Switzerland

Officially Named The Swiss Confederation, Switzerland has traditionally been known for its neutrality and only became an official member of the United Nations (UN) in 2002. While maintain-

Independent Scholaring [Page 1694]its neutral position, Switzerland has continued to take an active role in international politics and economics. Although the country is landlocked, it has 569 square miles (1,520 square kilometers) of inland water. With the Alps in the south and the Jura in the northwest, much of Switzerland's terrain is mountainous. The central plateau is made up of rolling hills interspersed with plains and large lakes. The temperate climate produces variations according to altitude, varying between the highest point at Dufourspitze (15,203 feet [4,634 meters]) and the lowest point at Lake Maggiore (640 feet [195 meters]). ...