Switzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western , Central and Southern Europe. Switzerland is 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 41, km 2 15, sq mi with land area comprising 39, km 2 15, sq mi. The Alps occupy the greater part of the territory. The Swiss population of approximately 8. The main international airports of Switzerland are located in these cities.
The Federal Charter of is considered the country's founding document, which is celebrated on Swiss National Day. Since the Reformation of the 16th century, Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in Switzerland has not fought an international war since It joined the United Nations only in It pursues an active foreign policy.
It is frequently involved in peace-building processes beyond its borders. However, it participates in the Schengen Area and the European Single Market through bilateral treaties. It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh.
Although the majority population are German-speaking, Swiss national identity is rooted in its common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy , [17] and Alpine symbolism. It has the highest nominal wealth per adult of any country [21] and the eighth-highest per capita gross domestic product. The English name Switzerland is a portmanteau of Switzer , an obsolete term for a Swiss person which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries and land.
