Switzerland (The Swiss German name is also sometimes spelt as Schwyzor Schwiiz [[Canton of Schwyz|Schwyz]]is also the standard German (and international) name of one of the Swiss cantons. , officially the Swiss Confederation (Confœderatio Helveticain Latin la"">.... Read More
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Information On Switzerland
lt;/span>
lt;br />lt;br />lt;br /> |conventional_long_name Swiss Confederation |common_name Switzerland |image_flag Flag of Switzerland.svg |image_coat Coat of Arms of Switzerland.svg |image_map Europe-Switzerland.svg |map_caption |national_motto (unofficial)"Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno (Latin)
lt;br />lt;br />lt;br />lt;br /> |national_anthem "Swiss Psalm |official_languages German language
French language
Italian language
Romansh language lt;ref>http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/rs/101/a4.html Federal Constitution, article 4], "National languages" : National languagesare German, French, Italian and Romansh; http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/rs/101/a70.html Federal Constitution, article 70], "Languages", paragraph 1: The official languagesof the Confederation are German, French and Italian. Romansh shall be an official language for communicating with persons of Romansh language. |demonym Swiss |capital Bern lt;ref groupnote>De jure"federal city"; de factocapital. Because of historical federalist sensibilities, Swiss law does not designate a formal capital, and some federal institutions such as courts are located in other cities. |latd46 |latm57 |latNSN |longd7 |longm27 |longEWE |largest_city Zürich |legislature Federal Assembly of Switzerland |upper_house Swiss Council of States |lower_house National Council of Switzerland |government_type Federation with parliamentary system and Voting in Switzerland |leader_title1 Swiss Federal Council |leader_name1 Moritz Leuenberger (President of the Swiss Confederation
Micheline Calmy-Rey
Hans-Rudolf Merz lt;br />Doris Leuthard (President of the Swiss Confederation
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf lt;br />Ueli Maurer lt;br />Didier Burkhalter |leader_title2 Federal Chancellor of Switzerland |leader_name2 Corina Casanova |area_sq_mi 15,940 File:Bundesrat der Schweiz 2010.jpg in 2010.As shown in this image, the current members of the council are (as of November 2009, from left to right): Didier Burkhalter Federal Chancellor Corina Casanova Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf Ueli Maurer Micheline Calmy-Rey Hans-Rudolf Merz Doris Leuthard (President of the Confederation), Moritz Leuenberger (Vice-President of the Confederation)]] The Federal constitution of Switzerland adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of the modern federal state, the second oldest in the world.http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps/ocea/vaus/infoch/chpoli.html Political System] admin.ch, Retrieved on 2009-06-22 A new Constitution was adopted in 1999, but did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines basic and political rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. There are three main governing bodies on the federal level:lt;/ref> the bicameralism parliament (legislative), the Swiss Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland (judicial). File:Bern 104.jpg in Bern is the name of the building in which the Federal Assembly of Switzerland (federal parliament) and the Swiss Federal Council (executive) are housed. ]] The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Swiss Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council of Switzerland which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation depending on the population of each canton. Members of both houses serve for 4 years. When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly of Switzerland Through referendum , citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and through initiative , introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy The Swiss Federal Council constitutes the federal government directs the Federal administration of Switzerland and serves as collective Head of State It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year mandate by the Federal Assembly which also exercises Regulation over the Council. The President of the Swiss Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government and assumes representative functions. However, the president is a [[primus inter pares]]with no additional powers, and remains the head of a department within the administration. The Swiss government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of electorate and representation in the federal parliament. The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the "Zauberformel . In the Swiss Federal Council election, 2007 the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows: : 2 Social Democratic Party of Switzerland : 2 Free Democratic Party of Switzerland : 2 Swiss People's Party The SVP/UDC has suffered a split since the election, with both their councillors defecting to the Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland (BDP/PBD). As of 2009, with the election of Ueli Maurer the SVP/UDC and the BDP/PBD hold one seat each. : 1 Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland The function of the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.http://www.ch.ch/behoerden/00215/00329/00353/index.html?langen The Judiciary: The Federal Supreme Court] ch.ch. Retrived on 2009-12-15* These half-canton are represented by one councillor (instead of two) in the Swiss Council of States
The cantons have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with the situation in other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status. Each canton has its own constitution, and its own parliament, government and courts. However, there are considerable differences between the individual cantons, most particularly in terms of population and geographical area. Their populations vary between 15,000 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,253,500 (Zürich), and their area between (Basel-Stadt) and (Graubünden). The Cantons comprise a total of 2,889 municipalities of Switzerland Within Switzerland there are two enclave : Büsingen belongs to Germany, Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy.http://enclaves.webs.com/westerneurope.htm Enclaves of the world] enclaves.webs.com. Retrieved on 2009-12-15
In a referendum held in the States of Austria of Vorarlberg on 11 May 1919 over 80% of those voting supported a proposal that the state should join the Swiss Confederation. However, this was prevented by the opposition of the Austrian First Republic the Allies of World War I Liberalism and radicalism in Switzerland and non German-speaking Swiss.http://www.austria.org/content/view/74/ Vorarlberg] austria.org. Retrieved on 2009-12-15lt;/ref>
Louis Agassiz (glaciology)
Auguste Piccard (aeronautics)
Albert Einstein (physics)]] Education in Switzerland is very diverse because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system to the Canton of Switzerland http://www.swissworld.org/en/education/general_overview/the_swiss_education_system/ The Swiss education system] swissworld.org, Retrieved on 2009-06-23 There are both public and private schools, including many private international schools. The minimum age for primary school is about six years in all cantons, but most cantons provide a free "childrens school" starting at four or five years old. Primary school continues until grade four or five, depending on the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was always one of the other national languages, although recently (2000) English was introduced first in a few cantons. At the end of primary school (or at the beginning of secondary school), pupils are separated according to their capacities in several (often three) sections. The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to be prepared for further studies and the matura while students who assimilate a little bit more slowly receive an education more adapted to their needs. File:ETHZ.JPG The institution is usually ranked the top university in continental Europehttp://www.topuniversities.com/university/199/eth-zurich-swiss-federal-institute-of-technology ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)] topouniversities.com. Retrieved on 2010-04-30http://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings Top.Universities] Retrieved on 2010-04-30]] There are List of universities in Switzerland ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer a range of non-technical subjects. The University of Basel was founded in 1460 in Basel (with a faculty of medicine) and has a tradition of chemical and medical research in Switzerland. The biggest university in Switzerland is the University of Zurich with nearly 25,000 students. The two institutes sponsored by the federal government are the ETHZ in Zürich (founded 1855) and the EPFL in Lausanne (founded 1969 as such, formerly an institute associated with the University of Lausanne) which both have an excellent international reputation.In 2008, the ETH Zurich was ranked 15th in the field Natural Sciences and Mathematicsby the Academic Ranking of World Universities and the EPFL in Lausanne was ranked 18th in the field Engineering/Technology and Computer Sciencesby the same ranking.http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/ARWU-FIELD2008/SCI2008.htm Shanghai Ranking 2008 Top 100 world universities in Natural Sciences and Mathematics] In addition there are various Universities of Applied Sciences In business and management studies, University of St. Gallen (HSG) and International Institute for Management Development (IMD) are the leaders. Switzerland has the second highest rate of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia.http://www.ecs.org/html/offsite.asp?documenthttp%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eoecd%2Eorg%2Fdataoecd%2F20%2F25%2F35345692%2Epdf Education at Glance 2005] by the OECD Percentage of foreign students in tertiary education. Many Nobel prize were awarded to Swiss scientists, for example to the world-famous physicist Albert Einstein in the field of physics who developed his Special relativity while working in Bern. More recently Vladimir Prelog Heinrich Rohrer Richard R. Ernst Edmond H. Fischer Rolf Zinkernagel and Kurt Wüthrich received Nobel prizes in the sciences. In total, 113 Nobel Prize winners stand in relation to SwitzerlandNobel prizes in non-science categories included. and the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded 9 times to organisations residing in Switzerland.lt;/ref> File:LHC, CERN.jpg tunnel. The CERN is the worlds largest laboratory and also the birthplace of the World Wide Web lt;ref>http://info.cern.ch/ info.cern.ch] Retrieved on 2010-04-30]] Geneva hosts the worlds largest laboratory the CERN lt;/ref> dedicated to particle physics research. Another important research center is the Paul Scherrer Institute Notable inventions include the lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), the scanning tunneling microscope (Nobel prize) or the very popular Velcro Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurized balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the worlds oceans. Switzerland Space Agency, the Swiss Space Office has been involved in various space technologies and programs. In addition it was one of the 10 founders of European Space Agency in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In the private sector, several companies are implicated in the space industry such as Oerlikon Space lt;ref>http://www.oerlikon.com/ecomaXL/index.php?siteSPACE_EN_company_overview Company overview www.oerlikon.com] or Maxon Motorslt;/ref> who provide spacecraft structures.
