NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Switzerland

Switzerland (German: Schweiz, French: Suisse, Italian: Svizzera, Romansh: Svizra), officially the Swiss Confederation (Confoederatio Helvetica in Latin, hence its ISO country codes CH and CHE), is a landlocked alpine country of roughly 7.5 million people in Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km². Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 states. These states are called cantons. Berne is the seat of the federation and de facto capital,^[5] while the country's economic centres are its two global cities, Geneva and especially Zürich. Switzerland has high degrees of economic freedom, immigrants, and globally-oriented business. Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world. Not to be confused with capitol. ... For other uses, see Berne (disambiguation). ... For other uses of Zurich, see Zurich (disambiguation). ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Romansh (also spelled Rumantsch, Romansch or Romanche) is one of the four national languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian and French. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... Direct democracy, classically termed pure democracy,[1] comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all citizens who choose to participate. ... This article is about federal states. ... Parliamentary republics around the world, shown in Orange (Parliamentary republics with a non-executive President) and Green (Parliamentary republics with an executive President linked to Parliament). ... The Swiss Federal Council (German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government as well as the head of state of Switzerland. ... Moritz Leuenberger (born September 21, 1946) is a Swiss politician, lawyer, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 1995 and President of the Confederation for the years 2001 and 2006. ... Pascal Couchepin (born April 5, 1942) 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. ... Samuel Schmid Samuel Schmid (born January 8, 1947) is a member of the Swiss Federal Council, heading the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports. ... Micheline Calmy-Rey (born July 8, 1945) is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2003. ... Hans-Rudolf Merz (born 10 November 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... A vice president is an officer in government or business who is next in rank below a president. ... The list of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation (1848-present) presents the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerlands seven-member executive. ... Doris Leuthard (born 10 April 1963) is a Swiss politician, lawyer, member of the Swiss National Council (since 1999) and President of the Christian Democratic Peoples Party (CVP/PDC) (since 2004). ... 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. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... The Treaty of Basel of 22 September 1499 was an armistice following the Battle of Dornach, concluding the Swabian War, fought between the Swabian League and the Old Swiss Confederacy. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1499 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ratification of the Treaty of MÃ¼nster. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1648 (MDCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... The ZÃ¼riputsch: clashes on ZÃ¼rich Paradeplatz The Restauration is the period of Swiss history lasting from 1814 to 1847. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... April 5-12: Mount Tambora explodes, changing climate. ... In 1847, a civil war broke out between the Catholic and the Protestant cantons (Sonderbundskrieg). ... is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 10,000 kmÂ² and 100,000 kmÂ². ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... Map of countries by population for the year 2007 This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/kmÂ². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... PPP of GDP for the countries of the world (2003). ... There are three lists 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). ... Look up Per capita in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article includes two lists of countries of the world[1] 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. ... One thousand million (1,000,000,000) is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001. ... World map of GDP (Nominal and PPP). ... Look up Per capita in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Map of countries by 2006 GDP (nominal) per capita (IMF, October 2007). ... Graphical representation of the Gini coefficient The Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth distribution. ... This page talks about Human Development Index, for other HDIs see HDI (disambiguation) World map indicating Human Development Index (2007). ... This talks about the countries in the Human Development Index, for information on the Human Development Index, please Click Here World map indicating Human Development Index (2007) (Colour-blind compliant map) For red-green color vision problems. ... ISO 4217 Code CHF User(s) Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Campione dItalia Inflation 1. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Time zones of Europe: Light colours indicate countries that do not observe summer time Central European Time (CET) is one of the names of the time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... UTC redirects here. ... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... Time zones of Europe: Light colours indicate countries that do not observe summer time Central European Summer Time (CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... UTC redirects here. ... 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. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... The Swiss telephone numbering plan describes the Telephone numbering plan in Switzerland. ... Romansh (also spelled Rumantsch, Romansch or Romanche) is one of the four national languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian and French. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... â€œISOâ€ redirects here. ... These are data codes for Switzerland. ... A landlocked country is one that has no coastline. ... Satellite image of Switzerland The Swiss Alps are the central portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland, because of their central position they are also known as Central Alps. ... A current understanding of Western Europe. ... The Federal Republic of Germany and its sixteen BundeslÃ¤nder (federal states) A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government. ... Valais Ticino GraubÃ¼nden (Grisons) Geneva Vaud NeuchÃ¢tel Jura Berne Thurgau Zurich Aargau Lucerne Solothurn Basel-Land Schaffhausen Uri Schwyz Glarus St. ... For other uses, see Berne (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... â€œWorld cityâ€ redirects here. ... For other uses, see Geneva (disambiguation). ... For other uses of Zurich, see Zurich (disambiguation). ...

