Switzerland,
is a
landlocked
alpine
country
of
roughly
7.7
million
people
(2009)
in
Western
Europe
with
an
area
of
41,285 km².
Switzerland
is a
federal
republic
consisting
of
26
states,
called
cantons.
Bern
is
the
seat
of
the
federal
authorities,
while
the
country's
economic
centres
are
its
three
global
cities,
Geneva,
Basel
and
especially
Zürich.
Switzerland
is
one
of
the
richest
countries
in
the
world
by
per
capita
gross
domestic
product,
with
a
nominal
per
capita
GDP
of
$67,384.
Zürich
and
Geneva
have
respectively
been
ranked
as
having
the
second
and
third
highest
quality
of
life
in
the
world.

