Switzerland the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot noir. The Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino. Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a country in Europe. It consists of 26 cantons, and the city of Bern is the seat of the federal authorities. The sovereign state is a federal republic situated in western, central and southern Europe, and is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning
Cantons of Switzerland one federal public holiday (1 August); public holidays otherwise vary from canton to canton. The cantons are listed in their order of precedence given in the federal constitution. This reflects the historical order of precedence of the Eight Cantons in the 15th century, followed by the remaining cantons in the order of their historical accession to the confederacy. The two-letter abbreviations for Swiss cantons are widely used, e.g. on car license plates. They are also used in the with the prefix "CH-" ("Confœderatio Helvetica"—Helvetian Confederation—"Helvetia" having been the ancient Roman name of the region). "CH-SZ", for example, is used for