World Factbook
Switzerland
Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German)/ Confederation Suisse (French)/ Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)/ Confederaziun Svizra (Romansh)
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: red square with an equal-armed white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag history: the origin of the flag is unclear, but a white cross was used to identify Swiss Confederation troops at the Battle of Laupen (1339)
note: in 1863, the newly formed International Red Cross chose the inverse of the Swiss flag -- a red cross on a white field -- as its symbol
Capital
name
Bern
etymology
the origin of the name is uncertain; it is sometimes associated with the German word Baer (bear), but a more likely origin is an Indo-European root word ber , meaning "marshy place"
time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
geographic coordinates
46 55 N, 7 28 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Switzerland
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
12 years including at least 3 of the last 5 years prior to application
Constitution
history
previous 1848, 1874; latest adopted by referendum 18 April 1999, effective 1 January 2000
amendment process
proposed by the two houses of the Federal Assembly or by petition of at least one hundred thousand voters (called the "federal popular initiative"); passage of proposals requires majority vote in a referendum; following drafting of an amendment by the Assembly, its passage requires approval by majority vote in a referendum and approval by the majority of cantons
Country name
etymology
name derives from the canton of Schwyz, one of the founding cantons of the Swiss Confederacy formed in the late 13th century
abbreviation
CH
local long form
Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German)/ Confederation Suisse (French)/ Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)/ Confederaziun Svizra (Romansh)
local short form
Schweiz (German)/ Suisse (French)/ Svizzera (Italian)/ Svizra (Romansh)
conventional long form
Swiss Confederation
conventional short form
Switzerland
Independence
1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)
Legal system
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts, except federal decrees of a general obligatory character
Government type
federal republic (formally a confederation)
Judicial branch
note
note: each of Switzerland's 26 cantons has its own courts
highest court(s)
Federal Supreme Court (consists of 38 justices and 19 deputy justices organized into 7 divisions)
subordinate courts
Federal Criminal Court (established in 2004); Federal Administrative Court (established in 2007)
judge selection and term of office
judges elected by the Federal Assembly for 6-year terms; judges are affiliated with political parties and are elected according to linguistic and regional criteria in approximate proportion to party representation in the Federal Assembly
Executive branch
note
note: the Federal Council, composed of 7 federal councilors, constitutes the federal government of Switzerland; council members rotate the 1-year term of federal president
cabinet
Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) indirectly elected by the Federal Assembly for a 4-year term
chief of state
President of the Swiss Confederation Guy PARMELIN (since 1 January 2026)
election results
2024: Karin KELLER-SUTTER elected president for 2025; Federal Assembly vote - Karin KELLER-SUTTER (FDP.The Liberals) 168 of 203; Guy PARLEMIN (SVP) elected vice president for 2025; Federal Assembly vote - 196 of 219 2023: Viola AMHERD elected president for 2024; Federal Assembly vote - Viola AMHERD (The Center) 158 of 204; Karin KELLER-SUTTER (FDP.The Liberals) elected vice president for 2024; Federal Assembly vote - 138 of 196 2022: Alain BERSET elected president for 2023; Federal Assembly vote - Alain BERSET (SP) 140 OF 181; Viola AMHERD elected vice president; Federal assembly vote - 207 of 223
head of government
President of the Swiss Confederation Guy PARMELIN (since 1 January 2026)
most recent election date
11 December 2024
election/appointment process
president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among members of the Federal Council for a 1-year, non-consecutive term
expected date of next election
December 2025
National holiday
Founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1291
note: celebrated as Swiss National Day since 1 August 1891
National color(s)
red, white
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
