Switzerland| Population: | 7,554,661 |
|---|---|
| Area: | 15,942 sq. miles |
| Location: | Europe |
| Capital: | Bern |
| Major Cities: | Geneva, Zurich |
| Language(s): | German (official), French (official), Italian (official) |
| Winter Olympic Debut: | 1924 |
A landlocked republic in central Europe, Switzerland has maintained armed neutrality since 1815 and has not been involved in a foreign war since 1515. It is a leading world banking center.
Switzerland has competed in every Olympic Winter Games, and with success across several sports such as Alpine skiing, bobsled and -- in a 1998 stunner -- curling, is ranked 9th in the all-time medal standings with 117 total.
Switzerland has seemed to regain its footing as one of the top Alpine skiing countries in the world. They will have many medal contenders in this sport, as well as others, such as curling, snowboarding, bobsled, skeleton and freestyle skiing. On Day 2, Simon Ammann won the first gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics when he won the men's individual - normal hill event in ski jumping.
JonasHockey
BeatBobsled
SabinaBobsled
RalphCurling
SimonSki Jumping
AndreasSki Jumping
IvoBobsled
Images of the Parade of Nations at the 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremony.
Images of the U.S. delegation at the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 12.
