SWITZERLAND;Area; 41,447 km2TOUR DESTINATIONS IN SWITZERLAND; 1. THE SWISS NATIONAL PARK(SWITZERLAND); Establishment: 1914. Switzerland’s only national park represents alpine nature with its high mountains, valleys, and forest clad slopes. The prime purpose of the part is to protect nature. Geographical location: In the Engadin, Grisons Canton, eastern Switzerland, partly along Italian border. Size: 16,887 ha. Accessibility: By road and by rail; many excursions on well- marked footpaths (which visitors are not allowed to leave). Nearest Towns: Davos, St. Moritz, chur Nearest villages: Zernes, susch, scuol.GEOLOGY: The overlying rocks are composed of calcareous Triassic formations, most often dolomitic limestone. In the northwest part is an important section of granite, gneiss, and crystalline schists.TOPOGRAPHY; The reserve is dominated by the dolomitic eastern Alps with deep valleys and rugged mountains, ranging from about 1,580m to 3,174m (height of piz pisoc). Several glaciers hang below some of the summits. Lakes and rivers intersect slopes and valley bottoms.CLIMATE: Despite heavy snowfall and much rainfall in spring and summer, the climate is very dry, partly because the dolomitic rocks absorb water rapidly. This arid part of Switzerland forms an enclave of the  continental type of climate.FLORA: Vegetation is influenced by the dryness of the climate ; though there are some endemic forms, the flora is rather poor in species and the woods grow slowly. Lower slopes are densely clothed in conifers, pine dominating, but at higher levels it becomes associated with larch and stone pine. Timberline is between 2,000-2300 m- which is un usually high for the Alps- while the alpine zone with meadows may go up to somewhat above 2,800m. The snow limit is at about 3,000m. The subalpine- zone is chiefly dominated by rhododendrons.MAMMALS: Present fauna has been deprived  of all its larger predators such as bear, Lynx, and wolf. The ibex , which has been exterminated, was introduced in 1920. (In 1969 its populations living in this national park numbered 201 animals).Other mammals are red deer, chamois, fox, badger, pine marten, stone marten, ermine, weasel, mountain hare, and marmot.BIRDS: Are found at almost all levels free from snow; alpine swift, alpine chough, nut cracker, citril finch, snow finch, rock pipit, ring ouzel, rock thrush, blue rock thrush, alpine accentor, kestrel, goshawk, golden eagle, eagle owl ,rock patridge, ptarmigan, and many others.