Switzerland

Switzerland is a landlocked federal republic in the Alps, bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. Its 41,291 km² (15,943 sq mi) divide into the Alps, which cover most of the land, the Swiss Plateau, where most people live, and the Jura Mountains. Bern is the federal city and seat of government, and the four national languages are German, French, Italian and Romansh.

The Helvetii, a Gaulish tribe, lived on the plateau before Roman rule. The Federal Charter of 1291, a defensive and trading alliance, counts as the founding document of the Old Swiss Confederacy, which grew through wars until its defeat at Marignano in 1515. The Peace of Westphalia recognized its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1648. Revolutionary France imposed the centralized Helvetic Republic in 1798, but a confederation returned in 1803. The constitution of 1848 created the present federal state. Switzerland has kept armed neutrality and fought no foreign war since 1815, joined the United Nations only in 2002, and gave women the vote at federal level in 1971.

The 26 cantons keep wide powers, a seven-member Federal Council forms the executive, and frequent referendums give voters a direct say on laws. Switzerland stays outside the European Union but is linked to it by bilateral treaties and takes part in the single market and the Schengen Area. Manufacturing is the leading sector: Novartis and Roche make Basel a center of pharmaceuticals, while Nestlé, ABB, Rolex and Swatch are other large firms. Banking, insurance and tourism add to the wealth, and the currency is the Swiss franc.

The Red Cross began in Switzerland, and Geneva hosts many international bodies, from the WHO to the WTO, as well as CERN on the French border. Monte Rosa is the highest peak and the Matterhorn the best known, and the Gotthard Base Tunnel runs deep beneath the Alps. Fondue, raclette, rösti, chocolate and cheese are national staples. Albert Einstein developed special relativity in Bern, and Roger Federer won eight Wimbledon titles.