Switzerland
The Swiss call their country the Swiss Confederation but in normal usage it is known as Switzerland and a visit to this mountainous country that is uniquely placed at the crossroads of many of the routes of Europe will be a very special experience indeed. No doubt, at present Switzerland does not quite enjoy the importance that it once had; however, its location in purely geographical terms makes it special and it is a country with more than one language that is quite unique in itself.
When in Switzerland, be prepared to hear German and Italian as well as Romansch and French that is especially spoken in the west of the country, while most people can speak English as well. With all these many languages being spoken in the country you can be forgiven for wondering whether the country has a national language or not.
A visit to Switzerland should impress most visitors that will find it to be very modern and it also has one of the highest standards of living in the world while also enjoying almost hundred percent literacy. In fact, almost a fourth of all adults hold a diploma which reflects its higher education standards and you will also find that it is a very religiously free country. It also is at the top of the heap when it comes to computer and Internet usage and it also enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. The Swiss need not have to worry about their health as not only is the extremely health climates but the health services are outstanding and almost all Swiss peoples are insured.
The first race that inhabited the country was the Helvetic Celts who later were ruled by the Romans and it was during this period that cities such as Geneva, Basel and also Zurich became the major commercial hubs of the Roman Empire. With the fall of the Roman Empire, there were many other conquerors till it passed into the control of the popes of the Roman Catholic Church. Later, there followed a period that saw three dominant families in Switzerland declare their intention to pursue joint peace, defense as well as autonomous rule. At present, the Switzerland of today is renowned for its neutrality that came about after the defeat of the Swiss by French and Venetians and which led to a renouncement of expansionism.
Present day Switzerland has about 7.3 million inhabitants with the rate of population growth being less than one percent annually. The predominant religious groups comprise the Roman Catholics (42%), Protestant (33%) and Muslims (4.3%) with another 5.4% having other religions, and the remaining eleven percent having no declared religion. The average Swiss male can expect to live up to seventy-six years while women may live till they reach eighty-two years. The country that follows a policy of neutrality was untouched by the two World Wars and with a number of high mountain peaks and wonderful cities; Switzerland is indeed a tourist delight.
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