Swiss Confederation |
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Location of Switzerland (green)
in Europe (green & dark grey) |
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Capital | None (de jure) Bern (de facto) 46°57′N 7°27′E / 46.950°N 7.450°E |
Largest city | Zürich |
Official languages |
German French Italian Romansh |
Demonym | English: Swiss, German: Schweizer(in), French: Suisse(sse), Italian: svizzero/svizzera, or elvetico/elvetica, Romansh: Svizzer/Svizra |
Government | Federal semi-direct democracy under multi-party parliamentary directorial republic |
Walter Thurnherr | |
Legislature | Federal Assembly |
Council of States | |
National Council | |
History | |
c. 1300 (traditionally 1 August 1291) | |
24 October 1648 | |
7 August 1815 | |
12 September 1848 | |
Area | |
• Total
|
41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi) (132nd) |
• Water (%)
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4.2 |
Population | |
• 2016 estimate
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![]() |
• 2015 census
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8,327,126 |
• Density
|
202/km2 (523.2/sq mi) (63rd) |
GDP (PPP) | 2017 estimate |
• Total
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$517 billion (39th) |
• Per capita
|
$61,360 (9th) |
GDP (nominal) | 2017 estimate |
• Total
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$681 billion (19th) |
• Per capita
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$80,837 (2nd) |
Gini (2015) |
![]() low · 19th |
HDI (2015) |
![]() very high · 2nd |
Currency | Swiss franc (CHF) |
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
• Summer (DST)
|
CEST (UTC+2) |
Date format | dd.mm.yyyy (AD) |
Drives on the | right |
Calling code | +41 |
Patron saint | St Nicholas of Flüe |
ISO 3166 code | CH |
Internet TLD | .ch |
Website
www |
in Europe (green & dark grey)
Switzerland (/ˈswɪtsərlənd/), officially the Swiss Confederation, is a federal republic in Europe. It consists of 26 cantons, and the city of Bern is the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western-Central Europe, and is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning a total area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi) (land area 39,997 km2 (15,443 sq mi)). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately eight million people is concentrated mostly on the plateau, where the largest cities are to be found: among them are the two global cities and economic centres Zürich and Geneva.