Legend:
 Definition
 Field
Listing
 Rank
Order
|
Background:
|
The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive
alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other
localities joined the original three. The Swiss
Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman
Empire in 1499. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality
have long been honored by the major European powers, and the
country was not involved in either of the two World Wars.
The political and economic integration of Europe over the
past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN
and international organizations, has strengthened
Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country
did not officially become a UN member until 2002.
Switzerland remains active in many UN and international
organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.
|
|
Location:
|
Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
47 00 N, 8 00 E
|
|
Map references:
|
Europe |
|
Area:
|
total: 41,290 sq km
land: 39,770 sq km
water: 1,520 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 1,852 km
border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km,
Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km |
|
Coastline:
|
0 km (landlocked)
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
none (landlocked)
|
|
Climate:
|
temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy,
rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers
with occasional showers |
|
Terrain:
|
mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a
central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
|
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
hydropower potential, timber, salt |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 9.91%
permanent crops: 0.58%
other: 89.51% (2005)
|
|
Irrigated land:
|
250 sq km (2003)
|
|
Natural hazards:
|
avalanches, landslides, flash floods |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning;
acid rain; water pollution from increased use of
agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen
Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
|
Geography - note:
|
landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe;
along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and
southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps
|
|
Population:
|
7,554,661 (July 2007 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 16.1% (male 630,341/female 584,167)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 2,596,996/female 2,553,108)
65 years and over: 15.8% (male 489,895/female
700,154) (2007 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 40.4 years
male: 39.3 years
female: 41.4 years (2007 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.381% (2007 est.)
|
|
Birth rate:
|
9.66 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
8.51 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
2.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.079 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.017 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.969 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 4.28 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.77 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
|
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 80.62 years
male: 77.8 years
female: 83.59 years (2007 est.)
|
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.44 children born/woman (2007 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.4% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
13,000 (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
less than 100 (2003 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Swiss (singular and plural)
adjective: Swiss |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%
|
|
Religions:
|
Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Muslim 4.3%,
Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, other 1%, unspecified
4.3%, none 11.1% (2000 census) |
|
Languages:
|
German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 20.4%, Italian
(official) 6.5%, Serbo-Croatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%,
Portuguese 1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, Romansch
(official) 0.5%, other 2.8% (2000 census)
note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all
national and official languages |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.) |
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Swiss Confederation
conventional short form: Switzerland
local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft
(German); Confederation Suisse (French); Confederazione
Svizzera (Italian); Confederaziun Svizra (Romansh)
local short form: Schweiz (German); Suisse (French);
Svizzera (Italian); Svizra (Romansh) |
|
Government type:
|
formally a confederation but similar in structure to a
federal republic |
|
Capital:
|
name: Bern
geographic coordinates: 46 57 N, 7 26 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in
March; ends last Sunday in October
|
|
Administrative divisions:
|
26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni,
singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in
German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden, Appenzell
Inner-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg,
Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel,
Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz,
Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich
|
|
Independence:
|
1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation) |
|
National holiday:
|
Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291) |
|
Constitution:
|
revision of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal
Parliament 18 December 1998, adopted by referendum 18 April
1999, officially entered into force 1 January 2000 |
|
Legal system:
|
civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial
review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal
decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President Micheline CALMY-REY (since
1 January 2007); Vice President Pascal COUCHEPIN (since 1
January 2007); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: President Micheline CALMY-REY
(since 1 January 2007); Vice President Pascal COUCHEPIN
(since 1 January 2007)
cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German),
Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian)
elected by the Federal Assembly usually from among its
members for a four-year term
elections: president and vice president elected by
the Federal Assembly from among the members of the Federal
Council for a one-year term (they may not serve consecutive
terms); election last held on 13 December 2006 (next to be
held in December 2007)
election results: Micheline CALMY-REY elected
president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - 76.5%; Pascal
COUCHEPIN elected vice president; percent of Federal
Assembly vote - 86.5% |
|
Legislative branch:
|
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German),
Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in
Italian) consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in
German), Conseil des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli
Stati (in Italian) (46 seats; membership consists of 2
representatives from each canton and 1 from each half
canton; to serve four-year terms) and the National Council
or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French),
Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats; members are
elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional
representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Council of States - last held in most
cantons on 19 October 2003 (each canton determines when the
next election will be held); National Council - last held on
21 October 2007 (next to be held in October 2011)
election results: Council of States - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - CVP 15, FDP 14, SVP 8, SPS
6, other 3; National Council - percent of vote by party -
SVP 29%, SPS 19.5%, FDP 15.6%, CVP 14.6%, Greens 9.6%, other
11.7%; seats by party - SVP 62, SPS 43, FDP 31, CVP 31,
Green Party 20, other small parties 13
|
|
Judicial branch:
|
Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by
the Federal Assembly) |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Green Party (Gruene Partei der Schweiz or Grune, Parti
Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero
or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruth
GENNER]; Christian Democratic People's Party
(Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP,
Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito
Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida
Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Christophe
DARBELLAY]; Radical Free Democratic Party
(Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti
Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio
Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Fulvio PELLI]; Social
Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or
SPS, Parti Socialist Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista
Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or
PSS) [Hans-Juerg FEHR]; Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische
Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC,
Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal
Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER]; and other minor parties |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA |
|
International organization participation:
|
ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC,
EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA
(observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Urs ZISWILER
chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900
FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los
Angeles, New York, San Francisco
consulate(s): Boston |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter R. CONEWAY
embassy: Jubilaumsstrasse 93, CH-3005 Bern
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [41] (031) 357 70 11
FAX: [41] (031) 357 73 44
|
|
Flag description:
|
red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the
center that does not extend to the edges of the flag |
|
Economy - overview:
|
Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern
market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor
force, and a per capita GDP larger than that of the big
Western European economies. The Swiss in recent years have
brought their economic practices largely into conformity
with the EU's to enhance their international
competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safehaven for
investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank
secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external
value. Reflecting the anemic economic conditions of Europe,
GDP growth stagnated during the 2001-03 period, improved
during 2004-05 to 1.8% annually and to 2.9% in 2006. Even
so, unemployment has remained at less than half the EU
average. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$255.5 billion (2006 est.) |
|
GDP (official exchange rate):
|
$386.1 billion (2006 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
2.7% (2006 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP):
|
$34,000 (2006 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 34%
services: 64.5% (2003 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
3.8 million (2006 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture: 4.6%
industry: 26.3%
services: 69.1% (1998) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
3.3% (2006 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 25.9% (2000) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
33.7 (2000)
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
1.1% (2006 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
21.6% of GDP (2006 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $143 billion
expenditures: $142.1 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
51% of GDP (2006 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs |
|
Industries:
|
machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision
instruments, tourism, banking, and insurance
|
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
6.5% (2006 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
56.1 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
58.26 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
32 billion kWh (2005)
|
|
Electricity - imports:
|
38.35 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production:
|
2,241 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
268,100 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
11,360 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
267,000 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
0 bbl |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
3.26 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
3.26 billion cu m (2005) |
|
Current account balance:
|
$63.49 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Exports:
|
$167 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities:
|
machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products
|
|
Exports - partners:
|
Germany 19.7%, US 11.1%, Italy 8.8%, France 8.6%, UK 4.8%
(2006) |
|
Imports:
|
$162.3 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural
products, textiles |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Germany 31.7%, Italy 10.6%, France 10%, US 6.2%, Netherlands
4.7%, Austria 4.3% (2006) |
|
Economic aid - donor:
|
ODA, $1.1 billion (1995) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$64.5 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$1.077 trillion (30 June 2006)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
|
$232.5 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
|
$546.6 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Market value of publicly traded shares:
|
$938.6 billion (2005)
|
|
Currency (code):
|
Swiss franc (CHF)
|
|
Exchange rates:
|
Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2539 (2006), 1.2452 (2005),
1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003), 1.5586 (2002) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year
|
|
Airports:
|
65 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 42
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 16 (2007)
|
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 23
under 914 m: 23 (2007) |
|
Heliports:
|
2 (2007) |
|
Pipelines:
|
gas 1,831 km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2006) |
|
Railways:
|
total: 4,839 km
standard gauge: 3,561 km 1.435-m gauge (3,195 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,268 km 1.000-m gauge (1,274 km
electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2006)
|
|
Roadways:
|
total: 71,297 km
paved: 71,297 km (includes 1,728 of expressways)
(2004) |
|
Waterways:
|
65 km (Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and
Schaffhausen-Bodensee) (2003) |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 32 ships (1000 GRT or over) 577,765 GRT/918,974
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 13, cargo 8, chemical tanker 4,
container 6, specialized tanker 1
registered in other countries: 121 (Antigua and
Barbuda 5, Bahamas 2, Cyprus 3, France 3, Indonesia 3, Italy
5, Liberia 11, Malta 22, Marshall Islands 14, Panama 26,
Paraguay 1, Portugal 2, Russia 6, Singapore 2, St Vincent
and The Grenadines 12, Tonga 1, UK 1, Vanuatu 2) (2007)
|
|
Ports and terminals:
|
Basel
|
|
Military branches:
|
Swiss Armed Forces: Land Forces, Swiss Air Force (Schweizer
Luftwaffe); Switzerland has no navy, but maintains a fleet
of military patrol boats to patrol Swiss borders (2006)
|
|
Military service age and obligation:
|
19 years of age for male compulsory military service; 17
years of age for voluntary military service; the Swiss
Constitution states that "every Swiss male is obliged to do
military service"; every Swiss male has to serve for at
least 260 days in the armed forces; conscripts receive 18
weeks of mandatory training, followed by seven 3-week
intermittent recalls for training over the next 10 years;
women are accepted on a voluntary basis but are not
conscripted (2005) |
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males age 19-49: 1,707,694
females age 19-49: 1,662,099 (2005 est.)
|
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
males age 19-49: 1,375,889
females age 19-49: 1,342,945 (2005 est.)
|
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
|
males age 18-49: 46,319
females age 19-49: 43,829 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
1% (2005 est.) |
This page was last updated on 15
November, 2007
& |
