Background: The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers and the country was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N 8 00 E

Map reference: Europe

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
Arable land: 9.91%
Permanent crops: 0.58%
Other: 89.51% (2005)

Irrigated land: 250 km² (2003)

Natural hazards: avalanches landslides flash floods

Geography
Note: landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France northern Italy and southwestern Austria has the highest elevations in the Alps

Population: 7,554,661 (July 2007 est.)
Growth rate: 0.381% (2007 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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

Ethnic groups: German 65% French 18% Italian 10% Romansch 1% other 6%

Languages
Note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all national and official languages

Religions: Roman Catholic 41.8% Protestant 35.3% Muslim 4.3% Orthodox 1.8% other Christian 0.4% other 1% unspecified 4.3% none 11.1% (2000 census)

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.1% (male 630,341/female 584,167)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 2,596,996/female 2,553,108)
65 years and over: 15.8% (male 489,895/female 700,154) (2007 est.)

Median age
Total: 40.4 years
Male: 39.3 years
Female: 41.4 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.381% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 9.66 births/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 8.51 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.66 migrant(s)/1000 population (2007 est.)

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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.079 male/female
15-64 years: 1.017 male/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male/female
Total population: 0.969 male/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.28 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.77 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.77 deaths/1000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.62 years
Male: 77.8 years
Female: 83.59 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.44 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 13,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (2003 est.)

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

Government type: formally a confederation but similar in structure to a federal republic

Capital
Name: Bern
Geographic coordinates: 46 57 N, 7 26 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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

Independence: 1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)

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

Constitution: revision of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal Parliament 18 December 1998 adopted by referendum 18 April 1999 officially entered into force 1 January 2000

Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Micheline CALMY-REY (since 1 January 2007); Vice President Pascal COUCHEPIN (since 1 January 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Micheline CALMY-REY (since 1 January 2007); Vice President Pascal COUCHEPIN (since 1 January 2007)
Cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal Assembly usually from among its members for a four-year term
Elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for a one-year term (they may not serve consecutive terms); election last held on 13 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2007)
Election results: Micheline CALMY-REY elected president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - 76.5%; Pascal COUCHEPIN elected vice president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - 86.5%

Legislative branch
Elections: Council of States - last held in most cantons on 19 October 2003 (each canton determines when the next election will be held); National Council - last held on 21 October 2007 (next to be held in October 2011)
Election results: Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CVP 15, FDP 14, SVP 8, SPS 6, other 3; National Council - percent of vote by party - SVP 29%, SPS 19.5%, FDP 15.6%, CVP 14.6%, Greens 9.6%, other 11.7%; seats by party - SVP 62, SPS 43, FDP 31, CVP 31, Green Party 20, other small parties 13

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

Political parties and leaders: Green Party (Gruene Partei der Schweiz or Grune Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruth GENNER]; Christian Democratic People's Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC Partito Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Christophe DARBELLAY]; Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Fulvio PELLI]; Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS Parti Socialist Suisse or PSS Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Hans-Juerg FEHR]; Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP Union Democratique du Centre or UDC Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER]; and other minor parties

International organization participation: ACCT AfDB AsDB Australia Group BIS CE CERN EAPC EBRD EFTA ESA FAO G-10 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC LAIA (observer) MIGA MONUC NAM (guest) NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OIF OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA PFP UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNITAR UNMEE UNOMIG UNRWA UNTSO UNWTO UPU WCL WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Urs ZISWILER
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, San Francisco
In the us consulates: Boston
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Peter R. CONEWAY
From the us embassy: Jubilaumsstrasse 93, CH-3,005 Bern
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [41] (031) 357 70 11
From the us fax: [41] (031) 357 73 44

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

Economy overview: Switzerland is a peaceful prosperous and stable modern market economy with low unemployment a highly skilled labor force and a per capita GDP larger than that of the big Western European economies. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safehaven for investors because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the anemic economic conditions of Europe GDP growth stagnated during the 2001-03 period improved during 2004-05 to 1.8% annually and to 2.9% in 2006. Even so unemployment has remained at less than half the EU average.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $255.5 billion (2006 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 2.7% (2006 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $34,000 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.5%
Industry: 34%
Services: 64.5% (2003 est.)

