Switzerland
Straddling the intersection of Germanic and Romance Europe, Switzerland comprises four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Therefore, the Swiss, although predominantly German-speaking, do not form a nation in the sense of a common ethnicity or language; rather, Switzerland's strong sense of identity and community is founded on a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by a variety of native names: Schweiz ['SvaIts] (German);[note 5] Suisse [sYis(@)] (French); Svizzera ['zvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra ['Zvi:tsra] or ['Zvi:tsR:a] (Romansh).[note 6]
What do the Italian Swiss call Switzerland?
Svizzera
Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by a variety of native names: Schweiz ['SvaIts] (German);[note 5] Suisse [sYis(@)] (French); Svizzera ['zvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra ['Zvi:tsra] or ['Zvi:tsR:a] (Romansh).
Switzerland