- Official name
- Swiss Confederation Confédération suisse · French
3 more names
Confederazione Svizzera · ItalianConfederaziun svizra · RomanshSchweizerische Eidgenossenschaft · German - Capital
- Bern
- Region
- Western Europe
- Population (2018 est.)
- ≈ 8.5 million
- Area
- 41,284 km²
- Currency
- Swiss franc (CHF)
- Neighbours
- Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany
- Internet / phone
- .ch · +41
Where it is
Notable facts
- Switzerland has four official languages and a system of direct democracy with several national referendums each year.
- The Gotthard Base Tunnel, 57 km long, is the world’s longest railway tunnel.
- The country has not fought a foreign war since 1815 and stayed neutral through both World Wars, joining the UN only in 2002.
- Velcro, the Swiss Army knife, milk chocolate in its modern form and the World Wide Web (developed at CERN) all have Swiss connections.
World Heritage 13 sites
National dish
Fondue Cheese melted with white wine and kirsch in a communal pot, eaten with bread on long forks.
Promoted as the national dish by the Swiss Cheese Union in the 1930s to sell more cheese. Rösti and raclette have equal standing, and the country divides over which.