NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Switserland

The Swiss Confederation or Switzerland is a landlocked federal state in Europe, which borders Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. The country has a strong tradition of political and military neutrality, but also of international co-operation, and is home to many international organisations. World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... A neutral country takes no side in a war between other parties, and in return hopes to avoid being attacked by either of them. ...

Confoederatio Helvetica (CH), the Latin version of the official name, avoids choosing one of the four official languages. The abbreviation is similarly used; for example, it is used as Switzerland's ccTLD, .ch. Latin is the language that was originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .ch is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Switzerland. ...

Flag of Switzerland Template:Unverfied File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Aargau European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Switzerland Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics Ski jumping... Switzerland Coat of Arms. ... The Flag of Switzerland (Vexillological symbol: ) consists of a red square with a bold, equilateral white greek cross in the center of the flag. ... The Flag of Switzerland (Vexillological symbol: ) consists of a red square with a bold, equilateral white greek cross in the center of the flag. ... Here is a list of state mottos for countries and their subdivisions around the world. ... This is a list of national anthems. ... The Swiss Psalm is the national anthem of Switzerland. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Switzerland User:DanielZm/test Template:Switzerland infobox Categories: Geography of Switzerland | Country locator maps ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... The city of Bern, English traditionally Berne (Swiss German Bärn , German Bern , French Berne , Italian Berna , Romansh Berna ), is the Bundesstadt (capital) of Switzerland, and is the fourth most populous Swiss city after Zürich, Geneva and Basel). ... Switzerland sits at the crossroads of several major European cultures, which have heavily influenced the countrys languages and cultural practices. ... General view showing Grossmünster church. ... An official language is something that is given a unique status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Romansh (also spelled Rumantsch, Romansch or Romanche) is any of the various Rhaetian languages spoken in Switzerland. ... The Swiss Federal Council (in German: Bundesrat, in French: Conseil fédéral, in Italian: Consiglio federale, in Romansh: Cussegl Federal) is the seven-member executive council which collectively assumes the office of head of state equivalent to that of a president or of a monarch in the government of... The Federal Republic of Germany and its sixteen Bundesländer A federal republic is a state which is both a federation and a republic. ... Moritz Leuenberger (born September 21, 1946) is a Swiss politician. ... The list of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation (1848-present) presents the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerlands seven-member executive. ... Pascal Couchepin (born April 5, 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... Joseph Deiss (born January 18, 1946) is an economist and Swiss politician. ... Samuel Schmid (born January 8, 1947), is the President of Switzerland for the year 2005. ... The list of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation (1848-present) presents the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerlands seven-member executive. ... Micheline Calmy-Rey (born July 8, 1945) is a Swiss politician. ... Christoph Blocher (born 11 October 1940) is a Swiss politician. ... Hans-Rudolf Merz (born 10 November 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... Federal Charter of 1291 The Federal Charter or Letter of Alliance (in German Bundesbrief) is documenting the Eternal Alliance or League Of The Three Forest Cantons (in German Ewiger Bund der Drei Waldstätten), the union of three cantons in what is now central Switzerland, formed in early August, 1291. ... August 1st is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... Events May 10 - Scottish nobles recognize the authority of King Edward I of England. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... Events Peace treaty signed at Westphalia ends the Thirty Years War. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Here is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 10,000 km² and 100,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... Here is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January events January 1 Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Population density can be used as a measurement of any tangible item. ... This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population. ... List of countries/dependencies by population density in inhabitants/km². The figures in the following table are based on areas including inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). ... In economics, purchasing power parity (PPP) is a method used to calculate an alternative exchange rate between the currencies of two countries. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January events January 1 Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... This is a list of countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP), the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. ... This is a list of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year, divided by the average population for the same year. ... The Swiss franc (ISO 4217: CHF or 756) is the currency of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. ... ISO 4217 is an international standard describing three letter codes to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization or ISO. The first two letters of the code are the two letters of ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes (which are similar to those used... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Daylight saving time (also called DST, or Summer Time) is the portion of the year in which a regions local time is advanced by (usually) one hour from its standard official time. ... Central European Time (CET) is one of the names of UTC+1 time zone, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time or Greenwich mean time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... Central European Summer Time (CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time or Greenwich mean time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... The following is a list of currently existing Internet Top-level domains (TLDs). ... .ch is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Switzerland. ... At a glance In depth Zone 1 – North American Numbering Plan Area (nanpa. ...

History

Main article: History of Switzerland Since 1848, the Swiss Confederation has been a federal state of relatively autonomous cantons, some of which have a history of confederacy that goes back more than 700 years, arguably putting them among the worlds oldest surviving republics. ...

Switzerland is a federation of relatively autonomous cantons, some of which have a history of confederacy that goes back more than 700 years, arguably putting them among the world's oldest surviving republics. The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people who do not base their political power on any principle beyond the control of the people living in that state or country. ...

