Switzerland, the land of Alps, is the most culturally and linguistically diverse region of Europe. It primarily has four cultural and linguistic regions: Germanic, French, Italian and Romansh. The very existence of linguistic variety has given birth to a culture which is unique to Switzerland.
Switzerland is a landlocked country. It has Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. It is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps, and the Jura, spanning a total area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi), and land area of 39,997 km2 (15,443 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million is concentrated mostly on the plateau, where the largest cities and economic centres are located, among them are Zürich, Geneva and Basel.
Switzerland is one of the most developed countries in the world, with the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest per capita gross domestic product. It ranks at or near the top in several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and human development. Zürich, Geneva and Basel have been ranked among the top ten cities in the world in terms of quality of life, with Zürich ranked second globally. In 2019, World Economic Forum ranked it the 5th most competitive country globally.
In the field of education, Switzerland boasts of world class institutions. Many Nobel Prize laureates have come from Switzerland, including the Father of Theory of Relativity, Albert Einstein. With distinguished track record of producing Nobel Award winners, Switzerland offers an inspiring environment of learning to those, who plan to broaden the academic horizon.