lt;br />lt;br />lt;br /> |conventional_long_name Swiss Confederation |common_name Switzerland |image_flag Flag of Switzerland.svg |image_coat Coat of Arms of Switzerland.svg |image_map Europe-Switzerland.svg |map_caption |national_motto (unofficial)"Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno (Latin)
lt;br />lt;br />lt;br />lt;br /> |national_anthem "Swiss Psalm |official_languages German language
French language
Italian language
Romansh language lt;ref>http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/rs/101/a4.html Federal Constitution, article 4], "National languages" : National languagesare German, French, Italian and Romansh; http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/rs/101/a70.html Federal Constitution, article 70], "Languages", paragraph 1: The official languagesof the Confederation are German, French and Italian. Romansh shall be an official language for communicating with persons of Romansh language. |demonym Swiss |capital Bern lt;ref groupnote>De jure"federal city"; de factocapital. Because of historical federalist sensibilities, Swiss law does not designate a formal capital, and some federal institutions such as courts are located in other cities. |latd46 |latm57 |latNSN |longd7 |longm27 |longEWE |largest_city Zürich |legislature Federal Assembly of Switzerland |upper_house Swiss Council of States |lower_house National Council of Switzerland |government_type Federation with parliamentary system and Voting in Switzerland |leader_title1 Swiss Federal Council |leader_name1 Moritz Leuenberger (President of the Swiss Confederation
Micheline Calmy-Rey
Hans-Rudolf Merz lt;br />Doris Leuthard (President of the Swiss Confederation
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf lt;br />Ueli Maurer lt;br />Didier Burkhalter |leader_title2 Federal Chancellor of Switzerland |leader_name2 Corina Casanova |area_sq_mi 15,940 File:Bundesrat der Schweiz 2010.jpg in 2010.As shown in this image, the current members of the council are (as of November 2009, from left to right): Didier Burkhalter Federal Chancellor Corina Casanova Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf Ueli Maurer Micheline Calmy-Rey Hans-Rudolf Merz Doris Leuthard (President of the Confederation), Moritz Leuenberger (Vice-President of the Confederation)]] The Federal constitution of Switzerland adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of the modern federal state, the second oldest in the world.http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps/ocea/vaus/infoch/chpoli.html Political System] admin.ch, Retrieved on 2009-06-22 A new Constitution was adopted in 1999, but did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines basic and political rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. There are three main governing bodies on the federal level:lt;/ref> the bicameralism parliament (legislative), the Swiss Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland (judicial). File:Bern 104.jpg in Bern is the name of the building in which the Federal Assembly of Switzerland (federal parliament) and the Swiss Federal Council (executive) are housed. ]] The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Swiss Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council of Switzerland which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation depending on the population of each canton. Members of both houses serve for 4 years. When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly of Switzerland Through referendum , citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and through initiative , introduce amendments to the federal constitution, thus making Switzerland a direct democracy The Swiss Federal Council constitutes the federal government directs the Federal administration of Switzerland and serves as collective Head of State It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year mandate by the Federal Assembly which also exercises Regulation over the Council. The President of the Swiss Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government and assumes representative functions. However, the president is a [[primus inter pares]]with no additional powers, and remains the head of a department within the administration. The Swiss government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of electorate and representation in the federal parliament. The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the "Zauberformel . In the Swiss Federal Council election, 2007 the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows: : 2 Social Democratic Party of Switzerland : 2 Free Democratic Party of Switzerland : 2 Swiss People's Party The SVP/UDC has suffered a split since the election, with both their councillors defecting to the Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland (BDP/PBD). As of 2009, with the election of Ueli Maurer the SVP/UDC and the BDP/PBD hold one seat each. : 1 Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland The function of the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.http://www.ch.ch/behoerden/00215/00329/00353/index.html?langen The Judiciary: The Federal Supreme Court] ch.ch. Retrived on 2009-12-15
Direct democracy
File:Landsgemeinde Glarus 2006.jpg is an old form of direct democracy It is still practised in two cantons.http://www.ch.ch/behoerden/00215/00330/index.html?langen Cantons] ch.ch. Retrieved on 2009-12-15]] Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the commune, canton and federal levels. The 1848 federal constitution defines a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-director representative direct democracy since it is aided by the more commonplace institutions of a parliamentary democracy . The instruments of Swiss direct democracy at the federal level, known as civic rights (Volksrechte droits civiques, include the right to submit a constitutional initiativeand a referendum both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1435383/How-direct-democracy-makes-Switzerland-a-better-place.html How direct democracy makes Switzerland a better place] telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved on 2009-12-04 By calling a federal referenduma group of citizens may challenge a law that has been passed by Parliament, if they can gather 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a majority whether to accept or reject the law. Eight cantons together can also call a referendum on a federal law. Similarly, the federal constitutional initiativeallows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if they can get 100,000 voters to sign the proposed amendment within 18 months.Since 1999, an initiative can also be in the form of a general proposal to be elaborated by Parliament, but because it is considered less attractive for various reasons, this form of initiative has yet to find any use. Parliament can supplement the proposed amendment with a counter-proposal, with voters having to indicate a preference on the ballot in case both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in Parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of both the national popular vote and a majority of the cantonal popular votes.That is a majority of 23 cantonal votes, because the result of the popular vote in the six traditional half-canton each counts as half the vote of one of the other cantons.Tremblay; Lecours; et al. (2004) Mapping the Political Landscape. Toronto: Nelson.Turner; Barry (2001). The Statements Yearbook. New York: MacMillan Press ltd.Banks, Arthur (2006). Political Handbook of The World 2005-2006. Washington: Cq Press.