It is bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein and has a long history of neutrality — it has not been at war since 1815 — and hosts many international organizations, including the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization and one of the U.N.'s two European offices. Switzerland is multilingual and has four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. The country's Latin formal name, Confoederatio Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, an ancient Celtic people in the Alpine region. It is rendered in German as Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, in French as Confédération suisse, in Italian as Confederazione Svizzera and in Romansh as Confederaziun svizra. The establishment of Switzerland is traditionally dated to August 1, 1291; the first of August is the national holiday. A neutral country takes no side in a war between other parties, and in return hopes to avoid being attacked by either of them. ... The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. ... -1... The United Nations Office at Geneva is located in the Palais des Nations, originally constructed for the League of Nations in the 1930s. ... Romansh (also spelled Rumantsch, Romansch or Romanche) is one of the four national languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian and French. ... A map of Gaul showing the northern Alpine position of the Helvetii. ... This article is about the European people. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ...

History

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. ...

Early history

The earliest known tribes of the area were members of the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures. The La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450BC, possibly under some influence from the Greek, and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups in the Swiss region was the Helvetii. In 15 BC, Tiberius I, who was destined to be the second Roman Emperor, and his brother, Drusus, conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica Province and then of its Germania Superior Province, while the eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. The early history of Switzerland begins with the earliest settlements up to the beginning of Habsburg rule, which in 1291 gave rise to the independence movement in the central cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alemannia (red) and Upper Burgundy (green) around AD 1000. ... 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. ... The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture during the local Bronze Age, and introduced the Iron Age. ... The La TÃ¨ne culture was an Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site of La TÃ¨ne on the north side of Lake Neuchatel in Switzerland, where a rich trove of artifacts was discovered by Hansli Kopp in 1857. ... The La TÃ¨ne culture was an Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site of La TÃ¨ne on the north side of Lake Neuchatel in Switzerland, where a rich trove of artifacts was discovered by Hansli Kopp in 1857. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... A map of Gaul showing the northern Alpine position of the Helvetii. ... Vienna becomes a frontier city guarding the Roman Empire against the German tribes to the north. ... For other persons named Tiberius, see Tiberius (disambiguation). ... Bust of Nero Claudius Drusus, in the MusÃ©e du Cinquantinaire, Brussels Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, born Decimus Claudius Drusus and variously called Drusus, Drusus I, Drusus Claudius Nero, or Drusus the Elder (14 January 38 - 9 BC) was the youngest son of Livia, wife of Augustus, and her first... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... A map of Gaul showing the northern Alpine position of the Helvetii. ... The Roman Province of Gallia Belgica in 58 BCE The Roman Province of Gallia Belgica around 120 CE Gallia Belgica was a Roman province located in what is now the southern part of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, northeastern France, and western Germany. ... Categories: Historical stubs | Ancient Roman provinces | German history | Germany | History of the Germanic peoples ... The Roman Empire ca. ...

In the Early Middle Ages, from the 4th Century AD, the western extents of modern day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundiuns. The Alemanni settled the Swiss plateau in the 5th Century AD and the valleys of the Alps in the 8th Century AD, forming Alemannia. Modern Day Switzerland was therefore then divided between the Kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy. The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the 6th Century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians. Justinians wife Theodora and her retinue, in a 6th century mosaic from the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. ... The following is a list of the Kings of Burgundy // Kings of the Burgundians The Burgundians had left Bornholm, ca 300, and settled near the Vistula. ... The Alamanni, Allemanni or Alemanni, are a Germanic tribe, first mentioned by Dio Cassius, under the year 213. ... The Swiss plateau (plateau suisse in French, Schweizer Mittelland in German) constitutes one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the Jura mountains and the Alps. ... The main valleys of the Alps, orographically by drainage basin. ... Alemannia (red) and Upper Burgundy (green) around AD 1000. ... Alemannia (red) and Upper Burgundy (green) around AD 1000. ... Coat of arms of the second Duchy of Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: ; German: ) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic peoples, most importantly the Burgundians and the Franks; the former gave their... The Frankish Empire was the territory of the Franks, from the 5th to the 10th centuries, from 481 ruled by Clovis I of the Merovingian Dynasty, the first king of all the Franks. ... Clovis I (variously spelled Chlodowech or Chlodwig, giving modern French Louis and modern German Ludwig) (c. ... The Alamanni, Allemanni or Alemanni, are a Germanic tribe, first mentioned by Dio Cassius, under the year 213. ... ZÃ¼lpich is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany between Aachen and Bonn. ...

