Switzerland

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the intersection of Central, Western, and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, and Italy to the south. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Alps, the Swiss Plateau, and the Jura mountains; the Alps cover most of the country's territory, whereas the majority of its 9 million people are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts many of the largest cities and economic centres, including Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Winterthur, and Lucerne. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with Bern serving as the federal city and the seat of the national government. The country encompasses four principal linguistic and cultural regions—German, French, Italian, and Romansh—reflecting a long-standing tradition of multilingualism and cultural pluralism. Swiss national identity nonetheless remains fairly cohesive, rooted in a shared historical background, common values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Swiss nationhood transcends language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a Willensnation ("nation of volition") rather than a conventional nation state. 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 recognized in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. 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. 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, 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 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the Council of Europe in 1964 and the United Nations in 2002, pursuing an active foreign policy that includes frequent involvement in peace building and global governance. 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) and 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 and the eighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. 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, albeit with some of the highest costs of living. Switzerland has a longstanding banking and financial sector, advanced pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and a strong tradition of watchmaking, precision engineering, and technology. It is known for its chocolate and cheese production, well-developed tourism industry, and growing startup sector.

Infobox

Swiss Confederation (in other official languages and Latin)GermanSchweizerische EidgenossenschaftFrenchConfédération suisseItalianConfederazione SvizzeraLatinConfoederatio helveticaRomanshConfederaziun svizra

mw- (in other official languages and Latin)

Capital

Bern (de facto)

Federal city

Bern[a]

Largest city

Zurich

Official languages

mw- .inline, .inline dl, .inline ol, .inline ul, dl dl, dl ol, dl ul, ol dl, ol ol dd dd dd , dd dt , dd li , dt dd , dt dt , dt li , li dd dd dd , dd dt , dd li , dt dd , dt dt , dt li , li dd dd ol li GermanFrenchItalianRomansh

Ethnic groups (2024)

mw- 59% Swiss 41% other

Religion (2023)

mw- li 58% Christianity 31.9% Catholicism 20.4% Protestantism 5.7% other Christian 33.8% no religion 5.8% Islam 1.5% other religions 0.9% unanswered

Demonyms

English: SwissGerman: Schweizer/SchweizerinFrench: Suisse/SuissesseItalian: svizzero/svizzera or elvetico/elveticaRomansh: Svizzer/Svizra

Government

Federal assembly-independent directorial confederation

• Federal Council

Karin Keller-Sutter (President)Guy Parmelin (Vice President)Ignazio CassisAlbert RöstiÉlisabeth Baume-SchneiderBeat JansMartin Pfister

• Federal Chancellor

Viktor Rossi

Legislature

Federal Assembly

• Upper house

Council of States

• Lower house

National Council

• Founded

1 August 1291[b]

• Sovereignty recognised (Peace of Westphalia)

24 October 1648

• Federal Treaty

7 August 1815

• Federal state

12 September 1848[c]

• Total

$1.003 trillion (20th)

• Water (%)

4.34

• 2025 estimate

9,060,598 (99th)

• 2015 census

8,327,126

• Density

207/km2 (536.1/sq mi) (67th)

GDP (PPP)

2025 estimate

• Per capita

$111,047 (3rd)

GDP (nominal)

2025 estimate

Gini (2023)

31.5 } }medium inequality

HDI (2023)

0.970very high (2nd)

Currency

Swiss franc (CHF)

Time zone

UTC 1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC 2 (CEST)

Date format

dd.mm.yyyy (AD)

Calling code

ISO 3166 code

Internet TLD

ch,

Swiss Confederation (in official languages and Latin)GermanSchweizerische EidgenossenschaftFrenchConfédération suisseItalianConfederazione SvizzeraLatinConfoederatio helveticaRomanshConfederaziun svizra

mw- (in official languages and Latin)

Tables

· Government and politics › Cantons

Canton		ID	Capital	Canton		ID	Capital
	Aargau	19	Aarau		Nidwalden	7	Stans
	Appenzell Ausserrhoden	15	Herisau		Obwalden	6	Sarnen
	Appenzell Innerrhoden	16	Appenzell		Schaffhausen	14	Schaffhausen
	Basel-Landschaft	13	Liestal		Schwyz	5	Schwyz
	Basel-Stadt	12	Basel		Solothurn	11	Solothurn
	Bern	2	Bern		St. Gallen	17	St. Gallen
	Fribourg	10	Fribourg		Thurgau	20	Frauenfeld
	Geneva	25	Geneva		Ticino	21	Bellinzona
	Glarus	8	Glarus		Uri	4	Altdorf
	Grisons	18	Chur		Valais	23	Sion
	Jura	26	Delémont		Vaud	22	Lausanne
	Lucerne	3	Lucerne		Zug	9	Zug
	Neuchâtel	24	Neuchâtel		Zurich	1	Zurich