Cantons
The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons: | class"toccolours" style"float:auto; text-align:right; background:#f5f5f5;" |- style"text-align:center; background:lavender; font-weight:bold;" ! !! Canton !! Capital !! !! Canton !! Capital |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Aargau matt.svg | style"background:#f0f0f0; text-align:left;"|[[Aargau]] || alignleft | Aarau || style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen Nidwalden matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|*[[Nidwalden]] || alignleft| Stans |- style"background:#f0f0f0;" colspan"6"| |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Appenzell Ausserrhoden matt.svg | style"background:#f0f0f0; text-align:left;"|*[[Appenzell Ausserrhoden]] || alignleft | Herisau || style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen Obwalden matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|*[[Obwalden]] || alignleft| Sarnen |- style"background:#f0f0f0;" colspan"6"| |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Appenzell Innerrhoden matt.svg | style"background:#f0f0f0; text-align:left;"|*[[Appenzell Innerrhoden]] || alignleft| Appenzell (town) || style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen Schaffhausen matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Schaffhausen|Schaffhausen]] || alignleft| Schaffhausen |- style"background:#f0f0f0;" colspan"6"| |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Basel-Landschaft matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|*[[Basel-Landschaft]] || alignleft| Liestal || style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen Schwyz matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Schwyz|Schwyz]] || alignleft| Schwyz |- style"background:#f0f0f0;" colspan"6"| |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Basel-Stadt matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|*[[Basel-Stadt]] || alignleft| Basel || style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen Solothurn matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Solothurn|Solothurn]] || alignleft| Solothurn |- style"background:#f0f0f0;" colspan"6"| |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Bern matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Bern|Bern]] || alignleft| Bern || style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen St. Gallen matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of St. Gallen|St. Gallen]] || alignleft| St. Gallen |- style"background:#f0f0f0;" colspan"6"| |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Freiburg matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Fribourg|Fribourg]] || alignleft| Fribourg | style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen Thurgau matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Thurgau]] || alignleft| Frauenfeld |- style"background:#f0f0f0;" colspan"6"| |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Genf matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]] || alignleft| Geneva || style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen Tessin matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Ticino]] || alignleft| Bellinzona |- style"background:#f0f0f0;" colspan"6"| |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Glarus matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Glarus|Glarus]] || alignleft| Glarus || style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen Uri matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Uri|Uri]] || alignleft| Altdorf, Switzerland |- style"background:#f0f0f0;" colspan"6"| |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Graubünden matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Graubünden]] || alignleft| Chur || style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen Wallis matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Valais]] || alignleft| Sion, Switzerland |- style"background:#f0f0f0;" colspan"6"| |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Jura matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Jura|Jura]] || alignleft| Delémont || style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen Waadt matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Vaud]] || alignleft| Lausanne |- style"background:#f0f0f0;" colspan"6"| |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Luzern matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Lucerne|Lucerne]] || alignleft| Lucerne || style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen Zug matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Zug|Zug]] || alignleft| Zug |- style"background:#f0f0f0;" colspan"6"| |- style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" || File:Wappen Neuenburg matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Neuchâtel|Neuchâtel]] || alignleft| Neuchâtel || style"text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| File:Wappen Zürich matt.svg | style"text-align:left; background:#f0f0f0;"|[[Canton of Zürich|Zürich]] || alignleft| Zürich |}
Foreign relations and international institutions
File:Geneve2.jpg the European headquarters of the United Nations Office at Geneva in Geneva]] Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action and had been neutral since the end of its Growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1515. Its policy of neutrality has been internationally recognised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815.http://www.swissworld.org/en/politics/foreign_policy/neutrality_and_isolationism/ Neutrality and isolationism] swissworld.org, Retrieved on 2009-06-23lt;/ref> Only in 2002 did Switzerland become a full member of the United Nations lt;ref name Neutrality/> but it was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. File:Flag of the Red Cross.svg lt;ref>http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1901/dunant-bio.html Henri Dunant, the Nobel Peace Prize 1901] nobelprize.org. Retrieved on 2009-12-02]] An unusual number of international institutions have their seats in Switzerland, in part because of its policy of neutrality. Geneva is the birth place of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council The European Broadcasting Union has the official headquarters in the city. Even though Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to have joined the United Nations, the Palace of Nations in Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York, and Switzerland was a founding member of the League of Nations Apart from the United Nations headquarters, the Swiss Confederation is host to many UN agencies, like the World Health Organization (WHO , the International Telecommunication Union (ITU and about 200 other international organisations. The World Economic Forum foundation is based in Geneva. It is best known for its annual meeting in Davos which brings together top international business and political leaders to discuss important issues facing the world, including health and the environment. Furthermore, many sport federations and organisations are located throughout the country, such as the International Ice Hockey Federation the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne the FIFA (International Federation of Association Football), in Zürich and the UEFA (Union of European Football Association), in Nyon http://www.ifsports-guide.ch/english/navigation/annuaire_en.html Sports directory] if-sportsguide.ch. Retrieved on 2010-01-25
Swiss Armed Forces
File:Axalp FA-18C 5.jpg in flight over the Alps]] The Military of Switzerland including the Land Forces and the Swiss Air Force are Conscription in Switzerland professional soldiers constitute only about 5 percent of the military personnel, and all the rest are conscript citizens aged from 20 to 34 (in special cases up to 50) years. Being a landlocked country, Switzerland has no navy, however on lakes bordering neighbouring countries armed military patrol boats are used. Swiss citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, with the exception of the Swiss Guard of the Vatican City The structure of the Swiss militia system stipulates that the soldiers keep their Army issued equipment, including all personal weapons, at home. Some organizations and political parties find this practice controversial and dangerous.http://www.schutz-vor-waffengewalt.ch/ An initiative to abandon this practice] has been launched on 4 September 2007, and supported by Group for a Switzerland without an Army the Green Party of Switzerland and the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland as well as other organisations which are listed here http://www.schutz-vor-waffengewalt.ch/organisationen.html]. Conscription concerns all male Swiss citizens; women can serve voluntarily. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 19. About two thirds of the young Swiss are found suited for service; for those found unsuited, various forms of alternative service exists.lt;/ref> Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centres for a duration from 18 to 21 weeks. The reform "Army XXI" was adopted by popular vote in 2003, it replaced the previous model "Army 95", reducing the effectives from 400,000 to about 200,000. Of those, 120,000 are active in periodic Army training and 80,000 are non-training reserves.http://www.vbs.admin.ch/internet/vbs/de/home/documentation/armeezahlen/eff.html Armeezahlen www.vbs.admin.ch] (German) File:SKdt-Fahrzeug - Schweizer Armee - Steel Parade 2006.jpg armoured vehicles in a military parade]] Overall, three general mobilisations have been declared to ensure the integrity and neutrality of Switzerland. The first one was held on the occasion of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. The second one was decided in response to the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914. The third mobilisation of the army took place on September 1939 in response to the German attack on Poland; Henri Guisan was elected as the General-in-Chief. Because of the neutrality policy, the army does not take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but is part of some peacekeeping missions around the world. Since 2000 the armed forces department has also maintained the Onyx (interception system) intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications. Following the end of the Cold War there have been a number of attempts to curb military activity or even abolish the armed forces altogether. A notable referendum on the subject, launched by an Group for a Switzerland without an Army was held on 26 November 1989. It was defeated with about two thirds of the voters against the proposal.http://www.admin.ch/ch/d//pore/va//19891126/index.html Volksabstimmung vom 26. November 1989] admin.ch. Retrieved on 2010-01-25Lévolution de la politique de sécurité de la Suisse ("Evolution of Swiss Security Policies") by Manfred Rôsch http://www.nato.int/docu/revue/1993/9306-05.htm] A similar referendum, called for before, but held shortly after, the September 11 attacks in the US, was defeated by over 78% of voters.http://www.admin.ch/ch/d//pore/va/20011202/det482.html Volksinitiative für eine glaubwürdige Sicherheitspolitik und eine Schweiz ohne Armee (in German)] admin.ch. Retrived on 2009-12-07
Geography and climate
File:Satellite image of Switzerland in September 2002.jpg Extending across the north and south side of the Alps Switzerland encompasses a great diversity of landscapes and climates on a limited area of http://www.swissworld.org/en/geography/swiss_geography/contrasts/ Geography] swissworld.org, Retrived on 2009-06-23 The population is about 7.8 million, resulting in an average population density of around 190 people per square kilometre (485/sq mi).lt;/ref>A zoomable map of Switzerland is available at either http://www.swissinfo-geo.org/ swissinfo-geo.org] or http://www.swissgeo.ch/ swissgeo.ch]; a zoomable satellite picture is at http://map.search.ch/ map.search.ch]. The more mountainous southern half of the country is far more sparsely populated than the northern half. Switzerland contains three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps on the south, the Swiss plateau or middleland, and the Jura mountains on the north. The Alps are a high mountain range running across the central-south of the country, comprising about 60% of the countrys total area. Among the high valleys of the Swiss Alps countless glaciers are found, totalling an area of 1,063 square kilometres. From these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the Rhine Inn River Ticino River and Rhone which flow in the four cardinal directions into the whole of Europe. The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of freshwater in western Europe, among which are included Lake Geneva Lake Constance and Lake Maggiore Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes, and contains 6% of Europes stock of fresh water. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory.http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/thematische_karten/maps/raum_und_umwelt/naturraum_schweiz.html Physical Geography of Switzerland] bfs.admin.ch. Retrieved on 2010-05-06http://www.sciencecentric.com/news/article.php?q09062217-ice-volume-switzerland-glaciers-calculated Ice volume of Switzerlands glaciers calculated] sciencecentric.com. Retrieved on 2010-05-06 About a hundred of Switzerlands mountain peaks are close to or higher than 4,000 metres.http://www.cp-pc.ca/english/switzerland/ Landscape and climate] cp-pc.ca. Retrieved on 2009-12-14 At the Dufourspitze is the highest, although the Matterhorn ( is probably the most famous. Both are located within the Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the Jungfrau ( and Eiger and the many picturesque valleys in the region. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing the St. Moritz area in canton Graubünden is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (.lt;/ref> The more populous northern part of the country, comprising about 30% of the countrys total area, is called the Middle Land. It has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds, or vegetables and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. There are large lakes found here and the biggest Swiss cities are in this area of the country. The largest lake is Lake Geneva (also called Lac Léman in French), in western Switzerland. The Rhone River is both the main input and output of Lake Geneva. The Swiss climate is generally temperate climate but can vary greatly between the localities,http://www.about.ch/geography/climate/index.html Climate in Switzerland] about.ch, Retrived on 2009-06-23http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/country_guides/results.shtml?ttTT005790 Country guide, Switzerland] bbc.co.uk, Retrieved on 2009-11-20 from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the often pleasant near Mediterranean climate at Switzerlands southern tip. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall so they are ideal for pastures and grazing. The winters in the mountains alternate with sun and snow, while the lower lands tend to be more cloudy and foggy in winter. A weather phenomenon known as the foehn wind lt;ref name Climate/> can occur at all times of the year, even in winter, and is characterised by a relatively warm wind, bringing air of very low relative humidity. It blows mostly on the northern side of the Alps where it can trigger dangerous avalanches. The driest conditions persist in the southern valleys of the Valais lt;ref name Climate/> above which valuable saffron is harvested and many wine grapes are grown, Graubünden also tends to be drier in climate and slightly colder, yet with plentiful snow in winter. The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. The eastern part tends to be colder than western Switzerland, yet anywhere up high in the mountains can experience a cold spell at any time of the year. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with minor variations across the seasons depending on locale. Autumn is frequently the driest season, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland can be highly variable from year to year, and difficult to predict. Switzerlands ecosystems can be particularly fragile, because of the many delicate valleys separated by high mountains, often forming unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves are also vulnerable, with a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes, and experience some pressure from visitors and grazing. The climatic, geological and topographical conditions of the alpine region make for a very fragile ecosystem that is particularly sensitive to climate change http://www.image-switzerland.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/e/Image_der_Schweiz/Switzerland_s_strengths_people.pdf The strengths of Switzerland and its people, p.3]Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA. Retrived on 2009-12-02http://www.swissworld.org/en/environment/climate_change/impact_of_climate_change/ Impact of climate change] swissworld.org. Retrieved on 2010-01-14.