According to the popular legend, in 1291, representatives of the three forest cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden signed the Federal Charter. The charter united the involved parties in the struggle against foreign rule by the Habsburgs, who then held the German imperial throne of the Holy Roman Empire. At the Battle of Morgarten in 1315, the Swiss defeated the Habsburg army and secured quasi-independence as the Swiss Confederation. The authenticity of the Federal Charter is disputed with many historians agreeing that it is in fact a forgery of the 14th century. Events May 10 - Scottish nobles recognize the authority of King Edward I of England. ... The three forest cantons (drei Waldstätten) is the collective term for the original founding cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1291, Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden, all of them situated at Lake Lucerne, in German called Vierwaldstättersee lake of the four forest cantons, referring to the three cantons... Uri is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... The town Schwyz is the capital of the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. ... Unterwalden is a region in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne. ... Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg, but never so in official use) was one of the major ruling houses of Europe. ... This page is about the Germanic empire. ... On November 15, 1315, the soldiers of Duke Leopold I of Austria were thoroughly defeated by an ambush of the Swiss Confederation near the Morgarten pass. ... Events August 13 - Louis X of France marries Clemence dAnjou. ... (13th century - 14th century - 15th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400. ...

By 1353, the three original cantons had been joined by the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the city states of Lucerne, Zürich and Berne, forming the "Old Federation" of eight states that persisted during much of the 15th century (although Zürich was expelled from the confederation during the 1440s due to a territorial conflict) and led to a significant increase of power and wealth of the federation, in particular due to the victories over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The traditional listing order of the cantons of Switzerland reflects this state, listing the eight "Old Cantons" first, with the city states preceding the founding cantons, followed by cantons that joined the federation after 1481, in historical order. The Swiss victory in a war against the Swabian League in 1499 amounted to de facto independence from the Holy Roman Empire. Events The Decameron was finished by Giovanni Boccaccio. ... Glarus (French Glaris) is a canton in east central Switzerland. ... Zug, capital of the Swiss canton of that name, a picturesque little town at the northeastern corner of the lake of Zug, and at the foot of the Zugerberg (3255 ft. ... Lucerne (German: Luzern) is a city in Central Switzerland with a population of 60,274 (31 December 2003), capital of the canton of Lucerne. ... Zürich IPA (in English often Zurich, which is also the standard French form of the name) is the largest city in Switzerland (population: 364,558 in 2002; population of urban area: 1,091,732) and capital of the canton of Zürich. ... For other uses, see Bern (disambiguation). ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Centuries: 14th century - 15th century - 16th century Decades: 1390s 1400s 1410s 1420s 1430s - 1440s - 1450s 1460s 1470s 1480s 1490s Years: 1440 1441 1442 1443 1444 1445 1446 1447 1448 1449 Events and Trends Categories: 1440s ... Charles the Bold Charles, called the Bold (French: Charles le Téméraire) (November 10, 1433 – 1477) was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. ... Coat of arms of the 2nd duchy of Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy ( French: Bourgogne) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Pre-Indo-European people, Celts ( Gauls), Romans ( Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic peoples, most importantly the Burgundians and the Franks. ... Centuries: 14th century - 15th century - 16th century Decades: 1420s 1430s 1440s 1450s 1460s - 1470s - 1480s 1490s 1500s 1510s 1520s Years: 1470 1471 1472 1473 1474 1475 1476 1477 1478 1479 Events and Trends battle of Avenches 1476 Prominent Persons Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish astronomer Categories: 1470s ... A mercenary is a soldier who fights, or engages in warfare primarily for money, usually with little regard for ideological, national or political considerations. ... The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ... Events May 3 - Mehmed II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire dies and is succeeded by his son Beyazid II. May 21 - Christian I, King of Denmark and Norway dies and is succeeded by his son John (1481-1513) With the death of Duke Charles IV of Anjou, Anjou was reverted... The Swabian League, an association of German cities, principally in the territory which had formed the old duchy of Swabia. ... Events July 22 - Battle of Dornach - The Swiss decisively defeat the Imperial army of Emperor Maximilian I. July 28 - First Battle of Lepanto - The Turkish navy wins a decisive victory over the Venetians. ... This page is about the Germanic empire. ...

In 1506, pope Julius II engaged the Swiss Guard that continues to serve the Vatican to the present day. The expansion of the federation, and the reputation of invincibility acquired during the earlier wars, suffered a first setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. Events Leonardo da Vinci completes the Mona Lisa. ... Pope Julius II Julius II, né Giuliano della Rovere (December 5, 1443 - February 21, 1513), was pope from 1503 to 1513. ... Swiss Guards have been Swiss who fought for various European powers from the 15th century until the 19th century, called up from the separate Swiss cantons and placed at the disposal of various foreign powers by treaties (the capitulations), in return for money payments. ... Events June - Invasion of Persia by Sultan Selim I of the Ottoman Empire. ... The Battle of Marignano, in the phase of the Italian Wars (1494–1559) that is called the War of the Holy League, was a victory for French forces that took place on 13 and 14 September 1515, at a location, today called Melegnano, 16 km south east of Milan. ...

