Editing Basel (section)

== Geography and climate ==

=== Location ===
Basel is located in [[Northwestern Switzerland]] and is commonly considered to be the capital of that region.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Penhill|first=Ben|date=2019-10-20 |title=Is Basel in Germany or Switzerland? |url=https://short-fact.com/is-basel-in-germany-or-switzerland/ |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=short-fact}}</ref> It is close to the point where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, and Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elia |first=Letizia |title=Border triangle |url=https://www.basel.com/en/attractions/border-triangle-9d4ce8b6b0 |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Basel}}</ref> {{As of|2016}}, the Swiss Basel agglomeration was the third-largest in Switzerland, with a population of 541,000<ref name=Agglomeration>{{cite web |url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/cross-sectional-topics/city-statistics/agglomeration-portraits/basel.html |title=Agglomeration portraits: Basel |publisher=Federal Statistical Office FSO |location=Neuchâtel, Switzerland |type=official site |date=2017 |access-date=21 August 2018 |archive-date=21 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821223124/https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/cross-sectional-topics/city-statistics/agglomeration-portraits/basel.html |url-status=live }}</ref> in 74 municipalities in Switzerland (municipal count as of 2018).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/querschnittsthemen/raeumliche-analysen/raeumliche-gliederungen/analyseregionen.html |title=Analyseregionen |publisher=Federal Statistical Office FSO |date=21 February 2018 |type=official site |location=Neuchâtel, Switzerland |language=de, fr |access-date=22 August 2018 |archive-date=19 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019031743/https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/querschnittsthemen/raeumliche-analysen/raeumliche-gliederungen/analyseregionen.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[metropolitan area]], called the [[Trinational Eurodistrict of Basel]] (TEB), consists of 62 suburban communes including municipalities in neighboring countries, and counted 829,000 inhabitants in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.are.admin.ch/are/de/home/raumentwicklung-und-raumplanung/programme-und-projekte/modellvorhaben-nachhaltige-raumentwicklung/modellvorhaben-nachhaltige-raumentwicklung-2002-2007/trinationaler-eurodistrict-basel--teb-.html |title=Trinationaler Eurodistrict Basel (TEB) |publisher=Bundesamt für Raumentwicklung ARE |date=2007 |type=official site |location=Berne, Switzerland |language=de, fr, it |access-date=22 August 2018 |archive-date=22 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822014743/https://www.are.admin.ch/are/de/home/raumentwicklung-und-raumplanung/programme-und-projekte/modellvorhaben-nachhaltige-raumentwicklung/modellvorhaben-nachhaltige-raumentwicklung-2002-2007/trinationaler-eurodistrict-basel--teb-.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Topography ===
[[File:MZA Chrischona4 retouched.jpg|thumb|Basel (in the upper left corner) as seen from Bettingen (television tower St. Chrischona) facing France]]
Basel has an area, {{as of|2009|lc=on}}, of {{convert|23.91|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}. Of this area, {{convert|0.95|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 4.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while {{convert|0.88|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 3.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, {{convert|20.67|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 86.4% is settled (buildings or roads), {{convert|1.45|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 6.1% is either rivers or lakes.<ref name=BFS_land>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/data/gemeindedaten.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240711063506/https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/data/gemeindedaten.html |date=11 July 2024 }} 2009 data {{in lang|de}} accessed 25 March 2010</ref>

Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 10.2% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 40.7% and transportation infrastructure made up 24.0%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 2.7% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 8.9%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 2.5% is used for growing crops and 1.3% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.<ref name=BFS_land/>

=== Climate ===

Under the [[Köppen climate classification|Köppen system]], Basel features an [[oceanic climate]] (Köppen: ''Cfb''),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=590607|title=Basel, Switzerland|website=Weatherbase|access-date=16 March 2020|archive-date=18 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190218081934/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=590607|url-status=dead}}</ref> with cool to cold, [[overcast]] winters and warm to hot, humid summers.

The city averages 118.2 days of rain or snow annually and on average receives {{convert|842|mm|in|abbr=on}} of [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]]. The wettest month is May during which time Basel receives an average of {{convert|98|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain. The month with the most days of precipitation is also May, with an average of 11.7 days. The driest month of the year is February with an average of {{convert|45|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation over 8.4 days.<ref name=ClimateBB>{{cite web |url=http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/product/output/climate-data/climate-diagrams-normal-values-station-processing/BAS/climsheet_BAS_np8110_e.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/product/output/climate-data/climate-diagrams-normal-values-station-processing/BAS/climsheet_BAS_np8110_e.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Climate normals Basel / Binningen, Reference period 1981–2010 |publisher=Swiss Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology – MeteoSwiss |location=Zürich-Airport, Switzerland |date=2 July 2014 |access-date=3 April 2015}}</ref>