Glarus, Switzerland, is one of only two Swiss cantons that still use this open-air assembly to vote on everything from tax laws to education initiatives. Citizens vote by show of hands in a public assembly called the Landsgemeinde—a tradition that dates back over 700 years. In this system of direct democracy, voters publicly decide on proposals, and rights are granted to 16-year-olds. Discover how this centuries-old practice continues to shape civic life today: https://on.natgeo.com/3TPo21V | Na

Exactly 225 years ago, on April 12, 1798, after Napoleon’s troops occupied Switzerland, the cantonal deputies proclaimed the creation of the Helvetic Republic, as a sub-republic of France. Did you know that Napoleon Bonaparte and the French played an important role in the creation of the Republic? Indeed, all the necessary political and social reforms were only introduced after the French invaded Switzerland in 1798. Although the Swiss federal state was created in 1848, its history dates back to