Switzerland is known for its neutrality. A country isneutral when it does not take sides among the countries that are at war. Switzerlandhas been neutral since 1815. Many international organizations are inSwitzerland. The United Nations has a main office (but not itsheadquarters) in Geneva. Its predecessor organization, the League of Nations were headquartered in Geneva.There are four official languages in Switzerland. German, French, Italian,and Romansh. Some cantons and even towns have two languages spoken inthem, and the largest canton by area, Graubünden, has three. About 2/3 ofthe population speak German; French is spoken in the west of the country, whileItalian is spoken in the canton of Ticino and Romansh in parts of Graubünden.

Romansh language is spoken less than by 1% of the population.The capital of Switzerland is Bern. The largest city ofSwitzerland is Zürich. The mountains are very tall in the center and south ofSwitzerland. About 60% of Switzerland is in the Alps area. Only a fewpeople live here. The highest mountain is the Dufour Peak at4,634 m.Many of the mountains have ice all year. This ice iscalled glaciers. The rivers Rhine, Rhône, and many other rivers startin the mountains of Switzerland.There are many lakes in Switzerland. The biggest lakesare all in the north and west: Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), LakeZürich, Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Constance (Bodensee).Mountains in the north of Switzerland are fewer and smaller.That is why most Swiss people live in cities and towns in the north. The Juramountains are in the northwest of Switzerland.