Ethnicity, Language, & Religion of Switzerland
Ethnicity
Switzerland is divided ethnically, primarily between the Germans, French, and Italians. There is also a significant ethnic minority, the Romansch, who have inhabited the region for hundreds of years. Both the Italians and French are Latin-based groups, but each has significant ethnic influence from older people who no longer exist, like the Gauls (French) and Etruscans (Italians). The Germans obviously are of Germanic origin and are most closely related to the Germans, Austrians, and further to the Dutch and Nordic people. The Romansch are an ethnic group that is less defined by their ethnicity than they are by their language, which is Latin-based. Ethnically, it seems the Romansch are a combination of numerous ancient and modern ethnicities including the Illyrians, Celts, and Etruscans.
Language
The four official languages of Switzerland are also divided in accordance to the people's ethnicities, with German being the most popular native language, French the next most popular, then Italian, and finally Romansch. While the people learn the other languages (German, French, and Italian at least), they generally also learn and use English to communicate. The three latter languages are all Latin-based with a great number of similarities, while German is obviously a Germanic language.