{{infobox swiss town | subject name

Zurich | municipality_name Zurich | municipality_type municipality | image_photo City of Zürich.jpg | image_caption Top: Night view of Zurich from Üetliberg, Middle left: National Museum, Middle right: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Bottom: View over Zurich and the lake. | imagepath_coa Ch zh wappen kanton.gif | map Karte Gemeinde Zürich.png | languages German | canton Zurich | iso-code-region CH-ZH | district Zurich | lat_d47|lat_m22|lat_NSN|long_d8|long_m33|long_EWE | postal_code 8000–8099 | municipality_code 0261 | area 91.88 | elevation 408|elevation_description|lowestLimmat|lowest_m392|highestÜetliberg|highest_m871 | population 385,468|populationof 2010 | website www.stadt-zuerich.ch | mayor Corine Mauch|mayor_asof2009|mayor_partySPS | mayor_title Stadtpräsidentin|list_of_mayors List of mayors of Zurich | places | neighbouring_municipalities Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon | twintowns Kunming San Francisco

Zurich (German: ''Zürich'', Swiss German: ''Züri'') is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. While the municipality itself has approximately 380,500 inhabitants, the Zurich metropolitan area is an urbanised area of international importance constituted by a population of nearly 2 million inhabitants. Zurich is a mixed hub for railways, roads, and air traffic. Both Zurich Airport and railway station are the largest and busiest in the country.

Permanently settled for around 7,000 years, the history of Zurich goes back to its founding by the Romans, who, in 15 BC, called it ''Turicum''. During the Middle Ages Zurich gained the independent and privileged status of imperial immediacy and, in 1519, was the place of origin and centre of the Protestant Reformation in German-speaking Switzerland, led by Ulrich Zwingli.

Zurich is a leading global city and among the world's largest financial centres. The city is home to a large number of financial institutions and banking giants. Also, most of the research and development centres are concentrated in Zurich and the low rate of tax attracts overseas companies to set up their headquarters there. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2008, Zurich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe.

An impressive number of museums and art galleries can be found in the city, including the Swiss National Museum and the Kunsthaus. Zurich also hosts one of the most important theatres in the German-speaking world.

Name

The Swiss standard German pronunciation of the name is . In Zurich German without the final consonant, ''Züri'' , although the adjective remains ''Zürcher'' . The city is called ''Zurich'' in French, ''Zurigo'' in Italian, and ''Turitg'' in Romansh.

In English, the name is usually written ''Zurich'', without the umlaut. It is pronounced () or (); more recently sometimes also with as in German.

The earliest known form of the city's name is ''Turicum'', attested on a tombstone of the late 2nd century AD in the form ''STA(tio) TURICEN(sis)'' ("Turicum tax post"). Neither the name's linguistic origin (most likely Rhaetic or Celtic) nor its meaning can be determined with certainty. A possibility is derivation from ''*Turīcon'', from the Gaulish personal name ''Tūros''. The stress on the long vowel of the Gaulish name, , was lost in German but is preserved in Italian ''Zurigo'' .

A first development towards its later, Germanic form is attested as early as the 6th century with the form ''Ziurichi''. From the 10th century onward, the name has more or less clearly been established as ''Zürich'' (''Zurih'' (857), Zurich (924)).

Zurich is sometimes referred to as "Downtown Switzerland" for publicity reasons.

History

Early history

Settlements of the Neolithic and Bronze Age were found around Lake Zurich. Traces of pre-Roman Celtic, La Tène settlements were discovered near the Lindenhof hill. In Roman times, ''Turicum'' was a tax-collecting point at the border of Gallia Belgica (from AD 90 Germania superior) and Raetia for goods trafficked on the Limmat river. After Emperor Constantine’s reforms in AD 318, the border between Gaul and Italy (two of the four praetorian prefectures of the Roman Empire) was located east of Turicum, crossing the Linth River between Lake Walen and Lake Zurich, where a castle and garrison looked over Turicum’s safety. The earliest written record of the town dates from the 2nd century, with a tombstone referring to it, discovered at the Lindenhof.

In the 5th century, the Germanic Alamanni tribe settled in the Swiss plateau. The Roman castle remained standing until the 7th century. A Carolingian castle, built on the site of the Roman castle by the grandson of Charlemagne, Louis the German, is mentioned in 835 (''in castro Turicino iuxta fluvium Lindemaci''). Louis also founded the Fraumünster abbey in 853 for his daughter Hildegard. He endowed the Benedictine convent with the lands of Zurich, Uri, and the Albis forest, and granted the convent immunity, placing it under his direct authority. In 1045, King Henry III granted the convent the right to hold markets, collect tolls, and mint coins, and thus effectively made the abbess the ruler of the city.

Zurich became ''reichsunmittelbar'' in 1218 with the extinction of the main line of the Zähringer family and attained a status comparable to statehood. During the 1230s, a city wall was built, enclosing 38 hectares, when the earliest stone houses at the Rennweg were built as well. The Carolingian castle was used as a quarry, as it had started to fall into ruin.

Emperor Frederick II promoted the abbess of the Fraumünster to the rank of a duchess in 1234. The abbess nominated the mayor, and she frequently delegated the minting of coins to citizens of the city. However, the political power of the convent slowly waned in the 14th century, beginning with the establishment of the ''Zunftordnung'' (guild laws) in 1336 by Rudolf Brun, who also became the first independent mayor, i.e. not nominated by the abbess.

An important event in the early 14th Century was the completion of the Manesse Codex, a key source of medieval German poetry. The famous illuminated manuscript – described as "the most beautifully illumined German manuscript in centuries;" – was commissioned by the Manesse family of Zurich, copied and illustrated in the city at some time between 1304 and 1340. Producing such a work was a highly expensive prestige project, requiring several years work by highly skilled scribes and miniature painters, and it clearly testifies to the increasing wealth and pride of Zurich citizens in this period.

Old Swiss Confederacy

On May 1, 1351, the citizens of Zurich had to swear allegiance before representatives of the cantons of Lucerne, Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden, the other members of the Swiss Confederacy. Thus, Zurich became the fifth member of the Confederacy, which was at that time a loose confederation of ''de facto'' independent states. Zurich was the presiding canton of the Diet from 1468 to 1519. This authority was the executive council and lawmaking body of the confederacy, from the Middle Ages until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848. Zurich was temporarily expelled from the confederacy in 1440 due to a war with the other member states over the territory of Toggenburg (the Old Zurich War). Neither side had attained significant victory when peace was agreed upon in 1446, and Zurich was re-admitted to the confederation in 1450.

Zwingli started the Swiss Reformation at the time when he was the main preacher in the 1520s, at the Grossmünster. He lived there from 1484 until his death in 1531. The Zurich Bible, based on that of Zwingli, was issued in 1531. The Reformation resulted in major changes in state matters and civil life in Zurich, spreading also to a number of other cantons. However, several cantons remained Catholic and became the basis of serious conflicts that eventually led to the outbreak of the Wars of Kappel.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Council of Zurich adopted an isolationist attitude, resulting in a second ring of imposing fortifications built in 1624. The Thirty Years' War which raged across Europe motivated the city to build these walls. However, the fortifications required a lot of resources, which were taken from subject territories without reaching any agreement. The following revolts were crushed brutally. In 1648, Zurich proclaimed itself a republic, shedding its former status of a free imperial city.

The Helvetic Revolution of 1798 saw the fall of the Ancien Régime. Zurich lost control of the land and its economic privileges, and the city and the canton separated their possessions between 1803–1805. In 1839, the city had to yield to the demands of its urban subjects, following the Züriputsch of 6 September. Most of the ramparts built in the 17th century were torn down, without ever having been besieged, to allay rural concerns over the city's hegemony. The Treaty of Zurich between Austria, France, and Sardinia was signed in 1859.

