The Switzerland was inhabited by people whom the Romans called the Gallic Helvetians or Transalpine. It became part of the Roman Empire after the conquest of Julius Caesar. It was occupied by Germanic tribes until the 6th century. A century later, Christian missionaries began to convert the Swiss. In 1291, the cantons of Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden formed a Permanent League to defend their freedoms against Habsburg overlords. More cities and districts joined the League and, in 1513, there were already thirteen cantons.
During the 16th century, Switzerland became the center of the Protestant Reformation, and the confederation was divided between Catholics and Protestants. The Reformation was accepted by Zurich, Bern and Basel, while the rural cantons remained Catholic. Switzerland gradually freed itself from the control of Habsburg until it reached the complete independence recognized by the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, after 30 years of war. The French invasion of 1798 established the Helvetic Republic with a centralized government. This form of government was modified by Napoleon’s Mediation Act in 1803, which made Switzerland a democratic federation. With the end of the Napoleonic wars, participants in the Vienna Congress in 1815 guaranteed Switzerland neutrality. It received Geneva and other territories, increasing the number of cantons to 22. After the civil war between the union of the Catholic cantons against the liberals, a new federal state was formed in 1848 and Bern was established as the capital. Years later, in 1874, the Constitution was revised introducing the referendum; it is from this date that the current constitution comes. With his policy of neutrality, he escaped the Franco-Prussian conflict between 1870 and 1871.
During the two world wars it remained neutral, although in the last Great War the army was mobilized to defend its territory. In 1920 the League of Nations formed its headquarters here. In 1959 he became part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). In 1972, he signed a free trade agreement with European Europe. A referendum in 1986 rejected the proposal to become a member of the United Nations, in the belief that it thus subverted its policy of neutrality.
Switzerland is a federal republic made up of 20 cantons and 6 half-cantons. This is the political name of the country’s division. The government system is federal. In the Federal Assembly there are two chambers: the National Council and the State Council. Each canton has its rights, but the federal government is responsible for national policy, internal and external security and the monetary system. The residents are, first and foremost, citizens of their canton. It is the canton that issues a residence permit. All Swiss citizens carry out military service on active duty or in reserve up to the age of 50. According to the neutrality policy, the army only serves to preserve independence. Switzerland has an old tradition as a neutral country as well as the headquarters of several international organizations and a conference venue for peace. per capita of the globe. For Switzerland democracy and rights, please check intershippingrates.
In 2002, a referendum validates the country’s accession to the United Nations, thus becoming the 190th member of the UN.
Countryaah.com: Offers a full list of airports in the country of Switzerland, sorted by city location and acronyms.
Abbreviationfinder.org: Provides most commonly used abbreviations and initials containing the country name of Switzerland. Listed by popularity.
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Switzerland
Browse a collection of city, country, political, shaded relief and historical maps of this European country. Check out the maps of Geneva and Administrative Divisions.
