Confederation of Switzerland

The Confederation of Switzerland, commonly called Switzerland, is a country composed of 26 semi-autonomous regions known as cantons. Established in 1848, it functions as a federal state where cantons have significant self-governance, especially on local issues, while the national government manages broader aspects like defense and foreign policy. Switzerland is known for its political neutrality, direct democracy, and multilingual culture, with German, French, Italian, and Romansh as official languages. Its federal system allows cooperation and autonomy, balancing local interests with national unity, making it a stable and uniquely Swiss model of governance.