1608. Originally a clear and legible face had been considered superfluous. To hear the bell, whose chimes could be heard from a considerable distance, toll the hours was considered quite sufficient.
The figures keep coming
- 1 in 7 Swiss citizens live in the Canton of Berne.
- There are 116 restaurants called "Bären" (bear) in the Canton of Berne.