Economy
File:Omega Speedmaster Rueckseite-2.jpg a Swiss-made watch worn on the moon during the Apollo program missions. In terms of value, Switzerland is responsible for half of the world production of watches.http://www.swissworld.org/en/economy/key_sectors/watches/ Watches] swissworld.org. Retrieved on 2009-07-20]] Switzerland has a stable, modern and one of the most capitalism economies in the world. It has the 2nd highest European rating in the Index of Economic Freedom 2010, while also providing large coverage through public services.http://www.heritage.org/index/country/Switzerland 2010 Index of Economic Freedom: Switzerland] heritage.org. Retrieved on 2010-04-22 The nominal per capita Gross Domestic Product is higher than those of the larger western European economies and Japan, ranking 6th behind Luxembourg, Norway, Qatar, Iceland and Ireland. The Swiss franc remains one of the worlds strongest currencies with the lowest inflation rate.http://www.cp-pc.ca/english/switzerland/ The world of work] cp-pc.ca. Retrieved on 2009-12-14 File:Zurich-panorama2.jpg Area, home to 1.5 million inhabitants and 150,000 companies, has taken top position in some life quality surveys.lt;/ref>]] File:Engadine.jpg Tourism constitutes an important revenue for the less industrialised alpine regions.]] If adjusted for purchasing power parity Switzerland ranks 15th in the world for GDP per capita.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html CIA World Factbook] The World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness Report currently ranks Switzerlands economy as the most competitive in the world.lt;/ref> For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin.lt;/ref> In 2005 the median household income in Switzerland was an estimated 95,000 CHF the equivalent of roughly 90,000 USD (as of December 2009) in nominal terms. Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. The largest Swiss companies by revenue are Glencore Nestlé Novartis Hoffmann-La Roche ABB Asea Brown Boveri and Adecco lt;/ref> Also notable are UBS AG Zurich Financial Services Credit Suisse Swiss Re and The Swatch Group Switzerland is ranked as having one of the most powerful economies in the world. Chemical industry pharmaceutical industry measuring instrument , musical instrument , real estate banking and insurance tourism and international organization are important industries in Switzerland. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). Exported services amount to a third of exported goods.Swiss Statistical Yearbook 2008 by Swiss Federal Statistical Office lt;/ref> Around 3.8 million people work in Switzerland. Switzerland has a more flexible job market than neighboring countries and the unemployment rate is very low. Unemployment rate increased from a low of 1.7% in June 2000 to a peak of 4.4%, as of December 2009.http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9D3FGVO0.htm Swiss jobless reach 12-year high -- a mere 4.4 pct]lt;/ref> Population growth from net immigration is quite high, at 0.52% of population in 2004. List of countries by immigrant population is 21.8% as of 2004, about the same as in Australia. List of countries by GDP (PPP) per hour worked is the worlds 17th highest, at 27.44 international dollar in 2006. Switzerland has an overwhelmingly private sector economy and low tax rates by Western standards; List of countries by tax revenue as percentage of GDP of developed country Switzerland is an easy place to do business; Switzerland ranks 21st of 178 countries in the Ease of Doing Business Index The slow growth Switzerland experienced in the 1990s and the early 2000s has brought greater support for economic reforms and harmonisation with the European Union.http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/39/8/39539300.pdf Policy Brief: Economic Survey of Switzerland, 2007] (326 KiB , OECD lt;/ref>http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/29/49/40202407.pdf Economic Policy Reforms: Going for Growth 2008 - Switzerland Country Note] (45 KiB According to Credit Suisse only about 37% of residents own their own homes, one of the lowest rates of home ownership in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany. Agricultural protectionism—a rare exception to Switzerlands free trade policies—has contributed to high food prices. Product market liberalisation is lagging behind many List of European Union member states according to the OECD Nevertheless, domestic purchasing power is one of the best in the world.http://www.osec.ch/internet/osec/en/home/invest/factors/infrastructure/live/costs.-RelatedBoxSlot-47301-ItemList-89920-File.File.pdf/Domestic%20purchasing%20power%20of%20wages%20E.pdf Domestic purchasing power of wages](68 KiB http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-4179358/Switzerland-tops-in-buying-power.html Switzerland tops in buying power] goliath.ecnext.com. Retrieved on 2010-01-14.http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE57Q23H20090827 Want the worlds best wages? Move to Switzerland] reuters.com. Retrieved on 2010-01-14. Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the European Union and Switzerland are minimal and Switzerland has free trade agreements worldwide. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
Education, science, and technology
File:Swiss scientists.jpg (maths)
Louis Agassiz (glaciology)
Auguste Piccard (aeronautics)
Albert Einstein (physics)]] Education in Switzerland is very diverse because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system to the Canton of Switzerland http://www.swissworld.org/en/education/general_overview/the_swiss_education_system/ The Swiss education system] swissworld.org, Retrieved on 2009-06-23 There are both public and private schools, including many private international schools. The minimum age for primary school is about six years in all cantons, but most cantons provide a free "childrens school" starting at four or five years old. Primary school continues until grade four or five, depending on the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was always one of the other national languages, although recently (2000) English was introduced first in a few cantons. At the end of primary school (or at the beginning of secondary school), pupils are separated according to their capacities in several (often three) sections. The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to be prepared for further studies and the matura while students who assimilate a little bit more slowly receive an education more adapted to their needs. File:ETHZ.JPG The institution is usually ranked the top university in continental Europehttp://www.topuniversities.com/university/199/eth-zurich-swiss-federal-institute-of-technology ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)] topouniversities.com. Retrieved on 2010-04-30http://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings Top.Universities] Retrieved on 2010-04-30]] There are List of universities in Switzerland ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer a range of non-technical subjects. The University of Basel was founded in 1460 in Basel (with a faculty of medicine) and has a tradition of chemical and medical research in Switzerland. The biggest university in Switzerland is the University of Zurich with nearly 25,000 students. The two institutes sponsored by the federal government are the ETHZ in Zürich (founded 1855) and the EPFL in Lausanne (founded 1969 as such, formerly an institute associated with the University of Lausanne) which both have an excellent international reputation.In 2008, the ETH Zurich was ranked 15th in the field Natural Sciences and Mathematicsby the Academic Ranking of World Universities and the EPFL in Lausanne was ranked 18th in the field Engineering/Technology and Computer Sciencesby the same ranking.http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/ARWU-FIELD2008/SCI2008.htm Shanghai Ranking 2008 Top 100 world universities in Natural Sciences and Mathematics] In addition there are various Universities of Applied Sciences In business and management studies, University of St. Gallen (HSG) and International Institute for Management Development (IMD) are the leaders. Switzerland has the second highest rate of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia.http://www.ecs.org/html/offsite.asp?documenthttp%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eoecd%2Eorg%2Fdataoecd%2F20%2F25%2F35345692%2Epdf Education at Glance 2005] by the OECD Percentage of foreign students in tertiary education. Many Nobel prize were awarded to Swiss scientists, for example to the world-famous physicist Albert Einstein in the field of physics who developed his Special relativity while working in Bern. More recently Vladimir Prelog Heinrich Rohrer Richard R. Ernst Edmond H. Fischer Rolf Zinkernagel and Kurt Wüthrich received Nobel prizes in the sciences. In total, 113 Nobel Prize winners stand in relation to SwitzerlandNobel prizes in non-science categories included. and the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded 9 times to organisations residing in Switzerland.lt;/ref> File:LHC, CERN.jpg tunnel. The CERN is the worlds largest laboratory and also the birthplace of the World Wide Web lt;ref>http://info.cern.ch/ info.cern.ch] Retrieved on 2010-04-30]] Geneva hosts the worlds largest laboratory the CERN lt;/ref> dedicated to particle physics research. Another important research center is the Paul Scherrer Institute Notable inventions include the lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), the scanning tunneling microscope (Nobel prize) or the very popular Velcro Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurized balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the worlds oceans. Switzerland Space Agency, the Swiss Space Office has been involved in various space technologies and programs. In addition it was one of the 10 founders of European Space Agency in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In the private sector, several companies are implicated in the space industry such as Oerlikon Space lt;ref>http://www.oerlikon.com/ecomaXL/index.php?siteSPACE_EN_company_overview Company overview www.oerlikon.com] or Maxon Motorslt;/ref> who provide spacecraft structures.
