Switzerland
Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy,[15] and Alpine symbolism.[18] Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages as a defensive and commercial alliance; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document.Facing pressures from Germanic tribes, in 58 BC, the Helvetii, influenced by Orgetorix, a wealthy aristocrat, decided to abandon the Swiss Plateau for better opportunities in western Gallia.After Orgetorix's mysterious death, the tribe continued their migration but was decisively defeated by Julius Caesar's armies at the Battle of Bibracte, in present-day eastern France.Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large camp called Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the Aare and Reuss rivers, near the town of Windisch.Towns such as Aventicum, Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (Villae rusticae) were established in the countryside.[citation needed] In the Early Middle Ages, from the end of the fourth century, the western extent of modern-day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundians, who introduced the French language to the area.The Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed them, extending their territory to the eastern Swiss Plateau.By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains, and the University of Basel was founded (with a faculty of medicine) establishing a tradition of chemical and medical research.It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the Sonderbund).The Swiss military strategy changed from static defence at the borders to organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps, known as the Reduit.Concessions reached a peak after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis-controlled territory.[55] Among the cities and towns bombed were Basel, Brusio, Chiasso, Cornol, Geneva, Koblenz, Niederweningen, Rafz, Renens, Samedan, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Tägerwilen, Thayngen, Vals, and Zurich.The Swiss expressed fear and concern that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany.[69] Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Switzerland encompasses diverse landscapes and climates across its 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi).[70][71] 90% of Switzerland's 65,000-kilometre-long network of rivers and streams have been straightened, dammed, canalized or channeled underground, in an effort to prevent natural disasters such as flooding, landslides, and avalanches.The driest conditions persist in all inner alpine valleys that receive less rain because arriving clouds lose a lot of their moisture content while crossing the mountains before reaching these areas.The constitution outlines rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority.[104] The annual meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos bring together business and political leaders from Switzerland and foreign countries to discuss important issues.Preparatory discussions involved four areas: the electricity market, participation in project Galileo, cooperating with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and certificates of origin for food products.[139] On a per capita basis, nominal GDP is higher than those of the larger Western and Central European economies and Japan,[140] while adjusted for purchasing power, Switzerland ranked 11th in 2017, fifth in 2018, and ninth in 2020.The largest by revenue are Glencore, Gunvor, Nestlé, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, ABB, Mercuria Energy Group and Adecco.Among the Nobel laureates born or nautralised in Switzerland are Vladimir Prelog, Heinrich Rohrer, Richard Ernst, Edmond Fischer, Rolf Zinkernagel, Kurt Wüthrich and Jacques Dubochet.Notable Swiss inventions include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), diazepam (Valium), Velcro, and the scanning tunnelling microscope (which earned inventors Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics.[212] According to the World Factbook, ethnic groups in Switzerland are as follows: Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est).[259] Among the classic authors of Swiss literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797–1854) and Gottfried Keller (1819–1890); later writers are Max Frisch (1911–1991) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990), whose Das Versprechen (The Pledge) was released as a Hollywood film in 2001, starring Jack Nicholson.More recent authors include Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment, and Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961).Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation, Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, is one of the most popular children's books and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland.[citation needed] The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR, is charged with the production and distribution of radio and television content.
Leonhard Euler (mathematics)
Louis Agassiz (glaciology)
Auguste Piccard (aeronautics)
Albert Einstein (physics)
German (62.8%)
French (22.9%)
Italian (8.2%)
Romansh
(0.5%)
Switzerland (disambiguation)Swiss Confederation (disambiguation)Swiss (disambiguation)Suisse, MoselleGermanFrenchItalianRomansh Coat of armsUnus pro omnibus, omnes pro unoSwiss PsalmEuropede jureZurichChristianityCatholicismSwiss ReformedChristianno religionDemonym(s)Governmentdirectorial republicFederal CouncilKarin Keller-SutterPresidentGuy ParmelinVice PresidentIgnazio CassisViola AmherdAlbert RöstiÉlisabeth Baume-SchneiderBeat JansFederal ChancellorViktor RossiFederal AssemblyUpper houseCouncil of StatesLower houseNational CouncilHistoryFoundedPeace of WestphaliaFederal TreatyFederal statePopulationSwiss francDrives onCalling codeISO 3166 codeInternet TLD.swisslandlocked countryFranceGermanyAustriaLiechtensteinSwiss Plateauits largest citiesGenevaLausannefederal republic26 cantonsfederalismdirect democracyAlpinenation stateOld Swiss ConfederacyLate Middle Agesdefensive and commercial allianceFederal Charter of 1291expanded and consolidatedpolitical and religious strifeHoly Roman Empireearly modern periodSan MarinoNapoleonic Warsrevolutionary FranceimposedcentralistHelvetic RepublicNapoleonreinstated a confederationrestored its pre-revolutionary systemby 1830and conflictnew constitution in 1848armed neutralitysince 1815United Nationspeace buildingglobal governanceRed Crossinternational institutionsEuropean Free Trade AssociationEuropean UnionEuropean Economic AreaeurozoneEuropean single marketSchengen Areamost developed countrieswealth per adulteighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capitaperforms highly on several international metricseconomic competitivenessdemocratic governancepress freedomquality of lifecosts of livingName of SwitzerlandloanwordAlemannicSchwyzassociated territoryWaldstätteSwabian WarEidgenossenConfoederatio HelveticaOld High GermanOld NorseSwiss Germanneologisedformation of the federal stateFederal PalaceISO banking codeHelveticaHelvetii