By 561 AD, the Merovingian King Guntram, Clovis I's grandson, had inherited the Frankish Kingdon of Burgundy, which stretched East nearly as far as the Rhine. East of this, the Alamanni were ruled under a nominal dukedom within Frankia, as the Franks filled the vacuum caused by the declining Western reach of Roman Byzantium. By this time Frankia was beginning to form the tripartite character that would characterise the rest of its history. The territories were subdivided into Neustria in the West (referred to simply as Frankia at the time; the name Neustria did not appear in writing until some 80 years later), Austrasia in the North East and Burgundy. For other uses, see Merovingian (disambiguation). ... Guntram I(c. ... For other uses, see Rhine (disambiguation). ... Byzantium (Greek: Î’Ï…Î¶Î¬Î½Ï„Î¹Î¿Î½, Latin: , ) was an ancient Greek city, which was founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas or Byzantas (Î’ÏÎ¶Î±Ï‚ or Î’ÏÎ¶Î±Î½Ï„Î±Ï‚ in Greek). ... Neustria & Austrasia The territory of Neustria originated in A.D. 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities. ... Austrasia & Neustria Austrasia formed the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. ...

Throughout the rest of the 6th and early 7th Centuries AD the Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony, with the Franks largely occupied with infighting about issues of succession amongst the Frankish sub-kingdoms (whose Kings were close blood relatives). In 632 AD, following the death of Chlothar II, the entire Frankish realm was briefly united under Dagobert, who is described as the last Merovingian king able to exercise real power. Under Dagobert, the Austrasians agitated for self governance as a means of countering the influence of the Neustrians, who dominated royal court. Dagobert was forced by the strong Austrasian aristocracy to appoint his infant son, Sigebert III, as sub-king of Austrasia in 633 AD. The weakness of the realm became clear, and this led to those subjucated by the Franks considering the risks and benefits of rebellion. After Sigebert III suffered a military defeat at the hands of Radulf, King of Thuringia in 640 AD, the Alemanni also revolted against Frankish rule. The period of Allemani independence that followed lasted more or less continuously until the middle of the 8th Century AD. Chlothar II (or Chlotar, Clothar, Clotaire, Chlotochar, or Hlothar, giving rise to Lothair; 584 â€“ 629), called the Great (le Grand) or the Young (le Jeune), King of Neustria, and, from 613 to 629, King of all the Franks, was not yet born when his father, King Chilperic I died in... Dagobert can refer to: Dagobert (3rd century) Dagobert (4th century) Dagobert I (603-639), Frankish King Dagobert II (650-679), Frankish King Dagobert of Pisa, Archbishop of Pisa and first Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem The pseudonym of Arno Funke The German name of Disney character Scrooge McDuck This is a... For other uses, see Merovingian (disambiguation). ... Sigebert III (c. ... Sigebert III (c. ... The Alamanni, Allemanni or Alemanni, are a Germanic tribe, first mentioned by Dio Cassius, under the year 213. ...

Mayors of the Palace had been appointed by the Frankish Kings as court officials since the early 7th Century AD to act as mediators between the king and the people. However following Dagobert's death in 639 AD, with infants on the throne in both Neustria (Clovis II - a babe in arms in 639 AD) and Austrasia (Sigebert III - about 4 years old in 639 AD), these court appointees assumed greater power, eventually to such an extent that they ended the rule of the Merovingian monarchs, and took over the Frankish throne themselves. The first step was taken by the Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, Grimoald I, who convinced the childless Sigebert III to adopt his own son, Childebert as heir to the throne. Clovis II (or Chlodowech or Chlodwig, modern French Louis, modern German Ludwig) (637-November 27, 655) succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639 as King of Neustria and Burgundy. ... Sigebert III (c. ... Grimoald I (616-662), called the Elder (in French, Grimaud) was the Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia from 643 to 656. ... Sigebert III (c. ... Childebert was the name of several Frankish kings: Childebert I (ca. ...