Agriculture products: grains fruits vegetables; meat eggs

Industries: machinery chemicals watches textiles precision instruments tourism banking and insurance

Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (2006 est.)

Labor force: 3.8 million (2006 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 4.6%
By occupation industry: 26.3%
By occupation services: 69.1% (1998)

Unemployment rate: 3.3% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.9%
Highest 10: 25.9% (2000)

Distribution of family income gini index: 33.7 (2000)

Budget
Revenues: $143 billion
Expenditures: $142.1 billion (2006 est.)

Public debt: 51% of GDP (2006 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.1% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $938.6 billion (2005)

Current account balance: $63.49 billion (2006 est.)

Exports: $167 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: machinery chemicals metals watches agricultural products
Partners: Germany 19.7% US 11.1% Italy 8.8% France 8.6% UK 4.8% (2006)

Imports: $162.3 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: machinery chemicals vehicles metals; agricultural products textiles
Partners: Germany 31.7% Italy 10.6% France 10% US 6.2% Netherlands 4.7% Austria 4.3% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $64.5 billion (2006 est.)

Debt external: $1.077 trillion (30 June 2006)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $232.5 billion (2006 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $546.6 billion (2006 est.)

Exchange rates: Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2539 (2006) 1.2452 (2005) 1.2435 (2004) 1.3467 (2003) 1.5586 (2002)

Electricity
Production: 56.1 billion kWh (2005)
Consumption: 58.26 billion kWh (2005)
Exports: 32 billion kWh (2005)
Imports: 38.35 billion kWh (2005)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Consumption: 3.26 billion m³ (2005 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Imports: 3.26 billion m³ (2005)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 5.04 million (2006)
Mobile cellular: 7.418 million (2006)

Telephone system
General assessment: excellent domestic and international services
Domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
International: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .ch
Hosts: 1.405 million (2007)
Users: 4.36 million (2006)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 1% (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation: 19 years of age for male compulsory military service; 17 years of age for voluntary military service; the Swiss Constitution states that 'every Swiss male is obliged to do military service'; every Swiss male has to serve for at least 260 days in the armed forces; conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory training followed by seven 3-week intermittent recalls for training over the next 10 years; women are accepted on a voluntary basis but are not conscripted (2005)

Airports: 65 (2007)
With paved runways total: 42
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With paved runways under 914 m: 16 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 23
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 23 (2007)

Heliports: 2 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 1831 km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2006)

Railways
Total: 4,839 km
Standard gauge: 3,561 km 1.435-m gauge (3,195 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 1,268 km 1.000-m gauge (1,274 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways
Total: 71,297 km
Paved: 71,297 km (includes 1,728 of expressways) (2004)

Waterways: 65 km (Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee) (2003)

Merchant marine
Total: 32 ships (1000 GRT or over) 577,765 GRT/918,974 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 13, cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, container 6, specialized tanker 1
Registered in other countries: 121 (Antigua and Barbuda 5, Bahamas 2, Cyprus 3, France 3, Indonesia 3, Italy 5, Liberia 11, Malta 22, Marshall Islands 14, Panama 26, Paraguay 1, Portugal 2, Russia 6, Singapore 2, St Vincent and The Grenadines 12, Tonga 1, UK 1, Vanuatu 2) (2007)

Ports and terminals: Basel

Disputes international: none

Illicit drugs: a major international financial center vulnerable to the layering and integration stages of money laundering; despite significant legislation and reporting requirements secrecy rules persist and nonresidents are permitted to conduct business through offshore entities and various intermediaries; transit country for and consumer of South American cocaine Southwest Asian heroin and Western European synthetics; domestic cannabis cultivation and limited ecstasy production