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| 2098 The map and the flag of Switzerland, and the coats of arms of the 26 cantons |
Posted on 04.12.2015, 14.02.2016
Located between Italy, France, Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein, Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura. 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 and economic centres, Zürich and Geneva, and also Bern, de facto capital city. It has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy and enjoys great wealth, being ranked as the wealthiest country in the world per capita in multiple rankings.
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| 2099 The physical map of Switzerland |
Even if it is still named the "Swiss Confederation" (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, abbreviated CH) for historical reasons, Switzerland is a federal directorial republic consisting of 26 cantons. Straddling the intersection of Germanic and Romance Europe, it comprises four linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. It don't form a nation in the sense of a common ethnicity or language; rather, its strong sense of identity is founded on a common historical background, and on shared values.
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| 2294 The administrative map of Switzerland |
One of the most important tribal groups in the Swiss region in Antiquity was the Helvetii. The territory of modern Switzerland was part, successively, of Roman Empire, kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy, Frankish Empire, and Holy Roman Empire. The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the confederacy's founding document, the Old Swiss Confederacy being an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps, aiming to facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on the important mountain trade routes.
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