Switzerland and the European Union
Switzerland voted against membership in the European Economic Area in a referendum in December 1992 and has since maintained and developed its relationships with the European Union (EU) and European countries through bilateral agreements. In March 2001, the Swiss people refused in a popular vote to start accession negotiations with the EU.lt;/ref> In recent years, the Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the EU in many ways, in an effort to enhance their international competitiveness. The economy has been growing most recently at around 3% per year. Future enlargement of the European Union#Switzerland is a long-term objective of some in the Swiss government, but there is considerable popular sentiment against this supported by the conservative Swiss People's Party party. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU, however with far from any significant share of the population.lt;/ref>lt;/ref> The government has established an Integration Office under the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Department of Economic Affairs To minimise the negative consequences of Switzerlands isolation from the rest of Europe, Bern and Brussels signed seven bilateral agreements to further liberalise trade ties. These agreements were signed in 1999 and took effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series covering nine areas was signed in 2004 and has since been ratified. The second series includes the Schengen Treaty and the Dublin Convention They continue to discuss further areas for cooperation. In 2006, Switzerland approved a billion francs supportive investment in the poorer eastern Europe n countries in support of cooperation and positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission. The Swiss have also been under EU and sometimes international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and to raise tax rates to parity with the EU. Preparatory discussions are being opened in four new areas: opening up the electricity market, participation in the European GNSS project Galileo positioning system cooperating with the European centre for disease prevention and recognising certificates of origin for food products.http://www.europa.admin.ch/themen/00499/00503/index.html?langen Switzerland and the European Union] europa.admin.ch. Retrieved on 2010-01-25 On 27 November 2008, the interior and justice ministers of European Union in Brussels announced Switzerlands accession to the Schengen passport-free zone from 12 December 2008. The land border checkpoints will remain in place only for goods movements, but should not run controls on people, though people entering the country had their passports checked until 29 March 2009 if they originated from a Schengen nation.http://www.euronews.net/2008/12/11/switzerland-in-schengen-end-to-passport-checks/ Switzerland in Schengen: end to passport checks] euronews.net. Retrieved on 2010-01-25Energy, infrastructure, and environment
File:KKG-SW-Flight.jpg is one of four nuclear power plants in Switzerland.]] Electricity generated in Switzerland is 56% from hydroelectricity and 39% from nuclear power with 5% of the electricity generated from conventional power sources resulting in a nearly CO2-free electricity-generating network. On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear initiatives were turned down: Moratorium Plus aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported and 58.4% opposed),lt;/ref> and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported and 66.3% opposed).lt;/ref> The former ten-year moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants was the result of a initiative voted on in 1990 which had passed with 54.5% Yes vs. 45.5% No votes. A new nuclear plant in the Canton of Bern is presently planned. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is the office responsible for all questions relating to energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency is supporting the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nations energy use by more than half by the year 2050.lt;/ref> File:Lötschberg Tunnel.jpg third longest railway tunnel in the world, under the old Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway It is the first completed tunnel of the greater project AlpTransit ]] A very dense rail network of carries over 350 million passengers annually.lt;/ref> In 2007, each Swiss citizen travelled on average by rail, which makes them the keenest rail users.http://www.bav.admin.ch/dokumentation/publikationen/00475/01623/01624/index.html?langde Schienenverkehr] admin.ch (German) The network is administered mainly by the SBB-CFF-FFS except in Graubünden, where the narrow gauge is operated by the Rhaetian Railways and includes some World Heritage lines.http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1276/ Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes] unesco.org The building of new railway base tunnels through the Alps is under way to reduce the time of travel between north and south. Swiss private-public managed road network is funded by road toll and vehicle taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the purchase of a vignette (road tax) (toll sticker)—which costs 40 Swiss franc —for one calendar year in order to use its roadways, for both passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network has a total length of (as of 2000) and has, by an area of also the one of the highest motorway densities in the world. Zürich Airport is Switzerlands largest international flight gateway, which handled 20.7 million passengers in 2007. Switzerland has one of the best environmental records among nations in the developed world;http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22802081/ Swiss sit atop ranking of greenest nations] msnbc.com. Retrieved on 2009-12-02 it was one of the countries to sign the Kyoto Protocol in 1998 and ratified it in 2003. With Mexico and the Republic of Korea it forms the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG).http://unfccc.int/parties_and_observers/parties/negotiating_groups/items/2714.php Party grouping] unfccc.int. Retrieved on 2009-12-02 The country is heavily active in recycling and anti-littering regulations and is one of the top recyclers in the world, with 66% to 96% of recyclable materials being recycled, depending on the area of the country.lt;/ref> In many places in Switzerland, household garbage disposal is charged for. Garbage (except dangerous items, batteries etc.) is only collected if it is in bags which either have a payment sticker attached, or in official bags with the surcharge paid at the time of purchase.http://www.stadtreinigung-bs.ch/page.php?lang0&sel114 Stadtreinigung Basel-Stadt]—Pricelist bags and stickers This gives a financial incentive to recycle as much as possible, since recycling is free.lt;/ref> Swiss health officials and police often open up garbage for which the disposal charge has not been paid and search for evidence such as old bills which connect the bag to the household/person they originated from. Fines for not paying the disposal fee range from Swiss Frank 200–500.http://www.stadtreinigung-bs.ch/data/0d1b64Sauberbuch2004.pdf Richtig Entsorgen (Kanton Basel-Stadt)] (1.6 MiB —Wilde Deponien sind verboten... Für die Beseitigung widerrechtlich deponierter Abfälle wird zudem eine Umtriebsgebühr von Fr. 200.– oder eine Busse erhoben (page 90)
Demographics
File:Sprachen CH 2000 EN.svg Switzerland lies at the crossroads of several major European cultures that have heavily influenced the countrys languages and culture. Switzerland has four official language : German (63.7% total population share, with foreign residents; 72.5% of residents with Swiss nationality law in 2000) in the north, east and center of the country; French (20.4%; 21.0%) to the west; Italian (6.5%; 4.3%) in the south. Romansh language a Romance languages spoken locally by a small minority (0.5%; 0.6%) in the southeastern canton of Graubünden is designated by the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French and Italian (Article 4 of the Constitution), and as official language if the authorities communicate with persons of Romansh language (Article 70), but federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in this language. The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian.http://www.parlament.ch/e/service-presse/parlamentsdienste/aufgaben/Pages/default.aspx The Parliamentary Services] parlament.ch. Retrieved on 2010-01-25 The German spoken in Switzerland is predominantly a group of Alemannic dialects collectively known as Swiss German (linguistics) but written communication typically use Swiss Standard German whilst the majority of radio and TV broadcast is (nowadays) in Swiss German as well. Similarly, there