Switzerland From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Switzerland (German: Schweiz[note 3] [ˈʃvaɪts]; French: Suisse [sɥis]; Italian:Svizzera [ˈzvittsera]; Romansh: Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ] or [ˈʒviːtsʁːɐ]), officially the Swiss Confederation (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, hence its abbreviation CH), is afederal parliamentary republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western and Central Europe,[note 4]where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, theSwiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are to be found. Among them are the two global cities and economic centres of Zürich and Geneva.
The Swiss Confederation has a long history of armed neutrality—it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815—and did not join the United Nations until 2002. It pursues, however, an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world.[8] Switzerland is also the birthplace of the Red Cross and home to a large number of international organizations, including thesecond largest UN office. On the European level, it is a founding member of theEuropean Free Trade Association and is part of the Schengen Area – although it is notably not a member of the European Union, nor the European Economic Area.
Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world by per capita gross domestic product, and has the highest wealth per adult (financial and non-financial assets) of any country in the world.[9][10] Zürich and Geneva have respectively been ranked as the cities with the second and eighth highest quality of life in the world.[11]Switzerland has the world's nineteenth largest economy by nominal GDP and thethirty-sixth largest by purchasing power parity. It is the fifteenth largest exporter andseventeenth largest importer of goods.
Switzerland comprises four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and the Romansh-speaking valleys. Therefore the Swiss, although predominantly German-speaking, do not form a nation in the sense of a common ethnic or linguistic identity; rather, the strong sense of identity and community is founded on a common historical background, shared values such as federalism anddirect democracy,[12] and Alpine symbolism.[13] The establishment of the Swiss Confederation is traditionally dated to 1 August 1291, which is celebrated annually asSwiss National Day.
The Greater Zürich Area, home to 1.5 million inhabitants and 150,000 companies, is one of the most important economic centres in the world
The Engadin Valley. Tourism constitutes an important revenue for the less industrialised alpine regions
Lake Lugano seen from above Morcote (Ticino). In the middle: the village of Brusino Arsizio and the Monte San Giorgio. In the background: Monte Generoso
The campus of the ETH Zurich. The institution is usually ranked the top university in continental Europe
Switzerland has the tallest dams in Europe, among which the Mauvoisin Dam, in the Alps. Hydroelectricity is the most important domestic source of energy in the country
Entrance of the new Lötschberg Base Tunnel, the third-longest railway tunnel in the world, under the old Lötschberg railway line. It is the first completed tunnel of the greater project AlpTransit
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Ski area over the glaciers of Saas-Fee
Fondue is melted cheese, into which bread is dipped
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