Switzerland is a small country located in the heart of Central Europe and shares a lot of its culture and history with Germany, Austria, and France. Archeology shows that Stone Age hunters have been living in Switzerland even before the last Ice Age (approximately 350,000 B.C.). Switzerlands official latin name “Confederatio Helvetica” originates from a Celtic tribe called the Helvetians. Originally inhabited by the Helvetians, or Helvetic Celts, the territory comprising modern Switzerland came under Roman rule during the Gallic wars in the 1st century BC and remained a Roman province until the 4th century AD. Under Roman influence, the population reached a high level of civilization and enjoyed a flourishing commerce. Important cities, such as Geneva, Basel, and Zurich, were linked by military roads that also served as trade arteries between Rome and the northern tribes(http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/History/Switzerland-history.htm).Research shows that the majority of Switzerlands native population settled during the Germanic Migration of Nations, which set an end to the Roman Empire in Western Europe. Around 400 A.D. Switzerland was officially accepted as an independent nation by its neighboring countries in 1648 under the European peace treaty