John Jenks, age 11, of San Diego, California, for his question:

How big is Switzerland?

There are many things about Switzerland that make it a very special country. Special things tend to sound important, and perhaps for this reason we tend to think of Switzerland as a sizable country. Actually it is very small. On a flat map, its area covers 15,941 square miles. It could fit inside the three New England states of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island with merely a few fingers poking out around the edges. It measures about 137 miles from its northern to its southern border and it is about 226 miles wide. Switzerland, however, is the land of the lofty Alps and any trip across it is full of ups and downs. Only expert climbers dare tackle its steepest slopes and many of its pointed peaks are impassable.

Switzerland nestles deep in the heart of Europe, surrounded by other countries on all sides. Its southern border touches Italy. Its western and northwestern sides touch France. Its southeastern border touches Austria and along the northeast it borders Germany.