Meanwhile in the Neustrian palace, the Mayors of the Palace, Erchinoald, and his successor, Ebroin, were likewise increasing their hold on power behind Clovis II, and his successor Chlothar III. Ebroin reunited the Frankish kingdom by defeating and removing Childebert (and Grimoald) from Austrasia in 661 AD. Erchinoald (also Erkinoald and, in French, Erchenout) succeeded Aega as the mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy in 641 and remained such until his death in 658. ... Ebroin (d. ... Clovis II (or Chlodowech or Chlodwig, modern French Louis, modern German Ludwig) (637-November 27, 655) succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639 as King of Neustria and Burgundy. ... Chlothar III (or Chlotar, Clothar, Clotaire, Chlotochar, or Hlothar, giving rise to Lothair; 652 â€“ 673) was the eldest son of Clovis II, king of Neustria and Burgundy, and his queen Balthild. ... Childebert was the name of several Frankish kings: Childebert I (ca. ... Grimoald, Grimoart, or Grimuald was a first name of several historical figures: Grimoald I of Benevento, duke of Benevento (651-662) and king of the Lombards (662-677) Grimoald II of Benevento, duke of Benevento (677-680) Grimoald III of Benevento, duke of Benevento (787-806) Grimoald IV of Benevento...

Chlothar III's younger brother, Childeric II, was then installed as King of the Austrasians, and together they ruled the empire. When Chlothar III died in 673 AD, Childeric II became king of the entire realm, ruling from Austrasia, until he was assassinated two years later by members of the Neustrian elite. After his death, Theuderic III, son of Clovis II, ascended to the throne, ruling from Neustria. He and his Mayor of the Palace, Berthar, declared war on Austrasia, which was ruled by Dagobert II, son of Sigebert III, and Pepin of Heristal (Pepin II), the Arnulfing Mayor of Austrasia. Theuderic and Berthar were defeated by Peppin at the Battle of Tertry in 687 AD, whereafter Peppin was appointed the sole Mayor of all Frankia, nominating himself as Duke and Prince of all the Franks. Peppin was the product of the marriage of two very powerful houses; that of the Pippinids and the Arnulfings. His success at Tertry was to mark the end of Merovingian power. Chlothar III (or Chlotar, Clothar, Clotaire, Chlotochar, or Hlothar, giving rise to Lothair; 652 â€“ 673) was the eldest son of Clovis II, king of Neustria and Burgundy, and his queen Balthild. ... Childeric II (c. ... Chlothar III (or Chlotar, Clothar, Clotaire, Chlotochar, or Hlothar, giving rise to Lothair; 652 â€“ 673) was the eldest son of Clovis II, king of Neustria and Burgundy, and his queen Balthild. ... Childeric II (c. ... Theuderic III was a King of the Franks in the 7th century, one of the Merovingian line. ... Clovis II (or Chlodowech or Chlodwig, modern French Louis, modern German Ludwig) (637-November 27, 655) succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639 as King of Neustria and Burgundy. ... Berthar was the mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy from 686 to 687. ... Dagobert II (c. ... Sigebert III (c. ... Pippin of Herstal ( PÃ©pin), also known as Pippin the Middle, (b. ... Pippin of Herstal ( Pépin), also known as Pippin the Younger, (b. ... The Battle of Tertry was an important engagement in Merovingian Gaul between the forces of Austrasia on one side and those of Neustria and Burgundy on the other. ... The Pippinids or Arnulfings are the members of a family of Frankish nobles whose select scions served as Mayor of the Palace, de facto rulers, of the Frankish kingdoms of Neustria and Austrasia that were nominally ruled by the Merovingians. ... The Pippinids or Arnulfings are the members of a family of Frankish nobles whose select scions served as major-domos, de facto rulers, of the Frankish kingdoms of Neustria and Austrasia that were nominally ruled by the Merovingians. ... For other uses, see Merovingian (disambiguation). ...

Peppin again tasted military success in his campaign to bring the Frisians, of Europe's north coast, back under Frankish control. Between 709 AD and 712 AD he fought a similar campaign against the Alemanni, including those within the borders of present day Switzerland, and succeeded in re-imposing Frankish rule, the first since the Alemannian revolt of 640 AD. However Frankish control of this and other outlying areas was again lost when a Frankish civil war of succession followed Peppin's death in 714 AD. The Frisians are an ethnic group of northwestern Europe, inhabiting an area known as Frisia. ... The Alamanni, Allemanni or Alemanni, are a Germanic tribe, first mentioned by Dio Cassius, under the year 213. ... The Alamanni, Allemanni or Alemanni, are a Germanic tribe, first mentioned by Dio Cassius, under the year 213. ...

