Submerged floating tunnel
Proposals
Table:
Date
Place
Country
Proposer
link

1886
Patent N.9558
United Kingdom
Sir Edward James Reed
[4]

1890
Patent N.447735
United States
H. Moerser
[5]

1905
Patent N.357983
France
M.F. Hennebique
[5]

1907
Patent N.862288
United States
H.O.Smith
[5]

1923

Patent

Norway

Trygve Olsen

[6]

1947

patent pending nr. 91699

Norway

Erik Ødegård

[6]

1960
Patent N.1262386
France
M.F. Cristaldi
[5]

1969
Strait of Messina
Italy
Alan Grant
[7]

1984
Como Lake
Italy
G.Magrini
[8]

1998
Høgsfjorden
Norway
Norwegian Public Roads Administration
[9][10][11][12]

April 16, 2003
Transatlantic tunnel
—
Discovery Channel's Extreme Engineering (Season 1, episode 3)
[13]

2011

Sognefjord

Norway

Norwegian Public Road Administration

[14]

2016

Bjørnafjord

Norway

Norwegian Public Road Administration

[15]

June 6, 2017
Multiple potential sites
—
Hyperloop One
[16]

?
Funka Bay, Hokkaido
Japan
Society of Submerged Floating Tunnel Technology
[17][18]

?
Lake Washington, Seattle
United States
James Felch / Subterra, Inc.
[7][18][19]

?
Vancouver Island
Canada
Ministry of Transportation of British Columbia, Canada
[20]

?
Lugano Lake
Switzerland

[7]

Cook Strait

New Zealand

Stuff.co.nz

t

[21]

Garda Lake

Italy

Giacomo Cis Onlus committee

[22]

Using the provided table as well as the relevant paragraphs provided at the end.