13 (9 cultural, 4 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Old City of Berne (c); Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch (n); Monte San Giorgio (n); Abbey of St Gall (c); Three Castles, Defensive Wall, and Ramparts of the Market-Town of Bellinzona (c); Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Landscapes (c); La Chaux-de-Fonds/Le Locle, Watchmaking Town Planning (c); Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps (c); Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair (c); Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces (c)
Political parties
The Center (Die Mitte, Alleanza del Centro, Le Centre, Allianza dal Center) (merger of the Christian Democratic People's Party and the Conservative Democratic Party) Evangelical Peoples' Party or EVP/PEV Federal Democrats or EDU Geneva Citizens Movement or MCR/MCG Green Liberal Party (Gruenliberale Partei or GLP, Parti vert liberale or PVL, Partito Verde-Liberale or PVL, Partida Verde Liberale or PVL) Green Party (Gruene Partei der Schweiz or Gruene, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) The Liberals or FDP.The Liberals (FDP.Die Liberalen, PLR.Les Liberaux-Radicaux, PLR.I Liberali, Ils Liberals) Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SP, Parti Socialiste Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica di Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC)
Legislative branch
legislature name
Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung - Assemblée fédérale - Assemblea federale)
legislative structure
bicameral
National anthem(s)
title
the Swiss anthem has four names: "Schweizerpsalm" [German] "Cantique Suisse" [French] "Salmo svizzero," [Italian] "Psalm svizzer" [Romansch] (Swiss Psalm)
history
adopted 1981; all four of the versions (German, French, Italian, Romansch) are considered official
lyrics/music
Leonhard WIDMER [German], Charles CHATELANAT [French], Camillo VALSANGIACOMO [Italian], and Flurin CAMATHIAS [Romansch]/Alberik ZWYSSIG
National symbol(s)
Swiss cross (white cross on red field)
Administrative divisions
26 cantons ( cantons , singular - canton in French; cantoni , singular - cantone in Italian; Kantone , singular - Kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Berne/Bern, Fribourg/Freiburg, Genève (Geneva), Glarus, Graubuenden/Grigioni/Grischun, Jura, Luzern (Lucerne), Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais/Wallis, Vaud, Zug, Zuerich
note 1: the names listed above are in the canton's official language(s), with conventional names in parentheses
note 2: 6 of the cantons -- Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Nidwalden, Obwalden -- are referred to as half cantons because they elect only one member (instead of two) to the Council of States, and in popular referendums where a majority of popular votes and cantonal votes are required, these 6 cantons have a half vote
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
National Council (Nationalrat - Conseil national - Consiglio nazionale)
term in office
4 years
number of seats
200 (all directly elected)
electoral system
proportional representation
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
10/22/2023
expected date of next election
October 2027
percentage of women in chamber
39.5%
parties elected and seats per party
Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) (62); Socialist Party (SP/PS) (41); Centre Party (29); FDP/The Liberals (FDP/PLR) (28); Green Party (GPS/PES) (23); Liberal Green Party (GLP/PVL) (10); Other (7)
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
Council of States (Ständerat - Conseil des Etats - Consiglio degli Stati)
term in office
4 years
number of seats
46 (all directly elected)
electoral system
other systems
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
10/22/2023
expected date of next election
October 2027
percentage of women in chamber
33.3%
parties elected and seats per party
Centre Party (15); FDP/The Liberals (FDP/PLR) (11); Socialist Party (SP/PS) (9); Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) (6); Green Party (GPS/PES) (3); Other (2)
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 387-2564
chancery
2900 Cathedral Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 745-7900
consulate(s)
Boston
chief of mission
Ambassador Ralph HECKNER (since 18 September 2024)
consulate(s) general
Atlanta, Chicago, New York, San Francisco
email address and website
washington@eda.admin.ch https://www.eda.admin.ch/washington
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[41] (031) 357-73-20
embassy
Sulgeneckstrasse 19, CH-3007 Bern
telephone
[41] (031) 357-70-11
mailing address
5110 Bern Place, Washington DC 20521-5110
chief of mission
Ambassador Callista GINGRICH (since 23 October 2025) note - also accredited to Liechtenstein
email address and website
https://ch.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, EITI (implementing country), ESA, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction