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Background Note: Switzerland
PROFILE
OFFICIAL
NAME:
Swiss Confederation
Geography
Area: 41,285 sq. km. (15,941 sq.
mi.); about the size of Vermont
and New Hampshire combined.
Cities: Capital--Bern
(population about 123,000).
Other cities--Zurich
(341,000), Geneva (176,000),
Basel (165,000), Lausanne
(116,000).
Terrain: 60% mountains, the
remainder hills and plateau.
Switzerland straddles the
central ranges of the Alps.
Climate: Temperate, varying with
altitude and season.
People
Nationality: Noun and
adjective--Swiss (singular
and plural).
Population (2002): 7.46 million.
Annual growth rate: 0.6%.
Ethnic groups: Mixed European.
Religions: Roman Catholic 42%,
Protestant 33%, Muslim 4.3%,
others 5.4%, no religion 11%.
Languages: German 63.7%, French
20.4%, Italian 6.5%, Romansch
0.5%, other 9.4%.
Education: Years compulsory--9.
Attendance--100%.
Literacy--100%.
Health: Infant mortality
rate--4.8/1,000. Life
expectancy--men 76.5 yrs.,
women 82.5 yrs.
Work force (3.96 million):
Agriculture and forestry--4.2%.
Industry and business--25.6%.
Services and government--70.2%.
Government
Type: Federal state.
Independence: The first Swiss
Confederation was founded in
August 1291 as a defensive
alliance among three cantons.
The Swiss Confederation
established independence from
the Holy Roman Empire in 1499.
Constitution: 1848; extensively
amended in 1874; fully revised
in 2000
Branches: Executive--Federal
Council, a collegium of seven
members, headed by a rotating
one-year presidency.
Legislative--Federal
Assembly (bicameral: Council of
States, 46 members; National
Council, 200 members).
Judicial--Federal Tribunal.
Administrative subdivisions: 26
cantons (states) with
considerable autonomy.
Political parties: Swiss
People's Party (SVP), Social
Democratic Party (SP), Free
Democratic Party (FDP),
Christian Democratic Party (CVP),
and several smaller parties
representing localities or views
from extreme left to extreme
right.
Suffrage: In federal matters,
universal over 18.
Economy
GDP (2004): $369.6 billion
(456.5 billion Swiss francs).
Annual growth rate (2005): 2.8%
in real terms.
Per capita income (2001):
$30,522 (37,695 Swiss francs).
Avg. inflation rate (2005):
1.1%.
Natural resources: Water power,
timber, salt.
Agriculture (est. 1.8% of GDP in
2004): Products--dairy,
livestock, grains, fruit and
vegetables, potatoes, wine.
Arable land (1999): 26%.
Industry (est. 28.2% of GDP in
2004): Types--machinery,
chemicals, pharmaceuticals, time
pieces, precision instruments,
textiles and clothing, pigment,
transportation equipment.
Services (70% of GDP in 2005).
Trade (2002): Exports--$148.6.
billion (183.5 billion Swiss
francs): machinery and
electronics; chemicals and
pharmaceuticals; instruments and
timepieces. Major markets--Germany,
United States, France, Italy,
U.K., Japan. Imports--$135
billion (166.7 billion Swiss
francs): machinery and
electronics; chemicals;
vehicles. Major suppliers--Germany,
Italy, France, Netherlands,
U.S., U.K., Japan.
PEOPLE
Switzerland sits at the
crossroads of several major
European cultures, which have
heavily influenced the country's
languages and cultural
practices. Switzerland has four
official languages--German,
French, Italian, and Romansch
(based on Latin and spoken by a
small minority in the Canton
Graubunden). The German spoken
is predominantly a Swiss
dialect, but newspapers and some
broadcasts use High German. Many
Swiss speak more than one
language. English is widely
known, especially among
professionals.
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