Provide an answer to this question: What is the capital of the country linked with a submerged floating tunnel proposed by an organization lead since 4 November 2015 by Marc Garneau ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK or U.K. ) or Britain , [ note 11 ] is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland . Existing under its current name since 1921 , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north­eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland . Otherwise , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to the east , the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the southwest , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea separates Great Britain and Ireland . The total area of the United Kingdom is 94,000 square miles ( 240,000 km2 ) . The United Kingdom is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy . [ note 12 ] The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 1952 , making her the world 's longest-serving current head of state . The United Kingdom 's capital and largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million . Other major cities include Birmingham , Manchester , Glasgow , Leeds and Liverpool . The United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries : England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland . Their capitals are London , Edinburgh , Cardiff , and Belfast , respectively .
Sir Edward James Reed , KCB , FRS ( 20 September 1830 - 30 November 1906 ) was a British naval architect , author , politician , and railroad magnate . He was the Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy from 1863 until 1870 . He was a Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1874 to 1906 .
The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. or US ) or America , is a country consisting of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions . [ g ] At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) , it is the world 's third or fourth-largest country by total area [ b ] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe . Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico . With an estimated population of over 328 million , the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the most populous city is New York City . Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783 , leading to independence . The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century - gradually acquiring new territories , displacing Native Americans , and admitting new states - until by 1848 it spanned the continent . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States . The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country 's status as a global military power .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . It is bordered by Belgium , Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast , Switzerland and Italy to the east , and Andorra and Spain to the south . The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . The country 's 18 integral regions ( five of which are situated overseas ) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres ( 248,573 sq mi ) and a total population of 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban areas include Lyon , Marseille , Toulouse , Bordeaux , Lille and Nice . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . Rome annexed the area in 51 BC , holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476 , who formed the Kingdom of Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .
The Strait of Messina ( Italian : Stretto di Messina ) is a narrow strait between the eastern tip of Sicily ( Punta del Faro ) and the western tip of Calabria ( Punta Pezzo ) in the south of Italy . It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north with the Ionian Sea to the south , within the central Mediterranean . At its narrowest point , between Torre Faro and Villa San Giovanni , it is 3.1 km ( 1.9 mi ) wide . At the town of Messina it is 5.1 km ( 3.2 mi ) wide . The strait 's maximum depth is about 250 m ( 820 ft ) . The strait has strong tidal currents that create a unique marine ecosystem . A natural whirlpool in the northern portion of the strait has been linked to the Greek legend of Scylla and Charybdis . In some circumstances , the mirage of Fata Morgana can be observed when looking at Sicily from Calabria . With its bottleneck shape , it is also a compulsory point of transit in the migration of many bird species . In 1957 , a 220 kV overhead power line was built across the Strait of Messina . Its pylons are among the highest in the world . This power line has since been replaced by a submarine power cable , but the pylons remain and are protected as historical monuments ( see Pylons of Messina ) .
Italy ( Italian : Italia [ iˈtaːlja ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Italian Republic ( Italian : Repubblica Italiana [ reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna ] ) , is a European country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands . Italy is located in south-central Europe , and it is also considered a part of Western Europe . The country covers a total area of 301,340 km2 ( 116,350 sq mi ) and shares land borders with France , Switzerland , Austria , Slovenia , and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino . Italy has a territorial exclave in Switzerland ( Campione ) and a maritime exclave in the Tunisian Sea ( Lampedusa ) . With around 60 million inhabitants , Italy is the third-most populous member state of the European Union . The capital and largest city is Rome ; other major cities are Milan , Naples , Turin , Palermo , Genoa , Bologna , Florence and Venice . Due to its central geographic location in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean , Italy has historically been home to myriad peoples and cultures . In addition to the various ancient peoples dispersed throughout what is now modern-day Italy , the most predominant being the Indo-European Italic peoples who gave the peninsula its name , beginning