2. Land an People

Switzerland is one of he smallest countries in Europe and one of the most densely populated. Its landmass is only 41,285 square kilometres. The population of Switzerland is 7.3 million, and there are 176 people per square kilometre. Sixty-eight per cent of the Swiss live in urban areas and 32 percent in rural.

Made up of linguistic regions that mirror the cultures of its larger neighbors, Switzerland at first glance appears to be a peculiar and artificial entity, raising the question: “How did it all come together?”. Possibly this is something that the Swiss would be asking themselves today, had thye not been so busy being the responsible, active, and cooperative citizens of an extremely efficiently run country. Numerous factors have played a part in the formation of this unique republic – the people themselves, the geography, and the influence of outside powers.

Switzerland involved naturally within its own borders and continues to forge ahead on its own term on the European continent. This is not to say that it is immune to the political currents tugging at Europe today, but it implies both a history and positioning in the world that is founded on a certain mistrust of its neighbours. The common ground that brings the Swiss together as a people is not always clear. Perhaps the paradox of Swiss identity is best described in saying “unity but not uniformity”. For all its diversity, Switzerland is the most stable democracy in the world today.

There are four national languages in Switzerland: German, French and Italian. They enjoy equal status in Parliament, the federal administration, and the army. German is almost 64%, French 20%, Italian 6,5%, Romanish 0,5% and other 9%.