Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country at the intersection of Central, Western and Southern Europe, bordered by Germany, France, Austria, Liechtenstein and Italy. It is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with Bern serving as the federal city, and includes four principal linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. The country originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages as a defensive and commercial alliance, and the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815, and it is the birthplace of the Red Cross and hosts the headquarters of most major international institutions including the WTO, WHO and UN.
Facts
Start YearThe lead also states Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognized in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, and that a new constitution in 1848 established the current federal system; 1291 is recorded here as the year the lead itself names the country's founding document. Sources
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