are some dialects of Franco-Provençal language in rural communities in the French speaking part, known as "Suisse romande", called Vaudois, Gruérien, Jurassien, Empro, Fribourgeois, Neuchâtelois, and in the Italian speaking area, Ticinese (a dialect of Lombard language . Moreover, the official languages (German, French and Italian) borrow some terms not understood outside of Switzerland, i.e. terms from other languages (German Billettelt;ref name"billete">lt;/ref> from French), from similar term in another language (Italian azioneused not as actbut as discountfrom German Aktion. Learning one of the other national languages at school is obligatory for all Swiss, so many Swiss are supposed to be at least Multilingualism especially those belonging to minorities.http://www.swissworld.org/en/people/language/minorities_and_bilingualism/ Minorities and bilingualism] swissworld.org. Retrieved on 2010-01-25 Resident foreigners and temporary foreign workers make up about 22% of the population.http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/22/publ.Document.114724.pdf Ausländerinnen und Ausländer in der Schweiz - Bericht 2008 (German)] (1196 KiB , Swiss Federal Statistical Office, page 12. Most of these (60%) are from European Union or European Free Trade Association countries.http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/22/publ.Document.114724.pdf Ausländerinnen und Ausländer in der Schweiz - Bericht 2008 (German)] (1196 KiB , Swiss Federal Statistical Office, page 72. Italians are the largest single group of foreigners with 17.3% of total foreign population. They are followed by Germans (13.2%), immigrants from Serbia and Montenegro (11.5%) and Portugal (11.3%). Immigrants from Sri Lanka most of them former Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, are the largest group among people of Asian origin.http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/07/blank/key/01/01.Document.67321.xls Foreign population in Switzerland detailed by nationality, 1980–2006 (German)], Swiss Federal Statistical Office. In the 2000s, domestic and international institutions have expressed concern about what they perceive as an increase of xenophobia particularly in some political campaignings. However, the high proportion of foreign citizens in the country, as well as the generally unproblematic integration of foreigners, underlines Switzerlands openness.http://www.humanrights.ch/home/en/Switzerland/Policy/Racism/Studies/idart_5119-content.html Definitive report on racism in Switzerland by UN expert] humanrights.ch
Health
Swiss citizens are covered by a compulsory universal health-insurance, permitting access to a broad range of modern medical services. The healthcare system compares well with other European countries and patients are largely satisfied with it. In 2006 life expectancy at birth was 79 years for men and 84 years for women.http://www.who.int/countries/che/en/index.html Switzerland] who.int. Retrieved on 2009-06-29 It is among the highest in the world.http://apps.who.int/whosis/database/country/compare.cfm?strISO3_selectCHE&strIndicator_selectLEX0Male,LEX0Female&languageenglish&order_byFirstValue%20DESC Life expectancy at birth, 2006] who.int. Retrieved on 2009-06-29http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/29/52/36960035.pdf OECD Health Data 2006] oecd.org. Retrieved on 2009-06-29 However, spending on health is particularly high, with 11.5% of Gross domestic product (2003) and, from 1990, a steady increase is observed, reflecting the high prices of the services providedhttp://www.oecd.org/document/47/0,2340,en_2649_201185_37562223_1_1_1_1,00.html OECD and WHO survey of Switzerland’s health system] oecd.org. Retrieved on 2009-06-29 With aging populations and new healthcare technologies, health spending will likely continue to rise.Urbanisation
File:Bisse de Clavau.jpg (outskirts of Sion, Switzerland ]] Between two thirds and three quarters of the population live in urban areas.http://www.swissworld.org/en/geography/town_and_country_planning/where_people_live/ Where people live] swissworld.org. Retrieved on 2009-06-26http://www.are.admin.ch/dokumentation/00121/00224/index.html?langde&msg-id27412 Städte und Agglomerationen unter der Lupe] admin.ch. Retrieved on 2009-06-26 Switzerland has gone from a largely rural country to an urban one in just 70 years. Since 1935 urban development has claimed as much of the Swiss landscape as it did during the previous 2,000 years. This urban sprawl does not only affect the plateau but also the Jura and the Alpine foothillshttp://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/Swiss_countryside_succumbs_to_urban_sprawl.html?siteSect106&sid9823369&cKey1223485367000&tyst Swiss countryside succumbs to urban sprawl] swissinfo.ch. Retrieved on 2009-06-30 and there are growing concerns about land use.http://www.gfs-zh.ch/content.php?pid201%0A Enquête représentative sur l’urbanisation de la Suisse (Pronatura)] gfs-zh.ch. Retrived on 2009-06-30 However from the beginning of the 21st century, the population growth in urban areas is higher than in the countryside. Switzerland has a dense network of cities, where large, medium and small cities are complementary. The Swiss plateau is very densely populated with about 450 people per km² and the landscape continually shows signs of mans presence.http://www.swissworld.org/en/geography/the_three_regions/the_swiss_plateau/ Swiss plateau] swissworld.org. Retrieved on 2009-06-29 The weight of the largest metropolitan areas, which are Zürich, Geneva amp;ndash;Lausanne Basel and Bern tend to increase. In international comparison the importance of these urban areas is stronger than their number of inhabitants suggests. In addition the two main centers of Zürich and Geneva are recognized for their particular great quality of life.http://www.mercer.com/qualityofliving Quality of living] mercer.com. Retrieved on 2009-06-26
Religion
Switzerland has no official state religion though most of the cantons of Switzerland (except Canton of Geneva and Canton of Neuchâtel recognize official churches, which are either the Catholic Church or the Swiss Reformed Church These churches, and in some cantons also the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of adherents.http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35487.htm International Religious Freedom Report 2004 – Switzerland], U.S. Department of State. File:Glarus Stadtkirche Langhaus.jpg ]] Christianity is the predominant religion of Switzerland, divided between the Catholic Church (41.8% of the population) and various Protestant denominations (35.3%). Immigration has brought Islam (4.3%, predominantly Kosovo Bosniaks and Turks in Switzerland and Eastern Orthodoxy (1.8%) as sizeable minority religions.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sz.html#People CIA World Factbook section on Switzerland] In a Minaret controversy in Switzerland Swiss voters banned the construction of new minaret . The 2005 Eurobarometer poll Eurobarometer, June 2005. found 48% to be Theism 39% expressing belief in "a spirit or life force", 9% Atheism and 4% Agnosticism Greeley (2003) found that 27% of the population does not believe in God.Greeley, Andrew. 2003. Religion in Europe at the End of the Second Millennium. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers The country is historically about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, with a complex patchwork of majorities over most of the country. One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597.lt;/ref> The larger cities (Bern, Geneva, Zürich and Basel) are predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland as well as Ticino, is traditionally Catholic. The Swiss Constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs. Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg consciously defines a consociational state allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was rejected by 78.9% of the voters.http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/pore/va/19800302/index.html Volksabstimmung vom 2. März 1980] admin.ch. Retrieved on 2010
Culture
