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Switzerland
Switzerland is a relatively small country located in Central Europe and also it's most mountainous area. The country is a federal republic consisting of 26 states called cantons. Switzerland's capital is Bern, but its largest city is Zürich. Switzerland’s cities, Zürich and Geneva, have respectively been ranked as having the first and second highest quality of life in the world.
Switzerland is famous for the Swiss watches (Rolex, Cartier, Swatch and Omega) and for the chocolates (Nestle, Toblerone and Lindt). Switzerland hosts many international organizations, including the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization and one of the U.N.'s two European offices. The country it is not a member of the European Union.
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General Information
Official name
Swiss Confederation
Geographic Location
Western Europe
Capital and largest city
Bern (capital city, 128 041 inhabitants), Zürich (largest city, 376,815 inhabitants)
Largest cities
Bern, Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva, Basel, Lucerne
Area
41,284 km²
Population
7,7 Million
Time Zone
GMT +1 (UTC+2 From the last Sunday in March at 01:00 to the last Sunday in October at 02:00)
Currency
Swiss franc (CHF)
Official language
Four national languages (German, French, Italian and Romansh)
Neighbouring countries
Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east
Highest point
Dufourspitze (4634 m)
Lowest point
Lake Maggiore (195 m)
Longest rivers
Rhine (375 km)
Landing place
Basel, Zürich, Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano
Electricity
220-240 volts AC, 50 Hz, with round-prong European-style plugs
Ethnic groups
Germans 64%, French 19%, Italians 8%, Yugoslav 3%, Spaniards 2%
Religion
Roman Catholic 45%, Protestant 40%