ROCKS AND MINERALS

Switzerland has a wealth of Rocks and Minerals at its disposal. There are a few special places within the country that contain large mineral deposits. One such place is the well-known Binn Valley located in a region of the Alps. The Binn Valley is home to the Country’s sole rock crystal quarry called Lengenbach.  The quarry is highly regarded for its rare Sulfosalts and has contributed to the discovery of new minerals only found in this region. 

Switzerland relies heavily on outsourced materials. However, it has a small mining operation in place. The top materials produced in the Country are Fibrous Gypsum, Salt, Lime, and Cement. In the past, the Country was a top producer of Copper, Aluminum and Ore. As the mining industry declined, the country moved toward using scrap metal as its top source of raw material.

 

NATURAL THREATS

A HAZARD is a threat that can hurt humans and is caused by a naturally-occurring process like hurricanes, volcanoes, Tsunamis, etc.

A DISASTER is a mid-level threat that takes place in a specific area over a specific time frame. Disaster zones are often declared states of emergency and may need International help. Large amounts of people are affected by the disaster and there are many lives lost.

A CATASTROPHE is the most dangerous of all natural threats. It is a large-scale event that takes years to recover from and has large reclamation costs.