File:Vals06.JPG ] Switzerland is in the unusual situation of being the home of three of Europes major languages. Swiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in a wide range of traditional customs.http://www.swissworld.org/en/culture/ Swiss culture] swissworld.org. Retrieved on 2009-12-01 A region may be in some ways strongly culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, the country itself being rooted in western Culture of Europe http://delche.ec.europa.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Homepage_Dokumente/Presse_und_Information/Reden/2008-11-13_European_Year_of_Intercultural_Dialogue_2008__AFS_Intercultural_Programmes_Kaefigturm.pdf European Year of Intercultural Dialogue] Dr Michael Reiterer. Retrieved on 2009-12-01 The linguistically isolated Romansh language culture in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception, it survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition. Switzerland is home to many notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition the country attracted a number of creative persons during time of unrest or war in Europe.http://www.traveldocs.com/ch/culture.htm Switzerland: culture] traveldocs.com. Retrieved on 2009-12-01 Some 1000 museums are distributed through the country; the number has more than tripled since 1950.http://www.swissworld.org/en/leisure/relaxation/museums/ Museums] swissworld.org. Retrived on 2009-12-02 Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Locarno International Film Festival lt;ref>http://www.swissworld.org/en/culture/film/film_festivals/ Film festivals] swissworld.org. Retrieved on 2009-12-02 and the Montreux Jazz Festival http://www.nowpublic.com/culture/switzerland-s-prestigious-music-festival-montreux-jazz-festival Switzerland’s Prestigious Music Festival-Montreux Jazz Festival] nowpublic.com. Retrieved on 2009-12-02 Alpine symbolism has played an essential role in shaping the history of the country and the Swiss national identity.http://www.swissworld.org/en/culture/swissness/mountains_and_hedgehogs/ Mountains and hedgehogs] swissworld.org. Retrieved on 2009-12-01http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file%2FCSS%2FCSS40_04%2FS0010417598001686a.pdf&codef5973a22cda752eed69390f92ddf4fcd In Search of Natural Identity: Alpine Landscape and the Reconstruction of the Swiss Nation], Oliver Zimmer, London School of Economics and Political Science Nowadays many mountain areas have a strong highly energetic ski resort culture in winter, and a hiking (wandering) culture in summer. Some areas throughout the year have a recreational culture that caters to tourism, yet the quieter seasons are spring and autumn when there are fewer visitors and a higher ratio of Swiss. A traditional farmer and herder culture also predominates in many areas and small farms are omnipresent outside the cities. Folk art is kept alive in organisations all over the country. In Switzerland it is mostly expressed in music,dance, poetry, wood carving and embroidery. The alphorn a trumpet- like musical instrument made of wood, has become alongside yodel ng and the accordion an epitome of traditional Music of Switzerland http://www.swissworld.org/en/culture/music/folk_music/ Folk music] swissworld.org. Retrieved on 2009-12-02http://www.europe-cities.com/en/648/switzerland/culture/ Culture of Switzerland] europe-cities.com. Retrieved on 2009-12-14
Literature
File:Rousseau Geneve.JPG )]] As the Confederation, from its foundation in 1291, was almost exclusively composed of German-speaking regions, the earliest forms of literature are in German. In the 18th century French became the fashionable language in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the French-speaking allies and subject lands was more marked than before.From Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition Wikisource:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Switzerland/Literature lt;/ref> Among the classics of Swiss German literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797–1854) and Gottfried Keller (1819–1890). The undisputed giants of 20th century Swiss literature are Max Frisch (1911–91) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–90), whose repertoire includes Die Physiker (The Physicists and Das Versprechen (The Pledge: Requiem for the Detective Novel , released in 2001 as a Hollywood film.http://www.swissworld.org/en/culture/literature/german_speaking_authors/ Literature] swissworld.org, Retrieved on 2009-06-23 Prominent French-speaking writers were Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and Germaine de Staël (1766–1817). More recent authors include Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment and Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961). Also Italian and Romansh-speaking authors contributed but in more modest way given their small number. The probably most famous Swiss literary creation, [[Heidi]] the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, was one of the most popular childrens books ever and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland. Her creator, Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), wrote a number of other books around similar themes.
Media
The freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the federal constitution of Switzerland.http://www.ch.ch/private/00085/00090/00479/00480/index.html?langen Press and the media] ch.ch. Retrieved on 2009-06-25 The Schweizerische Depeschenagentur (SNA) broadcasts information around-the-clock in three of the four national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA supplies almost all Swiss media and a couple dozen foreign media services with its news. Switzerland has historically boasted the greatest number of newspaper titles published in proportion to its population and size.http://www.pressreference.com/Sw-Ur/Switzerland.html Press in Switzerland] pressreference.com. Retrieved on 2009-06-25 The most influential newspapers are the German-language Tages-Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, and the French-language Le Temps but almost every city has at least one local newspaper. The cultural diversity accounts for a large number of newspapers. In contrast to the print media, the broadcast media has always been under greater control of the government. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR idée suisse is charged with the production and broadcast of radio and television programs. SRG SSR studios are distributed throughout the various language regions. Radio content is produced in six central and four regional studios while the television programs are produced in Geneva Zürich and Lugano An extensive cable network also allows most Swiss to access the programs from neighboring countries.Sports
File:Allalinhorn 4027 2007 04 17.JPG ] Skiing snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports in Switzerland, the nature of the country being particularly suited for such activities.http://www.europe-cities.com/en/672/switzerland/sport/ Sport in Switzerland] europe-cities.com. Retrieved on 2009-12-14 Winter sports are practiced by the natives and tourists since the second half of the 19th century with the invention of bobsleigh in St. Moritz http://www.fibt.com/index.php?id39 A brief history of bobsleigh] fibt.com. Retrieved on 2009-11-02 The first FIS Alpine World Ski Championships were held in Mürren (1931) and St. Moritz (1934). The latter town hosted the second Winter Olympic Games in 1928 and the fifth edition in 1948. Among the most successful skiers and world champions are Pirmin Zurbriggen and Didier Cuche File:Innenaufnahme Vaillant Arena Davos.JPG in Davos ] Many Swiss are fans of Association football and the national team or Switzerland national football team is widely supported. Switzerland was the joint host, with Austria, of the Euro 2008 tournament. Many Swiss also follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 clubs in the National League A In April 2009, Switzerland hosted the 2009 IIHF World Championship for the 10th time.lt;/ref> The numerous lakes make Switzerland an attractive place for sailing. The largest, Lake Geneva is the home of the sailing team Alinghi which was the first European team to win the America's Cup in 2003 and which successfully defended the title in 2007. Tennis has become increasely popular sport, and Swiss players such as Martina Hingis and Roger Federer have won multiple Grand Slam (tennis) File:Federer Cincinnati (2007).jpg has won a record 16 Grand Slam singles titleshttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1157546/1/index.htm Roger Federers Grand Slam Titles] sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Retrieved on 2010-06-14]] Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exception to events such as Hillclimbing However, this ban was overturned in June 2007.lt;/ref> During this period, the country still produced successful racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni Jo Siffert and successful World Touring Car Championship driver Alain Menu A1 Team Switzerland also won the A1 Grand Prix in 2007-08 A1 Grand Prix season with driver Neel Jani Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category. Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or "Schwingen . It is an old tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf.http://www.swissroots.org/swissroots/en/stories/heritage/Heritage/Swiss%20Customs/Hornussen%20Baseball%20Swissstyle Hornussen] swissroots.org. Retrieved on 2010-01-25 Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practiced only among the alpine population since prehistory it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is also central to the Unspunnenfest first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 kg stone named Unspunnensteinhttp://www.interlaken.ch/erlebnisse/sommer/festivals/unspunnenfest/tradition-und-geschichte.html?L3 Tradition and history] interlaken.ch. Retrieved on 2010-01-25