The war was a continuation of the ageless Neustrian/Austrasian rivalry. Peppin's illegitimate son, Charles Martel (who was the son of Peppin's mistress Alpaida), had been proclaimed Mayor of Austrasia by the Austraian nobility in defiance of Peppin's widow, Plectrude, who preferred that her 8 year old grandson, Theudoald, be appointed. Neustria invaded Austrasia under Chilperic II who had been appointed by the Neustrians without the agreement of the rest of the Frankish peoples. The turning point of the war came at the Battle of Ambleve, when Charles Martel, using brilliant and unconventional tactics, defeated combined Neustrian and Frisian forces under Chilperic II and Mayor Ragenfrid. Charles struck when The Neustrians were marching home after triumphing at Cologne over Plectrude and the child Theudoald. Charles Martel (or, in modern English, Charles the Hammer) (23 August 686 â€“ 22 October 741) was proclaimed Mayor of the Palace, ruling the Franks in the name of a titular King, and proclaimed himself Duke of the Franks (the last four years of his reign he did not even bother... Alpaida was also known as Chalpaida. ... Plectrude or Plectrudis (d. ... Theudoald or Theodald was the mayor of the palace, briefly unopposed in 714 until Ragenfrid was acclaimed in Neustria and Charles Martel in Austrasia by the nobles, after the death of his grandfather, Pepin of Heristal. ... Chilperic II refers to either: Chilperic II of Neustria and I of Austrasia Chilperic II of the Franks This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Charles Martel (or, in modern English, Charles the Hammer) (23 August 686 â€“ 22 October 741) was proclaimed Mayor of the Palace, ruling the Franks in the name of a titular King, and proclaimed himself Duke of the Franks (the last four years of his reign he did not even bother... Chilperic II refers to either: Chilperic II of Neustria and I of Austrasia Chilperic II of the Franks This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Ragenfrid (also Ragenfred, Raganfrid, or Ragamfred) (d. ... Cologne (German: , IPA: ; local dialect: KÃ¶lle ) is Germanys fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than... Plectrude or Plectrudis (d. ... Theudoald or Theodald was the mayor of the palace, briefly unopposed in 714 until Ragenfrid was acclaimed in Neustria and Charles Martel in Austrasia by the nobles, after the death of his grandfather, Pepin of Heristal. ...

By 717 AD, Charles had confirmed his supremacy, with victory over the Neustians at the Battle of Vincy, thereby marking the beginning of Carolingian rule over the Frankish empire. The Battle of Vincy was fought at Vincy, near Cambrai, in the modern dÃ©partement of Aisne. ...

After 718 AD, Charles, who was a brilliant commander, embarked upon a series of wars to strenthen Frankish dominion over Western Europe. This included bringing the Alemannians back under Frankish hegemony, and even, in the 720's AD, forcing some Alemannian elements to participate in his wars against their Eastern neigbours, the Bavarians. Charles Martel (or, in modern English, Charles the Hammer) (23 August 686 â€“ 22 October 741) was proclaimed Mayor of the Palace, ruling the Franks in the name of a titular King, and proclaimed himself Duke of the Franks (the last four years of his reign he did not even bother...

Alemannia, however, remained restless, with Duke Lantfrid in the late 720's AD, expressing independence by issuing revisions of the laws of the Alemans. Charles invaded again in 730 AD and subjugated the Alemannis by force. Lantfrid (also Lanfred, latinized Lantfridus or Lanfredus, died 730) was duke of Alamannia under Frankish sovereignty from 709 until his death. ... Charles Martel (or, in modern English, Charles the Hammer) (23 August 686 â€“ 22 October 741) was proclaimed Mayor of the Palace, ruling the Franks in the name of a titular King, and proclaimed himself Duke of the Franks (the last four years of his reign he did not even bother...

Charles is perhaps best known for stopping the Arab advance into Western Europe at the Battle of Tours in 732 AD, in a military stand that arguably halted Islamist expansionism into the European homeland. Combatants Carolingian Franks Umayyad Caliphate Commanders Charles Martel â€˜Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqiâ€ Strength Possibly 20,000-30,000 Unknown, but the earliest Muslim sources, still after the era of the battle[1] mention a figure of 80,000. ...

When Charles died in 741 AD, the dominion over Frankia was divided between his two sons from his first marriage; namely Peppin the Short and Carloman. Carloman was given Austrasia, Alemannia and Thuringen, while Peppen took control of Neustria, Provence and Burgundy (including present day Western Switzerland). Charles Martel (or, in modern English, Charles the Hammer) (23 August 686 â€“ 22 October 741) was proclaimed Mayor of the Palace, ruling the Franks in the name of a titular King, and proclaimed himself Duke of the Franks (the last four years of his reign he did not even bother...

By 743 AD, Carloman was vowing to impose a greater degree of control over Alemannia, and this resulted ultimately in the arrst, trial and execution of several thousand Alemanni nobleman at the Blood court at Cannstatt in 746 AD. The blood court at Cannstatt (Blutgericht zu Cannstatt) took place as Carloman in 746 invited all nobles of the Alamanni, to a council at Cannstatt. ...