The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal wars in 1529 and 1531 (Kappeler Kriege). The conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the battles of Villmergen in 1656 and 1712. Zwinglis Successor Zwinglis successor, Heinrich Bullinger, was elected on December 9, 1531, to be the pastor of the Great Minster at Zürich, a position which he held to the end of his life (1575). ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... Events April 22 - Treaty of Saragossa divides the eastern hemisphere between Spain and Portugal, stipulating that the dividing line should lie 297. ... Events January 26 - Lisbon, Portugal is hit by an earthquake-- thousands die October 1 - Battle of Kappel - The forces of Zürich are defeated by the Catholic cantons. ... Events Mehmed Köprülü becomes Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. ... Events Treaty of Aargau signed between Catholic and Protestants. ...

Under the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality (ancien régime). In 1798, armies of the French Revolution conquered Switzerland and in 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte imposed a new constitution, largely restoring Swiss autonomy. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 fully re-established Swiss independence and the European powers agreed to permanently recognise the Swiss neutrality. At this time, the territory of Switzerland was increased for the last time, by the new cantons of Valais, Neuchatel and Geneva. Download high resolution version (800x629, 201 KB) City of Zug (1548) File links The following pages link to this file: Switzerland Zug ... Download high resolution version (800x629, 201 KB) City of Zug (1548) File links The following pages link to this file: Switzerland Zug ... Zug, capital of the Swiss canton of that name, a picturesque little town at the northeastern corner of the lake of Zug, and at the foot of the Zugerberg (3255 ft. ... The Ratification of the Treaty of Münster by Gerard Terborch (1648) The Peace of Westphalia, also known as the treaties of Münster and Osnabrück, is the series of treaties that ended the Thirty Years War and officially recognized the United Provinces and Swiss Confederation. ... Events Peace treaty signed at Westphalia ends the Thirty Years War. ... A neutral country takes no side in a war between other parties, and in return hopes to avoid being attacked by either of them. ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The period of the French Revolution in the history of France covers the years between 1789 and 1799, in which democrats and republicans overthrew the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo radical restructuring. ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Bonaparte as general Napoleon Bonaparte ( 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution and was the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from November 11, 1799 to May 18, 1804, then as Emperor of the French (Empereur des Français... The Congress of Vienna was a conference between ambassadors from the major powers in Europe that was chaired by the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich and held in Vienna, Austria, from October 1, 1814, to June 9, 1815. ... 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Valais (also known in German as Wallis) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the south-western part of the country, in the Pennine Alps around the valley of the Rhone River from its springs to Lake Geneva. ... Neuchâtel is a canton of Switzerland. ... The Republic and Canton of Geneva is the name of the westernmost canton or state of Switzerland, surrounded on almost all sides by France and centered around the city of Geneva. ...

In 1847, a civil war broke out between the Catholic and the Protestant cantons (Sonderbundskrieg). Its immediate cause was a 'special treaty' (Sonderbund) of the Catholic cantons. The war lasted for less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties. Apart from small riots, this was the latest armed conflict on Swiss territory. 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Sonderbund (meaning separate alliance, in German), was a league created in 1845 in Switzerland between seven Catholic and Conservative cantons in order to protect their interests against a centralization of power. ...

As a consequence of the civil war, Switzerland adopted a federal constitution in 1848, amending it extensively in 1874 and establishing federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters. In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique even today. Since then, continued political, economic, and social improvement has characterised Swiss history. 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1874 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1891 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Direct democracy comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein all citizens can directly participate in the political decision-making process. ...

In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, and in 1963 the Council of Europe. 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... The League of Nations was an international organization founded after the First World War at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Palace of Europe in Strasbourg The Council of Europe is an international organisation of 46 member states in the European region. ...

Switzerland proclaimed neutrality in World War I and was not involved militarily in the conflict. Neutrality was again proclaimed in World War II, and although a German intervention was both planned and anticipated, it ultimately didn't occur. The massive mobilization of Swiss armed forces under the leadership of General Henri Guisan is often cited as a decisive factor that the German invasion was never initiated. Modern historical findings such as the research done by the Bergier commission indicate, that another major factor was the continued trade by Swiss banks with Nazi Germany. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Henri Guisan ( 21 October 1874 - 8 April 1960) was the most recent General of the Swiss army, as Commander in Chief during World War 2. ...

