Swiss Confederation | |
|---|---|
Anthem: "Swiss Psalm" | |
 Location of Switzerland (green) in Europe (green and dark grey) | |
| Capital | 46°57′N 7°27′E / 46.950°N 7.450°E |
| Largest city | Zürich |
| Official languages | |
| Recognised national languages | Romansh |
| Religion (2018[3]) |
|
| Demonym(s) | English: Swiss, German: Schweizer(in), French: Suisse(sse), Italian: svizzero/svizzera or elvetico/elvetica, Romansh: Svizzer/Svizra |
| Government | Federal semi-direct democracy under a multi-party assembly-independent[4][5] directorial republic |
| Walter Thurnherr | |
| Legislature | Federal Assembly |
| Council of States | |
| National Council | |
| History | |
| c. 1300[note 2] (traditionally 1 August 1291) | |
| 24 October 1648 | |
| 7 August 1815 | |
| 12 September 1848[note 3][6] | |
| Area | |
• Total | 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi) (132nd) |
• Water (%) | 4.34 (as of 2015)[7] |
| Population | |
• 2019 estimate |  8,570,146[8] (99th) |
• 2015 census | 8,327,126[9] |
• Density | 207/km2 (536.1/sq mi) (48th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2020 estimate |
• Total | $584 billion[10] (38th) |
• Per capita | $67,557[10] (9th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2020 estimate |
• Total | $749 billion[10] (20th) |
• Per capita | $86,673[10] (2nd) |
| Gini (2018) |  29.7[11]low · 19th |
| HDI (2019) | 0.955[12] very high · 2nd |
| Currency | Swiss franc (CHF) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Date format | dd.mm.yyyy (AD) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +41 |
| ISO 3166 code | CH |
| Internet TLD | .ch, .swiss |
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a country situated at the confluence of Western, Central, and Southern Europe. It is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern. Switzerland is a landlocked country bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. It is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps, and the Jura, spanning a total area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi), and land area of 39,997 km2 (15,443 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million is concentrated mostly on the plateau, where the largest cities and economic centres are located, among them Zürich, Geneva and Basel. These cities are home to several offices of international organisations such as the headquarters of FIFA, the UN's second-largest Office, and the main building of the Bank for International Settlements. The main international airports of Switzerland are also located in these cities.