The Swiss Confederation is a federal republic made of 26 cantons, or states. With its current capital in Bern, the Swiss Confederation was born on August 1, 1291. Its current constitution was adopted on December 18, 1998. The Swiss Confederation is headed by a President and Vice President, elected from the Federal Council, by the bicameral Federal Assembly, for single-year terms.
The Swiss Confederation is located in Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy. It has a long tradition of neutrality, respected by the major European powers. It was one of the only nations uninvolved in either world war. The nation entered the United Nations in 2002.