Modern history

Zurich was the Federal capital for 1839–40, and consequently the victory of the Conservative party there in 1839 caused a great stir throughout Switzerland. But when in 1845 the Radicals regained power at Zurich, which was again the Federal capital for 1845–46, Zurich took the lead in opposing the Sonderbund cantons. Following the Sonderbund war and the formation of the Swiss Federal State, Zurich voted in favour of the Federal constitutions of 1848 and of 1874. The enormous immigration from the country districts into the town from the "thirties" onwards created an industrial class which, though "settled" in the town, did not possess the privileges of burghership, and consequently had no share in the municipal government. First of all in 1860 the town schools, hitherto open to "settlers" only on paying high fees, were made accessible to all, next in 1875 ten years' residence ''ipso facto'' conferred the right of burghership, while in 1893 the eleven outlying districts were incorporated with the town proper

Extensive developments took place during the 19th century. From 1847, the ''Spanisch-Brötli-Bahn'', the first railway on Swiss territory, connected Zurich with Baden, putting the Zürich Hauptbahnhof at the origin of the Swiss rail network. The present building of the ''Hauptbahnhof'' (the main railway station) dates to 1871. Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse (Station Street) was laid out in 1867, and the Zurich Stock Exchange was founded in 1877. Industrialisation led to migration into the cities and to rapid population growth, particularly in the suburbs of Zurich.

Zurich was accidentally bombed during World War II.

Coat of arms

The blue and white coat of arms of Zurich is attested from 1389, and was derived from banners with blue and white stripes in use since 1315 . The first certain testimony of banners with the same design is from 1434. The coat of arms is flanked by two lions. The red ''Schwenkel'' on top of the banner had varying interpretations: For the people of Zurich, it was a mark of honour, granted by Rudolph I. Zurich's neighbours mocked it as a sign of shame, commemorating the loss of the banner at Winterthur in 1292.

Today, the Canton of Zurich uses the same coat of arms as the city.

Government

The City Council (''Stadtrat'') constitutes the executive government of the City of Zurich and operates as a collegiate authority. It is composed of nine councilors, each presiding over a department. The president of the executive department acts as mayor. Current city president is Corine Mauch. Departmental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the City Parliament are carried by the City Council. The election of the City Council by registered voters is held every four years. The executive body holds its meetings in the City Hall, on the bank of the Limmat. The building was built in 1883 in Renaissance style.

On the other hand, the City Parliament (''Gemeinderat'') holds the legislative power. It is made up of 125 members, with elections also held every four years. The City Parliament decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the City Council and the administration. The sessions of the City Parliament are public. Unlike the member of the City Council, the members of the City Parliament are not politicians by profession, but they are paid a fee based on their attendance. Any resident of Zurich allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the City Parliament. The legislative body holds its meetings in the Town Hall, opposite to the City Hall.

As of 2010, the Zurich City Council is made up of four representatives of the SDP (Social Democratic Party, one of whom is the mayor), two members of the FDP (Free Democratic Party), two members of the Green Party and one member of the CVP (Christian Democratic Party).

Geography

Zurich is situated at above sea level on the lower (northern) end of Lake Zurich (''Zürichsee'') about north of the Alps, nestling between the wooded hills on the west and east side. The Old Town stretches on both sides of the Limmat river, which flows from the lake, running northwards at first and then gradually turning into a curve to the west. The geographic (and historic) centre of the city is the Lindenhof, a small natural hill on the west bank of the Limmat, about north of where the river issues from Lake Zurich. Today the incorporated city stretches somewhat beyond the natural hydrographic confines of the hills and includes some neighbourhoods to the northeast in the Glatt Valley (German: ''Glattal'') and to the north in the Limmat Valley (German: ''Limmattal''). However the boundaries of the older city are easy to recognize by the Schanzengraben canal. This artificial watercourses has been used for the construction of the third fortress in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Topography

The municipality of Zurich has an area of , of which is made up of Lake Zurich. The area includes a section of the northern Swiss Plateau. The banks of the Limmat constitute the densest part of the city. The river is oriented in the southeast-northwest direction, with the flat valley floor having a width of two to three kilometres. The partially channelled and straightened Limmat does not flow in the central part of the valley, but always along its right (northeastern) side. The river Sihl meets with the Limmat at the end of Platzspitz, which borders the Swiss National Museum. The Limmat reaches the lowest point of the municipality in Oberengstringen at above sea level.

On its west side the Limmat valley is flanked by the wooded heights of the Albis chain, which runs along the western border. The Üetliberg is, with above sea level, the highest elevation of the surrounding area. Its summit can be reached easily by the Uetlibergbahn. From the platform of the observation tower on the summit, an impressive panorama of the city, the lake and the Alps can be seen.

The northeast side of the Limmat valley includes a range of hills, which marks the watershed between the Limmat and the Glatt. From the northwest to the southeast, the height of the mostly wooded knolls increases: the Gubrist (), the Hönggerberg (), the Käferberg (), the Zürichberg () and the Adlisberg (). Between the Käferberg and the Zürichberg is located the saddle of the Milchbuck (about ), an important passage from the Limmat valley to the Glatt valley.

The northernmost part of the municipality extends to the plain of the Glatt valley and to the saddle which makes the connection between the Glattal and Furttal. Also a part of the Katzensee (nature reserve) and the Büsisee, both of which are drained by the Katzenbach to Glatt, belong to the city.

Climate

Zurich has, depending on the definition used, an oceanic or humid continental climate (Köppen ''Cfb''/''Dfb''), with four distinct seasons. Decisive for the climate of Zurich are both the winds from westerly directions, which often result in precipitation and, on the other hand, the Bise (east or north-east wind), which is usually associated with high-pressure situations, but cooler weather phases with temperatures lower than the average. The Foehn wind, which plays an important role in the northern alpine valleys, has a limited impact on Zurich.

The annual mean temperature at the measuring station of the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology in Zurich ( above sea level on the slope of the Zürichberg, above the level of the city centre) is . The coldest month mean temperatures are measured in January with and the warmest are measured in July with . On average there are 88 days in which the minimum temperature is below , and 26 days in which the maximum temperature is below . There are on average 30 summer days (above ) throughout the year, while hot days (with a temperature reaching ) are only three. The average high temperature in July are and low temperature are . Spring and autumn are generally cool to mild. These values are relatively low compared to other stations on the plateau but they can be explained by the altitude of the station. In the Limmat valley more summer days and hot days can be expected. Zurich has an average of 1,482 hours of sunshine per year. The rainfall spread throughout the year. During the warmer half of the year and especially the three summer months, levels of rainfall are higher than those measured in winter. The meteorological station at Kloten gives an average precipitation of .

Climate protection

The city of Zurich is among the world-leaders in protecting the climate by following a manifold approach. In November 2008 the people of Zurich voted in a public referendum to write into law the quantifiable and fixed deadline of one tonne of CO₂ per person per annum by 2050. This forces any decision of the executive to support this goal, even if the costs are higher in all dimensions. Some examples are the new disinfection section of the public city hospital in Triemli (Minergie-P quality – passive house), the continued optimisation and creation of public transportation, enlargement of the bicycle-only network, research and projects for renewable energy and enclosure of speed-ways.

Urban area

The areas surrounding the Limmat are almost completely built over (residential, industrial areas, commercial zones). Also densely built, the sun-exposed and preferred residential locations on the hills overlooking Zurich, Waidberg and Zürichberg and the bottom section of the slope on the western side of the valley on the Üetliberg.

The green lungs of the city include the vast forest areas of Adlisberg, Zürichberg, Käferberg, Hönggerberg and Üetliberg. Major parks are also located along the lakeshore (Zurichhorn and Enge). Furthermore, the cultivated area through parks and gardens is loosened. Larger contiguous agricultural lands are located near Affoltern and Seebach. Of the total area of the municipality of Zurich (in 1996, without the lake), 45.4% are settlements, industry and commerce, 15.5% are transports, 26.5% are forests, 11%: is agriculture and 1.2% is water.

City districts

The previous boundaries of the city of Zurich (before 1893) were more or less synonymous with the location of the old town. Two large expansions of the city limits occurred in 1893 and in 1934 when the city of Zurich merged with many surrounding municipalities, that had been growing increasingly together since the 19th century. Today, the city is divided into twelve districts (known as ''Kreis'' in German), numbered 1 to 12, each one of which may contain anywhere between 1 and 4 neighborhoods:

District 1, known as Altstadt, contains the old town, both to the east and west of the start of the Limmat river.

District 2 lies along the west side of Lake Zurich, and contains the neighbourhoods of Enge, Wollishofen and Leimbach.

