Map of Switzerland | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Switzerland's independence and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers and Switzerland did not participate in either World War I or II. The political and economic integration of Europe since World War II may be rendering obsolete Switzerland's concern for neutrality.


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Location: Central Europe, east of France

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total area total: 41,290 km²
Land: 39,770 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries: total 1,852 km, 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

Natural resources: hydropower potential, timber, salt

Land use
Arable land: 10%
Permanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 40%
Forest and woodland: 26%
Other: 23%

Irrigated land: 250 km² (1989)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France and northern Italy, contains the highest elevations in Europe


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Population: 7,084,984 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 0.57% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Swiss (singular and plural)
Adjective: Swiss

Ethnic groups
Total population: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%
Swiss nationals: German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%

Languages: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 12%, Romansch 1%, other 4%
Note: figures for Swiss nationals only - German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 47.6%, Protestant 44.3%, other 8.1% (1980)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 17% (female 594,565; male 622,436)
15-64 years: 68% (female 2,375,792; male 2,448,213)
65 years and over: 15% (female 623,136; male 420,842) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.57% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 12.04 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 9.16 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.82 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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
Current issues natural hazards: avalanches, landslides, flash floods
Current issues international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 6.3 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.36 years
Male: 74.99 years
Female: 81.88 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
Total population: 99%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Swiss Confederation
Conventional short form: Switzerland
Local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German) Confederation Suisse (French) Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)
Local short form: Schweiz (German) Suisse (French) Svizzera (Italian)

Government type: federal republic

Capital: Bern

Administrative divisions: 26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German; Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 August 1291

National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)

Constitution: 29 May 1874

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government: President Kaspar VILLIGER (1995 calendar year; presidency rotates annually); Vice President Jean-Pascal DELAMURAZ (term runs concurrently with that of president)
Cabinet: Federal Council (German - Bundesrat, French - Censeil Federal, Italian - Consiglio Federale); elected by the Federal Assembly from own members

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (German - Bundesversammlung, French - Assemblee Federale, Italian - Assemblea Federale)
Council of States: German - Standerat, French - Conseil des Etats, Italian - Consiglio degli Stati; elections last held throughout 1991 (next to be held NA 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (46 total) FDP 18, CVP 16, SVP 4, SPS 3, LPS 3, LdU 1, Ticino League 1
National Council: German - Nationalrat, French - Conseil National, Italian - Consiglio Nazionale; elections last held 20 October 1991 (next to be held NA October 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (200 total) FDP 44, SPS 42, CVP 37, SVP 25, GPS 14, LPS 10, AP 8, LdU 6, SD 5, EVP 3, PdA 2, Ticino League 2, other 2

Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G- 8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNOMIG, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Carlo JAGMETTI
In the us chancery: 2,900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 745-7,900
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 387-2,564
In the us consulates general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador M. Larry LAWRENCE
From the us embassy: Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3,005 Bern
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [41] (31) 357 70 11
From the us FAX: [41] (31) 357 73 44
From the us branch office: Geneva
From the us consulates general: Zurich

Flag description: red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Switzerland's economy - one of the most prosperous and stable in the world - is nonetheless undergoing a stressful adjustment after both the inflationary boom of the late 1980s and the electorate's rejection of membership in the European Economic Area (EEA) in 1992. So far the decision to remain outside the European single market structure does not appear to have harmed Swiss interests. In December 1994, the Swiss began bilateral negotiations with the EU aimed at establishing closer ties in areas of mutual interest and progressing toward the free circulation of persons, goods, capital, and services between the two parties. The Swiss emerged from a three-year recession in mid-1993 and posted 1.8% GDP growth in 1994. The Swiss central bank's tight monetary policies brought inflation down from about 4% in 1992 to just under 1% in 1994. Unemployment has fallen slightly from 5.1% in 1993 to 4.7% in 1994. Swiss per capita output, living standards, education, and health care remain unsurpassed in Europe. The country has few mineral resources, but its spectacular natural beauty sustains a substantial tourism industry.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.8% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $22,080 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: dairy farming predominates; less than 50% self-sufficient in food; must import fish, refined sugar, fats and oils (other than butter), grains, eggs, fruits, vegetables, meat

Industries: machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments

Industrial production growth rate: 0% (1993 est.)

Labor force: 3.48 million (900,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian)
By occupation services: 50%
By occupation industry and crafts: 34%
By occupation government: 10%
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 6% (1992)

Unemployment rate: 4.7% (1994 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $26.7 billion
Expenditures: $32 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $69.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: machinery and equipment, precision instruments, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles and clothing
Partners: Western Europe 63.1% (EU countries 56%, other 7.1%), US 8.8%, Japan 3.4%

Imports: $68.2 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: agricultural products, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles, construction materials
Partners: Western Europe 79.2% (EU countries 72.3%, other 6.9%), US 6.4%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1 - 1.2880 (January 1995), 1.3677 (1994), 1.4776 (1993), 1.4062 (1992), 1.4340 (1991), 1.3892 (1990)


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Electricity
Capacity: 15,430,000 kW
Production: 58 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 6,699 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 5,890,000 telephones; excellent domestic, international, and broadcast services
Local: NA
Intercity: extensive cable and microwave networks
International: 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean) earth stations

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $4.1 billion, 1.4% of GDP (1995)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 69
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 14
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With paved runways under 914 m: 42
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 314 km; natural gas 1,506 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 65 km; Rhine (Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to Bodensee; 12 navigable lakes

Merchant marine
Total: 22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 374,935 GRT/669,353 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 2, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, specialized tanker 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: money-laundering center