Women were granted the right to vote in the first cantons in 1959, at the federal level in 1971, in the last canton only in 1990. In 1979, parts of the canton of Berne attained independence, forming the new canton of Jura. On April 18, 1999 the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favor of a completely revised federal constitution. 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... For other uses, see Bern (disambiguation). ... The Canton of Jura is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the northwestern part of Switzerland. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving the Vatican as the last widely recognized state without full UN membership. Switzerland is not a member state of the EU but applied for membership therein in May 1992. Switzerland has not advanced this application since the rejection, by referendum, of the European Economic Area in December 1992. However, Swiss law is gradually being adjusted to that of the EU and the government has signed a number of bilateral agreements with the European Union. It remains an objective of the government to join the European Union. Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's membership in 1995. On June 5, 2005, Swiss voters agreed, by a 55% majority, to join the Schengen treaty, a result that was welcomed by EU commentators as a sign of goodwill by a Switzerland that is traditionally perceived as isolationist. 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945 and now made up of 191 states. ... The European Economic Area (EEA) came into being on January 1, 1994 following an agreement between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Union (EU). ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The Schengen treaty is an agreement originally signed on June 14, 1985, by five European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands). ...

Politics

Main article: Politics of Switzerland Switzerland is a federal republic, and perhaps the closest state in the world to a direct democracy. ...

Switzerland features a system of government unlike any other seen in Europe, or indeed much of the world. Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 433 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 433 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The city of Bern, English traditionally Berne (Swiss German Bärn , German Bern , French Berne , Italian Berna , Romansh Berna ), is the Bundesstadt (capital) of Switzerland, and is the fourth most populous Swiss city after Zürich, Geneva and Basel). ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

The bicameral Swiss parliament, the Federal Assembly, is the primary seat of power, apart from the Federal Council. Both houses, the Council of States and the National Council, have equal powers in all respects, including the right to introduce legislation. The debating chamber or hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels. ... The Council of States of Switzerland (German: Ständerat, French Conseil des Etats, Italian Consiglio degli Stati) is the upper house of the Swiss parliament. ... The National Council of Switzerland is the large Chamber of the parliament and has 200 seats. ...

Under the 1999 constitution, cantons hold all powers not specifically delegated to the federation. 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

The 46 members of the Council of States (two from each canton and one from former half cantons) are directly elected in each canton, whereas the 200 members of the National Council are elected directly under a system of proportional representation. Members of both houses serve for 4 years. Through referenda citizens may challenge any law voted by federal parliament and through initiatives introduce amendments to the federal constitution, making Switzerland a semi-direct democracy. Proportional representation (PR) is any of various multi-winner electoral systems which try to ensure that the proportional support gained by different groups is accurately reflected in the election result. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... In political science, the initiative (also known as popular or citizens initiative) provides a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote on a proposed statute, constitutional amendment, charter amendment or ordinance. ... Direct democracy comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein all citizens can directly participate in the decision-making process. ...

The top executive body and collective Head of State is the Federal Council, a collegial body of seven members. Although the constitution provides that the Assembly elects and supervises the members of the Council, the latter (and its administration) has gradually assumed a preeminent role in directing the legislative process as well as executing federal laws. The President of the Confederation is elected from the seven. During a one year term, he assumes special representative functions. A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a nation-state, federation or commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the countrys... The Swiss Federal Council (in German: Bundesrat, in French: Conseil fédéral, in Italian: Consiglio federale, in Romansh: Cussegl Federal) is the seven-member executive council which collectively assumes the office of head of state equivalent to that of a president or of a monarch in the government of... A legislature is a governmental deliberative body with the power to adopt laws. ... The list of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation (1848-present) presents the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerlands seven-member executive. ...

From 1959 to December 2003, the four major parties were represented in the Federal Council according to the "magic formula", proportional to their representation in federal parliament: 2 Christian Democrats (CVP/PDC), 2 from the Social Democrats (SPS/PSS), 2 Free Democrats (FDP/PRD), and 1 from the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC). This traditional distribution of seats, however, is not backed up by any law, and in the 2003 elections to the Federal Council the CVP/PDC lost their second seat to the SVP/UDC. The Christian Democratic Peoples Party of Switzerland (Also called as Christan-Democratic Party, German: Christlich Demokratische Volkspartei (CVP), French: Parti Démocrate-Chrétien Suisse (PDC), Italian: Partito Popolare Democratico Svizzero (PPD), Romansh: Partida Cristiandemocratica Svizra (PCD)) is a centre-right initially Catholic political party from Switzerland. ... The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (also rendered as Socialist Party of Switzerland, in German: Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz (SPS), French Parti socialiste suisse (PSS), Italian Partito Socialista Svizzero, Romansh Partida Socialdemocrata de la Svizra. ... The Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei (FDP) (in French: Parti radical-démocratique (PRD) and in Italian: Partito Liberale-Radicale Svizzero (PLR)) is a free market liberal party in Switzerland. ... The Swiss Peoples Party (SVP) also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre German: Schweizerische Volkspartei, French: Union Démocratique du Centre, Italian: Unione Democratica del Centro, Romansh: Uniun Democratica dal Center) is a political party in Switzerland. ...

