what languages are there in switzerland?
Romansh language French Language German Language Italian Language
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 The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages , and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German , French and Italian . 

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 Three of Europe 's major languages are official in Switzerland . Swiss culture is characterised by diversity , which is reflected in a wide range of traditional customs . A region may be in some ways strongly culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language , the country itself being rooted in western European culture . The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception , it survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition . 

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 As the Confederation , from its foundation in 1291 , was almost exclusively composed of German @-@ speaking regions , the earliest forms of literature are in German . In the 18th century , French became the fashionable language in Bern and elsewhere , while the influence of the French @-@ speaking allies and subject lands was more marked than before . 

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 Switzerland has historically boasted the greatest number of newspaper titles published in proportion to its population and size . The most influential newspapers are the German @-@ language Tages @-@ Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ , and the French @-@ language Le Temps , but almost every city has at least one local newspaper . The cultural diversity accounts for a large number of newspapers . 

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 Spanning the intersection of Germanic and Romance Europe , Switzerland comprises four main linguistic and cultural regions : German , French , Italian and Romansh . Although the majority of the population are German speaking , Swiss national identity is rooted in 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 [ ˈʃvaɪts ] ( German ) ; Suisse [ sɥis ( ə ) ] ( French ) ; Svizzera [ ˈzvittsera ] ( Italian ) ; and Svizra [ ˈʒviːtsrɐ ] or [ ˈʒviːtsʁːɐ ] ( Romansh ) . 
