Understanding Switzerland — institutions, geography and key facts
Switzerland's political system, geography, population and vocabulary, explained clearly. Lost in the Jungle's reference material to understand the country and its news.
Institutions & politics
How Switzerland works: Federal Council, Parliament, cantons, parties and direct democracy, explained simply.
- Becoming Swiss: naturalisation and residence permits
- Swiss direct democracy: popular votes, initiatives, referendums
- Swiss neutrality: where it comes from and what it means
- Swiss political parties and the “magic formula”
- Switzerland and the European Union: neither member nor isolated
- The Swiss army and military service: how it works
- The Swiss education system: school, gymnasium and apprenticeship
- The Swiss political system: Federal Council, Parliament, cantons
Geography & population
Switzerland in figures and on the map: population, area, cantons, languages and major cities.
- Geography of Switzerland: capital, area and cantons
- Population of Switzerland: how many inhabitants and what demographics?
- The 26 Swiss cantons: the full list with capitals
- The climate of Switzerland: four seasons and sharp contrasts
- The languages of Switzerland: four languages and the Röstigraben
- The largest cities in Switzerland: Zurich, Geneva, Basel…
Key facts & figures
The definitions and key facts to understand Swiss news: old-age pension, occupational pension, the SMI, popular votes…
- Health insurance in Switzerland (LAMal): how it works
- Housing in Switzerland: a nation of renters
- Public holidays in Switzerland: why they vary by canton
- Recycling and waste in Switzerland: the bag tax and sorting
- Salaries in Switzerland: how much do people really earn?
- State, occupational and private pensions: the Swiss retirement system explained
- Swiss public transport: the SBB and a renowned network
- Taxes in Switzerland: Confederation, canton and municipality
- The cost of living in Switzerland: expensive, but why?
- The driving licence in Switzerland: steps and exchange
- The history of Switzerland in a few key dates
- The SMI explained: the benchmark index of the Swiss stock market
- The Swiss franc and the central bank: why such a strong currency?
- The Swiss healthcare system: respected, costly, decentralised
- Working in Switzerland: work permits and cross-border commuters
Sport
Switzerland's major professional sports leagues explained — ice hockey, football and more — with where to follow official standings and results live.
Obituaries
Where to consult death notices in Switzerland, canton by canton and region by region — the official and press sources. We publish no named notices: we point to the publishers that carry them.
- Death notices in Fribourg: where to consult them
- Death notices in Geneva: where to consult them
- Death notices in Neuchâtel: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Aargau: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Basel-Landschaft: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Basel-Stadt: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Bern: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Glarus: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Graubünden: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Lucerne: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Nidwalden: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Obwalden: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Schaffhausen: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Schwyz: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Solothurn: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of St. Gallen: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Thurgau: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Uri: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Vaud: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Zug: where to consult them
- Death notices in the canton of Zurich: where to consult them
- Death notices in the Jura: where to consult them
- Death notices in Ticino: where to consult them
- Death notices in Valais: where to consult them