The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals of cantonal courts or the administrative rulings of the federal administration. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms. The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland (Tribunal fédéral in French, Schweizerisches Bundesgericht in German, Tribunale federale in Italian) is the supreme court of Switzerland. ...

The international relations of Switzerland are the responsibility of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and of all other departments for their respective fields of activity. ...

Cantons (states)

Main article: Cantons of Switzerland The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ...

The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons: Download high resolution version (1920x2560, 1534 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1920x2560, 1534 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Graubünden or Grisons (German: Graubünden; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun; French: Grisons), is the largest and easternmost Swiss canton. ... A canton is a territorial subdivision of a country, e. ...

[*] these Cantons are represented by only one councilor in the Council of States. Aargau (German Aargau, French Argovie, Italian Argovia, Romansh Argovia, in English sometimes Argovia) is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. ... Appenzell Innerrhoden (German; French: Appenzell Rhodes-Intérieures; in English sometimes Appenzell Inner Rhodes) is a canton of Switzerland. ... Appenzell Ausserrhoden (German; French: Appenzell Rhodes-Extérieures; in English sometimes Appenzell Outer Rhodes) is a canton of Switzerland. ... Basel-Stadt (in German: Basel-Stadt) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... Basel-Country (German: Basel-Landschaft; French: Bâle-Campagne) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... The Swiss canton of Bern (German: Kanton Bern; French Canton de Berne) has a population of about 947,000. ... The Canton of Fribourg is a canton of Switzerland. ... The Republic and Canton of Geneva is the name of the westernmost canton or state of Switzerland, surrounded on almost all sides by France and centered around the city of Geneva. ... Glarus (French Glaris) is a canton in east central Switzerland. ... Graubünden or Grisons (German: Graubünden; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun; French: Grisons), is the largest and easternmost Swiss canton. ... The Canton of Jura is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the northwestern part of Switzerland. ... Lucerne (German Luzern) is a canton of Switzerland. ... Neuchâtel is a canton of Switzerland. ... Nidwalden is a canton of Switzerland. ... Obwalden is a canton of Switzerland. ... The Canton of Schaffhausen is a canton of Switzerland. ... Schwyz (German Schwyz) is a canton in central Switzerland between Lake Lucerne in the south and Lake Zurich in the north. ... Solothurn is a canton of Switzerland. ... St. ... Thurgau (Thurgovia) is a canton of Switzerland. ... Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland, and almost entirely Italian-speaking (except the German-speaking municipality of Bosco/Gurin). ... Uri is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... The Valais (also known in German as Wallis) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the south-western part of the country, in the Pennine Alps around the valley of the Rhone River from its springs to Lake Geneva. ... The Canton of Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland located in the southwestern part of the country. ... Zug (French: Zoug, Italian: Zugo) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... The Swiss canton of Zürich (German: Kanton Zürich) has a population of about 1. ... The Council of States of Switzerland (German: Ständerat, French Conseil des Etats, Italian Consiglio degli Stati) is the upper house of the Swiss parliament. ...

The population varies between 15,000 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,253,500 (Zürich), area between 37 km² (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km² (Grisons). Cantons are divided in a total of 2,889 municipalities. Municipalities are the smallest government division in Switzerland. ...

The following are enclaves within Switzerland: Büsingen is territory of Germany, Campione d'Italia is territory of Italy. In human geography, an enclave is a piece of land which is totally enclosed within a foreign territory. ... Büsingen am Hochrhein is a German town entirely surrounded by the Swiss canton of Schaffhausen. ... Campione (also known as Campione dItalia) is an Italian enclave within the Swiss canton of Ticino, separated from the rest of Italy by Lake Lugano and mountains. ...

Geography

With an area of 41,000 square kilometers, Switzerland is a small country. The population is around 7.4 million, resulting in a population density of 184 people per km² (roughly comparable to the U. S. state of Maryland). Map of Switzerland from French Wikipedia uploaded by fr:Utilisateur:Greatpatton. ... Map of Switzerland from French Wikipedia uploaded by fr:Utilisateur:Greatpatton. ... The word Usa has more than one meaning: U.S.A. - The United States of America The United States Army Usa, Oita - A city in Japan The USA cable network USA Today national daily newspaper The University of Southern Alabama goes by the initials U.S.A. The patriotic cheer... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd) - Land 25,338 km² - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000) - Population 5,296,486 (19th) - Density 165 /km² (5th) Admission into...

