Switzerland
POPULATION 7,301,994
CHRISTIAN 79.3 percent
MUSLIM 4.3 percent
HINDU 0.4 percent
BUDDHIST 0.3 percent
JEWISH 0.2 percent
OTHER 0.1 percent
NONRELIGIOUS 11.1 percent
NO INDICATION 4.3 percent
Country Overview
Introduction
Surrounded by Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy, and France, the Swiss Confederation is among the smallest but richest countries of western Europe. It consists of 26 cantons (of which six are half-cantons). The capital is Bern. Switzerland is a multicultural country with four national languages—French, German, Italian, and Romansh.
About 20 percent of Switzerland's 7.3 million inhabitants are not of Swiss nationality. Of Switzerland's Christians (Swiss-born and foreigners), nearly 53 percent are Roman Catholic and 43 percent are Reformed (Protestant), with the rest belonging to some other, smaller Christian denomination (for example, Protestant free churches, Orthodox Christian Church, or Christ Catholic Church).
The foundations of what is now called Switzerland were laid in the thirteenth century as a federation of rural areas (Landschaften) and cities. In the following centuries several other areas and cities joined this federation. The rural areas were governed democratically; aristocracy or guilds governed the cities. This democratic element in Swiss history is exceptional in comparison to most other European countries. The Protestant Reformation, begun in the sixteenth century, was especially strong in Switzerland because many city councils saw it as an opportunity to decide religious matters themselves.
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