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On 31 December 2022, Switzerland had a total population of 8,815,385 living across an area of 41,285 square kilometres. That means there are 214 people per square kilometre.

People in the north and northeast speak German, which is the mother tongue of about two-thirds of the population. Around a quarter of the population speak French in the west. The mother tongue of just over 8 percent of the population is Italian. They live mainly in Ticino and in some valleys in the south. A minority of about 0.6 percent of residents speak Romansh. All four languages are official languages. Most Swiss people speak one or two other national languages in addition to their mother tongue, as well as any foreign languages they learn at school.

The capital of Switzerland is Bern. On June 30, 2023, the city had a population of 145,259. The highest federal authorities are based in Bern. However, since 1848 it has officially been called the “federal city,” not the capital.

Bern’s main attraction is its Old Town, with its many magnificent sandstone buildings. Particularly noteworthy are the covered arcades, which stretch for a total of about six kilometers. They form one of Europe’s longest shopping streets protected from wind and weather. Highlights include the Zytglogge clock tower and the Rathaus zum Äusseren Stand.

In November 2023, Zurich had a total population of 447,458. This makes it the largest city in Switzerland. Other major cities include Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lausanne and Winterthur. Other large cities with populations under 100,000 include Lucerne, St. Gallen, Lugano and Biel/Bienne.

Switzerland is a federal state. Its most important law is the Constitution, which names the state the “Swiss Confederation.” The country is made up of 26 cantons: Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden and Nidwalden, Glarus, Zug, Fribourg, Solothurn, Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft, Schaffhausen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden, St. Gallen, Graubünden, Aargau, Thurgau, Ticino, Vaud, Valais, Neuchâtel, Geneva and Jura. The federal government takes responsibility for matters that exceed the cantons’ powers or require uniform rules across the country.

The Rhine is 1,232 kilometers long in total. Of all European rivers that flow into the sea, it ranks seventh in length. It runs for 376 kilometers through Switzerland before turning north.

Several small tributaries rise in the source region of the Rhine in the canton of Graubünden, forming the Vorderrhein and the Hinterrhein. The two rivers join at Reichenau to form the Alpine Rhine. After flowing through Lake Constance, the Rhine is known as the High Rhine and largely forms the border between Switzerland and Germany. The Rhine Falls, one of Europe’s largest waterfalls, are near Schaffhausen.

The water-rich Aare is 288 kilometres long, making it the longest river that flows entirely within Switzerland. It rises in the eastern Bernese Alps and flows through the cantons of Bern, Solothurn and Aargau, as well as Lake Thun, Lake Wohlen and Lake Biel. It joins the Rhine at Koblenz (canton of Aargau). The Rhone is 812 kilometres long in total, of which 267 kilometres run through Switzerland. It rises at the Rhône Glacier in the canton of Valais and then flows through Lake Geneva into France. There it becomes the country’s most voluminous river, forms the Rhône Delta in the south and eventually flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Reuss is Switzerland’s fourth-longest river, at 164 kilometres. It rises in a small mountain lake above the Furka Pass and joins the Aare downstream from Brugg. Other Swiss rivers include the Orbe, which joins the Talent to form the Zihl, as well as the Linth, which flows into Lake Zurich and then becomes the Limnat.

Switzerland can be divided into three major geographical regions: the Central Plateau covers about 30 percent of the country. It is a relatively flat, hilly landscape at around 400 to 600 meters above sea level. The Central Plateau is densely populated. The Jura in the northwest covers about 10 percent of Switzerland’s area. It is a young mountain region, with peaks reaching heights of up to 1,720 meters.

The remaining 60 percent of the country is covered by the Alps, which also include the foothills of the Alps. This refers to the area between the Central Plateau and the Alps. The Swiss Alps have 48 peaks higher than 4,000 metres, as well as 1,161 peaks over 3,000 metres and 2,132 peaks over 2,000 metres. The highest mountain in Switzerland is the 4,643 m-high Dufourspitze. Other well-known peaks include the Dom, which reaches 4,545 m, the Matterhorn (4,478 m), the Mönch (4,107 m), the Jungfrau (4,158 m), the Piz Bernina (4,049 m) and the Eiger (3,970 m).

During the Ice Ages, many glaciers formed in the Alps. These enormous masses of ice fill and shape valleys. The largest and longest glaciers in the Swiss Alps are the Great Aletsch Glacier and the Gorner Glacier. The glaciers reached their greatest extent by the middle of the 19th century. Since then, they have been shrinking considerably worldwide as average temperatures rise. Over the past 40 years, the area covered by Swiss glaciers has decreased by around 30 percent.

The largest lake in Switzerland is Lake Geneva. Of its total area of 580 square kilometres, 345.3 square kilometres belong to Switzerland and the rest to France. In France, it is called Lac Léman. Only part of Lake Constance also belongs to Switzerland: 172.9 of its 536 square kilometres, with the rest belonging to Germany and Austria. Lake Neuchâtel (French: Lac de Neuchâtel) is the largest lake entirely within Switzerland, with an area of 217.9 square kilometres. Lake Maggiore has a total area of 212.5 square kilometres, of which 42.3 belong to Switzerland and 180.2 to Italy. Other lakes in Switzerland include Lake Lucerne, Lake Zurich, Lake Thun and Lake Biel.

Switzerland borders Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, Italy to the south, France to the west, and Germany to the north.

Although Switzerland lies in the heart of Europe, it is not a member of the European Union (EU). However, it has many agreements with the EU. The currency of Switzerland is the franc .

Switzerland is considered one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Although its population is relatively small, it ranks tenth among Europe’s strongest economies. The country’s businesses are heavily focused on exporting goods. Key industries include chemicals and pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering, and the electrical and metal industries. Precision engineering has traditionally been very important, with companies making watches, jewelry, and medical equipment. The financial and banking sectors are also highly significant. Around three quarters of all workers are employed in the service sector, for example in tourism. In recent years, more and more products have been made in the environmental technology sector. The trade in raw materials also plays an important role in Switzerland.