from the classical era , Phoenicians and Carthaginians founded colonies mostly in insular Italy , Greeks established settlements in the so-called Magna Graecia of Southern Italy , while Etruscans and Celts inhabited central and northern Italy respectively . An Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC , which eventually became a republic with a government of the Senate and the People . The Roman Republic initially conquered and assimilated its neighbours on the Italian peninsula , eventually expanding and conquering parts of Europe , North Africa and Asia . By the first century BC , the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became a leading cultural , political and religious centre , inaugurating the Pax Romana , a period of more than 200 years during which Italy 's law , technology , economy , art , and literature developed . Italy remained the homeland of the Romans and the metropole of the empire , whose legacy can also be observed in the global distribution of culture , governments , Christianity and the Latin script .
Høgsfjorden is a fjord in Rogaland county , Norway . The innermost part of the fjord is located at the village of Frafjord in the municipality of Gjesdal . It flows west to Dirdal and then heads northwards . At the village of Forsand , the Lysefjord branches off to the northeast . The Høgsfjorden continues to the northwest past the islands of Idsal and Idse before emptying into the Horgefjorden ( just east of the city of Stavanger ) and ultimately into the vast Boknafjorden . The fjord runs through the municipalities of Gjesdal , Forsand , Sandnes , and Strand . The 23-kilometre ( 14 mi ) long fjord is about 1,500 metres ( 4,900 ft ) wide and has a maximum depth of 170 metres ( 560 ft ) . The innermost part of the fjord from Dirdal to Frafjord is also known as the Frafjorden . There is a regular ferry crossing about midway through the fjord connecting Forsand and Høle .
Norway ( Norwegian : Norge ( Bokmål ) or Noreg ( Nynorsk ) ; Northern Sami : Norga ; Lule Sami : Vuodna ; Southern Sami : Nöörje ) , officially the Kingdom of Norway , is a Nordic country in Northwestern Europe whose territory comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula ; the remote island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard are also part of the Kingdom of Norway . [ note 2 ] The sub-Antarctic Bouvet Island is a dependent territory and thus not considered part of the kingdom . Norway also lays claim to the Antarctic territories of Queen Maud Land and Peter I Island . Norway has a total area of 385,207 square kilometres ( 148,729 sq mi ) and a population of 5,312,300 ( as of August 2018 ) . The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden ( 1,619 km or 1,006 mi long ) . Norway is bordered by Finland and Russia to the north-east , and the Skagerrak strait to the south , with Denmark on the other side . Norway has an extensive coastline , facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea . The maritime influence also dominates Norway 's climate with mild lowland temperatures on the sea coasts , whereas the interior , while colder , is also a lot milder than areas elsewhere in the world on such northerly latitudes . Even during polar night in the north , temperatures above freezing are commonplace on the coastline . The maritime influence brings high rainfall and snowfall to some areas of the country . Harald V of the House of Glücksburg is the current King of Norway . Erna Solberg has been prime minister since 2013 when she replaced Jens Stoltenberg .
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration ( Norwegian : Statens vegvesen ) is a Norwegian government agency responsible for national and county public roads in Norway . This includes planning , construction and operation of the national and county road networks , driver training and licensing , vehicle inspection , and subsidies to car ferries . The agency is led by the Directorate of Public Roads ( Vegdirektoratet ) , and is subordinate to the Ministry of Transport and Communications . The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is divided into five regions and thirty districts , which are subordinate to the directorate . The directorate is based in Oslo . The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is one of the largest government agencies of Norway in terms of budget . In matters concerning national roads , the agency is subordinate to the ministry and in matters concerning county roads subordinate to the county administration .
A transatlantic tunnel is a theoretical tunnel that would span the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe possibly for such purposes as mass transit . Some proposals envision technologically advanced trains reaching speeds of 500 to 8,000 kilometres per hour ( 310 to 4,970 mph ) . Most conceptions of the tunnel envision it between the United States and the United Kingdom - or more specifically between New York City and London . Advantages compared to air travel could be increased speed , and use of electricity instead of scarce oil based fuel , considering a future time long after peak oil . The main barriers to constructing such a tunnel are cost with estimates of between $ 88 billion to $ 175 billion as well as the limits of current materials science . Existing major tunnels , such as the Channel Tunnel , Seikan Tunnel and the Gotthard Base Tunnel , despite using less expensive technology than any yet proposed for the transatlantic tunnel , may struggle financially [ citation needed ] .
