Switzerland 🇨🇭

Quick facts

• Capital: Bern
• Continent: Europe
• Population: 8,740,471
• Area: 41,285 km²
• Density: 212 people per km²
• Currency: CHF
• Languages: German, French, Italian, Romansh
• ISO code: CH

Where Switzerland sits

Switzerland 🇨🇭 is one of 46 countries in Europe, with its capital at Bern. It covers 41,285 square kilometres — 132nd in the world — and is home to about 8,740,471 people, 101st globally.

The countries it shares a continent with include Russia, Germany, United Kingdom, France and Italy. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.

How Switzerland compares

Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Switzerland sits closest to Togo and Sierra Leone. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Netherlands and Denmark.

At 212 people per square kilometre it is about 3.6 times the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by population than by area, so it is more crowded than its size alone suggests.

German is an official language in 6 countries here, among them Austria, Belgium, Germany and Liechtenstein, and 1 other. The CHF is shared with 1 other country, including Liechtenstein.

To see Switzerland next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.

How to remember Switzerland

Swiss law does not name a capital: Bern is called the 'federal city', and it is the quiz answer. For the flag, think of the Red Cross emblem, which is the Swiss flag with its colours switched.

The flag of Switzerland: red and white

🇨🇭 The flag is a square red flag with a white cross in the centre whose arms do not reach the edges. The origin of the flag is unclear, but a white cross was used to identify Swiss troops at the Battle of Laupen in 1339. It is one of only two square national flags; the other is Vatican City's.

Region and neighbours

Switzerland is a mountainous, landlocked country in Central Europe, divided between the Swiss Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura Mountains. It shares land borders with 5 countries: Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy and France. Switzerland is landlocked, with no coast on the open ocean.

• Germany 🇩🇪 — capital Berlin
• Austria 🇦🇹 — capital Vienna
• Liechtenstein 🇱🇮 — capital Vaduz
• Italy 🇮🇹 — capital Rome
• France 🇫🇷 — capital Paris

Three facts about Switzerland

1. Switzerland has four main language regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh.
2. The Dufourspitze on Monte Rosa, 4,634 m, is the highest point in Switzerland.
3. Switzerland has kept a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century.

Sources: Wikipedia: Switzerland, Wikipedia: Flag of Switzerland, Wikipedia: Bern, CIA World Factbook.

Quiz yourself on Switzerland

• European capitals quiz — match Switzerland to Bern
• European flags quiz — spot the Switzerland flag among its neighbours
• Landlocked countries quiz — Switzerland has no sea coast

Quizzes that include Switzerland

Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Switzerland those are:

• Europe map quiz — place it on a blank map
• Europe flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
• Europe capitals quiz — match it to Bern
• Switzerland capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Switzerland
• Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day

Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.

Read more about Switzerland

• Capital of Switzerland: Bern — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
• All 46 countries of Europe

Nearby countries

• Albania 🇦🇱 — capital Tirana
• Andorra 🇦🇩 — capital Andorra la Vella
• Austria 🇦🇹 — capital Vienna
• Belarus 🇧🇾 — capital Minsk
• Belgium 🇧🇪 — capital Brussels
• Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦 — capital Sarajevo
• Bulgaria 🇧🇬 — capital Sofia
• Croatia 🇭🇷 — capital Zagreb
• Cyprus 🇨🇾 — capital Nicosia
• Czechia 🇨🇿 — capital Prague
• Denmark 🇩🇰 — capital Copenhagen
• Estonia 🇪🇪 — capital Tallinn

Frequently asked questions

What are the colours of the Switzerland flag?

The flag of Switzerland is a square red flag with a white cross in the centre whose arms do not reach the edges. The origin of the flag is unclear, but a white cross was used to identify Swiss troops at the Battle of Laupen in 1339. It is one of only two square national flags; the other is Vatican City's.

Which countries border Switzerland?

Switzerland shares land borders with Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy and France.

How can I remember the capital of Switzerland?

Swiss law does not name a capital: Bern is called the 'federal city', and it is the quiz answer. For the flag, think of the Red Cross emblem, which is the Swiss flag with its colours switched.