Switzerland

Switzerland is a landlocked country in central Europe, officially the Swiss Confederation. It comprises 26 cantons and borders France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein.

Cantons of Switzerland: The 26 constituent states of Switzerland, each with its own constitution, government, and legislature. Cantons are the country’s principal territorial units and retain substantial authority.
Swiss referendum: A nationwide vote through which Swiss citizens approve or reject laws and constitutional changes. Referendums let voters directly challenge or endorse decisions made by parliament.
Old Swiss Confederacy: A loose alliance of territories that developed in central Europe from the late thirteenth century to 1798. Its alliances formed the historical basis for the later Swiss state.
Geneva Conventions: A set of treaties establishing standards for the humane treatment of people during armed conflict. Swiss diplomacy and Geneva’s role in humanitarian work helped make the conventions central to international law.
Swiss Federal Council: The seven-member executive body that collectively governs Switzerland and serves as its federal government. Its shared leadership reflects Switzerland’s distinctive approach to executive power.
Swiss popular initiative: A procedure allowing citizens to propose an amendment to the Swiss Federal Constitution. It gives citizens a route to place constitutional changes before a national vote.
Swiss Federal Constitution of 1848: The constitution that transformed Switzerland from a loose confederation into a federal state in 1848. It established the modern federal institutions that replaced a weak central arrangement.
International Committee of the Red Cross: A humanitarian organization founded in Geneva in 1863 to protect and assist victims of armed conflict. Its Swiss origins connect the country with modern humanitarian action.
Swiss Federal Assembly: Switzerland’s bicameral federal parliament, comprising the National Council and the Council of States. It represents both the population and the cantons in national lawmaking.
Concordance democracy: A form of democracy that seeks broad agreement among major political parties and social groups. Power-sharing helps explain Switzerland’s multiparty executive and consensus-oriented politics.

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