Switzerland

In brief

Switzerland is a country in Western Europe. Its capital is Bern. With 9.1 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 98th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 41,284 km². Landlocked, it shares land borders with Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Liechtenstein.

GDP per capita stands at $114,769 (2025), 5th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 84.4 years (2024). 86% of the population lives in cities.

History of Switzerland

According to tradition, the Confederation was born in 1291 from an alliance between three cantons, Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden. Other cantons joined them; independence from the Holy Roman Empire was recognised in 1648 and neutrality in 1815. The modern federal state dates from 1848. Switzerland practises an extensive direct democracy, with popular votes several times a year. It has four national languages, joined the UN only in 2002 and is not a member of the European Union.

Geography of Switzerland

The Alps cover more than half the country, with the Dufourspitze (4,634 m) as the highest point; the Jura lines the north-west, and the Plateau between them holds most of the population. The Rhine and the Rhône rise here; Switzerland shares Lake Geneva with France and Lake Constance with Germany and Austria.

Map of Switzerland

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Flag of Switzerland

The flag of Switzerland is red and white. Its official proportions are 1:1 (height to width).

• Red80%
• White20%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

A white cross on red, in a square flag, like the Vatican’s. It descends from the banner of the canton of Schwyz. The emblem of the Red Cross, founded in Geneva in 1863, reverses its colours as a tribute to Switzerland.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Switzerland” and “Flag of Switzerland”.

See also: flags with a cross.

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Fact file

Economy and society