The city of Bern
is the capital of Switzerland and is the fourth most populous city of the country. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 36 municipalities is also the capital of the Canton of Bern, the second most populous of Switzerland's cantons.
The official language of Bern is (the Swiss variety of standard) German, but the main spoken language is the Alemannic Swiss German dialect called Bernese German.
In 1983, the historic old town in the centre of Bern became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bern is ranked among the world’s top ten cities for offering the best quality of life (2010)..
| Country | Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Canton | Bern |
| District | Bern-Mittelland administrative district |
| Government | |
| Executive | Gemeinderat with 5 members |
| Mayor | Stadtpräsident (list) Alexander Tschäppät SPS/PSS (as of 2014) |
| Parliament | Stadtrat with 80 members |
| Area | |
| Total | 51.62 km2 (19.93 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 542 m (1,778 ft) |
| Highest elevation(Gurten) | 864 m (2,835 ft) |
| Lowest elevation(Aare) | 480 m (1,570 ft) |
| Population (Dec 2013) | |
| Total | 128,848 |
| Density | 2,500/km2 (6,500/sq mi) |