Switzerland

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Switzerland is a landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by France to the west, Germany to the north, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, and Italy to the south. The country has a rich history that dates back to prehistoric times, with evidence of human settlements dating back over 15,000 years. In the Middle Ages, Switzerland was a confederation of small states known as the Swiss Confederacy, which formed in the 14th century and was part of the Holy Roman Empire until the Treaty of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years War in 1648. Over the centuries, Switzerland remained neutral in major European conflicts, which helped to maintain its independence and stability. Today, Switzerland is a prosperous and democratic country with a strong tradition of direct democracy, federalism, and respect for human rights. Its economy is highly developed and diversified, with a strong focus on finance, pharmaceuticals, and precision engineering.

The regions of Switzerland

Switzerland is divided into three main geographic regions:

The Swiss Alps: This is the largest geographic region, covering about 60% of the country's total land area. It's home to high mountain peaks, including Dufourspitze, the highest peak in Switzerland.
The Swiss Plateau: Also known as the "Middle Land," this region runs across the country from the southeast to the northwest. It's the most populous region of the country and is where the major cities, including Zurich and Geneva, are located.
The Jura: This mountainous region is located in the northwest of Switzerland, extending from the southwest to the northeast. It's characterized by its rugged terrain and is less densely populated than the Swiss Plateau.

In addition to these geographic regions, Switzerland is politically divided into 26 cantons, each of which has its own constitution:

Swiss history

In pre-Roman times the Alpine region was settled, like much of Western and Central Europe, by a mix of Celtic and Germanic tribes. The Helvetii and the Raetians predominated here around the time that Julius Caesar began conquering Gaul (modern-day France) for Rome in the middle of the first century BCE. He largely bypassed the upland Alpine regions to begin with in favor of conquering the lowland to the west and north-west, but once Gaul was conquered it became imperative to reduce the Alps as well in order to secure the transport and communication routes south into Italy. Thus, in due course the Helvetians and Raetians were reduced to Roman rule and numerous Roman colonies were settled in the region, particularly in the Central Plateau to the west of the Alps.^[1]

During the medieval period the Swiss region formed part of the great empire of Charlemagne in the eighth and ninth centuries and became part of the Holy Roman Empire as a consequence. In a process which was similar to what happened in Germany and much of Italy, the Carolingian Empire eventually fragmented into dozens of small principalities and city-states in Switzerland during the High Middle Ages. Many of its more aggressive and powerful neighbors attempted to impose their will on the Swiss and this led the various Swiss city-states or ‘cantons’ to eventually band together into a loose political and military alliance in 1291. This Swiss confederacy was the root of the modern state of Switzerland.^[2]

Through the early modern period the Swiss managed to maintain their autonomy and indeed became famed for their martial abilities, with nation-states and even the Papacy hiring Swiss guards regularly, a development which is still reflected in the ceremonial presence of a Swiss guard in the Vatican City down to the present day. The cantons also became infamous for the radical form of Protestantism which developed in cities like Geneva and Zurich under preachers like Jean Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli in the sixteenth century. Geneva and the Calvinist form of Protestantism which emerged there became the barometer by which advanced evangelical Protestants across Europe measured themselves throughout the early modern period.^[3]

The confederacy’s fierce independence was briefly compromised at the end of the eighteenth century when the French, as part of the French Revolutionary Wars, conquered the Alpine state and established the Helvetic Republic. But the Swiss proved impossible to control and after rebellions continued to rage here, even Napoleon Bonaparte decided it was best to leave the Swiss to their own devices. A civil war of sorts known as the Sonderbund War in 1847 was fought over the issue of developing a more centralized state. Modern Switzerland, with its emphasis on neutrality and acting as a haven for international organizations, emerged from this.^[4]

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Swiss history

Swiss geography

Switzerland is dominated by the Alps, which cover 58% of the country and predominate in particular in the eastern half of the country. There are 49 peaks here alone that reach over 4,000 meters or higher, which gives a sense of how intensely upland this part of the country is. Unsurprisingly, despite constituting nearly three-fifths of the country’s land mass, just over 10% of the population is found here. Instead, the main centers of population are found to the west in the two other distinct geographical regions which make up Switzerland. The first of these is the Jura Mountain region in the extreme west along the border with France. This is a much more modest mountain range and there are a number of important Swiss towns and cities here including Basel. The economic and political center of Switzerland is found in the third distinct geographical area, the Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau which lies between the Jura Mountains on the west and the Alps in the east, as well as being surrounded by waterways such as the River Rhone, Lake Constance and Lake Geneva. Constituting 30% of the land in Switzerland, it lies at an average height of about 600 meters above sea level.^[5] Nearly all of Switzerland’s major cities are found here, including Bern, Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne and St Gallen. Over two-thirds of the entire population of Switzerland live in the Central Plateau, despite constituting less than one-third of the country’s land mass.^[6]

See also:

Swiss geography

Researching family history in Switzerland

Switzerland has some of the most detailed records available for family history and genealogical studies of any country on earth, with detailed religious records stretching back to the sixteenth century, while individual cantons and cities such as Bern were carrying out censuses as early as the mid-eighteenth century. The Helvetic census of 1798 was the first national census and regular censuses have been undertaken every decade since 1850. Many of the relevant records for family history studies in Switzerland are housed today in the Swiss Federal Archives.^[7] However, because of the federal nature of the Swiss state and the historic canton system, many records for genealogical studies are region specific. Hence, one is more likely to find older records pertaining to Zurich, for example, at the Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, and so on and so forth.^[8]

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Swiss ethnicity

Swiss ethnicity is a complex and diverse mix of various European ethnicities. The majority of the population is of North and West European descent, with Italian being the next most common ethnicity, followed by Iberian, and Greek and South Italian. The presence of Iberian and Mediterranean ethnicities, particularly Italian, can be traced back to historical migration patterns, including those from the Roman Empire and the various medieval kingdoms and principalities. The blend of these ethnicities has given rise to a distinct Swiss culture characterized by its strong emphasis on independence, democracy, and neutrality. Today, Switzerland is a multicultural country with a significant population of immigrants and expatriates from around the world.

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Swiss surnames

Swiss surnames are a valuable resource for those researching their family history in Switzerland. Due to the country's linguistic and regional diversity, Swiss surnames are often linked to a particular language or region, making them essential for tracing ancestry accurately. Many Swiss surnames are derived from occupations, geographic features, or family names, providing additional insights into a family's history. For example, the surname "Müller" is derived from the occupation of a miller, while "Bachmann" is derived from someone who lived near a stream or brook. Other surnames like "Zürcher" and "Genfer" are linked to specific regions in Switzerland. Researchers can use various records and databases to track migrations, occupations, and family connections based on surnames. By understanding the meanings and origins of Swiss surnames, researchers can gain valuable insights into their family history and heritage.

See also:

Swiss surnames

References

[1] ttps://www.eda.admin.ch/aboutswitzerland/en/home/politik-geschichte/geschichte-der-schweiz.html

[2] ttps://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Switzerland

[3] ttps://www.worldhistory.org/John_Calvin/

[4] ttps://historyatelier.com/post/switzerland-sonderbund-war/

[5] ttps://www.countryreports.org/country/Switzerland/geography.htm

[6] ttps://www.eda.admin.ch/aboutswitzerland/en/home/umwelt/geografie/geografie---fakten-und-zahlen.html

[7] ttps://www.bar.admin.ch/bar/en/home.html

[8] ttps://www.zh.ch/de/direktion-der-justiz-und-des-innern/staatsarchiv.html

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