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COUNTRY FOCUS The art of neutrality MOST think of Switzerland as possessing a strong tradition of neutrality and lacking the desire to enter into conflict. However, the truth may surprise. As far back as 1500 Swiss mercenaries were the most sought after and feared troops in Europe. 1815 was the last time Switzerland had invaded another state – France – a fortnight after Waterloo, and the Swiss army last fought in 1847, during the Sonderbund, a short civil war. Since then, Swiss troops had only twice been mobilised against possible invasion – once when threatened by Prussia in 1856-57, and again during the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War. It's stance on neutrality dates back, some say to the 1500s, but it was the 1815 Treaty of Paris where Austria, France, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Spain and Sweden formally agreed that Switzerland should be neutral. But as is the case with these country profiles, we need to outline what else Switzerland is known for – and the list isn’t short. We could start with cheese fondues, the national dish – a mix of gruyere cheese, wine and corn starch. Then there’s melt-in-the-mouth chocolate from brands such as Lindt, Nestle and Toblerone, superb scenery including mountains such as the Matterhorn, Eiger and Jungfrau as well as lakes such as Lucerne, Constance and Geneva, Heidi – a character that is to the Swiss as Oliver Twist is to the British, and importantly, watchmaking with brands that include Omega, Breitling and Chopard. History In terms of its ‘modern’ history – the oldest traces of humans are about 150,000 years old. The area came under the rule of the Romans, then, for a short time, under Charlemagne. In 962 German king Otto I became Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire with control over what is now known as Switzerland. 1291 is considered the founding year of the Confederation – when three rural valley communities banded together in order to be better prepared for attacks from the outside. A loose federation developed in the 14th and 15th centuries. By the end of the 15th century it was strong enough to affect the balance of power in Europe. The 17th century saw further development. Much of Europe was involved in the 30 Years War, but the Confederation remained neutral. This led to Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire, which was formally recognised by the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia. In 1798, France invaded Switzerland and proclaimed a centralised state. Switzerland was forced to abandon its neutrality and to provide troops for France. After the Sonderbund War, the Constitution of 1848 followed. It led to a more centralised form of Government and a single economic area. However, the 19th century was hard economically, and emigration increased. Come the 20th century an agrarian Switzerland industrialised, and the standard of living rose significantly. Switzerland remained neutral and did not actively participate in either of the two World Wars. Politically, Switzerland is now direct democracy, governed by the Federal Council, a seven-member collegial body. Federal councillors are elected by the United Federal Assembly, which consists of an upper and a lower chamber. The National Council is the lower house, and represents the people. The Council of States is the upper and represents the 26 cantonal Governments. Geography The Swiss Government’s own website outlines that not only is the country one of the smallest in Europe but that 70 percent of it is mountainous and home to 25 percent of the population. It’s landmass measures 41,291 sq.km, which places it in 132nd position, below the Netherlands but above Bhutan and Taiwan. Compared to the UK’s 243,610 sq.km, Switzerland is just under one sixth the size. Switzerland shares a 1935 km-long border with Italy, France, Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein and is known as Europe’s ‘Water Tower’ since it hosts the sources of the Rhine, Rhone, Po and Danube. There are, according to the Swiss Government, some 1500 lakes and overall the country holds six percent of Europe’s fresh water. Brave | Curious | Resilient / www.cicm.com / April 2024 / PAGE 34
on Switzerland xZurich, the largest city in Switzerland. The country comprises three distinct geographical regions – the Alps which covers roughly 58 percent of the country, the Central Plateau which occupies around 31 percent, and the Jura which makes up 11 percent of the area. Around 23 percent of Switzerland is above 2000m. Population centres As for population distribution, Investment Monitor cites January 2020 data from the Switzerland Federal Statistical Office. The largest urban centre is Zurich with 435,000 residents which is followed by Geneva with 202,000, Basel with 180,000, Bern – the capital – with 144,000, and Lausanne with just 140,000 inhabitants. Other data from the Federal Statistical Office notes that there are six more cities with between 40,000 and 90,000 inhabitants, 36 towns with between 20,000 and 40,000 residents, 103 with 10,000 to 20,000 people. Language Not unsurprisingly, considering where Switzerland lies, there are four national languages – German, French, Italian, and Romansh. That said, German, French, and Italian are given equal status as official languages and Romansh is used in dealings with people who speak it. x St Pierre Cathedral, Cour de Saint-Pierre, Geneva, Switzerland Geneva is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich). Brave | Curious | Resilient / www.cicm.com /April 2024 / PAGE 35 continues on page 36 >
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