District 3, known as Wiedikon is between the Sihl river and the Üetliberg, and contains the neighbourhoods of Alt-Wiedikon, Sihlfeld and Friesenberg.

District 4, known as Aussersihl lies between the Sihl and the train tracks leaving Zürich Hauptbahnhof.

District 5, known as Industriequartier, is between the Limmat and the train tracks leaving Zürich Hauptbahnhof, it contains the former industrial area of Zurich which has gone under a large-scale rezoning to create upscale modern housing, retail and commercial real estate.

District 6 is on the edge of the Zürichberg, a hill overlooking the eastern part of the city. District 6 contains the neighbourhoods of Oberstrass and Unterstrass. There neighbourhoods are home to Zurich's wealthiest and more prominent residents.

District 7 is on the edge of the Adlisberg hill as well as the Zürichberg, on the eastern side of the city. District 7 contains the neighbourhoods of Hottingen and Hirslanden.

District 8, known as Riesbach, lies on the eastern side of Lake Zurich.

District 9 is between the Limmat to the north and the Üetliberg to the south. It contains the neighbourhoods Altstetten and Albisrieden.

District 10 is to the east of the Limmat and to the south of the Hönggerberg and Käferberg hills. District 10 contains the neighbourhoods of Höngg and Wipkingen.

District 11 is in the area north of the Hönggerberg and Käferberg and between the Glatt valley and the Katzensee (Cat's Lake). It contains the neighbourhoods of Affoltern, Oerlikon and Seebach.

District 12, known as Schwamendingen, is located in the Glattal (Glatt valley) on the northern side of the Zürichberg.

Most of the district boundaries are fairly similar to the original boundaries of the previously existing municipalities before they were incorporated into the city of Zurich.

Transport

Public transport is extremely popular in Zurich, and its inhabitants use public transport in large numbers. About 70% of the visitors to the city use the tram or bus, and about half of the journeys within the municipality take place on public transport. Within Zurich and throughout the canton of Zurich, the ZVV network of public transport has traffic density ratings among the highest worldwide. When adding frequency, which in Zurich can be as often as seven minutes, it does become the densest across all dimensions. Three means of mass-transit exist: the S-Bahn (local trains), trams, and buses (both diesel and electric, also called trolley buses). In addition, the public transport network includes boats on the lake and river, funicular railways and even the Luftseilbahn Adliswil-Felsenegg (LAF), a cable car between Adliswil and Felsenegg. Tickets purchased for a trip are valid on all means of public transportation (train, tram, bus, boat). The Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (commonly abbreviated to ZSG) operates passenger vessels on the Limmat river and the Lake Zurich, connecting surrounding towns between Zurich and Rapperswil.

Zurich is a mixed hub for railways, roads, and air traffic. Zürich Hauptbahnhof is the largest and busiest station in Switzerland and is an important railway hub in Europe. It has several other railway stations, including Oerlikon, Stadelhofen, Hardbrücke, Tiefenbrunnen, Enge, Wiedikon and Altstetten. The railway network is mainly operated by the Federal Railways but Zurich is also served by the major InterCity trains from the neighbouring countries.

Zurich Airport is located less than northeast of the city in Kloten. Zurich Airport has its own railway station, which is located underground. It is directly connected to Zurich and most of the major Swiss cities. There is also an airfield in Dübendorf.

The A1, A3 and A4 motorways pass close to Zurich. The A1 heads west towards Berne and Geneva and eastwards towards St. Gallen; the A4 leads northwards to Schaffhausen; and the A3 heads northwest towards Basel and southeast along Lake Zurich and Lake Walen towards Sargans.

Demographics

There are about 380,000 people living in Zurich (), making it Switzerland's largest city. Of registered inhabitants, 30.6% (115,379 people) do not hold Swiss citizenship. Of these, German citizens make up the largest group with 22.0%, followed by Italians. The population of the city proper including suburbs totals 1.08 million people. However, the entire metropolitan area (including the cities of Winterthur, Baden, Brugg, Schaffhausen, Frauenfeld, Uster/Wetzikon, Rapperswil-Jona and Zug) has a population of around 1.68 million people.

Languages

The official language used by the government and in most publications is German, while the main language is Zurich German (''Züritüütsch''), which is a dialect of Alemannic. As of 2000, speakers with Alemannic or German as their mother-tongue make up 77.7% of the population. Italian follows behind at 4.7% of the population. Other native languages spoken by more than 1% of the population include South Slavic languages (2.2%)—this includes Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian, Macedonian, and Slovenian, Spanish (2.2%), French (2.1%), English (1.8%), Portuguese (1.6%), Albanian (1.5%).

Religion

After the Reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli, Zurich was a centre and stronghold of Protestantism in Switzerland. Over the course of the 20th century, a significant number of Catholics settled in the city, and Catholics instead of Protestants became the largest denomination - allthough not representing a majority of the total population; in 2000, Catholics were the largest single denomination at 33.3% of the population. At the end of 2009, a plurality of the population of the canton did not declare a religion, claimed no faith, or identified with a non-Christian religion. In the city of Zurich, at the end of 2010, 165,686 (or 45%) had no faith, did not respond, or identified with another confession, Catholics numbered 111,946 (30%), and members of the Swiss Reformed Church numbered 94,419 (or 25%)

Social

The level of unemployment in Zurich was 2.6% in August 2007. About 4% of the city population, 15,500, live either directly or indirectly on welfare payment from the state (April 2005).

Main sights

Most of Zurich's sights are located within the area on either side of the Limmat river, between the Main railway station and Lake Zurich. The churches and houses of the old town are clustered here, as are the most expensive shops along the famous Bahnhofstrasse. The Lindenhof in the old town is the historical site of the Roman castle, and the later Carolingian Imperial Palace.

Churches

Grossmünster (great minster) (near Lake Zurich, on the Eastern side of the Limmat River in the old city), where Zwingli was pastor; first built around 820; declared by Charlemagne imperial church

Fraumünster (our lady's minster) first church built before 874; the Romanesque choir dates from 1250–70; Marc Chagall stained glass choir windows; (on the opposite side of the Limmat). During 2004 the Fraumünster was fully renovated. During this period the installed scaffolding went above the tip of the tower allowing a unique and exceptional 360° panoramic view of Zurich.

St. Peter (downstream from the Fraumünster, in the old city); with the largest church clock face in the world.

Museums

Zurich Museum of Art – The Museum of Art, also known as ''Kunsthaus Zürich'', is one of the significant art museums of Europe. It holds one of the largest collections in Classic Modern Art in the world (Munch, Picasso, Braque, Giacometti, etc.). The museum also features a large library collection of photographs.

Swiss National Museum – The National Museum (German: ''Landesmuseum'') displays many objects that illustrate the cultural and historical background of Switzerland. It also contains many ancient artifacts, including stained glass, costumes, painted furniture and weapons. The museum is located in the Platzspitz park opposite to the Hauptbahnhof.

Centre Le Corbusier – Located on the shore of the Lake Zurich nearby Zürichhorn, the Centre Le Corbusier (also named: ''Heidi Weber Museum''), is an art museum dedicated to the work of the Swiss architect Le Corbusier, inside the last house he designed.

Rietberg Museum – The Rietberg Museum, situated in Gablerstrasse, is one of the great repositories of art and culture in Zurich. The museum also displays exhibits gathered from various corners of the world: bronze artifacts from Tibet, ceramics and jade, Indian sculpture, Chinese grave decorations, masks by African tribes etc.

Museum of Design – The Museum of Design is a museum for industrial design, visual communication, architecture and craft. It is part of the Department of Cultural Analysis of the Zurich University of the Arts.

Haus Konstruktiv – The Haus Konstruktiv is a museum with Swiss-wide and international recognition. The museum is about constructive, concrete and conceptual art and design. It testimonies to Zurich’s industrial architecture in the immediate vicinity of the Main Station.

Uhrenmuseum Beyer – The Uhrenmuseum is located in the heart of the city. Documenting the history of timekeeping and timekeepers, the museum is home to a large collection of mechanical timepieces as well as a collection of primitive time keeping devices such as water clocks, sundials and hourglasses

Guild houses – The Guild houses (German: ''Zunfthaus'') are located along the Limmat river (downstream from the Grossmünster): Meisen (also a porcellan and fayence museum), Rüden, Haue, Saffran, Schneidern, Schmiden, Zimmerleuten, and some more.