Discovery Channel ( known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995 , and often referred to as simply Discovery ) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by Discovery , Inc. , a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav . As of June 2012 [ update ] , Discovery Channel is the third most widely distributed subscription channel in the United States , behind TBS and The Weather Channel ; it is available in 409 million households worldwide , through its U.S. flagship channel and its various owned or licensed television channels internationally . It initially provided documentary television programming focused primarily on popular science , technology , and history , but by the 2010s had expanded into reality television and pseudo-scientific entertainment . Programming on the flagship Discovery Channel in the U.S. is primarily focused on reality television series , such as speculative investigation ( with shows such as MythBusters , Unsolved History , and Best Evidence ) , automobiles , and occupations ( such as Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch ) ; it also features documentaries specifically aimed at families and younger audiences . A popular annual feature on the channel is Shark Week , which airs on Discovery during the summer months . Despite its popularity and success , the program has garnered criticism , especially from the scientific community , for being scientifically inaccurate . As of September 2018 [ update ] , Discovery Channel is available to approximately 88,589,000 pay television households in the United States .
Extreme Engineering is a documentary television series that aired on the Discovery Channel and the Science Channel . The program featured futuristic and ongoing engineering projects . The series ' last season aired in July 2011 . Danny Forster first hosted the series in season 4 and has been the host since season 6 .
Virgin Hyperloop One ( formerly Hyperloop Technologies and Hyperloop One ) is an American transportation technology company that works to commercialize the high-speed technology concept called Hyperloop . The company was established on June 1 , 2014 and reorganized and renamed on October 12 , 2017 . Hyperloop systems are intended to move passengers and/or cargo at airline speeds at a fraction of the cost of air travel . The concept of Hyperloop transportation was first introduced by Elon Musk on August 12 , 2013 . The planned route runs from Los Angeles , California to Las Vegas , Nevada . The original Hyperloop concept is proposed to use a linear electric motor to accelerate and decelerate an electromagnetically levitated pod through a low-pressure tube . The vehicle would glide silently for miles at speeds up to 760 mph ( 1223.1 km/h ) with very low turbulence The system is proposed to be entirely autonomous , quiet , direct-to-destination and on-demand . Additionally , as Hyperloop is proposed to be built on columns or tunneled underground , this could eliminate the dangers of at-grade crossings and require smaller rights of way than high-speed rail or a highway . Virgin Hyperloop One has made substantive technical changes to Musk 's initial proposal and chose not to pursue the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco notional route that Musk envisioned in his 2013 alpha-design white paper . The company had raised $ 295 million on December 18 , 2017 and demonstrated a form of propulsion technology on May 11 , 2016 at its test site in North Las Vegas . Hyperloop One has completed a 500-meter Development Loop ( DevLoop ) and on May 12 , 2017 , held its first full-scale Hyperloop test . The test combined Hyperloop components including vacuum , propulsion , levitation , sled , control systems , tube and structures .
Hokkaido ( 北海道 , Hokkaidō , lit . Northern Sea Circuit ; Japanese : [ hokːaꜜidoː ] ( listen ) , English : /hɒˈkaɪdoʊ/ ) is the second largest main island of Japan , and the largest and northernmost prefecture . The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu . It was formerly known as Ezo , Yezo , Yeso , or Yesso . The two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel . The largest city on Hokkaido is its capital , Sapporo , which is also its only ordinance-designated city . About 43 kilometers ( 26 mi ) north of Hokkaido lies Sakhalin Island and to the east and northeast are the Kuril Islands , which are administered by Russia , although the four most southerly are claimed by Japan - see Kuril Islands dispute .
Japan ( Japanese : 日本 , Nippon [ ɲippoꜜɴ ] ( listen ) or Nihon [ ɲihoꜜɴ ] ( listen ) ) is an island country located in East Asia . It is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east , and spans more than 3,000 kilometers ( 1,900 mi ) along the coast of the continent from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Philippine Sea in the south . Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire , Japan encompasses a stratovolcanic archipelago of about 6,852 islands , with five main islands ( Hokkaido , Honshu , Kyushu , Shikoku , and Okinawa ) comprising 97% of the country 's total area of 377,975 square kilometers ( 145,937 sq mi ) . Japan is officially divided into 47 prefectures and traditionally into eight regions . Approximately two-thirds of the country 's terrain is mountainous and heavily forested , and less than one-eighth of land is suitable for agriculture . Consequently , Japan is among the most densely populated and urbanized countries in the world , with over 90% of its population living in urban areas . The largest of these is the metropolitan area centered on the capital city of Tokyo , which is the most populous in the world and home to more than 38 million people . Japan itself is the world 's eleventh most populous country with a population of 126.2 million , of which 97.8% are ethnically Japanese . The kanji ( or Chinese characters ) that make up the name of Japan in the Japanese language mean sun origin ; in the Western world , the country is often known by the sobriquet Land of the Rising Sun . Periods of influence from other regions , primarily China , followed by periods of isolation , particularly from Western Europe , have characterized the history of Japan . While archaeological evidence indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period , the first written mention of the archipelago appears in Chinese texts from the first century AD . Between the fourth and ninth centuries , the kingdoms of Japan became gradually unified under an Emperor and imperial court based in Heian-kyō ( modern Kyoto ) .
Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle . It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest natural lake in the state of Washington , after Lake Chelan . It borders the cities of Seattle on the west , Bellevue and Kirkland on the east , Renton on the south and Kenmore on the north , and encloses Mercer Island . The lake is fed by the Sammamish River at its north end and the Cedar River at its south . Lake Washington received its present name in 1854 after Thomas Mercer suggested it be named after George Washington , as the new Washington Territory had been named the year before . Prior names for Lake Washington have included the Duwamish name Xacuabš ( Lushootseed : literally great-amount-of-water ) , as well as Lake Geneva , Lake Duwamish , and the Chinook jargon name , Hyas Chuck , meaning , Big Lake . The lake provides sport fishing opportunities . Some species found in this lake are Coastal Cutthroat Trout , Rainbow Trout , Largemouth Bass , Smallmouth Bass , Yellow Perch , and Black Crappie .
Vancouver Island is in the northeastern Pacific Ocean , part of the Canadian province of British Columbia . The island is 460 kilometres ( 290 mi ) in length , 100 kilometres ( 62 mi ) in width at its widest point , and 32,134 km2 ( 12,407 sq mi ) in area . It is the largest island on the West Coast of the Americas . The southern part of Vancouver Island and some of the nearby Gulf Islands are the only parts of British Columbia or Western Canada to lie south of the 49th Parallel . This area has one of the warmest climates in Canada , and since the mid-1990s has been mild enough in a few areas to grow subtropical Mediterranean crops such as olives and lemons . Vancouver Island had a population in 2019 of 870,297 . Nearly half of that population ( 401,700 ) live in the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria . Other notable cities and towns on Vancouver Island include Nanaimo , Port Alberni , Parksville , Courtenay , and Campbell River . Victoria , the capital city of British Columbia , is located on the island , but the larger city of Vancouver is not - it is on the North American mainland , across the Strait of Georgia from Nanaimo . Vancouver Island has been the homeland to many Indigenous peoples for thousands of years . The island was explored by British and Spanish expeditions in the late 18th century . It was named Quadra 's and Vancouver 's Island in commemoration of the friendly negotiations held in 1792 by Spanish commander of the Nootka Sound settlement , Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra , and by British naval captain George Vancouver , during the Nootka Crisis .
Canada is a country in the northern part of North America . Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean , covering 9.98 million square kilometres ( 3.85 million square miles ) , making it the world 's second-largest country by total area . Its southern border with the United States , stretching some 8,891 kilometres ( 5,525 mi ) , is the world 's longest bi-national land border . Canada 's capital is Ottawa , and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto , Montreal , and Vancouver . As a whole , Canada is sparsely populated , with most of its land area dominated by forest and tundra . Its population is highly urbanized , with over 80 percent of its inhabitants concentrated in large and medium-sized cities , and 70 percent residing within 100 kilometres ( 62 mi ) of the southern border . Canada 's climate varies widely across its vast area , ranging from Arctic climate in the north to hot summers in the southern regions , with four distinct seasons . Various indigenous peoples inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years before European colonization . Beginning in the 16th century , British and French expeditions explored and later settled along the Atlantic coast . As a consequence of various armed conflicts , France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 . In 1867 , with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation , Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces . This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom .
The Minister of Transport ( French : Ministre des Transports ) is a Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet . The minister is responsible for overseeing the federal government 's transportation regulatory and development department , Transport Canada , as well as Canada Post , the Saint Lawrence Seaway , Nav Canada , and the Port Authority system . Since 4 November 2015 , the position has been held by Marc Garneau of the Liberal Party .
British Columbia ( BC ; French : Colombie-Britannique ) is the westernmost province in Canada , located between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains . With an estimated population of 5.1 million as of 2019 [ update ] , it is Canada 's third-most populous province . The first British settlement in the area was Fort Victoria , established in 1843 , which gave rise to the City of Victoria , at first the capital of the separate Colony of Vancouver Island . Subsequently , on the mainland , the Colony of British Columbia ( 1858-1866 ) was founded by Richard Clement Moody and the Royal Engineers , Columbia Detachment , in response to the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush . Moody was Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works for the Colony and the first Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia : he was hand-picked by the Colonial Office in London to transform British Columbia into the British Empire 's bulwark in the farthest west , and to found a second England on the shores of the Pacific . Moody selected the site for and founded the original capital of British Columbia , New Westminster , established the Cariboo Road and Stanley Park , and designed the first version of the Coat of arms of British Columbia . Port Moody is named after him . In 1866 , Vancouver Island became part of the colony of British Columbia , and Victoria became the united colony 's capital . In 1871 , British Columbia became the sixth province of Canada . Its Latin motto is Splendor sine occasu ( Splendour without Diminishment ) . The capital of British Columbia is Victoria , the fifteenth-largest metropolitan region in Canada , named for Queen Victoria , who ruled during the creation of the original colonies . The largest city is Vancouver , the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada , the largest in Western Canada , and the second-largest in the Pacific Northwest .
