Outline of Switzerland

The Flag of Switzerland

The Coat of arms of Switzerland

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Switzerland:

Switzerland – alpine country in Central Europe, located mostly in the Alps. Switzerland is the oldest neutral country in the world; it has not fought a foreign war since its neutrality was established by the Treaty of Paris in 1815. It is not a member of the European Union. Swiss cultural icons include Switzerland's quality of life, its neutrality, the Swiss Alps, watches, yodeling, cheese and chocolate.

General reference

• Pronunciation: English: /ˈswɪtsərlənd/
  • German: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts]
  • French: Suisse [sɥis]
  • Italian: Svizzera [ˈzvittsera]
  • Romansh: Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ]
• Common English country name: Switzerland
• Official English country name: The Swiss Confederation
• Common endonym(s):
• Official endonym(s):
• Adjectival: Swiss
• Demonym: Swiss
• Etymology: Name of Switzerland
• International rankings of Switzerland
• ISO country codes: CH, CHE, 756
• ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:CH
• Internet country code top-level domain: .ch

Geography of Switzerland

An enlargeable topographic map of Switzerland

Geography of Switzerland

• Switzerland is: a landlocked country
• Location:
  • Northern Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere
  • Eurasia
    • Europe
      • Central Europe
      • Western Europe
  • Time zone: Central European Time (UTC+01), Central European Summer Time (UTC+02)
  • Geographical centre of Switzerland
  • Extreme points of Switzerland
    • High: Monte Rosa 4,634 m (15,203 ft)
    • Low: Lake Maggiore 195 m (640 ft)
  • Land boundaries: 1,852 km

Italy 740 km

France 573 km

Germany 334 km

Austria 164 km

Liechtenstein 41 km

• Coastline: none

• Population of Switzerland: 8,606,000 (2019) - 99th most populous country
• Area of Switzerland: 41,285 km²
• Atlas of Switzerland

Environment of Switzerland

An enlargeable satellite image of Switzerland

Environment of Switzerland

• Environmental movement in Switzerland
• Climate of Switzerland
• Geology of Switzerland
• Hydrology of Switzerland
• Protected areas of Switzerland
  • Biosphere reserves in Switzerland
  • National parks of Switzerland
  • Nature parks in Switzerland
  • List of reserves for waterbirds and migratory birds in Switzerland
• Solar power in Switzerland
• Forests of Switzerland
• Wildlife of Switzerland
  • Animal welfare and rights in Switzerland
  • Fauna of Switzerland
    • Birds of Switzerland
    • Mammals of Switzerland

Natural geographic features of Switzerland

• Islands of Switzerland
• Lakes of Switzerland
  • Mountain lakes of Switzerland
• Mountains of Switzerland
  • Highest mountains of Switzerland
  • Glaciers of Switzerland
• Rivers of Switzerland
  • Waterfalls of Switzerland
• Valleys of Switzerland
• World Heritage Sites in Switzerland

Regions of Switzerland

Regions of Switzerland

• Central Switzerland
• Eastern Switzerland
• Espace Mittelland
• Northwestern Switzerland
• Seeland

Ecoregions of Switzerland

List of ecoregions in Switzerland

• Ecoregions in Switzerland

Administrative divisions of Switzerland

Administrative divisions of Switzerland

• Subdivisions of Switzerland
• Cantons of Switzerland
  • Districts of Switzerland
    • Municipalities of Switzerland

Cantons of Switzerland

Cantons of Switzerland

Districts of Switzerland

Districts of Switzerland

Municipalities of Switzerland

Municipalities of Switzerland

• Capital of Switzerland: Berne
• Cities of Switzerland

Demography of Switzerland

Demographics of Switzerland

Government and politics of Switzerland

Politics of Switzerland

• Form of government: Federal parliamentary republic, direct democracy.
• Capital of Switzerland: Berne
• Elections in Switzerland
• Political parties in Switzerland
• Swiss neutrality
• Taxation in Switzerland
• Voting in Switzerland
  • Electronic voting in Switzerland