Parks and nature

Zoological Garden – The zoological garden holds about 260 species of animals and houses about 2200 animals. One can come across separate enclosures of snow leopards, India lions, clouded leopards, Amur leopards, otters and pandas in the zoo.

Botanical Garden – The Botanical Garden houses about 15,000 species of plants and trees and contains as many as three million plants. In the garden, many rare plant species from south western part of Africa, as well as from New Caledonia can be found. The University of Zurich holds the ownership of the Botanical Garden.

Chinese Garden – The Chinese Garden is a gift by Zurich's Chinese partner town Kunming, as remiscence for Zurich's technical and scientific assistance in the development of the Kunming city drinking water supply and drainage. The garden is an expression of one of the main themes of Chinese culture, the «Three Friends of Winter» – three plants that together brave the cold season – pine, bamboo, and plum.

Üetliberg – Located to the west of the city at an altitude of above sea level, the Üetliberg is the highest hill and offers views over the city. The summit is easily accessible by train from Zurich main station.

Architecture

Compared to other cities, there are few tall buildings in Zurich. The municipal building regulations (Article 9) limit the construction of high-rise buildings to areas in the west and north of the city. In the industrial district, in Altstetten and Oerlikon, buildings up to in height are allowed (high-rise area I). In the adjacent high-rise areas II and III the height is limited to . Around the year 2000, regulations became more flexible and high-rise buildings were again planned and built. The people's initiative "40 meters is enough," which would have reduced both the maximum height and the high-rise buildings area, was clearly rejected on 29 November 2009. At this time in Zurich about a dozen high-rises buildings were under construction or in planning, including the Prime Tower as the tallest skyscraper in Switzerland.

World heritage sites

The prehistoric settlements at Enge Alpenquai and Grosse Stadt Kleiner Hafner are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Economy

Zurich is a leading financial center and global city. Credit Suisse, Swiss Re and Zurich Financial Services.

Contributory factors to economic strength

The high quality of life has been cited as a reason for economic growth in Zurich. The consulting firm Mercer has for many years ranked Zurich as a city with the highest quality of life in the world. In particular, Zurich received high scores for work, housing, leisure, education and safety. Local planning authorities ensure clear separation between urban and recreational areas and there are many protected nature reserves. Other cities in the country, Berne and Geneva, were also listed among the top ten. Zurich is also ranked the sixth most expensive city in the world. In 2008, Zurich was ranked ninth. The city ranked behind Hong Kong and ahead of Copenhagen. It is the third most expensive city in Europe and second most expensive city in Switzerland after Geneva.

Zurich benefits from the high level of investment in education that is typical of Switzerland in general and provides skilled labour at all levels. The city is home to two major universities, thus enabling access to graduates and high technology research. Professional training incorporates a mix of practical work experience and academic study while, in general, emphasis is placed on obtaining a good level of general education and language ability. As a result the city is home to many multilingual people and employees generally demonstrate a high degree of motivation and a low level of absenteeism. Such characteristics are reflected in the high level of productivity the region enjoys and account for the opening of offices and research centres in the city by large corporations.

The Swiss stock exchange

The Swiss stock exchange is called SIX Swiss Exchange, formerly known as SWX. The SIX Swiss Exchange is the head group of several different worldwide operative financial systems: virt-x, Eurex, Eurex US, EXFEED and STOXX. The exchange turnover generated at the SWX was in 2007 of 1,780,499.5 million CHF; the number of transactions arrived in the same period at 35,339,296 and the Swiss Performance Index (SPI) arrived at a total market capitalization of 1,359,976.2 million CHF.

The SIX Swiss Exchange goes back more than 150 years. In 1996, fully electronic trading replaced the traditional floor trading system at the stock exchanges of Geneva (founded in 1850), Zurich (1873) and Basel (1876).

Since 2008, the SIX Swiss Exchange has been part of the SIX Group, as SWX Group, SIS Group and Telekurs Group merged.

Education and research

About 60,000 people study at the 20 universities, colleges and institutions of higher education in Zurich. Two of Switzerland's most distinguished universities are located in the city. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) which is controlled by the (federal) state and the University of Zurich that is under direction of the canton of Zurich. Both universities were listed in the top 50 world universities rated in 2007.

ETH was founded in 1854 by the Swiss Confederation and opened its doors in 1855 as a polytechnic institute. ETH achieved its reputation particularly in the fields of chemistry, mathematics and physics and there are 21 Nobel Laureates who are associated with the institution. ETH is usually ranked the top university in continental Europe. The institution consists of two campuses, the main building in the heart of the city and the new campus on the outskirts of the city.

The University of Zurich was founded in 1833, although its beginnings date back to 1525 when the Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli founded a college of theology. Nowadays with its 24,000 students and 1,900 graduations each year, the University of Zurich is the largest in Switzerland and offers the widest range of subjects and courses at any Swiss higher education institution.

The Pedagogical College, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) are another three top-class technical colleges which contribute to Zurich's reputation as a knowledge and research pole by providing applied research and development. Zurich is also one of the co-location centres of the Knowledge and Innovation Community (Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.

State universities by size in Canton Zurich

Only (federal) state Universities and higher education institutions,

!Rank	!Institution	!Total students
		25,618
		15,334
		15,093

List of largest universities by enrollment in Switzerland

Media

Many large Swiss media conglomerates are headquartered in Zurich, such as tamedia, Ringier and the NZZ-Verlag. Zurich is one of the most important media locations in the German speaking part of the country. This status has been recently reinforced by the increase in availability of online publications published in Zurich.

Television and radio

The headquarters of Switzerland's national licence fee funded German language television network ("SF") are located in the Leutschenbach neighborhood, to the north of the Oerlikon train station. Regional commercial television station "TeleZüri" (Zurich Television) has its headquarters near Escher-Wyss Platz. The production facilities for other commercial stations "Star TV", "u1" TV and "3+" are located in Schlieren.

One section of the Swiss German language licence fee funded public radio station "Schweizer Radio DRS" is located in Zurich. There are commercial local radio stations broadcasting from Zurich, such as "Radio 24" on the Limmatstrasse, "Energy Zürich" in Seefeld on the Kreuzstrasse, Radio "LoRa" and "Radio 1". There are other radio stations that operate only during certain parts of the year, such as "CSD Radio" (May/June), "Radio Streetparade" (July/August) and "rundfunk.fm" (August/September).

Print media

There are three large daily newspapers published in Zurich that are known across Switzerland. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), the Tages-Anzeiger and the Blick, the largest Swiss tabloid. All three of those newspapers publish Sunday editions. These are the "NZZ am Sonntag", "SonntagsZeitung" and "SonntagsBlick". Besides the three main daily newspapers, there are free daily commuter newspapers which are widely distributed: ''20 Minuten'' (20 minutes), published weekdays in the mornings and ''Blick am Abend'', weekdays but in the late afternoon.

There are a number of magazines from major publishers that are based in Zurich. Some examples are: Bilanz, Die Weltwoche, and Annabelle.

Culture

Zurich has a rich cultural tradition. In addition to high-quality museums and galleries, Zurich has high-calibre chamber and symphony orchestras and several important theatres.

The Zurich Film Festival is one of the most important upcoming international film festivals. In just a few years, the Festival became firmly established upon the national and international festival landscape. Over the course of 11 days, it attracts both stars and new talents and celebrates popular international productions.

One of the largest and most popular annual events in Zurich is the Street Parade, which is also one of the largest techno and dance music festivals in the world. Proceeding along the side of Lake Zurich, it normally occurs on the second Saturday in August. The first edition was held In 1992 with about 1,000 participants. By 2001 the event had reached the size of 1 million participants. The Zürifäscht, on the other hand, is a triennial public festival. It features music, fireworks set to music, and other attractions throughout the old town. It is the largest public festival in Switzerland and is attended by up to 2 million visitors.

The Kunst Zürich is an international contemporary art fair with an annual guest city; it combines most recent and youngest art with the works of well-established artists. Another annual public art exhibit is the city campaign, sponsored by the City Vereinigung (the local equivalent of a chamber of commerce) with the cooperation of the city government. It consists of decorated sculptures distributed over the city centre, in public places. Past themes have included lions (1986), cows (1998), benches (2003), teddy bears (2005), and huge flower pots (2009). From this originated the concept of the CowParade that has been featured in other major world cities.

