About City
Zürich is Switzerland's largest city and the seat of the canton of Zürich. It is situated at the northwestern extremity of Lake Zürich in north-central Switzerland. The municipality has 434,335 residents, the urban area (agglomeration) 1.315 million (2009), and the Zürich metropolitan region 1.83 million as of January 2020. (2011). Zürich serves as a crossroads for rail, road, and air transportation.Zurich Airport and its main train station are the country's largest and busiest.
Zürich, which has been permanently settled for nearly 2,000 years, was founded by the Romans, who named it Turicum in 15 BC. Early settlements, however, have been discovered dating back over 6,400 years. During the Middle Ages, it attained the independent and privileged status of imperial immediacy, and under the leadership of Huldrych Zwingli, it became a major centre of the Protestant Reformation in Europe in 1519.
Zürich's official language is German, although the major spoken language is Zürich German, a local variety of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect.
The Swiss National Museum and Kunsthaus are among the city's many museums and art galleries. In the German-speaking world, the Schauspielhaus Zürich is regarded as one of the most important theatres.
Despite its modest population, Zürich is one of the world's largest financial centres. Many financial institutions and banking enterprises are located in the city.
Zürich's blue and white coat of arms dates back to 1389 and was formed from blue and white striped banners that had been in use since 1315. The first documented evidence of banners with the same pattern dates back to 1434. Two lions stand on either side of the coat of arms. The red Schwenkel on top of the banner had various meanings: it was a badge of honour bestowed by Rudolph I on the inhabitants of Zürich.It was derided by Zürich's neighbours as a sign of shame, marking the loss of the flag at Winterthur in 1292. The Canton of Zürich now bears the same coat of arms as the city of Zürich.
The residential, industrial, and commercial zones that surround the Limmat are virtually completely developed. The bright and desirable residential neighbourhoods overlooking Zürich, Waidberg, and Zürichberg, as well as the lowest section of the slope on the western side of the valley on the Uetliberg, are heavily built.
The huge forest lands of Adlisberg, Zürichberg, Käferberg, Hönggerberg, and Uetliberg serve as the city's "green lungs." There are additional major parks along the shoreline, as well as smaller parks strewn around the city.Near Affoltern and Seebach, there are larger contiguous agricultural grounds. 45.4 percent of Zürich's total area (in 1996, excluding the lake) is residential, industrial, and commercial, 15.5 percent is transportation infrastructure, 26.5 percent is forest, 11 percent is farmland, and 1.2 percent is water.
