Switzerland, a landlocked country in west-central Europe, is bordered by Italy, France, Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein. Its geography is divided into the Swiss Plateau, the Alps, and the Jura, with the Alps occupying most of the territory. The majority of its 9 million people reside on the plateau, where major cities and economic centers like Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne are located.
In 1901, Albert Einstein became a Swiss citizen. He later developed his theory of special relativity in Bern.
In 1901, Johanna Spyri, the creator of the famous Swiss literary creation "Heidi", died.
In 1902, the Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica appeared inscribed on the Federal Palace.
In 1911, Max Frisch, one of the classic authors of Swiss literature, was born.
In 1912, the later SUVA was assigned to Lucerne.
In August 1914, the second general mobilisation was declared in response to the First World War outbreak.
In 1917, Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the short-lived Grimm–Hoffmann affair.
In 1917, the Federal Insurance Court was assigned to Lucerne.
In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after being exempted from military requirements.
In 1921, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, a later Swiss writer, was born.
In 1928, St. Moritz hosted the second Winter Olympic Games.
In 1930, the headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) moved to Basel, Switzerland.
Switzerland began its transition from a largely rural country to an urban one starting from 1930.
In 1931, the first world ski championships were held in Mürren, Switzerland.
In 1934, St. Moritz, Switzerland, hosted the World Ski Championships.
In 1934, the WIR franc was introduced, complementing the Swiss franc as a currency.
After 1935, urban development claimed as much of the Swiss landscape as it did during the prior 2,000 years.
In September 1939, the third mobilisation took place in response to the German attack on Poland.
In May and June 1940, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding Luftwaffe planes.
In 1942, a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed, leaving Switzerland isolated and prompting concessions to Nazi Germany.
Between 1940 and 1945, Switzerland was bombed by the Allies, causing fatalities and property damage in various cities and towns.
In 1947, Charles Ferdinand Ramuz, a French-speaking Swiss author known for his novels depicting peasant and mountain life, passed away.
After 1948, the Latin name Confoederatio Helvetica was used in the official seal.
In 1948, St. Moritz hosted the fifth edition of the Winter Olympic Games.
Following the 1955 Le Mans disaster, motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland, with exceptions for events such as hillclimbing.
Switzerland held the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest in Lugano in 1956 and won through Lys Assia.
In 1959, some Swiss cantons approved women the right to vote.
Since 1959, the government has been a coalition of the four major political parties.
In 1960, expenditures of the Swiss Confederation were 7% of GDP
In 1961, Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser), a French-speaking Swiss author, died.
In 1964, Switzerland joined the Council of Europe, marking a step in its foreign policy.
In 1968, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was seen as a valid alternative, influencing the decision to drop plans for building nuclear weapons.
In 1969, the EPFL was attributed to Lausanne.
In 1969, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne was founded; it was formerly associated with the University of Lausanne.
Around 1970, a growing minority in traditionally Protestant cantons and cities began to identify as not affiliated with any religious body.
In 1971, women's suffrage was achieved at the federal level in Switzerland.
In 1975, Switzerland was one of the 10 founders of the European Space Agency (ESA).
In 1979, areas from the canton of Bern attained independence, forming the new canton of Jura.
In 1984, Elisabeth Kopp became the first woman on the seven-member Federal Council executive.
In 1986, Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer earned the Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing the scanning tunnelling microscope.
By 1988, plans for building nuclear weapons in Switzerland were dropped due to financial problems, ethical considerations, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Switzerland won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988 through Celine Dion.
In 1989, Elisabeth Kopp's term ended.
Switzerland held the Eurovision Song Contest in Lausanne in 1989.
Between 1800 and 1990 the number of inhabitants quadrupled in Switzerland.
From 1990, health costs in Switzerland steadily increased.
In 1990, Friedrich Durrenmatt, a Swiss Writer, died.
In 1990, expenditures of the Swiss Confederation were 9.7% of GDP
In 1990, women's suffrage was achieved in the last canton, Appenzell Innerrhoden.
The country pledged to cut GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to the level of 1990.
In 1991, Max Frisch, one of the classic authors of Swiss literature, died.
In May 1992, an application for membership in the European Union was sent.
In December 1992, Switzerland rejected the European Economic Area (EEA) in a referendum.
In 1995, Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry.
On 18 April 1999, the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favor of a completely revised federal constitution.
In 1999, Ruth Dreifuss became the first female president of Switzerland.
The 1999 Constitution does not mention a Federal City.
The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 has been completely revised twice, in 1874 and 1999.
In June 2000, the unemployment rate in Switzerland was 1.7%.
In 2000, English was elevated to the first foreign language taught in schools in a few cantons, previously it was one of the other Swiss languages.
In 2000, a moratorium on building new nuclear power plants expired.
Since 2000, the Swiss armed force department has maintained the Onyx intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications.