Zurich is also the home to several art movements. The Cabaret Voltaire where the Dada movement was founded in 1916. Constructive Art Movement took also one of the first steps in Zurich. Artists like Max Bill, Marcel Breuer, Camille Graeser or Richard Paul Lohse had their ateliers in Zurich, which became even more important after the takeover of power by the Nazi-Regime in Germany and World War II.

The best known traditional holiday in Zürich is the Sechseläuten (''Sächsilüüte''), including a parade of the guilds and the burning of "winter" in effigy. Another is the Knabenschiessen target shooting competition for teenagers (originally boys, open to female participants since 1991).

Opera, ballet and theaters

The Zurich Opera House (German: ''Zürcher Opernhaus'') is one of the principal opera houses in Europe. Built in 1834, it was the first permanent theatre in the heart of Zurich and was at the time, the seat of Richard Wagner's activities. Later in 1890, the theatre was re-built as an ornate building with a neo-classical architecture. The portico is made of white and grey stone ornamented with the busts of Wagner, Weber and Mozart. Later, busts of Schiller, Shakespeare and Goethe were also added. The auditorium is designed in the rococo style. Once a year, it hosts the ''Zürcher Opernball'' with the President of the Swiss Confederation and the economic and cultural élite of Switzerland.

The Schauspielhaus Zürich is the main theatre complex of the City. It has two dépendances: ''Pfauen'' in the Central City District and ''Schiffbauhalle'', an old industrial hall, in Zurich West. The Schauspielhaus was home to emigrants such as Bertolt Brecht or Thomas Mann, and saw premieres of works of Max Frisch, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Botho Strauss or Elfriede Jelinek. The Schauspielhaus is one of the most prominent and important theatres in the German-speaking world.

The Theater am Neumarkt is one of the oldest theatres of the city. Established by the old guilds in the Old City District, it is located in a baroque palace near Niederdorf Street. It has two stages staging mostly avantgarde works by European directors.

The Zürcher Theater Spektakel is an international theatre festival, ranking among the most important European festivals for contemporary performing arts.

Food

The traditional cuisine of Zurich consists of traditional fare, reflecting the centuries of rule by patrician burghers as well as the lasting imprint of Huldrych Zwingli's puritanism. Traditional dishes include ''Zürcher Geschnetzeltes'' and ''Tirggel''.

Nightlife and clubbing

Zurich offers a great deal of variety when it comes to night-time leisure. It is the host city of the world-famous Street Parade, which takes place in August every year.

The most famous districts for Nightlife are the Niederdorf in the old town with bars, restaurants, lounges, hotels, clubs, etc. and a lot of fashion shops for a young and stylish public and the Langstrasse in the districts 4 and 5 of the city. There are authentic amusements: Brazilian bars, punk clubs, HipHop stages, Caribic restaurants, arthouse-cinemas, Turkish kebabs and Italian espresso-bars, but also sex shops or the famous red light district of Zurich.

In the past ten years new parts of the city have risen into the spotlight. Notably, the area known as Zurich West in district 5, near the Escher-Wyss square and the S-Bahn Station of Zurich Hardbrücke.

Sports

The people of Zurich enjoy an active lifestyle and sport is an integral part of Swiss culture and society. The abundance of international sporting facilities make Zurich an attractive place for sport lovers and several international sport federations are located in the city.

Association football is an essential aspect of sports in Zurich. The city is home to two major Swiss football teams listed in Switzerland's highest league; Grasshopper-Club Zürich founded in 1886 and FC Zürich which has existed since 1896. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is headquartered in the city. In 2007 were inaugurated the new FIFA headquarters building, designed by architect Tilla Theus

Among the most popular sports in Switzerland is ice hockey. In Zurich it is represented by the ZSC Lions. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) officiating as head organisation for ice hockey leagues worldwide is based in Zurich as well.

Biking is a popular sport as well as a mean of transport in Zurich. Biking routes are generally marked with red and white signs and the yellow lanes are exclusively meant for the bikers. Also hiking trails are well marked with yellow signs, which give the hiker the probable time it will take him to reach his destination. There are specific maps available for hiking and walking trails throughout Switzerland. Some of the most accessible walks in the Zurich area are the Üetliberg and the Zürichberg.

As many as 30 clubs and 7 indoor Curling facilities can be found in the greater Zurich area. The Curling season starts in early September and continues until the end of April.

Events

Weltklasse Zürich, sometimes referred to as the one day Olympics, is one of prestigious one day athletics meet held annually at the Letzigrund Stadium. The Weltklasse is reputed as one of the best and most classy athlete meet in the world after the Olympics. Since it started on August 12, 1928, the sporting event has witnessed new world records and national records. Till date as many as 24 world records were set in Weltklasse.

Zurich Marathon is a popular sport event, inviting numerous athletes from every corner of the globe. Zurich Marathon is a long distance running event, covering approximately at one stretch. The running course starts from Zurich and passes through Bahnhofstrasse, Bellevue, Mythenquai, Quaibrücke, Talstrasse and Utoquai, and along Lake Zurich to several other places. New Year's Eve run is another important running event. The race is held on January 1 each year and the start takes place at midnight exactly.

Zurich was one of six venues of the 1954 FIFA World Cup and one of eight venues of the UEFA Euro 2008. The Euro 2008 games were held in the Letzigrund Stadium. Work on the new Letzigrund was completed in exceptionally quick time and the stadium opened in August 2007 just one year after the demolition of the old arena.

Zurich also hosted the 1998 World Ice Hockey Championships. The city previously co-hosted the 1953 and 1939 editions.

Notable people

People who were born or died in Zurich:

Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia (1853–1920), Duchess of Edinburgh, died in Zurich

Richard Avenarius (1843–1896), Philosopher, died in Zurich

Diego Benaglio (born 1983), footballer, born in Zurich

Severin Blindenbacher (born 1983), ice hockey player, born in Zurich

Felix Bloch (1905–1983), physicist, born in Zurich

Heinrich Bullinger (1504–1575), reformer and theologian, died in Zurich

Elias Canetti (1905–1994), novelist, died in Zurich

Wilhelm Filchner (1877–1957), explorer, died in Zurich

Max Frisch (1911–1991), novelist, born and died in Zurich

Christoph Froschauer (ca. 1490/1–1564), Printer of the Froschauer Bible, died in Zurich

Patrick Geering (born 1990), ice hockey player, born in Zurich

Conrad Gessner (1516–1565), naturalist, born and died in Zurich

Marcel Grossmann (1878–1936), mathematician, died in Zurich

Otto Hunziker (1873–1959), pioneer in the international dairy industry, born in Zurich

James Joyce (1882–1941), Irish novelist, died in Zurich (buried at Fluntern cemetery in Zurich)

Carl Jung (1875–1961), psychiatrist, lived and died in Zurich

Gottfried Keller (1819–1890), poet, born and died in Zurich

Amanullah Khan (1929–1960), deposed Afghan reformist King, died in Zurich

Otto Klemperer (1885–1973), German conductor, died in Zurich (buried at ''Israelitischer Friedhof Oberer Friesenberg'')

Hugo Koblet (1925–1964), cycling champion, born in Zurich

Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801), poet and physiognomist, born in Zurich

Antonio Ligabue (1899–1965), Italian painter, born in Zurich

Hugo Loetscher (1929–2009), writer, born and died in Zurich

Dieter Meier (born 1945), conceptual artist and musician with electronica group Yello, born in Zurich

Conrad Ferdinand Meyer (1825–1898), poet, born in Zurich

Wolfgang Pauli (1900–1958), physicist, died in Zurich

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746–1827), educational reformer, born in Zurich

James Sadleir (c. 1815–1881), fugitive swindler, murdered in Zurich

Johann Jakob Scheuchzer (1672–1733), scholar, born in Zurich

Roland Scholl (1865–1945), chemist, born in Zurich

Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), author of ''Heidi'', died in Zurich

