An absolutely beautiful country. Switzerland has the history, the mountains, the cheeses, the culture and everything in between.

Switzerland’s geographical position with its transit routes over the Alps made it a desirable possession for European great powers through the ages.

Switzerland developed slowly over many centuries, as more and more regions came together to form a loose confederation whose members gave each other mutual support. At times their different interests stretched the bonds between them almost to breaking point.

It was only in 1848 that Switzerland became a more centralised federal state. This favoured its economic development and ended any possibility that Switzerland might break up.

At the end of primary school (or at the beginning of secondary school), pupils are separated according to their capacities in several (often three) sections. The best students are taught advanced classes to be prepared for further studies and the matura, while students who assimilate a little bit more slowly receive an education more adapted to their needs. This separation can be summarized as follows:

• Pre-gymnasium: this division aims to prepare the students for Gymnasium (german) /gymnase/collège/lycée (french) /liceo (italian) or other schools which deliver a Federal maturity diploma. Students often have the choice between a science stream (with many hours of mathematics, and an introduction to physics and chemistry) and a more literary stream with Latin (and sometimes Greek).
• Intermediate: this division targets intermediate students whose goal it is to go to technical or secretarial schools, for example.
• Pre-professional: This division regroups students who are more interested in manual jobs, and prepares them for an apprenticeship by giving them strong bases in spelling, reading and mathematics.

The purpose of this system is to give every student an education that fits his or her needs and interests, but it is also criticized because it segregates children based on intellectual capacity. Secondary I school continues until grade nine, which marks the end of compulsory school.

The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of the Federation. It ensures the rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdictions. Under the Federal Constitution, there are three main governing bodies:^[6] the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial).

The parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation. Members of both houses serve for 4 years.

The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:

Like many European nations the Swiss are big fans of football (soccer) and the national team or 'Nati' is widely supported. Swiss wrestling or "Schwingen" is an old tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practiced among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is also central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 kg Unspunnenstein. Motorsport race courses were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster.

Floorball is a newcoming sport in Switzerland that grows every year in popularity. A main factor is the professional league called NLA that draws many famous players from other countries. Over the last years also Swiss tennis players, like Roger Federer and Martina Hingis, have been multiple Grand Slam singles champions.