The Swiss landscape is characterised by the Alps, a high mountain range running across the central-south of the country. Amongst the high peaks of the Swiss Alps, the highest of which is the Dufour Peak at 4,634 m, are found countless valleys, some with glaciers. From these the headwaters of several major European rivers such as the Rhine, the Rhône, the Inn, the Aare or the Ticino, flow down into lakes such as Lake Geneva, Lake Zürich, Lake Neuchâtel, and Lake Constance and farther down. The Alps is the collective name for one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria in the east, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany, through to France in the west. ... Chief peaks and mountain passes in the Swiss Alps: Regions Bernese Oberland with chief peaks and moutain passes from Lake Geneva to the Furka, the Reuss Valley and Lake Lucerne; Lepontine Alps from the Simplon to the Splugen and south of the Furka and Oberalp Passes; from the St Gotthard... Dufourspitze (De. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 1 km and 10 km (103 and 104 m). ... Austrias longest glacier, the Pasterze, winds its 8 km (5 mile) route at the foot of Austrias highest mountain, the Grossglockner. ... The Rhine canyon (Ruinaulta) in Graubünden in Switzerland Length 1,320 km Elevation of the source Vorderrhein: approx. ... Length 800 km Elevation of the source 1753 m Average discharge 1800 m³/ s Area watershed 100,200 km² Origin Rhône glacier Mouth Mediterranean Sea Basin countries Switzerland, France The River Rhône ( Latin Rhodanus, French Rhône, Occitan Rose, German Rotten) is one of the major rivers (ca. ... The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. ... For other possible meanings, see AAR, a disambiguation page The Aar (in German Aare) is the greatest river which both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. ... The Ticino River is a tributary of the Po. ... The Jet dEau fountain in Lake Geneva in Geneva Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman, Le Léman or Lac de Genève, (German: Genfersee) is the second largest freshwater lake in central Europe (after Lake Balaton), divided between France (Haute-Savoie) and Switzerland (cantons of Vaud, Geneva, and Valais). ... Lake Zurich showing a sailing boat, a popular pastime on the lake Lake Zurich, Illinois. ... Lake Neuchâtel (in French: Lac de Neuchâtel, in German: Neuenburgersee) is a lake in Western Switzerland (French-speaking Switzerland). ... Lake Constance (German Bodensee, also known as Schwäbisches Meer (informally) and sometimes written Lake of Constance) is a lake on the Rhine between Germany, Switzerland and Austria. ...

The northern, more populous part of the country is more open, but can still be fairly mountainous such as with the Jura Mountains, a smaller range in the northwest. The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but it can vary greatly locally, from the harsh conditions on the high mountains to the pleasant Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Download high resolution version (1167x767, 229 KB)A very large map of Switzerland showing places in Switzerland (red) and the neighbouring areas (grey), large lakes (blue) , main rivers (blue), main railways (black), motorways (orange) and places of interest (brown). ... Download high resolution version (1167x767, 229 KB)A very large map of Switzerland showing places in Switzerland (red) and the neighbouring areas (grey), large lakes (blue) , main rivers (blue), main railways (black), motorways (orange) and places of interest (brown). ... The Jura folds are located North of the main Alpine orogenic front, and are being continually deformed, accommodating the northwards compression due to Alpine folding. ... In geography, temperate latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. ...

A zoomable map of Switzerland is available at either www.swissinfo-geo.org or www.swissgeo.ch, a zoomable satellite picture at map.search.ch.

See also: Swisstopo topographical survey, List of lakes of Switzerland, List of rivers of Switzerland, List of mountain passes in Switzerland. Swisstopo is the common name for the Swiss Federal Office of Topography. ... Largest Lakes in Switzerland (Area larger than 20 km²) Lake Geneva (Lac Léman, Lac de Genève) - 581. ... Rivers of Switzerland: The longest Swiss rivers (> 100 km) Rhine - 375 km - 36494 km² Aar - 295 km - 17779 km² Rhone River - 264 km - 10403 km² Reuss River - 158 km - 3425 km² Linth / Limmat - 140 km - 2416 km² Saane/Sarine - 128 km - 1892 km² Thur... Chief peaks and mountain passes in the Swiss Alps: Regions Bernese Oberland with chief peaks and moutain passes from Lake Geneva to the Furka, the Reuss Valley and Lake Lucerne; Lepontine Alps from the Simplon to the Splugen and south of the Furka and Oberalp Passes; from the St Gotthard...

Economy

Main article: Economy of Switzerland Despite a dearth of natural resources, the Swiss economy is among the worlds most advanced and prosperous. ...