Tobias Stephan (born 1984), ice hockey player, born in Zurich

Stefi Talman (born 1958), Swiss shoe designer, born in Zurich

Pancho Vladigerov (1899–1978), Bulgarian composer, born in Zurich

Ueli Gegenschatz (1971–2009), Swiss BASE jumper, died in Zurich after a failed jump from the Sunrise Tower

Famous residents:

Gustav Bertha (2000–2009)

Boris Blank, musician with Yello

Mileva Maric, Serbian mathematician and the first wife of Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein (1896–1900, 1909–1911, 1912–1914)

James Joyce (1915–1919)

Udo Jürgens

Celtic Frost

Patricia Kaas

Vladimir Lenin (1917)

Thomas Mann (1933–1942)

Manuel Rivera-Ortiz

Kurt Tucholsky (1932–1933)

Tina Turner

Tristan Tzara (1896–1963)

Richard Wagner (1849–1861)

Jonas Kaufmann

See also

Eastern Switzerland

List of mayors of Zurich

Paddle steamer Stadt Zürich

References

Notes

External links

Stadt Zürich Official site

City of Zurich Official Site, English Version

Zürich Tourism Official site

Zürich Info Zürich Informations

Zürich Discussion Group

24 Hours in Zurich Travel Guide to Zurich

Zurich Festivals Guide to events and festivals in Zurich

Touring Zurich – slideshow by ''The New York Times''

Category:Cantonal capitals of Switzerland Category:Municipalities of the canton of Zurich Category:Cities in Switzerland

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name	Yelena IsinbayevaЕлена Исинбаева
fullname	Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva
nationality
birth date	June 03, 1982
birth place	Volgograd, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
height
weight
country
sport	Track and field athletics
event	Pole vault
worlds	Outdoor: 2003, 2005, 2007Indoor: 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008
regionals	Outdoor: 2002, 2006Indoor: 2005
olympics	2004, 2008
highestranking	1st (2005–2009)
pb	outdoor: 5.06m(2009, WR)indoor: 5.00m(2009, WR)
updated	February 15, 2009
medaltemplates	}}

Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva ''()'' (born 3 June 1982) is a Russian pole vaulter. She is twice an Olympic gold medalist (2004 and 2008), five-times a World Champion, and the current world record holder in the event. As a result of her accomplishments, she is widely considered the greatest female pole-vaulter of all time.

Isinbayeva has been a nine-time major champion (Olympic, World outdoor and indoor champion and European outdoor and indoor champion). She was also the jackpot winner of the IAAF Golden League series in 2007 and 2009. After poor performances at world championships in 2009 and 2010, she took a year-long break from the sport.

She became the first woman to clear the five-metre barrier in 2005. Isinbayeva's current world records are 5.06 m outdoors, a record Isinbayeva set in Zurich in August 2009, and 5.00 m indoors, a record set in February 2009. The former was Isinbayeva's twenty-seventh pole vault world record.

Isinbayeva was named Female Athlete of the Year by the IAAF in 2004, 2005 and 2008, and World Sportswoman of the Year by Laureus in 2007 and 2009. She was given the Prince of Asturias Award for Sports in 2009.

Career

Early life and competition

From the age of 5 to 15, Isinbayeva trained as a gymnast in her hometown of Volgograd. She ultimately left the sport because as she grew she was considered too tall to be competitive in gymnastics, ultimately attaining a height of 1.74 m (5' 8½").

Six months after having taken up pole-vaulting she won her first major victory at age 16 during the 1998 World Youth Games in Moscow, Russia with a height of 4.00 m. It was her third athletic competition. She jumped the same height at the 1998 World Junior Championships in Annecy, France, but this left her 10 cm away from the medal placings.

In 1999, Isinbayeva improved on this height at the World Youth Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland when she cleared 4.10 m to take her second gold medal.

At the 2000 World Juniors Isinbayeva again took first place clearing 4.20 m ahead of German Annika Becker. The same year the women's pole vault made its debut as an Olympic event in Sydney, Australia where Stacy Dragila of the United States took gold. In the same event Isinbayeva did not make it out of the qualifying round.

She won another gold medal in 2001, this time at the European Junior Championships with a winning height of 4.40 m.

Isinbayeva continued to improve and 2002 saw her clear 4.55 m at the European Championships, where she gained her first senior championship medal (silver), finishing 5 cm short of her compatriot Svetlana Feofanova.

First world records and Olympic title

2003 was another year of progression and saw Isinbayeva win the European Under 23 Championships gold with 4.65 m (in Bydgoszcz). On July 13, 2003, just about a month after her 21st birthday, Isinbayeva set her first World Record at a meeting in Gateshead, England with a height of 4.82 m, which had made her the favourite to take gold at the World Championships the following month. She ended up winning the bronze medal with Feofanova taking gold and Becker the silver.

At a meeting at Donetsk, Ukraine, Isinbayeva set a new indoor world record, with a height of 4.83 m only to see Feofanova increase this by two centimetres the following week. The following month at the World's Indoor in March Isinbayeva broke Feofanova's record with a gold medal winning jump of 4.86 m beating reigning indoor & outdoor champion Feofanova into bronze with reigning Olympic champion Dragila taking silver. The IAAF considered all three records to be over-all (outdoor) records, hence the indoor and outdoor records now stood at 4.86 m

27 June saw Isinbayeva return to Gateshead and improved the world record to 4.87 m. Feofanova responded the following week by breaking the record by a centimetre in Heraklion, Greece.

On 25 July in Birmingham, England, Isinbayeva reclaimed the record jumping 4.89 m and five days later in Crystal Palace, London, added a further centimetre to the record.

The pole vault was one of the most eagerly awaited events at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. When Feofanova failed at 4.90 m the gold medal was Isinbayeva's, and she subsequently set a new world record height of 4.91 m. She broke her own record later that year at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels with a 4.92 m jump. It was her eight world record of the season, which along with her Olympic & World Indoor title helped her gain her first World Athlete of the Year award.

World and European champion

At the European Indoor Championships in Madrid, Spain Isinbayeva won gold with a new indoor world record of 4.90 m. In July 2005, Isinbayeva broke the world record four times over three separate meetings. First in Lausanne, Switzerland, she added an extra centimetre to her own mark clearing 4.93 m. It was the 14th world record of Isinbayeva's career coming just three months after she broke her own indoor mark (4.89 m) in Lievin. Eleven days later, in Madrid, Spain, she added an additional 2 cm to clear 4.95 m. In Crystal Palace, London on 22 July, after improving the record to 4.96 m, she raised the bar to 5.00 m. She then became the first woman in history to clear the once mythical five-metre barrier in pole vaulting, achieving the monumental mark with a single attempt.

After the women's pole vault final at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland was delayed due to extremely bad weather conditions, Isinbayeva once again broke her own world record, performing 5.01 m in her second attempt, and winning the competition with a 41 cm margin of victory, which was the greatest margin ever obtained in any World or Olympic competition for the event. This was already the eighteenth world record in the career of the then 23-year-old Isinbayeva and her successful season was crowned with her second consecutive World Athlete of the Year award.

At an indoor meeting on 12 February in Donetsk, Ukraine, Isinbayeva set a new indoor world record. She cleared 4.91 m. In March she successfully defended her World Indoor title in front of a homeland crowd in Moscow, Russia. During the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg she won the gold medal with a CR of 4.80 metres. This was the only gold medal missing from her collection until that time. In September she won the World Cup, representing Russia, in Athens.

Isinbayeva was crowned Laureus World Sports Woman of the Year for the 2006 season.

Second world and Olympic golds

On 10 February 2007 in Donetsk, Ukraine, Isinbayeva broke the world indoor pole vault record again, by clearing 4.93 metres. It was Isinbayeva's 20th world record.

On 28 August 2007 Isinbayeva repeated as world champion in Osaka at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics with a 4.80 m performance, then failed three times at setting a new world record at 5.02 m. Her competition did no better than 4.75 m.

In 2007 she also won the IAAF Golden League Jackpot (which she shared with Sanya Richards) after having won all 2007 IAAF Golden League meetings. Isinbayeva was unbeaten in the 2007 season and won 18 out of 18 competitions.

During the indoor 2008 season, Isinbayeva set her twenty-first world record, clearing 4.95 metres on 16 February 2008 in Donetsk, Ukraine. A few weeks later, in Valencia, Spain, Isinbayeva won the World Indoor Championships over Jennifer Stuczynski. It was Isinbayeva's third consecutive World Indoor title.

