Short answers, pulled from the story.
The name Switzerland derives from the canton of Schwyz, a small territory in the central Alps. The word Switzer appeared in English during the 16th century as an obsolete term for a Swiss person. The Latin abbreviation CH comes from Helvetia, the name of a Gaulish tribe that lived on the Swiss Plateau before Roman times.
European powers finally recognized Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. This treaty established neutrality as a core principle of Swiss foreign policy. Prior to this, the Swabian War gave them de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire by 1499.
A new constitution adopted in 1848 created the modern federal state after a brief civil war known as the Sonderbund War. Bern became the permanent seat of government on the 28th of November 1848 and the Federal Palace opened there in 1857. The constitution divided power between the Confederation and the cantons while establishing individual rights.
Switzerland remained uninvaded during both world wars despite being surrounded by Axis powers. General Henri Guisan ordered full mobilization of armed forces at the start of World War II and shifted military strategy to organized attrition within strong Alpine positions known as the Reduit. Over 300,000 refugees received aid through the International Red Cross based in Geneva.
Women gained federal voting rights in 1971, though some cantons approved it earlier. Appenzell Innerrhoden was the last canton to grant suffrage in 1990. Elisabeth Kopp became the first woman on the seven-member Federal Council in 1984.