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Food
The cuisine of Switzerland is multi-faceted. While some dishes such as fondue raclette or rösti are omnipresent through the country, each region developed its own gastronomy according to the differences of climate and languages.http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/countries/flavors-of-switzerland/ Flavors of Switzerland] theworldwidegourmet.com. Retrieved on 2009-06-24 Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy product and cheeses such as Gruyère (cheese) or Emmental (cheese) produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.http://servicesv2.webmichelin.com/frontnews/servlet/GetElement?elementCode56670 The MICHELIN Guide Switzerland 2010 attests to the high quality of gourmet cooking with one new 2 star restaurant and 8 new one star] Press information, Michelin. Retrived on 2009-12-14http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2005-04-26-swiss-food_x.htm Swiss region serves up food with star power] usatoday.com. Retrived on 2009-12-14 Swiss chocolate had been made in Switzerland since the 18th century but it gained its reputation at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and Chocolate#Tempering which enabled its production on a high quality level. Also a breakthrough was the invention of milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter The Swiss are the worlds largest consumers of chocolate.http://www.swissworld.org/en/switzerland/swiss_specials/swiss_chocolate/swiss_breakthroughs/ Chocolate] swissworld.org. Retrieved on 2009-06-24http://www.germanworldonline.com/index.php/swisschocolatehistory/ Swiss Chocolate] germanworldonline.com. Retrieved on 2010-06-14 The most popular alcoholic drink in Switzerland is wine. Switzerland is notable for the variety of grapes grown because of the large variations in terroirs, with their specific mixes of soil, air, altitude and light. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais (wine region) Vaud (Lavaux , Geneva (wine region) and Ticino (wine region) with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though certain traces can be found of a more ancient origin. The most widespread varieties are the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot Noir The Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.http://www.swisswine.ch/english/bienv/main.asp Wine-producing Switzerland in short] swisswine.ch. Retrieved on 2009-06-24http://www.winebiz.com.au/statistics/world.asp Table 38. Top wine consuming nations per capita, 2006] winebiz.com. Retrieved on 2010-06-14See also
* Index of Switzerland-related articles * Outline of SwitzerlandNotes
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
* Church, Clive H. (2004) The Politics and Government of Switzerland Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-69277-2. * Dalton, O.M. (1927) The History of the Franks, by Gregory of Tours Oxford: The Clarendon Press. * Fahrni, Dieter. (2003) An Outline History of Switzerland. From the Origins to the Present Day 8th enlarged edition. Pro Helvetia, Zürich. ISBN 3-908102-61-8 * Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (2002–). Published electronically and in print simultaneously in three national languages of Switzerland.External links
; Government * http://www.admin.ch/ The Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation] * https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-s/switzerland.html Chief of State and Cabinet Members] * http://www.swissworld.org/ Swissworld.org, Switzerlands information portal] * http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index.html Swiss Statistics], official website of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office ; Reference * * http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/577225/Switzerland Switzerland] entry at [[Encyclopædia Britannica]] * http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/switzerland.htm Switzerland] at UCB Libraries GovPubs * ; Geography * * * http://www.swisstopo.ch/ Federal Office of Topography] * http://map.search.ch/ Searchable interactive map (search.ch)] ; Travel * http://www.myswitzerland.com/ MySwitzerland.com], official website of Switzerland Tourism ; History * http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/index.php Historical Dictionary of Switzerland] * http://history-switzerland.geschichte-schweiz.ch/index.html History of Switzerland] ; News media * http://nzz.ch/ Neue Zürcher Zeitung] a Swiss daily newspaper * http://www.letemps.ch/ Le Temps] a Swiss daily newspaper * http://www.cdt.ch/ Corriere Del Ticino] a Swiss daily newspaper * http://www.swissinfo.ch/ swissinfo.ch, Swiss News - Worldwide] * http://expatinch.com/html/media_tv_telephony.html expatinch.com, Swiss media resources page] ; Education * http://www.educa.ch/ The Swiss School System] * http://www.universitieshandbook.com/ Swiss Universities Handbook] * http://www.swissuniversity.ch/ Universities in Switzerland] * http://www.sieps.ch sieps.ch] Information Services on Swiss Private Schools and Universities ; Science, research, and technology * http://www.myscience.ch/ The Swiss Portal for Research and Innovation] * http://www.sbf.admin.ch/ State Secretariat for Education and Research, SER] * http://wwww.snf.ch/ The Swiss National Science Foundation] * http://www.bbt.admin.ch/kti/ CTI, Commission for Technology and Innovation] | North | Northeast | West | Centre Outline of Switzerland | East lt;br /> | Southwest | South | Southeast }} }} }} }} Category:Switzerland Category:European countries Category:Member states of La Francophonie Category:Alpine countries Category:Federal countries Category:Liberal democracies Category:Landlocked countries Category:French-speaking countries Category:German-speaking countries Category:Italian-speaking countries Category:States and territories established in 1291 Category:Western Europe Category:Central Europe Category:Helvetii ace:Swiss af:Switserland als:Schweiz am:ስዊዘርላንድ ang:Sƿissland ar:سويسرا an:Suiza arc:ܣܘܝܣܪܐ frp:Suisse ast:Suiza az:İsveçrə bn:সুইজারল্যান্ড zh-min-nan:Sūi-se ba:Швейцария be:Швейцарыя be-x-old:Швайцарыя bcl:Suisa bar:Schweiz bo:སུད་སི། bs:Švicarska br:Suis bg:Швейцария ca:Suïssa cv:Швейцари ceb:Swisa cs:Švýcarsko co:Svizzera cy:Y Swistir da:Schweiz pdc:Schweiz de:Schweiz dv:ސުވިޒަލޭންޑު nv:Swis Bikéyah dsb:Šwicarska dz:སུའིཊ་ཛར་ལེན་ et:Šveits el:Ελβετία eml:Svézzra es:Suiza eo:Svislando ext:Suiça eu:Suitza ee:Switzerland fa:سوئیس hif:Switzerland fo:Sveis fr:Suisse fy:Switserlân fur:Svuizare ga:An Eilvéis gv:Yn Elveeish gd:An Eilbheis gl:Suíza - Schweiz frr:Swaits gu:સ્વિત્ઝરલેન્ડ hak:Shuì-sṳ xal:Свисин Ниицән ko:스위스 haw:Kuikilani hy:Շվեյցարիա hi:स्विट्ज़रलैण्ड hsb:Šwicarska hr:Švicarska io:Suisia ilo:Switzerland bpy:সুইজারল্যান্ড id:Swiss ia:Suissa ie:Svissia os:Швейцари is:Sviss it:Svizzera he:שווייץ jv:Swiss kl:Schweizi kn:ಸ್ವಿಟ್ಜರ್ಲ್ಯಾಂಡ್ pam:Suiza ka:შვეიცარია csb:Szwajcarskô kk:Швейцария kw:Swistir ky:Швейцария sw:Uswisi kv:Швейцария kg:Suisi ht:Swis ku:Swîsre lad:Suisa krc:Швейцария la:Helvetia lv:Šveice lb:Schwäiz lt:Šveicarija lij:Svissëa li:Zwitserland ln:Swisi jbo:elvetias lmo:Svìzzera hu:Svájc mk:Швајцарија mg:Soisa ml:സ്വിറ്റ്സർലാന്റ് mt:Żvizzera mr:स्वित्झर्लंड arz:سويسرا ms:Switzerland mdf:Швайцарие mn:Швейцари nah:Suiza na:Switzerland nl:Zwitserland nds-nl:Zwitserlaand ne:स्विजरल्याण्ड ja:スイス nap:Sguizzera ce:Швейцари pih:Switsaland no:Sveits nn:Sveits nrm:Suisse nov:Suisia oc:Soïssa mhr:Швейцарий uz:Shvetsariya pag:Switzerland pnb:سویٹزرلینڈ pap:Suisa pms:Svìssera tpi:Suwisalan nds:Swiez pl:Szwajcaria pnt:Ελβετία pt:Suíça kaa:Shveytsariya crh:İsviçre ksh:Schwäjz (Europpa) ro:Elveția rm:Svizra qu:Suwisa ru:Швейцария sah:Швейцария se:Šveica sa:स्विटजरलैंड sc:Isvìtzera sco:Swisserland stq:Swaits sq:Zvicra scn:Svìzzira simple:Switzerland sk:Švajčiarsko cu:Свицєра sl:Švica szl:Szwajcaryjo so:Iswiizerlaan ckb:سویس sr:Швајцарска sh:Švajcarska su:Suis fi:Sveitsi sv:Schweiz tl:Suwisa ta:சுவிட்சர்லாந்து tt:Швейцария te:స్విట్జర్లాండ్ tet:Suisa th:ประเทศสวิตเซอร์แลนด์ tg:Швейтсария tr:İsviçre tk:Şweýsariýa udm:Швейцария uk:Швейцарія ur:سویٹزر لینڈ ug:شۋېتسارىيە vec:Svìzera vi:Thụy Sĩ vo:Jveizän fiu-vro:Sveits zh-classical:瑞士 war:Swiza wo:Suwis wuu:瑞士 yi:שווייץ yo:Swítsàlandì zh-yue:瑞士 diq:İswiçre zea:Zwitserland bat-smg:Šveicarėjė zh:瑞士
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