On 11 July, at her first outdoor competition of the season, Rome's Golden Gala, Isinbayeva broke her own world record, clearing 5.03 metres. This was her first world record outdoors since the 2005 World Championships. Isinbayeva stated that she had tried 5.02 metres so many times unsuccessfully that her coach told her to change something and so she attempted 5.03 metres. This record came just as people began to speculate her fall from the top of pole vaulting, as American Jennifer Stuczynski cleared 4.92 metres at the American Olympic Trials. Isinbayeva stated that this motivated her to maintain her reputation as the world's greatest female pole vaulter. A few weeks later, at the Aviva London Grand Prix, Isinbayeva and Stuczynski competed together for the first time of the outdoor season. Isinbayeva won the competition, with Stuczynski finishing second. Both attempted a new world record of 5.04 metres. Isinbayeva was tantalizingly close on her final attempt, with the bar falling only after Isinbayeva had landed on the mat.

She successfully cleared that height on 29 July, in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, her twenty-third world record.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing on 18 August, Isinbayeva needed two vaults to prolong her Olympic title reign and went on to finish the competition with 5.05m, a world record at the time, her 24th world record.

On 23 November in Monaco, she was selected World Athlete of the Year by the IAAF for the third time in her career, along with Jamaican male sprinter Usain Bolt.

Break and return

Isinbayeva started the 2009 season by becoming the first woman to vault over 5 metres indoors. She first raised her world indoor mark with a vault of 4.97 m, then raised the bar to 5.00 m and cleared that height as well. The two marks were set at the Pole Vault Stars indoor meet, on 15 February, in Donetsk, Ukraine. It was the sixth consecutive year she had set an indoor world record in this meet. She received the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year in recognition of her achievements – it was also the fifth time she had been nominated for the award in as many years.

At the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany, Isinbayeva lost her second competition of the year after failing to achieve a successful vault. She lost to Anna Rogowska who also beat her in the London Grand Prix in May. However, Yelena Isinbayeva broke her own women's pole vault world record at the Weltklasse Golden League meeting by clearing 5.06 m. On September 2 she was given the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award for Sports.

She hoped to put her World Championships no-mark performance behind her by aiming for a world indoor record at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships. The Russian cleared her opening height of 4.60 m at the championships in Doha, but she faltered at 4.75 m and she ended up in fourth place and outside of the medals for a second consecutive time. Following another disappointment at a major championships, she decided to take time out from the sport to recuperate, saying: "A break from competing is absolutely necessary for me. After more than eight years of very hard training and competing at the highest levels both indoors and outdoors each year I need to step back in order for my body to properly recover".

She missed the opportunity to defend her European title that summer and she was succeeded by her compatriot Svetlana Feofanova, while Fabiana Murer went on to claim the inaugurual IAAF Diamond League pole vault series. Isinbayeva continued to train with Vitaliy Petrov during her time out, however, although did not appear in competition until the start of the 2011 indoor season. The Russian Winter meeting in February 2011 was the venue for her comeback and she demonstrated her resurgence of form with a first time clearance of 4.81 m, comfortably defeating Feofanava.

On March 2011, Isinbayeva left her coach Vitaly Petrov and returned to her former mentor Yevgeny Trofimov , who had coached her since the age of 15 and until 2005. During the 2011 summer season she participated in only a few competitions and on 29 July she won the Diamond League meeting of Stockholm with a season best of 4.76 m. However, in the World Championships in Daegu she ended up again outside of the medals, taking the 6th place with 4.65 m.

Reasons for success

Setting 27 world records (15 outdoor and 12 indoor), staying virtually unbeaten between 2004 and 2009 (winning nine straight gold medals in indoor and outdoor championships) and being elected IAAF World Athlete of the Year in 2004, 2005 and 2008, Isinbayeva has established herself as one of the most successful athletes of her generation.

In August 2005, top UK pole vault coach Steve Rippon said to the BBC that "she [Isinbayeva] is one of the few female pole vaulters I look at and think her technique is as good as the men's. In fact, the second part of her jump is probably better than any male pole vaulter currently competing. She has a fantastic technique, she's quite tall (almost 5ft 9in) and she runs extremely well."

These statements are confirmed by close observation of her jumps; in detail, Isinbayeva's high level of body control (courtesy of her gymnastics background) especially pays off in the so-called "L-Phase", where it is vital to use the pole's rebound to convert horizontal speed into height. Common mistakes are getting rebounded away in an angle (rather than vertically up) or inability to keep the limbs stiff, both resulting in loss of vertical speed and therefore less height. In Isinbayeva's case, her L-Phase is exemplary.

Personal life

Her father, Gadzhi Gadzhiyevich Isinbayev, is a plumber and a member of a small (130,000-people strong) ethnic group of Tabasarans who mostly live in Dagestan. Her mother, a shop assistant, is Russian. Isinbayeva also has a sister named Inna. Isinbayeva came from humble beginnings and remembers that her parents had to make many financial sacrifices in her early career.

She has both a Bachelor's and Master's Degree after graduating from the Volgograd State Academy of Physical Culture. Currently she is continuing her post-graduate studies there and also studying at the Donetsk National Technical University.

In the Russian club competitions she represents the railroad military team; she is formally an officer in the Russian army, and on 4 August 2005 she was given military rank of senior lieutenant before being promoted to captain in August 2008.

She features in Toshiba ads promoting their entire product line in Russia. She also appears in a Lady's Speed Stick advertisement in Russia.

On 2 December 2010 she held a passionate speech before the FIFA delegates in Zürich. Later on that occasion it was announced that Russia will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Yelena Isinbayeva is now a member of the ‘Champions for Peace’ club, a group of 54 famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organization.

Αchievements

{| |- |1998 |World Youth Games |Moscow, Russia |style="background: gold"| 1st | |- |1999 |World Youth Championships |Bydgoszcz, Poland |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.10 m (WYR) |- |2000 |World Junior Championships |Santiago, Chile |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.20 m (WJR) |- |2001 |European Junior Championships |Grosseto, Italy |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.40 m (CR) |- |2002 |European Championships |Munich, Germany |style="background: silver"| 2nd |4.55 m |- |rowspan=3|2003 |World Indoor Championships |Birmingham, United Kingdom |style="background: silver"| 2nd |4.60 m |- |World Championships |Paris, France | style="background:#c96;"| 3rd |4.65 m |- |European U23 Championships |Bydgoszcz, Poland |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.65 m (CR) |- |rowspan=3|2004 |World Indoor Championships |Budapest, Hungary |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.86 m (WR) |- |Summer Olympics |Athens, Greece |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.91 m (WR) |- |IAAF World Athletics Final |Monte Carlo, Monaco |style="background: gold"| 1st | |- |rowspan=3|2005 |European Indoor Championships |Madrid, Spain |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.90 m (i WR) |- |World Championships |Helsinki, Finland |style="background: gold"| 1st |5.01 m (WR) |- |IAAF World Athletics Final |Monte Carlo, Monaco |style="background: gold"| 1st | |- |rowspan=4|2006 |World Indoor Championships |Moscow, Russia |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.80m |- |European Championships |Göteborg, Sweden |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.80 m (CR) |- |IAAF World Athletics Final |Stuttgart, Germany |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.75 m |- |World Cup |Athens, Greece |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.60 m (CR) |- |rowspan=3 valign=top|2007 |World Championships |Osaka, Japan |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.80 m |- |IAAF Golden League |6/6 Wins |style="background: gold"| 1st |Jackpot Winner |- |IAAF World Athletics Final |Stuttgart, Germany |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.87 m (CR) |- |rowspan=2|2008 |World Indoor Championships |Valencia, Spain |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.75 m |- |Summer Olympics |Beijing, People's Republic of China |style="background: gold"| 1st |5.05 m (WR) |- |rowspan=3|2009 |World Championships |Berlin, Germany |final |No mark |- |IAAF Golden League |6/6 Wins |style="background: gold"| 1st |Jackpot winner |- |World Athletics Final |Thessaloniki, Greece |style="background: gold"| 1st |4.80 m |- |2010 |World Indoor Championships |Doha, Qatar |4th |4.60 m |- |2011 |World Championships |Daegu, South Korea |6th |4.65 m |}

