Switzerland is a federation located in the Alps, in Central Europe. It is both one of the most decentralized and wealthiest countries in the World, often praised as a model of stability. The country was built in many stages. It started with the union of three tiny territories around the city of Schwytz that refused to acknowledge the authority of the German Emperor. Their determination to fight for their independence led to gradual rallies of larger neighbouring territories. By expanding to the West and the South, the German-speaking entity absorbed some French and Italian speaking areas, a characteristic that remains true today.
The Holy Roman Empire recognized the full independence and neutrality of the Swiss Cantons at the Westphalian treaty of 1648. After a period of French domination the the Napoleonic years, Switzerland recovered its sovereignty in 1815. Today, it is composed of 26 cantons.
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Switzerland in 2022