Carloman retired to a monastery in 747 AD, leaving Peppin to assume the Frankish crown (after a vote of nobles) in 751 AD. Peppen further strengthened his position by forming an alliance, in 754 AD, with Pope Stephen II, who then came all the way to Paris to anoint him King in a ceremony at St Denis's Basilica. In return Peppin subdued the Lombards and donated the Exarchate of Ravenna and captured territry around Rome to the church. This was a turning point in the history of the Roman Catholic Church and Western Europe, as it foreshadowed later events under Charlemagne leading to the formation of the Holy Roman Empire. It is claimed that Pope Stephen II tabled the forged Donation of Constantine during his negotiations with Peppin. The Donation is a falsified imperial order purported to have been issued by Constantine to gift to Pope Sylvester I and all his successors dominion over not only the Western Roman empire, but also all of Judea, Greece, Asia, Thrace and Rome. Stephen, elected pope in March of 752 to succeed Pope Zacharias, died of apoplexy three days later, before being consecrated. ... The Exarchate of Ravenna was a center of Byzantine power in Italy, from the end of the 6th century to 751 A.D., when the last Exarch was put to death by the Emperors enemies in Italy, the Lombards. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ... This article is about the medieval empire. ... Stephen, elected pope in March of 752 to succeed Pope Zacharias, died of apoplexy three days later, before being consecrated. ... A 13th C. fresco of Sylvester and Constantine, showing the purported Donation. ... Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus[2] (27 February c. ...

Upon Peppen's death in 768 AD, the Frankish empire was passed to his sons Charles and Carloman I. Carloman withdrew to a monastery and died shortly afterwards, leaving Charles, later known as the legendary Charlemagne, the sole ruler of the Franks. Charles expanded Frankish sovereignty to include the Saxons, Bavarians, and the Lombards in Northern Italy and he expanded the empire into today's Austria and parts of Croatia. He offered the Papacy the promise of enduring Frankish protection, and he patronised monastic centres of learning. For other uses, see Charlemagne (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Charlemagne (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Charlemagne (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Saxon (disambiguation). ... The Lombards (Latin Langobardi, whence comes the alternative name Longobards found in older English texts), were a Germanic people originally from Northern Europe that entered the late Roman Empire. ... Northern Italy comprises of two areas belonging to NUTS level 1: North-West (Nord-Ovest): Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria North-East (Nord-Est): Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/SÃ¼dtirol, Emilia-Romagna Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige/SÃ¼dtirol and Aosta Valley are regions with a...

By 1200 AD, the Swiss plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg and Kyburg. When the Kyburg dynasty fell in 1264 AD, the Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Emperor in 1273) extended its territory to the eastern Swiss plateau. The House of Savoy or in Italian, La Casa di Savoia, or simply Casa Savoia, (or Savoie, French) is a dynasty of nobles who traditionally had their domain in Savoy, a region that includes present-day Piemonte, other parts of Northern Italy, and a smaller region in France. ... ZÃ¤hringen is the name of an old and influential German noble family, taken from the castle and village of that name. ... Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy; also used as the flag of the Austrian Empire until the Ausgleich of 1867. ... The brass of the tomb of Rudolph I in Speyer Rudolph I (Rudolph of Hapsburg) (May 1, 1218 - July 15, 1291) was a German king. ...

The House of Savoy or in Italian, La Casa di Savoia, or simply Casa Savoia, (or Savoie, French) is a dynasty of nobles who traditionally had their domain in Savoy, a region that includes present-day Piemonte, other parts of Northern Italy, and a smaller region in France. ... ZÃ¤hringen is the name of an old and influential German noble family, taken from the castle and village of that name. ... Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy; also used as the flag of the Austrian Empire until the Ausgleich of 1867. ...

