Switzerland
Switzerland is a country in central Europe, bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. It is a federal republic of 26 cantons, with no Capital city, although federal authorities are based in Bern.
The Old Swiss Confederacy was established with the Federal Charter of 1291, and gained independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1648. Switzerland has had a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century, and has not fought an international war since 1815.
It is the birthplace of the Red Cross, and hosts the headquarters of many major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO, FIFA, and the United Nations. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association, but not part of the European Union or European Economic Area. Switzerland has the world's highest nominal wealth per adult, and the eighth-highest GDP per capita. It ranks first in the Human Development Index. Zürich, Geneva, and Basel rank among the highest cities in terms of quality of life.
It has four linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Due to its linguistic diversity, the Latin name is used on coinage and stamps.
Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno
Founding Date
1291
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Alternative Names
Swiss Confederation | Schweiz (German) | Suisse (French) | Svizzera (Italian) | Svizra (Romansh) | Confoederatio Helvetica (Latin)
Demonym
Swiss (English) | Schweizer (German) | Suisse (French) | Svizzero (Italian) | Svizzer (Romansh)
Government System
Democracy, Presidential
Power Structure
Federation