Welcome to Switzerland 🇨🇠— a remarkable landlocked destination in Western Europe. Its official name is Swiss Confederation, and today around 9.0 million people call this Europe nation home, spread across roughly 41,284 km² of territory.
Below is your complete country profile for Switzerland: key statistics, an introduction to Bern, an interactive map, cultural notes and answers to the questions people most often ask about this corner of Europe.
Geography of Switzerland
Geographically, Switzerland belongs to Western Europe within Europe. Its territory spans approximately 41,284 km², which makes it the 136th largest country or territory on Earth.
As a landlocked country, Switzerland has no direct access to the open ocean, which has shaped its trade routes, cuisine and history in distinctive ways. It shares land borders with Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein and Germany.
The capital city is Bern, the political and cultural heart of the country and usually the first stop for visitors who want to understand how swiss life really works.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
People, language and culture
Around 9.0 million people live in Switzerland, making it the 101st most populous country or territory in the world. A person from Switzerland is called a Swiss.
Switzerland is multilingual: the languages spoken include French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. This linguistic variety reflects the country's layered history and the many communities that shaped it.
Beyond the numbers, everyday culture in Switzerland — from markets and music to family traditions — is what makes discovering it through a random spin so rewarding.
Currency, travel and practical facts
The official currency is the Swiss franc (CHF, symbol Fr.). Exchange rates fluctuate, so check current rates before travelling.
The international dialling code for Switzerland is +41. Websites from the country typically use the .ch internet domain.
Quiz tip: the three facts most worth memorising about Switzerland are its flag, its capital Bern, and its approximate population of 9.0 million.
Neighbouring countries
Switzerland shares borders with 5 countries:
Fun facts about Switzerland
- Switzerland's flag emoji is 🇨🇠— its two-letter country code is CH and its three-letter code is CHE.
- Switzerland covers 41,284 km², ranking 136th in the world by area.
- With about 9.0 million people, Switzerland holds the 101st spot in the world population ranking.
- Switzerland is a member state of the United Nations.
- Switzerland is one of the world's landlocked countries — it has no sea coastline.
Switzerland — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Switzerland?
- The capital of Switzerland is Bern.
- What is the population of Switzerland?
- Switzerland has a population of approximately 9,005,582 people, ranking 101st in the world.
- Where is Switzerland located?
- Switzerland is located in Western Europe, part of the Europe region. It is a landlocked country.
- What language is spoken in Switzerland?
- The languages spoken in Switzerland include French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
- What currency is used in Switzerland?
- Switzerland uses the Swiss franc (CHF).