Branches of the government of Switzerland

Government of Switzerland

Executive branch of the government of Switzerland

• Presiding member of the Federal Council: President of the Swiss Confederation, Alain Berset, for 2023
• Cabinet of Switzerland & collective Head of state: Swiss Federal Council
  • Alain Berset (Social Democratic Party of Switzerland), Federal Department of Home Affairs, President of the Federal Council in 2023
  • Guy Parmelin (Swiss People's Party), Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
  • Ignazio Cassis (Free Democratic Party of Switzerland), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
  • Viola Amherd (The Centre), Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
  • Karin Keller-Sutter (Free Democratic Party of Switzerland), Federal Department of Finance
  • Albert Rösti (Swiss People's Party), Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications
  • Élisabeth Baume-Schneider (Social Democratic Party of Switzerland), Federal Department of Justice and Police.

Legislative branch of the government of Switzerland

• Parliament of Switzerland (bicameral)
  • Upper house: Swiss Council of States
  • Lower house: National Council of Switzerland

Judicial branch of the government of Switzerland

Court system of Switzerland

• Supreme Court of Switzerland

Foreign relations of Switzerland

Foreign relations of Switzerland

• Diplomatic missions in Switzerland
• Diplomatic missions of Switzerland

International organization membership

The Swiss Confederation is a member of:

• African Development Bank Group (AfDB) (nonregional member)
• Asian Development Bank (ADB) (nonregional member)
• Australia Group
• Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
• Council of Europe (CE)
• Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
• European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
• European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
• European Space Agency (ESA)
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• Group of Ten (G10)
• Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
• International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
• International Criminal Court (ICCt)
• International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
• International Development Association (IDA)
• International Energy Agency (IEA)
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS)
• International Finance Corporation (IFC)
• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)
• International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO)
• International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• International Olympic Committee (IOC)
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM)
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
• International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO)
• International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

• Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
• Latin American Integration Association (LAIA) (observer)
• Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
• Nonaligned Movement (NAM) (guest)
• Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)
• Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
• Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
• Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
• Organization of American States (OAS) (observer)
• Paris Club
• Partnership for Peace (PFP)
• Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
• United Nations (UN)
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
• United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
• United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG)
• United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
• United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
• United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)
• Universal Postal Union (UPU)
• World Confederation of Labour (WCL)
• World Customs Organization (WCO)
• World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
• World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
• World Trade Organization (WTO)
• Zangger Committee (ZC)

Law and order in Switzerland

Law of Switzerland

• Cannabis in Switzerland
• Capital punishment in Switzerland
• Constitution of Switzerland
• Corruption in Switzerland
• Crime in Switzerland
• Human rights in Switzerland
  • LGBT rights in Switzerland
  • Freedom of religion in Switzerland
• Internet censorship in Switzerland
• Law enforcement in Switzerland
  • Cantonal police
  • Gendarmerie
  • Municipal police
  • Swiss Border Guard

Military of Switzerland

Swiss Armed Forces

• Command
  • Commander-in-chief: André Blattmann, Chief of the Armed Forces
    • Ministry of Defence of Switzerland
• Forces
  • Swiss Land Forces
  • Navy: none, but the Land Forces operate a Lakes flotilla
  • Swiss Air Force
  • Special Forces Command
• Conscription in Switzerland
• Equipment of the Swiss Armed Forces
• Military ranks of Switzerland

Local government in Switzerland

Local government in Switzerland

History of Switzerland

History of Switzerland

• Timeline of Swiss history

History of Switzerland, by period or event

• Early history of Switzerland
  • Switzerland in the Roman era
  • Growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy
  • French invasion of Switzerland
  • Switzerland in the Napoleonic era
• Modern history of Switzerland
  • Switzerland during the World Wars
  • Bombings of Switzerland in World War II
• Historiography of Switzerland

History of Switzerland, by subject

• History of Geneva
• History of rail transport in Switzerland
• History of the Swiss Air Force
• Military history of Switzerland

