Visit Switzerland
Switzerland, the land of the Alps and the famed Swiss chocolates, offers you many wonderful ways to enjoy your vacation. For your convenience, Incoming Travel Service offers you basic information on Switzerland and Switzerland facts to help you get acquainted with this beautiful country. Switzerland (German: die Schweiz, French: la Suisse, Italian: Svizzera, Romansh: Svizra), officially the Swiss Confederation (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica), is a landlocked Alpine country in Central Europe with a strong economy in finance and banking. Switzerland borders Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Historically a confederation, Switzerland has been a federation since 1848, and has a long and strong tradition of political and military neutrality. This background allows Switzerland various international co-operations and organisations. A male living in this country is said to be a Schweizer and a female is a Schweizerin in German; Suisse (male) or Suissesse (female) in Swiss French and svizzero (male) or svizzera (female) in Swiss Italian. Confoederatio Helvetica is the country's official Latin name. The use of Latin avoids having to favour one of the four national languages. The abbreviation (CH) is similarly used. The Latin title Confoederatio Helvetica means Helvetic Confederation. The titles commonly used in French, Italian and Romansh translate as Swiss Confederation, while the German name of Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft translates literally as "Swiss Oath Fellowship" or "Swiss Commonwealth of the Covenant". Motto: Latin: Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno (traditional) (English: "One for all, all for one") Capital: Bern (federal capital) 46°57'N 7°27'E Largest city: Zürich Official language(s): German, French, Italian, Romansh Government: Federal Council Direct democracy, Federal republic Internet TLD : .ch Calling code : +41 Independence: Federal Charter - Declared: August 1, 1291 - Recognised: October 24, 1648 Federal state: 1848 Area: - Total: 41,285 km² (132nd) - Water(%): 4.2 Population: - July 2006 est. : 7,523,934 - 2000 census : 7,288,010 - Density : 182/km² GDP (PPP) : 2005 estimate - Total : $264.1 billion - Per capita : $35,300 Time zone : CET (UTC+1) - Summer (DST) : CET (UTC+1) Currency: Swiss franc (CHF) Switzerland is a peaceful and industrialized nation with no disputes with any other nation.
