Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 9 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts its largest cities and economic centres, including Zurich, Geneva, and Basel.
The foreign relations of Switzerland are the primary responsibility of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Some international relations of Switzerland are handled by other departments of the federal administration of Switzerland.
Swiss International Air Lines AG, stylized as SWISS, is the flag carrier of Switzerland and a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, as well as a Star Alliance member. It operates scheduled services in Europe and to North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Zurich Airport serves as its main hub and Geneva Airport as its secondary hub.
Banking in Switzerland dates to the early 18th century through Switzerland's merchant trade and over the centuries has grown into a complex and regulated international industry. Banking is seen as emblematic of Switzerland and the country has been one of the largest offshore financial centers and tax havens in the world since the mid-20th century, with a long history of banking secrecy and client confidentiality reaching back to the early 1700s. Starting as a way to protect wealthy European banking interests, Swiss banking secrecy was codified in 1934 with the passage of a landmark federal law, the Federal Act on Banks and Savings Banks. These laws were used to protect assets of persons being persecuted by Nazi authorities but have also been used by people and institutions seeking to illegally evade taxes, hide assets, or to commit other financial crime.
Murat Yakin is a Swiss football coach and former player. He is the manager of the Switzerland national football team.
Fussballclub Zürich, commonly abbreviated to FC Zürich or simply FCZ, is a professional football club based in Zurich, Switzerland. The club was founded in 1896 and has won the Swiss Super League 13 times and the Swiss Cup ten times. Their most recent titles are the 2022 Swiss Super League and the 2018 Swiss Cup. The club plays its home games at the Letzigrund, which has a capacity of 26,000 for league games.
Ciriaco Sforza is a Swiss football manager and former professional player who last managed Swiss Super League club Basel. After beginning his career with Swiss clubs FC Aarau and Grasshopper Club Zürich, he most notably played for Internazionale in Italy, and 1. FC Kaiserslautern, and FC Bayern Munich in Germany. Sforza represented the Switzerland national team 79 times, and represented his country at the international 1994 World Cup and Euro 96 tournaments.
David Sesa is a Swiss football manager and former player. He is the manager of Rapperswil-Jona. A midfielder or forward, he made 36 appearances for the Switzerland national team. He is the current manager of Bellinzona in the Swiss Challenge League.
AC Bellinzona is a Swiss football club based in Bellinzona. It was founded in 1904, and won the Swiss Super League in 1948. After being folded in 2013 declaring bankruptcy, the team played the Ticino Group of 2.Liga, the sixth tier of the Swiss Football League System in 2014–15 season. After winning it and the 1. Liga Classic, Bellinzona is promoted to 1. Liga Promotion. They currently play in the Swiss Challenge League, the second tier of Swiss football.
Simone Grippo is a Swiss professional footballer who plays for FC Lausanne-Sport as a central defender. He was a Swiss youth international footballer.
The Green Liberal Party of Switzerland, abbreviated to GLP, is a centrist green-liberal political party in Switzerland. Founded in 2007, the party holds eleven seats in the Federal Assembly as of the October 2023 election.
Jeff Saibene is a Luxembourgish former professional footballer and manager who most recently managed Swiss Challenge League club Neuchâtel Xamax.
Ramona Bachmann is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a forward for National Women's Soccer League club Houston Dash and the Switzerland national team.
"U Know It Ain't Love" is the debut single by R.J., featuring vocals from American rapper Pitbull. The song was written by Giovanbattista Giorgilli, Armando Christian Perez, Stephen Singer, Steve Obas, Shauna Gaye, Melissa McKenzie and produced by David May, Michel Schuhmacher, Marc "Marquito" Zibung. It was released in Belgium and Kontor, Ultra Records, JVC Japan, as a digital download on 28 November 2011.
Gaëtan Haas is a Swiss professional ice hockey centre who currently serves as captain of EHC Biel of the National League (NL). Haas previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Edmonton Oilers. He won one NL title with SC Bern in 2019.
Christian Andreas Fassnacht is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a right winger for EFL Championship club Norwich City and the Switzerland national team.
The 2017–18 Swiss Super League was the 121st season of top-tier competitive football in Switzerland and the 15th under its current name and format. Basel were the defending champions. Young Boys won the title on 28 April 2018 after a 2–1 win against Luzern, with four games to spare. It was their first league title in 32 years, having last won the league in the 1985–1986 season, and their 12th league title overall. They also ended Basel's run of eight consecutive titles.
Dominik Robin Schmid is a Swiss professional footballer who plays for FC Basel and the Switzerland national football team. A versatile player, he most often plays on the left wing in either defense or midfield.
The 2018–19 Swiss Super League was the 122nd season of top-tier competitive football in Switzerland and the 16th under its current name and format.
The 2021–22 Swiss Super League was the 125th season of top-tier competitive football in Switzerland and the 19th under its current name and format.
