SWITZERLAND
Official Name: Swiss Confederation
Capital City: Bern
Population: 8, 936, 754 (as of Monday, October 28, 2024)
Continent/ Location: Switzerland lies in central Europe. It is a landlocked country which shares its 1,935km-long border with five
countries. t is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
Religion: It is a multiethnic country where diverse peoples live in social harmony and unite in common interests. The majority of
people living in Switzerland are Christians. 34.4 % are Roman Catholic, and 22.5 % Protestant. There are also many other religions
represented in Switzerland: 5.4 % Muslim, 2.6 % Orthodox Christians, 0.5 % Buddhist, 0.2% Jewish.
Political System: Switzerland is governed under a federal system at three levels: the Confederation, the cantons and the communes.
Major Political Parties: Swiss Political Party, Social Democratic Party, FDP The Liberals, The Centre, Green Party, Green Liberal Party,
Evangelical People’s Party, Ticino League, Christian Social Party of Obwalden, Swiss Party of Labour, Geneva Citizens’ Movement.
President: Viola Amherd, 176th and current president of the Confederation.
Major Issues : gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive rights, rights of people with disabilities, freedom of peaceful
assembly, refugee and migrants’ rights, torture and other ill-treatment, right to a healthy environment
Interesting Facts: Switzerland is famous for its Alps, Banking and Finance, Neutrality and Diplomacy, cheese, watches, chocolates,
multilingualism and trains. It has over 1500 lakes and 4 official languages – German, French, Italian, and Romansh. It is home to the
International Red Cross, CERN and the Internet CERN, The European Organization for Nuclear Research, where the World Wide Web
was invented in 1989.