Old Swiss Confederacy

The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy facilitated management of common interests (free trade) and ensured peace on the important mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 agreed between the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden is considered the confederacy's founding document; even though similar alliances are likely to have existed decades earlier.^[6] 1550 illustration for the Sempacherbrief of 1393, one of the major alliance contracts of the Old Swiss Confederacy The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland. ... The growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy began as an alliance between the communities of the valleys in the central Alps to facilitate the management of common interests such as free trade and to ensure the peace along the important trade routes through the mountains. ... The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrate and population of ZÃ¼rich in the 1520s. ... The Early Modern period of Swiss history, lasting from formal independence in 1648 to the French invasion of 1798 came to be referred as Ancien RÃ©gime retrospectively, in post-Napoleonic Switzerland. ... Federal Charter of 1291 The Federal Charter or Letter of Alliance (in German Bundesbrief) documents the Eternal Alliance or League Of The Three Forest Cantons (in German Ewiger Bund der Drei WaldstÃ¤tten), the union of three cantons in what is now central Switzerland, formed in early August, 1291. ... Defensive towers at San Gimignano, Tuscany, bear witness to the factional strife within communes. ... Uri (German: ) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... View from hiking trail between Ibergeregg and Spirstock Schwyz (German ) is a canton in central Switzerland between Lake Lucerne in the south and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz. ... Unterwalden is the old name for what is now two cantons in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne. ...

By 1353 the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Berne city states to form the "Old Confederacy" of eight states that existed until the end of the 15th century. The expansion lead to increased power and wealth for the federation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains. particularly after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire. 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 ... , capital of the Swiss canton of that name, is a picturesque little town at the northeastern corner of the lake of Zug, and at the foot of the Zugerberg (992 m (3255 ft. ... Events Mary I of Scotland sent to France Births September 2 - Vincenzo Scamozzi, Italian architect (died 1616) September 29 - William V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1626) Francesco Andreini, Italian actor (died 1624) Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher, astronomer, and occultist (burned at the stake) 1600 (died 1600) Honda Tadakatsu, Japanese general... See also: Kanton Canton or canton may refer to: canton (country subdivision), a territorial subdivision of a country the upper left (hoist) quarter of a flag, see flag terminology canton (heraldry), a subordinary occupying the (shield holders) upper right-hand ninth of the field canton (liqueur), a ginger-flavored... (French Glaris) is a canton in east central Switzerland. ... (-German; French: Zoug; Italian: Zugo) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... For other uses, see Lucerne (disambiguation). ... For other uses of Zurich, see Zurich (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Berne (disambiguation). ... The Battle of Sempach was fought on July 9, 1386 between Duke Leopold III of Austria and the Swiss Confederation. ... 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 second Duchy of Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: ; German: ) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic peoples, most importantly the Burgundians and the Franks; the former gave their... Swiss mercenaries crossing the Alps (Luzerner Schilling) Swiss mercenaries were soldiers notable for their service in foreign armies, especially the armies of the Kings of France, throughout the Early Modern period of European history, from the Later Middle Ages into the Age of the European Enlightenment. ... Belligerents Swabian League, forces of Holy Roman Empire Swiss Confederacy, Three Leagues of the Grisons The Swabian War of 1499 (Schwabenkrieg, also called Schweizerkrieg [Swiss War] in Germany and Engadiner Krieg [War of the Engadin] in Austria) was the last major armed conflict between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the... The Swabian League, an association of German cities, principally in the territory which had formed the old duchy of Swabia. ... Coats of arms of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor from 1564 to 1576. ... Maximilian I of Habsburg (March 22, 1459 â€“ January 12, 1519) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death. ... This article is about the medieval empire. ...

The Old Swiss Confederacy had acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the federation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called "heroic" epoch of Swiss history. The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal wars in 1529 and 1531 (Kappeler Kriege). It wasn't unil more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Treaty of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality (ancien régime). The growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy began as an alliance between the communities of the valleys in the central Alps to facilitate the management of common interests such as free trade and to ensure the peace along the important trade routes through the mountains. ... Combatants France, Republic of Venice Duchy of Milan Commanders Francis I, Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, Bartolomeo dAlviano, Louis de la TrÃ©moille Maximilian Sforza, Cardinal Matthaeus Schiner Strength 30,000 Unknown The Battle of Marignano, in the phase of the Italian Wars (1494â€“1559) that is called the War of... 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 in Switzerland was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrate and population of ZÃ¼rich in the 1520s. ... 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. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... A neutral country takes no side in a war between other parties, and in return hopes to avoid being attacked by either of them. ...