Culture of Switzerland

Culture of Switzerland

• Architecture of Switzerland
  • Buildings and structures in Switzerland above 3000 m
• Cuisine of Switzerland
  • Swiss cheese
  • Swiss chocolate
  • Swiss wine
• Culinary Heritage of Switzerland
• Festivals in Switzerland
• Languages of Switzerland
• Swiss literature
• List of castles and fortresses in Switzerland
• Media in Switzerland
  • Newspapers
    • Newspapers in Switzerland
  • Radio
    • Radio stations in Switzerland
  • Television in Switzerland
    • Radiotelevisione svizzera
    • Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha
    • Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen
    • Télévision Suisse Romande
• National symbols of Switzerland
  • Coat of arms of Switzerland
  • Flag of Switzerland
  • National anthem of Switzerland
• People of Switzerland
  • Homelessness in Switzerland
  • Immigration to Switzerland
• Prostitution in Switzerland
• Public holidays in Switzerland
  • Swiss National Day
• Records of Switzerland
• Religion in Switzerland
  • Buddhism in Switzerland
  • Hinduism in Switzerland
  • Islam in Switzerland
    • Ahmadiyya in Switzerland
  • Judaism in Switzerland
  • Protestantism in Switzerland
  • Sikhism in Switzerland
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Switzerland

Art in Switzerland

• Art in Switzerland
• Cinema of Switzerland
• Literature of Switzerland
• Music of Switzerland
• Theatre in Switzerland

Sports in Switzerland

Sport in Switzerland

• Football in Switzerland
• Switzerland at the Olympics

Economy and infrastructure of Switzerland

Economy of Switzerland

• Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 21st (twenty-first)
• Agriculture in Switzerland
• Banking in Switzerland
  • Bank secrecy
  • National Bank of Switzerland
  • Switzerland Stock Exchange
• Communications in Switzerland
  • Internet in Switzerland
• Companies of Switzerland
• Currency of Switzerland:
  • Banknotes of the Swiss franc
  • Coins of the Swiss franc
• Energy in Switzerland
  • Electricity sector in Switzerland
  • Energy policy of Switzerland
  • Oil industry in Switzerland
  • Nuclear power in Switzerland
• Mining in Switzerland
• Science and technology in Switzerland
• Telecommunications in Switzerland
  • Telephone numbers in Switzerland
• Tourism in Switzerland
• Transport in Switzerland
  • Airports in Switzerland
  • Rail transport in Switzerland
    • Railway companies in Switzerland
  • Roads in Switzerland
    • Motorways of Switzerland
• Waste management in Switzerland
• Water supply and sanitation in Switzerland

Education in Switzerland

Education in Switzerland

• List of universities in Switzerland

Health in Switzerland

Health in Switzerland

• Healthcare in Switzerland
• List of hospitals in Switzerland
• Obesity in Switzerland

See also

• Index of Switzerland-related articles
• List of Switzerland-related topics
• List of international rankings
• Member state of the United Nations
• Outline of Europe
• Outline of geography

External links

Wikimedia Atlas of Switzerland

Official

• The Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation
• Presence Switzerland
  • Your Gateway to Switzerland
• Swiss Statistics, official website of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office.

Reference

• CIA World Factbook - Switzerland

Geography

• Wikimedia Atlas of Switzerland
• Switzerland travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Outline of Switzerland at Curlie
• Federal Office of Topography
• searchable interactive map (search.ch)

History

• Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (in German, French, and Italian)
• history-switzerland.geschichte-schweiz.ch

Media

• (in German), a Swiss daily newspaper
• Le Temps (in French), a Swiss daily newspaper
• Corriere Del Ticino (in Italian), a Swiss daily newspaper
• swissinfo.ch, Swiss News - Worldwide

Education

• The Swiss School System
• Universities in Switzerland

Science, Research and Technology

• The Swiss Portal for Research and Innovation
• State Secretariat for Education and Research, SER
• The Swiss National Science Foundation
• CTI, Commission for Technology and Innovation