History And Geography

History

According to archeological evidence, mankind had inhabited the region of Switzerland since the early Stone Age. From 800 to 58 BC, the region was inhabited and controlled by the Helvetians, a Celtic tribe who used weapons and tools made from iron. The Romans took over from the Helvetians and ruled the country from 58 BC to 400 AD. Written records of the region are available from this period onwards. From 400 to 1100 AD, the region was controlled by the Germanic tribes, who set an end to the Roman Empire and built new states and empires in Europe.

Some historians believe that in 1291, representatives of three cantons namely Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden signed the Federal Charter, which united all the parties struggling against foreign rule of the Habsburgs. The Swiss defeated the Habsburgs in 1315. The cantons of Glarus and Zug along with the city-states of Lucerne, Zurich and Berne joined the federation in 1353. The federation was functional during most parts of the fifteenth century, although Zurich was barred during the 1440s due to a territorial conflict.

The reputation of invincibility acquired by the confederation over the years, suffered a setback in 1515 when they were defeated in the Battle of Marignano. The sixteenth century was also witness to the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons that resulted in further violence and was the main cause of the battle of Villmergen in 1656. The French revolutionists conquered Switzerland in 1798 and in 1803 and Napoleon Bonaparte imposed a new constitution, largely restoring Swiss autonomy. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna officially recognized Swiss independence and in the same period, the territory of Switzerland was increased for the last time by including new cantons of Valais, Neuchatel and Geneva.

The 1847 civil war between the Catholic and the Protestant cantons impelled the political leaders to adapt a federal constitution in 1848 that was amended in 1874 for establishing federal responsibility in defense, trade, and legal matters. The country remained neutral in World War I and was not involved militarily in the conflict. The same policy was followed in World War II, and although a German intervention was both premeditated and expected, it eventually did not occur.

Women were officially allowed to vote in the first cantons in 1959, at the federal level in 1971, and in the last canton, Appenzell Innerrhoden, only in 1990. The Swiss people and the cantons voted in favor of a completely new federal constitution on April 18, 1999.

Geography

Switzerland has an area of 25660.7 square kilometers and a population of 7.4 million residents. It is a landlocked country located on the crossroads of northern and southern Europe. It is home to numerous awe-inspiring mountains, scenic lakes and appealing cities and towns that are full of culture and history. The country has some of the highest elevations in Europe, comparable to regions in southeastern France and northern Italy.

The country's topography is characterized by the Jura mountain range, which occupies around 10 percent of the total area in Switzerland. The range is characterized by mountain chains, high plains and waved hills. The Swiss Plateau (30 percent) was formed by the glaciers of the last ice period and is mostly made of Molasse Strata. The majority of the Swiss population lives on these plateaus. The Alps occupy about 60 percent of the country's area and are mostly made up of granite and gneiss of crystalline massifs and limestone.

There are many large lakes in the region and the biggest of them all is Lake Geneva, which is also the largest lake in Central Europe. The lake is 44.92 miles long, 8.57 miles wide, 310 meter deep, and has a surface area of 3620 square miles.