<P> Switzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a sovereign state in Europe . It consists of 26 cantons , and the city of Bern is the seat of the federal authorities . The federal republic is situated in western , central and southern Europe , and is bordered by Italy to the south , France to the west , Germany to the north , and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east . Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps , the Swiss Plateau and the Jura , spanning a total area of 41,285 km ( 15,940 sq mi ) ( land area 39,997 km ( 15,443 sq mi ) ) . While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory , the Swiss population of approximately eight million people is concentrated mostly on the plateau , where the largest cities are to be found : among them are the two global cities and economic centres Zürich and Geneva . </P>
<P> Switzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a sovereign state in Europe . It consists of 26 cantons , and the city of Bern is the seat of the federal authorities . The federal republic is situated in western , central and southern Europe , and is bordered by Italy to the south , France to the west , Germany to the north , and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east . Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps , the Swiss Plateau and the Jura , spanning a total area of 41,285 km ( 15,940 sq mi ) ( land area 39,997 km ( 15,443 sq mi ) ) . While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory , the Swiss population of approximately eight million people is concentrated mostly on the plateau , where the largest cities are to be found : among them are the two global cities and economic centres Zürich and Geneva . </P>
term for a member state of the swiss confederation
term for a member state of the swiss confederation
cantons
cantons