Wikipedia
Search
Switzerland
Article Talk
Language
Download PDF
Watch
View source
“Swiss Confederation” redirects here. For other uses, see Switzerland
(disambiguation) and Swiss Confederation (disambiguation).
Switzerland,[d] officially the Swiss Confederation,[e] is a landlocked country
located in west-central Europe.[f][13] It is bordered by Italy to the south,
France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to
the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the
Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas
most of the country’s 9 million people are concentrated on the plateau,
which hosts its largest cities and economic centres, including Zurich,
Geneva, and Basel.[14]
Swiss Confederation
Five official names
Flag of Switzerland
Flag
Coat of arms of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Motto: (unofficial)
“Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno”
“One for all, all for one”
Anthem: “Swiss Psalm”
Duration: 1 minute and 12 seconds.1:12
Show globe
Show map of Europe
Show all
Location of Switzerland (green)
In Europe (green and dark grey)
Capital
None (de jure)
Bern (de facto)[a][1][2]
46°57′N 7°27′E
Largest city
Zurich
Official languages
GermanFrenchItalianRomansh
Religion (2022)[3]
58.2% Christianity
32.1% Catholicism
20.5% Swiss Reformed
5.6% other Christian
33.5% no religion
5.9% Islam
1.3% other
0.9% unanswered
Demonym(s)
English: Swiss
German: Schweizer/Schweizerin
French: Suisse/Suissesse
Italian: svizzero/svizzera or elvetico/elvetica
Romansh: Svizzer/Svizra
Government
Federal assembly-independent[4][5] directorial republic
• Federal Council
Viola Amherd (President)
Karin Keller-Sutter (Vice President)
Guy Parmelin
Ignazio Cassis
Albert Rösti
Élisabeth Baume-Schneider
Beat Jans
• Federal Chancellor
Viktor Rossi
Legislature
Federal Assembly
• Upper house
Council of States
• Lower house
National Council
History
• Founded
1 August 1291[b]
• Sovereignty recognised (Peace of Westphalia)
24 October 1648
• Federal Treaty
7 August 1815
• Federal state
12 September 1848[c][6]
Area
• Total
41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi) (132nd)
• Water (%)
4.34[7]
Population
• 2023 estimate
Neutral increase 8,902,308[8] (99th)
• 2015 census
Neutral increase 8,327,126[9]
• Density
207/km2 (536.1/sq mi) (48th)
GDP (PPP)
2024 estimate
• Total
Increase $851.136 billion[10] (35th)
• Per capita
Increase $95,836[10] (6th)
GDP (nominal)
2024 estimate
• Total
Increase $942.265 billion[10] (20th)
• Per capita
Increase $106,097[10] (5th)
Gini (2023)
Negative increase 31.5[11]
Medium inequality
HDI (2022)
Steady 0.967[12]
Very high (1st)
Currency
Swiss franc (CHF)
Time zone
UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+2 (CEST)
Date format
dd.mm.yyyy (Anno Domini)
Drives on
Right
Calling code
+41
ISO 3166 code
CH
Internet TLD
.ch, .swiss
Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal
authorities based in Bern.[a][2][1] It has four main linguistic and cultural
regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Although most Swiss are
German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a
common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct
democracy,[15] and Alpine symbolism.[16][17] Swiss identity transcends
language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a
Willensnation (“nation of volition”) rather than a nation state.[18]
Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the
Late Middle Ages as a defensive and commercial alliance; the Federal
Charter of 1291 is considered the country’s founding document. The
confederation steadily expanded and consolidated despite external threats
and internal political and religious strife. Swiss independence from the Holy
Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.
[19] The confederation was among the first and few republics of the early
modern period, and the only one besides San Marino to survive the
Napoleonic Wars.[20]
Switzerland remained a network of self-governing states until 1798, when
revolutionary France invaded and imposed the centralist Helvetic Republic.
Napoleon abolished the republic in 1803 and reinstated a confederation.
Following the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), Switzerland restored its pre-
revolutionary system, but by 1830 faced growing division and conflict
between liberal and conservative movements; this culminated in a new
constitution in 1848 that established the current federal system and
enshrined principles such as individual rights, separation of powers, and
parliamentary bicameralism.
Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16 th
century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the
United Nations only in 2002 but pursues an active foreign policy that
includes frequent involvement in peace building and global governance.[21]
Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross and hosts the headquarters or
offices of most major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO,
the ILO, FIFA, the WEF, and the UN. It is a founding member of the European
Free Trade Association (EFTA) but not part of the European Union (EU), the
European Economic Area, or the eurozone; however, it participates in the
European single market and the Schengen Area.
Switzerland is among the world’s most developed countries, with the highest
nominal wealth per adult[22] and the eighth-highest gross domestic product
(GDP) per capita.[23][24] It performs highly on several international metrics,
including economic competitiveness, democratic governance, and press
freedom. Zurich, Geneva and Basel rank among the highest in quality of life,
[25][26] albeit with some of the highest costs of living.[27] Switzerland holds
an international reputation for its established banking sector and for
specialized industries watchmaking and chocolate production.
Etymology
History
Geography
Government and politics
Economy and labour law
Education and science
Demographics
Health
Culture
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External links
Last edited 35 minutes ago by Zurkhardo
Wikipedia
Content is available under CC BY-SA 4.0 unless otherwise noted.
Privacy policy Terms of UseDesktop