Lake Lugano ( Italian : Lago di Lugano or Ceresio , from Latin : Ceresius lacus ; Lombard : Lagh de Lugan ; German : Luganersee ) is a glacial lake which is situated on the border between southern Switzerland and Northern Italy . The lake , named after the city of Lugano , is situated between Lake Como and Lago Maggiore . It was cited for the first time by Gregory of Tours in 590 with the name Ceresio , a name which is said to have derived from the Latin word cerasus , meaning cherry , and refers to the abundance of cherry trees which at one time adorned the shores of the lake . The lake appears in documents in 804 under the name Laco Luanasco .
Switzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a country situated in the confluence of western , central , and southern Europe . [ note 4 ] It is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons , with federal authorities seated in Bern . [ note 1 ] Switzerland is a landlocked country bordered by Italy to the south , France to the west , Germany to the north , and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east . It is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau , the Alps , and the Jura , spanning a total area of 41,285 km2 ( 15,940 sq mi ) , and land area of 39,997 km2 ( 15,443 sq mi ) . While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory , the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million is concentrated mostly on the plateau , where the largest cities are located , among them the two global cities and economic centres of Zürich and Geneva . The establishment of the Old Swiss Confederacy dates to the late medieval period , resulting from a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy . Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognized in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 . The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the founding document of Switzerland which is celebrated on Swiss National Day . Since the Reformation of the 16th century , Switzerland has maintained a strong policy of armed neutrality ; it has not fought an international war since 1815 and did not join the United Nations until 2002 . Nevertheless , it pursues an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world . Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross , one of the world 's oldest and best known humanitarian organisations , and is home to numerous international organisations , including the second largest UN office . It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association , but notably not part of the European Union , the European Economic Area or the Eurozone .
Cook Strait ( Māori : Te Moana-o-Raukawa ) is a strait that separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand . It connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast , and runs next to the capital city , Wellington . It is 22 kilometres ( 14 mi ) wide at its narrowest point , and is considered one of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world . The strait is named after James Cook , the first European commander to sail through it , in 1770 . In Māori it has the name Raukawa or Te Moana-o-Raukawa ( The Sea of Raukawa ) . Raukawa may mean bitter leaves .
New Zealand ( Māori : Aotearoa [ aɔˈtɛaɾɔa ] ) is a sovereign island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean . The country has two main landmasses - the North Island ( Te Ika-a-Māui ) , and the South Island ( Te Waipounamu ) - and around 600 smaller islands . It has a total land area of 268,000 square kilometres ( 103,500 sq mi ) . New Zealand is about 2,000 kilometres ( 1,200 mi ) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and 1,000 kilometres ( 600 mi ) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia , Fiji , and Tonga . Because of its remoteness , it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans . During its long period of isolation , New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal , fungal , and plant life . The country 's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks , such as the Southern Alps , owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions . New Zealand 's capital city is Wellington , and its most populous city is Auckland . Sometime between 1250 and 1300 , Polynesians settled in the islands and developed a distinctive Māori culture . In 1642 , Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight New Zealand . In 1840 , representatives of the United Kingdom and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi , which declared British sovereignty over the islands . In 1841 , New Zealand became a colony within the British Empire and in 1907 it became a dominion ; it gained full statutory independence in 1947 and the British monarch remained the head of state .
Lake Garda ( Italian : Lago di Garda [ ˈlaːɡo di ˈɡarda ] or ( Lago ) Benaco [ beˈnaːko ] ; Eastern Lombard : Lach de Garda ; Venetian : Ƚago de Garda ; Latin : Benacus ) is the largest lake in Italy . It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy , about halfway between Brescia and Verona , and between Venice and Milan on the edge of the Dolomites . Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last Ice Age . The lake and its shoreline are divided between the provinces of Verona ( to the south-east ) , Brescia ( south-west ) , and Trento ( north ) . The name Garda , which the lake has been seen referred to in documents dating to the eighth century , comes from the town of the same name . It is the evolution of the Germanic word warda , meaning place of guard or place of observation .