Switzerland is a prosperous and stable modern market economy with a per capita GDP higher than that of the big western European economies. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the European Union's to enhance their international competitiveness. Full EU membership is a long-term objective of the Swiss government, but there is considerable popular sentiment against this. To this end, it has established an Integration Office (http://www.europa.admin.ch/e/index.htm) under the Department of Foreign and Economic Affairs. In order to minimise the negative consequences of Switzerland's isolation from the rest of Europe, Bern and Brussels signed seven agreements, called Bilateral Agreements I, to further liberalise trade ties in 1999 and entering into force 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 is waiting ratification. The second series includes the Schengen treaty and the Dublin Convention. They continue to discuss further areas for cooperation. Switzerland voted against membership in the European Economic Area in December 1992 and has since maintained and developed its relationships with the European Union and European countries via bilateral agreements. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was established on May 3, 1960 as an alternative for European states that were not allowed or did not wish to join the European Community (now the European Union). ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Schengen treaty is an agreement originally signed on June 14, 1985, by five European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands). ... The Dublin Convention (or sometimes the Dublin accords) is a European Union (EU) law to streamline the application process for refugees seeking political asylum under the Geneva Convention, as amended by the New York Protocol. ... The European Economic Area (EEA) came into being on January 1, 1994 following an agreement between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Union (EU). ...

This is a list of Swiss companies, currently active and former ones: Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) Adecco AMAG Arbonia Forster ASCOM ATAG ATAG Ernst Young Bally Baloise Batigroup Brown Boveri & Cie Bucher Bucherer Bühler Câbles Cortaillod Caran dAche Ciba (merged into Ciba-Geigy) Ciba Specialty Chemicals Ciba...

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Switzerland Switzerland sits at the crossroads of several major European cultures, which have heavily influenced the countrys languages and cultural practices. ...

Switzerland sits at the crossroads of several major European cultures, which have heavily influenced the country's languages and cultural practices. Switzerland has four official languages: German (64%; yellow) in the north and centre, French (19%; purple) to the west, Italian (8%; green) in the south, and finally Romansh, a Romance language spoken by a small minority (<1%; red) in the southeastern canton of Graubünden and parts of Ticino. There is no obligation for the state to translate its communication in all four languages, so most communication is in one or two languages and only some very important documents are translated to Romansh. The German spoken in Switzerland is predominantly a group of dialects that are almost unintelligible to Germans and are collectively known as Swiss German, but newspapers and some broadcasts use High German, which is also the predominant language in the German part for any written communication. Swiss French and Swiss Italian differ far less from their counterparts spoken in France and Italy. Learning one of the other national languages is obligatory for all Swiss, so most Swiss speak two or more languages. Resident foreigners and temporary foreign workers make up about 20% of the population. A map showing the distribution of the Swiss languages; drawn by Kokiri: German (64%; yellow), French (19%; purple), Italian (8%; green), Romansh (less than 1%; red) File links The following pages link to this file: Switzerland Categories: GFDL images ... A map showing the distribution of the Swiss languages; drawn by Kokiri: German (64%; yellow), French (19%; purple), Italian (8%; green), Romansh (less than 1%; red) File links The following pages link to this file: Switzerland Categories: GFDL images ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... The Romance languages, also called Romanic languages, are a subfamily of the Italic languages, specifically the descendants of the Vulgar Latin dialects spoken by the common people evolving in different areas after the break-up of the Roman Empire. ... Graubünden or Grisons (German: Graubünden; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun; French: Grisons), is the largest and easternmost Swiss canton. ... Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland, and almost entirely Italian-speaking (except the German-speaking municipality of Bosco/Gurin). ... Swiss German (Schweizerdeutsch, Schwyzerdütsch, Schwiizerdütsch, Schwyzertütsch) is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland. ... Subdivisions Central German Upper German High German (in German, Hochdeutsch) is any of several German dialects spoken in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Luxembourg (as well as in neighbouring portions of Belgium, France (Alsace), Italy, Poland, and Romania (Transylvania) and in some areas of former colonial settlement, for example in... Swiss French (Suisse romand in French) is the name used for the different dialects of French spoken in the Francophone part of Switzerland known as Romandy. ...

The largest religion in Switzerland is Roman Catholicism, to which some 43% of the population adhere. Various Protestant faiths number some 35% of the population, and immigration has established Islam (4%) and Eastern Orthodoxy (2%) as sizable minority religions. The remainder belongs to very small minorities or is unaffiliated. The stability and prosperity of Switzerland, combined with a linguistically and religiously diverse population has led some to describe the country as a consensus state or a consociational state. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Islam (Arabic al-islām الإسلام, listen) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ... ... Political scientists define a consociational state as a state which has major internal divisions along ethnic, religious, or linguistic lines, yet nonetheless manages to remain remarkably stable, due to consultation between the elites of each of its major social groups. ...

This is a list of famous Swiss and notable people from or resident in Switzerland and cantons forming present-day Switzerland. ...

Culture

Main article: Culture of Switzerland The culture of Switzerland is influenced by its neighbours, but over the years a distinctive culture with strong regional differences has developed. ...

The culture of Switzerland is influenced by its neighbours, but over the years a distinctive culture with strong regional differences has developed. Traditionally Switzerland is not considered one of the centres of European culture, but this conception might be deceptive.

