Switzerland huge demand for stone

Switzerland is a small, stone consumption is not low. Most of the international eyes are on the stone merchants in the United States and Germany, the two big countries, so they tend to overlook some of the small size but can be a large country such as Switzerland.
According to the World Trade Market Guide, "Natural Stone 2000" statistics, the Swiss per capita consumption of stone the second highest in the world. Switzerland, 1999, slightly lower than the 1.47 square meters per capita consumption, and thus second only to the "marble history," said the Greek one percentage point, is far ahead of the world's largest producer of Italian stone (1.01 square meters). Compared to U.S. per capita consumption of just over one-tenth of Switzerland and Germany is only slightly higher than one-third of Switzerland. Have the exact figures, the Swiss stone consumption reached 10.4 million square meters, ahead of many of its larger land area than countries such as Turkey, Canada and the Philippines.
High standards
Swiss Cube Stone caused by consumption of an important reason why so much of the country's high per capita income and high living standards. Have the exact data show that the average household income in Switzerland than in Germany 40 percent higher. Even so, 70% of the Swiss living suites, and the overall quality of housing is very high. The Swiss who build their own houses are able and willing to house decoration house more than any other European luxury. With Swiss and born to the pursuit of high quality material, natural stone naturally become their first choice. Take a very important example of housing design in the Swiss granite in the past decade has been the high level of material layout of the kitchen. In many high-priced apartment houses and stone are also widely used in bathrooms, halls, and to be the living room.
The main use of square stone service industries such as banking and insurance, good quality stone is mainly used for interior decoration and exterior decoration. Besides stone often used in public buildings, such as road construction and paving stone in public places, but also for the construction of city hall and museum.
Ancient stone technology
Swiss stone consumption volume for another reason, at least in some parts of the country can see the ancient stone technology. For example, in the Swiss capital Bern, the city has the approval of UNESCO's cultural heritage - almost a block of sandstone Bern, while the western Swiss city of Neuchatel University of charming French city save a piece of Jurassic limestone . Ticino is the preservation of the most ancient stone, in the Italian area has a century-old public buildings and houses have to answer with a granite foundation, all from the wall to the ceiling.
Main material
Northwest to the southeast of Switzerland, the three arches its only 4.1 million square kilometers territory geographically divided into three parts: Jura Mountains (the country's total land, 20%), Mittelland plateau region (30%) and the Alps ( 50%). Mountain region is rich in limestone, the plateau region (which means center of the country) is a semi-metallic sandstone and granite of the Alps is the main place of origin, also produces granite, conglomerate, and marble.
Switzerland before World War II, about 700 major mines, but today has been reduced to 80. Of which more than 50 in the Alps, 20 in the Mittelland Heights, and Jura Mountains only a handful.
The main producing areas is the Ticino and of the neighboring state of Canton is located in Gerry Jansons Ke Lanka Administrative Region of the basin. In the southern Alps, nearly 30 mines in operation, can be divided mainly produced gray gneiss and marble. The most famous gneiss (mining land with their name) are: Maji Ya, Ang Sailuo inside, according to La that, Rhode Reno, Chrissy Arnold, Reggie and Ke Lanka by that. Gerry Jansons from Alpine basins outside the state of the two mining An Dier City green gneiss commonly used in building exterior, floors, stairs and tombstones. Gerry Jansons and the state also produces Suo Liao Vals quartzite gneiss. Canton Valais for its unique green conglomerate VertdeSalvan administrative known outside Switzerland. Mitteland mining sandstone highlands were Rorschacher, St.Margrethener, Bollinger, Guntliweider and Buchberger so are several. The Jura mountains only two kinds of limestone Laufen and Liesberg more famous.
4 thousand workers
The whole of Switzerland with 4 thousand workers in the stone industry. Stone mining and processing plants, including 100 small and medium enterprises, of which 2 thousand workers, mainly masons 500, also includes a number of the same size stone carving factory. 2000, imports of raw materials and processing materials amounted to 200 million Swiss francs, about 130 million euros, of which two thirds came from Italy, the total export volume of about 30 to 40 million euros, Germany's main customers are neighboring countries (mainly finished products) and Italy (mainly raw materials).
Full-fat
Switzerland since the 19th century, 30 years experienced the most severe period of economic malaise. Hardest hit is the construction industry, half of the construction workers in just a period of 8 years of a post. Its related industries, although the impact has not been so serious, but there is a certain hit. Switzerland, the rapid economic recovery in the last two years, and now is once again full development. March 2001 unemployment rate in the industry less than 2 percentage points, which is far below the European data. Consistent with the situation with which the stone industry is a substantial increase in the recovery and orders. Stone industry, development prospects, especially good at manufacturing the indoor use of stone in the company, of course, include the construction of gardens and parks with a stone.