Statistical information Switzerland 1998Switzerland

Map of Switzerland | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Switzerland - Introduction 1998
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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.


Switzerland - Geography 1998
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Location: Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 8 00 E

Map referenceEurope

Area
Total: 41,290 km²
Land: 39,770 km²
Water: 1,520 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries
Total: 1,852 km
Border countries: (5) Austria 164 km; , France 573 km; , Italy 740 km; , Liechtenstein 41 km; , Germany 334 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Terrain: mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
Extremes highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m

Natural resources: hydropower potential, timber, salt
Land use

Land use
Arable land: 10%
Permanent crops: 2%
Permanent pastures: 28%
Forests and woodland: 32%
Other: 28% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 250 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: avalanches, landslides, flash floods

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


Switzerland - People 1998
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Population: 7,260,357 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 0.22% (1998 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: total population_German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%
Note: Swiss nationals_German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%

Languages: German 63.7%, French 19.2%, Italian 7.6%, Romansch 0.6%, other 8.9%
Note: figures for Swiss nationals only:German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 46.1%, Protestant 40%, other 5%, no religion 8.9% (1990)

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 17% (male 642,365; female 613,931)
15-64 years: 68% (male 2,506,653; female 2,415,647)
65 years and over: 15% (male 436,804; female 644,957) (July 1998 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.22% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 10.81 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 9.03 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.42 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 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
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 4.92 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.88 years
Male: 75.71 years
Female: 82.22 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.46 children born/woman (1998 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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99% (1980 est.)
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Switzerland - Government 1998
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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: President Flavio COTTI (since 1 January 1998); Vice President Ruth DREIFUSS (since 1 January 1998); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government: ead of
Government: President Flavio COTTI (since 1 January 1998); Vice President Ruth DREIFUSS (since 1 January 1998); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Federal Council or German_Bundesrat, French_Conseil Federal, Italian - Consiglio Federale elected by the Federal Assembly from among its own members for a four-year term
Elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year terms that run concurrently; election last held 10 December 1997 (next to be held NA December 1998)
Election results: Flavio COTTI elected president; percent of Federal Assembly vote_Flavio COTTI 90%; Ruth DREIFUSS elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - Ruth DREIFUSS 69%

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly or German_Bundesversammlung, French_Assemblee Federale, Italian_Assemblea Federale consists of the Council of States or German_Standerat, French_Conseil des Etats, Italian_Consiglio degli Stati (46 seats; members are elected two from each canton and one from each half canton to serve four-year terms) and the National Council or German - Nationalrat, French_Conseil National, Italian_Consiglio Nazionale (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
Elections: Council of States_last held throughout 1997 (each canton determines when the next election will be held); National Council_last held 20 October 1995 (next to be held probably 24 October 1999)
Election results: Council of States_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party - FDP 17, CVP 16, SVP 5, SPS 5, LPS 2, LdU 1; National Council_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_FDP 45, SPS 54, CVP 34, SVP 29, Greens 9, LPS 7, FPS 7, LdU 3, EVP 2, SD 3, PdAdS 3, Ticino League 1, EDU 1, FRAP 1, CSP 1

Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court, judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alfred DEFAGO (since April 1997)
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, and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Madeleine May KUNIN (since 8 August 1996)
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

Flag descriptionflag of Switzerland: 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


Switzerland - Economy 1998
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Economy overview: Switzerland, a fundamentally prosperous and stable modern economy with a per capita GDP roughly 10% above that of the big West European economies, is experiencing continued economic difficulties. GDP growth was a minus 0.2% in 1996 and a weak plus 0.4% in 1997. Weak domestic consumer demand is partly at fault; stagnating real disposable income combines with a reluctance to reduce saving rates in the face of an uncertain employment outlook. Switzerland's leading sectors, including financial services, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and special-purpose machines, therefore are more reliant on export markets. Exports should lead an upturn in Swiss economic performance in 1998-99, provided the franc does not appreciate substantially as a result of Swiss monetary policy or instability in the run up to EMU.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 0.4% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $23,800 (1997 est.)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.8%
Industry: 31.1%
Services: 66.1% (1995)

Agriculture products: grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs

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

Industrial production growth rate: 0% (1996)

Labor force
Total: 3.8 million (850,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian)
By occupation services: 67%
By occupation manufacturing and construction: 29%
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 4% (1995)
Labor force

Unemployment rate: 5% (1997 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $25.8 billion
Expenditures: $30.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.3 billion (1997)

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: total value:$99.2 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Commodoties: machinery 29%, chemicals 26%, metals 8%, agricultural products 4% (1996)
Partners: EU countries 61%, US 9%, Japan 4% (1996)

Imports: total value:$86.6 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
Commodoties: machinery 22%, chemicals 20%, metals 8%, agricultural products 9% (1996)
Partners: EU 79%, US 7%, Japan 3% (1996)

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 (SFR) per US$1: 1.4757 (January 1998), 1.4513 (1997), 1.2360 (1996), 1.1825 (1995), 1.3677 (1994), 1.4776 (1993)


Switzerland - Energy 1998
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Electricity
Capacity: 14.27 million kW (1995)
Production: 55 billion kWh (1996)
Consumption per capita: 6,850 kWh (1996 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Switzerland - Communication 1998
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Telephones: 5.24 million (including 663 million car-mobile phones) (1996 est.)

Telephone system: excellent domestic and international services
Domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
International: satellite earth stations_2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Switzerland - Military 1998
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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $3.2 billion (1997)
Percent of gdp: 1.2% (1997)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Switzerland - Transportation 1998
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 67 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 42
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 15 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 25
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 24 (1997 est.)

Heliports

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

Railways
Total: 5,249 km (1,564 km double track)
Standard gauge: 3,741 km 1.435-m gauge (3,119 km electrified; 808 km nongovernment owned)
Narrow gauge: 1,438 km 1.000-m gauge (1,088 km electrified; 1,364 km nongovernment owned)
Other gauge: 70 km 0.750-m or 0.800-m gauge (1996)

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 424,261 GRT/733,551 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 13, cargo 1, chemical tanker 5, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1997 est.)

Ports and terminals


Switzerland - Transnational issues 1998
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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: because of more stringent government regulations, significantly less used as a money-laundering center; transit country for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin


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