Results

2004

1st – 4.83 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine

1st – 4.86 m – World Indoor Championships, Budapest, Hungary

1st – 4.87 m – IAAF Gateshead, Great Britain

1st – 4.89 m – Birmingham International Meeting, Great Britain

1st – 4.90 m – British Grand Prix London, Great Britain

1st – 4.91 m – Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece

1st – 4.92 m – Golden League Brussels, Belgium

1st – 4.83 m – 2nd World Atletics Final, Monte Carlo, Monaco

2005

1st – 4.87 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine

1st – 4.90 m – European Indoor Championships, Madrid, Spain

1st – 4.93 m – IAAF Lausanne, Switzerland

1st – 4.95 m – Meeting de Madrid, Spain

1st – 5.00 m – IAAF London, Great Britain

1st – 4.79 m – IAAF Stockholm, Sweden

1st – 5.01 m – World Championships, Helsinki, Finland

1st – 4.93 m – Golden League Brussels, Belgium

1st – 4.74 m – 3rd World Athletics Final, Monte Carlo, Monaco

2006

1st – 4.91 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine

1st – 4.79 m – Norwich Union Grand Prix, Birmingham, Great Britain

1st – 4.72 m – Meeting Gaz de France du Pas-de-Calais, Lievin, France

1st – 4.80 m – World Indoor Championships, Moscow, Russia

1st – 4.76 m – IAAF Paris Saint-Denis, France

1st – 4.90 m – IAAF Lausanne, Switzerland

1st – 4.91 m – IAAF London, Great Britain

1st – 4.80 m – European Championships, Gothenburg, Sweden

1st – 4.81 m – Golden League Brussels, Belgium

1st – 4.75 m – 4th World Athletics Final, Stuttgart, Germany

2007

1st – 4.93 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine

1st – 4.91 m – Meeting Gaz De France, Paris, France

1st – 4.90 m – Golden League Rome, Italy

1st – 4.82 m – Norwich Union Super Grand Prix, London, Great Britain

1st – 4.80 m – World Championships, Osaka, Japan

1st – Golden League Brussels, Belgium

1st – 4.87 m – 5th World Athletics Final, Stuttgart, Germany

2008

1st – 4.95 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine

1st – 4.75 m – World Indoor Championships, Valencia, Spain

1st – 5.03 m – Golden Gala, Rome, Italy

1st – 5.04 m – Super Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, Monaco

1st – 5.05 m – Summer Olympics, Beijing, China

1st – 4.88 m – IAAF Zurich, Switzerland

2009

1st – 5.00 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine

1st – 4.82 m – Aviva Grand Prix, Birmingham, Great Britain

1st – 4.83 m – ISATF Berlin, Germany

1st – 4.65 m – Meeting Gaz de France, Paris, France

2nd – 4.68 m – Aviva London Grand Prix, London, Great Britain

no height recorded – World Championships, Berlin, Germany

1st – 5.06 m – IAAF Golden League, Zurich, Switzerland

2010

1st – 4.85 m – Russian Winter Meeting, Moscow, Russia

1st – 4.85 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine

4th – 4.60 m – World Indoor Championships, Doha, Qatar

2011

1st – 4.81 m – Russian Winter Meeting, Moscow, Russia

1st – 4.85 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine

1st – 4.60 m – Night of Athletics, Heusden, Belgium

1st – 4.76 m – Diamond League, Stockholm, Sweden

6th – 4.65 m – World Championships, Daegu, South Korea

World record progression by Isinbayeva

Yelena Isinbayeva has set 27 world records so far. She has broken the outdoor world record 15 times and the indoor world record 12 times.

{|class="wikitable" style="float:left" |+ Outdoor ! Performance ! Venue ! Date |- |align="center"|4.82 m || Gateshead, England|| 14 July 2003 |- |align="center"|4.87 m|| Gateshead, England || 27 June 2004 |- |align="center"|4.89 m|| Birmingham, England || 25 July 2004 |- |align="center"|4.90 m|| London, England || 30 July 2004 |- |align="center"|4.91 m|| Athens, Greece || 24 August 2004 |- |align="center"|4.92 m|| Brussels, Belgium || 3 September 2004 |- |align="center"|4.93 m|| Lausanne, Switzerland || 5 July 2005 |- |align="center"|4.95 m|| Madrid, Spain || 16 July 2005 |- |align="center"|4.96 m|| London, England || 22 July 2005 |- |align="center"|5.00 m|| London, England || 22 July 2005 |- |align="center"|5.01 m|| Helsinki, Finland || 12 August 2005 |- |align="center"|5.03 m|| Rome, Italy || 11 July 2008 |- |align="center"|5.04 m|| Monaco || 29 July 2008 |- |align="center"|5.05 m|| Beijing, China || 18 August 2008 |- |align="center"|5.06 m || Zurich, Switzerland || '''28 August 2009 |- |} {|class="wikitable" |+ Indoor !Performance !Venue !Date |- |align="center"|4.81 m || Donetsk, Ukraine|| 15 February 2004 |- |align="center"|4.83 m || Donetsk, Ukraine|| 15 February 2004 |- |align="center"|4.86 m || Budapest, Hungary|| 6 March 2004 |- |align="center"|4.87 m || Donetsk, Ukraine|| 12 February 2005 |- |align="center"|4.88 m || Birmingham, England|| 15 February 2005 |- |align="center"|4.89 m || Lievin, France|| 18 February 2005 |- |align="center"|4.90 m || Donetsk, Ukraine|| 26 February 2005 |- |align="center"|4.91 m || Madrid, Spain|| 6 March 2005 |- |align="center"|4.93 m || Donetsk, Ukraine|| 12 February 2006 |- |align="center"|4.95 m || Donetsk, Ukraine|| 10 February 2007 |- |align="center"|4.97 m || Donetsk, Ukraine|| 16 February 2008 |- |align="center"|5.00 m || Donetsk, Ukraine|| '''15 February 2009 |}

Records list

(''Records in bold are current ones.'')

!Record Category	!Performance	!Venue	!Date
World Youth Record		Bydgoszcz, Poland	1999 , July 18
World Junior Championship			2000 , October 8
'''European Junior Championship		'''Grosseto, Italy	2001 , July 21
World Junior Record		Berlin, Germany	2001, August 2
World Junior Record		Budapest, Hungary	2001, February 10
''' European U-23 Championship		'''Bydgoszcz, Poland	2003 , July 19
Olympic Record		Athens, Greece	2004, August 24
'''Olympic Record		'''Beijing, China	'''2008, August 18
World Indoor Championships		Budapest, Hungary	'''2004, March 6
World Championships		Helsinki, Finland	'''2005, August 12
European Indoor Championships		Madrid, Spain	'''2005, March 6
European Championships		Göteborg, Sweden	'''2006, August 12
'''World Record (Indoor)		'''Donetsk, Ukraine	'''2009, February 15
'''World Record (Outdoor)		Zurich, Switzerland	2009, August 28
IAAF Golden League		Zurich, Switzerland	'''2009, August 28

References

External links

Yelena Isinbayeva – Official Webpage

Flotrack.com Video Interview of Yelena Isinbayeva during the 100th Millrose Games

Stacy Dragila Svetlana Feofanova Svetlana Feofanova|title=Women's Pole Vault World Record Holder|years=July 13, 2003 – February 20, 2004March 6, 2004 – July 4, 2004July 25, 2004 – |after= Svetlana Feofanova Svetlana FeofanovaIncumbent}} Hestrie Cloete|after= Sanya Richards|years=2004–2005}} Kelly Holmes Blanka Vlašić|after= Carolina Klüft Marta Domínguez|years=20052008}} Janica Kostelić Justine Henin|after= Justine HeninSerena Williams|years=20072009}} Rafael Nadal|after= Spain national football team |years=2009}}

Category:Russian pole vaulters Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:World record holders in athletics (track and field) Category:Olympic athletes of Russia Category:Olympic gold medalists for Russia Category:Laureus World Sports Awards winners Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:People from Volgograd Category:Former world record holders in athletics (track and field) Category:Olympic medalists in athletics (track and field) Category:Female pole vaulters

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