Switzerland went from a largely rural country to an urban one from 1930 to 2000.
In 2001, Friedrich Dürrenmatt's "Das Versprechen" (The Pledge) was released as a Hollywood film starring Jack Nicholson.
In 2001, seven bilateral agreements liberalised trade ties, including the free movement of persons.
In 2002, Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, marking the first state to join the UN by referendum.
In 2002, Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations.
In 2002, Switzerland joined the United Nations, becoming a full member and pursuing an active foreign policy.
In May 2003, two anti-nuclear referendums were defeated: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants, and Electricity Without Nuclear.
In 2003, Switzerland had the second highest rate (almost 18%) of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia (slightly over 18%).
In 2003, the Swiss sailing team Alinghi won the America's Cup, marking the first time a European team achieved this victory.
In 2003, the reform "Army XXI" was adopted by popular vote, replacing "Army 95" and reducing the military rolls from 400,000 to about 200,000.
Since 2003, the seven seats in the Federal Council have been distributed as follows:
In 2004, Roger Federer ended the year ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings.
In 2004, a second series of agreements covering nine areas, including the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention, was signed.
In 2004, about 25% of employees in Switzerland belonged to a trade union.
In 2004, the Federal Criminal Court was attributed to Bellinzona.
On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty.
In 2005, Roger Federer ended the year ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings.
In 2005, Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category.
In 2006, Roger Federer ended the year ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings.
In 2006, a referendum approved 1 billion francs of supportive investment in Southern and Central European countries to support positive ties to the EU.
Since 2006, Geneva hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council, reinforcing Switzerland's role as a hub for international organizations.
In June 2007, the Swiss National Council voted to overturn the ban on motorsport racecourses and events, but the Swiss Council of States rejected the change, so the ban remained in place.
In 2007, Roger Federer ended the year ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings.
In 2007, housing and food price levels in Switzerland were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index, respectively.
In 2007, the Swiss sailing team Alinghi successfully defended its title in the America's Cup.
In December 2009, the unemployment rate increased to 4.4%.
In 2009, Roger Federer ended the year ranked no. 1 in the ATP rankings.
In 2009, Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championship for the tenth time.
In 2010, a microcensus discovered that in Zurich, 32% of its inhabitants use the city's public transport regularly, while 26% depended on a personal vehicle.
In 2010, the Swiss Federal budget reached 62.8 billion Swiss francs, which was 11.35% of GDP.
Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in 2011 the government announced plans to end the use of nuclear energy in the following 20 to 30 years.
In 2012, 21.4% of Switzerland's population was not affiliated with any religious body, particularly in traditionally Protestant regions like Basel-City (42%), Neuchâtel (38%), Geneva (35%), Vaud (26%), and Zurich (23%).
In 2012, 34.7% of the permanent resident population aged 15 or over, had an immigrant background.
In 2012, Geneva Airport handled 13.9 million passengers.
In 2012, the Federal Administrative Court and Federal Patent Court were attributed to St. Gallen.
In 2013, Switzerland became World Vice-Champion in ice hockey.
On 9 February 2014, 50.3% of Swiss voters approved a ballot initiative to restrict immigration.
According to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, Switzerland ranked first among 132 nations in safeguarding the environment.
In 2014, 10% of the population claimed to have been targeted by racial discrimination, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
In 2014, Marcel Fässler, a Swiss racing driver, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In 2014, the Global Green Economy Index placed Switzerland among the top 10 green economies.
In 2014, the unemployment rate decreased to 3.2%.
In 2015, Nico Müller, a Swiss racing driver, won the 24 Hours Nürburgring.
In 2015, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the University of Zurich were listed 20th and 54th respectively, on the Academic Ranking of World Universities.
In 2015, the foreign citizen population was 28.9% of Switzerland.
In 2015, the richest 1% in Switzerland owned 35% of the wealth.
In 2015, there was an estimation for a significant reduction of expenditures in agriculture and national defence; from 26.5% to 12.4%.
In November 2016, Swiss voters rejected a Green Party referendum to accelerate the phaseout of nuclear power.
In December 2016, a political compromise with the EU was attained that eliminated quotas on EU citizens, but still allowed favorable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants.
According to national surveys of Swiss Federal Statistical Office 2016-2018, about 67% of resident population in Switzerland is Christian.
In 2016, German was spoken natively by 62.8% of the population; French by 22.9%; and Italian by 8.2%.
In 2016, Switzerland had 1.0 hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, 40 per cent less than world average of 1.6.
In 2016, Switzerland's membership application to the European Union was formally withdrawn due to negative popular sentiment.
In 2016, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were Swiss German (59.4%), French (23.5%), Standard German (10.6%), and Italian (8.5%). Other languages spoken at home included English (5.0%), Portuguese (3.8%), Albanian (3.0%), Spanish (2.6%) and Serbian and Croatian (2.5%).