A number of culturally active Swiss have chosen to move abroad, probably given the limited opportunities in their homeland. At the same time, the neutrality of Switzerland has attracted many creative people from all over the world. In war times the tradition of political asylum helped to attract artists, whilst recently low taxes seem predominant.

Strong regionalism in Switzerland makes it difficult to speak of a homogenous Swiss culture. The influence of German, French and Italian culture on their neighbouring parts and the influence of Anglo-American culture cannot be denied. The Rhaeto-Romanic culture in the eastern mountains of Switzerland is robust.

The Swiss are noted for their banks, their chocolate, their cheese, their pocket knives, their watches, and their private boarding schools. The essential function of a bank is to provide services related to the storing of value and the extending of credit. ... Chocolate comes in dark, light, and white varieties with cocoa contributing the brown coloration. ... Cubes of Emmental Swiss cheese Swiss cheese is the generic name for several related varieties of cheese, originally made in Switzerland. ... A Victorinox Swiss Army knife A Swiss Army Knife, often abbreviated SwAK by knife aficionados, is a useful multifunction tool. ... Pocket watch A watch is a small portable clock that displays the current time and sometimes the current day, date, month and year. ... A boarding school is a self-contained educational total institution where students not only study but where some or all students may live. ...

The tallest building in Switzerland is the Basler Messeturm. The Basler Messeturm (Basel Trade Fair Tower), located in Basel, is Switzerlands tallest building. ...

Switzerland has long had a distinct cultural identity, despite its diversity of German, French and other ethnicities. ... The culture of Switzerland is influenced by its neighbours, but over the years a distinctive culture with strong regional differences has developed. ... The Swiss cuisine is distinguished. ... SRG SSR idée suisse is the business name of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation -- in German: Schweizerische Radio- und Fernsehgesellschaft (SRG), in Romansh Societad svizra da radio e televisiun, in Italian: Società svizzera di radiotelevisione (SSR), in French: Société suisse de radiodiffusion et télévision (SSR). ...

Miscellaneous topics

Telephones - main lines in use: 4. ... Transport in Switzerland Railways Main article: Rail transport in Switzerland total: 5063 km standard gauge: 3652 km 1. ... colspan=2 align=center bgcolor=#ff4444>Military of Switzerlandcolspan=2 align=center>Military manpower<>Fit for military service The Armed Forces of Switzerland is a unique institution somewhere between a militia and a regular army. ... The education system in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system to the cantons (Article 62). ... This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Switzerland. ... These are data codes for Switzerland. ... These are lists of cities in Switzerland. ... This is a list of famous Swiss and notable people from or resident in Switzerland and cantons forming present-day Switzerland. ... This page aims to list articles related to Switzerland. ... The Enlargement of the European Union is the growth in size of the European Union, from the six founding member states in 1952, to the 25 current member states. ... The European Union has a number of relationships with nations that are not formally part of the Union. ...

External links

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Categories: European countries | Switzerland This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Bosnia and Herzegovina (officially Bosna i Hercegovina/Босна и Херцеговина, shortened to BiH, also in English variously written Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bosnia-Hercegovina) is a mountainous country in the western Balkans. ... National motto: Truth prevails (Czech: Pravda vítězí) Official language Czech Capital Praha (Prague) President Václav Klaus Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek Area - Total - % water Ranked 114th 78,866 km² 2% Population - Total (2003) - Density Ranked 76th 10. ... The Most Serene Republic of San Marino or San Marino (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino or San Marino) is one of the smallest nations in the world. ... Serbia and Montenegro (Serbian: Србија и Црна Гора / Srbija i Crna Gora, often abbreviated as SCG) is the name of the union of Serbia and Montenegro, two former Yugoslav republics united since 2003 in a loose confederation. ... ... Vatican City — formally known as the State of the Vatican City or Vatican City State (Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanæ and Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano) — is a sovereign landlocked enclave surrounded by Rome, Italy. ... Dependency has a number of meanings: In project management, a dependency is a link amongst a projects terminal elements. ... Map of Akrotiri (Western) SBA Akrotiri (also known as the Western Sovereign Base Area or WSBA) and Dhekelia (also known as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area or ESBA) are UK Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) in Cyprus, a former British Crown Colony. ... Official language Faroese Capital Tórshavn Monarch Margrethe II Prime Minister Jóannes Eidesgaard Area - Total - % water World ranking: 189th 1,399 km² 0. ... Jan Mayen Jan Mayen Island, a part of the Kingdom of Norway, is a 373-square-kilometer arctic volcanic island partly covered by glaciers and divided into two parts by a narrow isthmus. ... The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin in Manx), is a self-governing democracy located in the Irish Sea at the centre of the British Isles. ... This article or section should be merged with Transcontinental nations. ... World map showing location of Asia A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... World map showing location of Asia A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

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