Switzerland
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Bern
- Population
- 8,925,741 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 41,277 sq km
- Government
- federal republic (formally a confederation)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 34.4%, Protestant 22.5%, other Christian 5.7%, Muslim 5.4%, other 1.5%, none 29.4%, unspecified 1.1% (2020 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- 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.)
- Currency
- Swiss francs (CHF)
- Life Expectancy
- 83.9 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .ch
- Climate
- temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
- Terrain
- mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
- Natural Resources
- hydropower potential, timber, salt
- Major Exports
- gold, packaged medicine, vaccines, nitrogen compounds, base metal watches (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499.