The 2016 World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report ranked Switzerland's economy as the world's most competitive.
In 2017, Switzerland ranked 11th when adjusted for purchasing power.
In 2017, population growth (from net immigration) reached 0.54% of population
A follow-up study conducted in 2018 reported that 59% considered racism a serious problem in Switzerland. The proportion of the population that claimed to have been targeted by racial discrimination increased to almost 17% in 2018.
According to national surveys of Swiss Federal Statistical Office 2016-2018, about 67% of resident population in Switzerland is Christian.
As of 2018, the cantons comprised 2,222 municipalities.
In 2018, Switzerland became World Vice-Champion in ice hockey.
In 2018, Switzerland ranked fifth when adjusted for purchasing power.
In 2018, the canton of Basel-City had the highest GDP per capita in Switzerland, ahead of Zug and Geneva.
In 2018, the newest military reform, Weiterentwicklung der Armee (WEA), began.
In 2018, the ten largest cooperative companies in Switzerland accounted for more than 11% of GDP.
In 2018, the unemployment rate further dropped to 2.5%.
As of 2019, Switzerland's economy ranks fifth globally in terms of competitiveness.
In 2019 more than two-thirds (68%) of the permanent resident population indicated speaking more than one language regularly.
In 2019, Switzerland was ranked 87th on the Academic Ranking of World Universities.
In 2019, the average population density in Switzerland was 215.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (557/sq mi).
In 2019, the unemployment rate was 2.3%.
In 2019, wealth inequality in Switzerland increased.
Switzerland had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.53/10, ranking it 150th globally out of 172 countries.
In September 2020, a referendum calling for a vote to end the pact that allowed a free movement of people from the European Union was rejected by voters.
On 27 September 2020, 62% of Swiss voters rejected the anti-free movement referendum by SVP.
According to the World Factbook, as of 2020, the largest ethnic group in Switzerland is Swiss, accounting for 69.2% of the population.
In 2020, Switzerland has been ranked the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index.
In 2020, Switzerland ranked ninth when adjusted for purchasing power.
In 2020, Switzerland was ranked third out of 180 countries in the Environmental Performance Index.
In 2020, a national survey by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office revealed the composition of Christian minority communities, including Neo-Pietism (0.5%), Pentecostalism (0.4%), Apostolic communities (0.3%), other Protestant denominations (1.1%), the Old Catholic Church (0.1%), and other Christian denominations (0.3%). Non-Christian religions included Islam (5.3%), Hinduism (0.6%), Buddhism (0.5%), and Judaism (0.25%).
In 2020, the Roman Catholic Church had 3,048,475 registered members, while the Swiss Reformed Church had 2,015,816 members.
2021 figures show that 39.5% of the permanent resident population aged 15 or over, had an immigrant background.
As of 2021, Switzerland is the thirteenth largest exporter, and the fifth largest per capita.
In 2021, Switzerland has been ranked the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index.
By the end of 2022, the Weiterentwicklung der Armee (WEA) reform was expected to reduce the number of army personnel to 100,000.
In 2022, Switzerland has been ranked the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index.
In 2022, the life expectancy at birth in Switzerland was 82.2 years for men and 85.8 years for women.
In 2022, the median monthly gross income in Switzerland was 6,788 francs per month.
In 2023, Switzerland became a member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2023–2024 period.
In 2023, Switzerland had the second-highest global rating in the Index of Economic Freedom.
In 2023, Switzerland has been ranked the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index.
In 2023, Switzerland's unemployment rate reached a 20-year low of 2%.
In 2023, resident foreigners made up 26.3% of Switzerland's population.
In 2023, the rail network in Europe spanned 5,250 kilometres and carried 614 million passengers. Also in 2023, each Swiss resident travelled on average 2,446 kilometers by rail.
As of June 2024, the Swiss population is about 9 million.
According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Switzerland is the 6th most peaceful country in the world.
By 2024, half of the Swiss population had not attended a religious event in the past 12 months, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Over a quarter of those who left their religion cited loss of faith or disagreement with their religious community.
In 2024, Switzerland became World Vice-Champion in ice hockey.
In 2024, Switzerland has been ranked the most innovative country in the Global Innovation Index.
In 2024, Switzerland ranked 9th in the Environmental Performance Index, with good scores in air pollution, sanitation, drinking water, waste management, and climate change mitigation.
In 2024, Zurich Airport handled 31.2 million passengers, making it Switzerland's largest international flight gateway.
Switzerland won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2024 through Nemo.
Switzerland is scheduled to host the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel in 2025.
The country pledged to cut GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to the level of 1990.
Population growth in Switzerland is projected to continue to 2035, mainly due to immigration.
Switzerland plans to reach zero emissions by 2050.
The Swiss Federal Office of Energy supports the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by 2050.
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