Switzerland

Overview

Located in central Europe, Switzerland is bordered by Germany , Austria , Liechtenstein , Italy , and France . A small country, Switzerland's very name conjures up images of chocolates, cheese, watches, bankers, and snow-capped mountains.

Switzerland was inhabited by a Celtic tribe called Helvetia in the ancient times. It became a part of the Holy Roman Empire in AD 1032 but soon succumbed to the mighty Habsburgs of Germany. The death of the Habsburg ruler Rudolf I in AD 1291 led to the formation of the Swiss Confederation. Switzerland was declared a neutral state following the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 and was accorded permanent neutrality in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna. A new federal constitution came into force in 1848 and Bern became the capital city. The Swiss remained neutral in both the World Wars.

The picturesque city of Zurich , located on the banks of the Limmat River, is the intellectual and cultural capital of Switzerland and the hub of tourist activity. The 13th-century St. Peter's Church and the Fraumünster Church are two important sights. An evening walk along the banks of Lake Zürich or the alleys of the old town will cover almost all the attractions of the city.

On the banks of the River Rhône is Geneva , a city that houses over 200 international organisations. The ropeway journey to Mont Salève offers a breathtaking view of the entire city. The Cathedral St Pierre, Place du Bourg-de-Four, Museum of Art and History, Petit Palais, Museum of Old...more

History

Modern Switzerland was conquered by Julius Caesar during the Gallic wars and made part of the Roman Empire. It remained a Roman province until the 4th century AD.  The population reached a high level of civilization  Important cities such as Geneva Basel and Zurich were linked by military roads that also served as trade arteries between Rome and the northern tribes.

After the decline of the Roman Empire, Switzerland was invaded by Germanic tribes from the north and west. Some tribes in central and northeastern of Switzerland and  western of Switzerland settled there. In 800 the country became part of Charlemagne's empire. It later passed under the dominion of the German emperors.

In 1291 representatives of the three forest cantons of Uri Schwyz and Unterwalden signed the Eternal Alliance. This united them in the struggle against foreign rule by the Hapsburgs who then held the German imperial throne. At the battle of Morganten in 1315 the Swiss defeated the Hapsburg army and secured quasi-independence within the German Empire as the Swiss Confederation.

Under the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 European countries recognized Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.

In 1798 armies of the French Revolution conquered Switzerland. The Treaty of Vienna and the Second Peace of Paris in 1815 re-established Swiss independence and the powers participating in the Congress of Vienna agreed to recognize Swiss permanent neutrality.

Switzerland adopted a federal constitution in 1848 modeled in part on the U.S. Constitution. The Swiss amended...more