Switzerland, officially theSwiss Confederation,is afederal republicinEurope. While still named the Swiss Confederation for historical reasons, modern Switzerland is afederaldirectorial republicconsisting of26cantons, withBernas the seat of the federal authorities, called '"federal city". Situated inWestern-Central Europe,Switzerland is also alandlocked country geographically divided between theAlps, theSwiss Plateauand theJura.Spanning the intersection of Germanic and RomanceEurope, Switzerland comprises four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian andRomansh. Although the majority of the population are German speaking,Swissnational identity is rooted in a common historical background, shared values such asfederalismanddirect democracy,andAlpinesymbolism.
One of the most developed countries in the world,Switzerland ranks at or near the top globally in several metrics of national performance, including government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life,economic competitiveness, andhuman development.Its cities contain medieval quarters, with landmarks like capital Bern’s Zytglogge clock tower and Lucerne’s wooden chapel bridge. The country is also known for its ski resorts and hiking trails.