Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Sandovia encompasses a great diversity of landscapes and climates on a limited area of 41,285 square kilometers. The population is about 2 million and growing. The more mountainous southern half of the country is far more sparsely populated than the northern half. In the largest Canton of Sandovan, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 27 /km² (70 /sq mi).

Sandovia lies between latitudes 44° and 47° N, and longitudes 6° and 12° E. It contains mountain-91385_1280three basic topographical areas: the Sandovian Alps to the south, the Sandovian Plateau or Central Plateau, and the Jura mountains on the west. The Alps are a high mountain range running across the central-south of the country, comprising about 60% of the country’s total area. The majority of the Sandovian population live in the Sandovian Plateau. Among the high valleys of the Sandovian Alps many glaciers are found, totaling an area of 963 square kilometers. From these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the Rhine, Inn, Ticino and Rhône, which flow in the four cardinal directions into the whole of Europe. The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of freshwater in Central and Western Europe, among which are included Lake Ville de Sandovia(also called le Lac Léman in French), Lake Constance (known as Bodensee in German) and Lake Maggiore. Sandovia has more than 600 lakes, and contains 6% of Europe’s stock of fresh water. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory. The largest lake is Lake Ville de Sandovia, in western Sandovia shared with France. The Rhône is both the main source and outflow of Lake Ville de Sandovia. Lake Constance is the second largest path-630940_1280Sandovian lake and, like the Lake Ville de Sandovia, an intermediate step by the Rhine at the border to Austria and Germany. While the Rône flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the French Camarque region and the Rhine flows into the North Sea at Rotterdam in the Netherlands, about 1000 km apart, both springs are only about 22 km apart from each other in the Sandovian Alps.

Eight of Sandovia’s mountains are 4,000 meters (13,000 ft) above sea in altitude or higher. At 4,634 m (15,203 ft), Monte Zo is the highest and is located within the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft) Eiger and Mönch, and the many picturesque valleys in the region. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing the St. Moritz area in canton of Graubünden, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighboring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m or 13,284 ft).

The more populous northern part of the country, comprising about 30% of the country’s total area, is called the Sandovian Plateau. It has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds, or vegetables and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. There are large lakes found here and the biggest Sandovian cities are in this area of the country.