During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the battles of Villmergen in 1656 and 1712. The Early Modern period of Swiss history, lasting from formal independence in 1648 to the French invasion of 1798 came to be referred as Ancien RÃ©gime retrospectively, in post-Napoleonic Switzerland. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: This article applies to political and organizational ideologies. ... Combatants Sweden Bohemia Denmark-Norway[1] Dutch Republic France Scotland England Saxony Holy Roman Empire Catholic League Austria Bavaria Spain Commanders Frederick V Buckingham Leven Gustav II Adolf â€ Johan Baner Cardinal Richelieu Louis II de Bourbon Vicomte de Turenne Christian IV of Denmark Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar Johann Georg I... Combatants Peasant forces (from Lucerne, Berne, Solothurn, Basel, and the Aargau) City governments troops, ZÃ¼rich, with soldiers from the Thurgau, Uri Commanders Niklaus Leuenberger, Christian Schybi, and others Conrad WerdmÃ¼ller, Sigmund von Erlach, Sebastian Peregrin Zwyer The Swiss peasant war of 1653 was a popular revolt in the... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box: Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated with the doctrines of the Reformation. ... The Battles of Villmergen (Canton of Aargau, 47Â°21â€² N 8Â°15â€² E) were two battles between reformed and Catholic cantons. ...

Napoleonic era

In 1798 the armies of the French Revolution conquered Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country and effectively abolished the cantons. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. It had been imposed by a foreign invading army and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September of 1798 is an example of the suppressing presence of the French army and the local population's resistance to the occupation. During the French Revolutionary Wars, the revolutionary armies boiled eastward, enveloping Switzerland in their battles against Austria. ... Official seal of the Helvetic Republic (depicting William Tell). ... The Act of Mediation was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 February 1803, abolishing the Helvetic Republic which had existed since the invasion of Switerland by French troops in 1798. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 400 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2912 Ã— 4368 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 400 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2912 Ã— 4368 pixel, file size: 1. ... Ancien RÃ©gime, a French term meaning Former Regime, but rendered in English as Old Rule, Old Order, or simply Old Regime, refers primarily to the aristocratic social and political system established in France under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties. ... The French Revolution (1789â€“1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on... Official seal of the Helvetic Republic (depicting William Tell). ...

When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The result was the Act of Mediation which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government. NapolÃ©on I, Emperor of the French (born Napoleone di Buonaparte, changed his name to NapolÃ©on Bonaparte)[1] (15 August 1769; Ajaccio, Corsica â€“ 5 May 1821; Saint Helena) was a general during the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from... This article is about the capital of France. ... The Act of Mediation was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 February 1803, abolishing the Helvetic Republic which had existed since the invasion of Switerland by French troops in 1798. ...

In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence and the European powers agreed to permanently recognise Swiss neutrality. The treaty marked the last time that Switzerland fought in an international conflict. The treaty also allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva – this was also the last time Switzerland's territory expanded. The Congress of Vienna by Jean-Baptiste Isabey, 1819. ... Capital Sion Population (2003) 278,200 (Ranked 9th) - Density 53 /kmÂ² Area 5224 kmÂ² (Ranked 3rd) Highest point Dufourspitze 4634 m Joined 1815 Abbreviation VS Languages French, German Executive Conseil dEtat, Staatsrat (5) Legislative Grand Conseil, Grosser Rat (130) Municipalities 160 municipalities Districts 13 districts, Bezirke Website www. ... NeuchÃ¢tel is a canton of Switzerland. ... The Republic and Canton of Geneva is the westernmost canton or state of Switzerland, surrounded on almost all sides by France and centered around the city of Geneva. ...

Federal state

The restoration of the power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war broke out between some of the Catholic and most of the other cantons in 1847 (the Sonderbundskrieg). The war lasted for less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties; most of which were through friendly fire. However minor the Sonderbundskrieg seems to be when compared with other European riots and wars in the 19th century, it nevertheless had a major impact on both the psychology and the society of the Swiss and of Switzerland. The war made all Swiss understand the need for unity and strength towards its European neighbours. Swiss people from all strata of society, whether Catholic, Protestant, or from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more if their economic and religious interest were merged. Credit to those who favored the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided among an upper house (the Swiss Council of States) and a lower house (the National Council of Switzerland). Thus, the interests of the Federationalists were accounted for. Switzerland adopted a federal constitution and the use of referenda (mandatory for any amendment of this constitution) in 1848. This constitution provided for a central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. In 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency. The constitution was amended extensively in 1874 in order to take into account the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution. It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters. The ZÃ¼riputsch: clashes on ZÃ¼rich Paradeplatz The Restauration is the period of Swiss history lasting from 1814 to 1847. ... In 1847, a civil war broke out between the Catholic and the Protestant cantons (Sonderbundskrieg). ... The ZÃ¼riputsch: clashes on ZÃ¼rich Paradeplatz The Restauration is the period of Swiss history lasting from 1814 to 1847. ... The ZÃ¼riputsch of 6 September 1839 was a putsch of the rural population against the rule of the city of ZÃ¼rich on the eve of the formation of the Swiss federal state. ... In 1847, a civil war broke out between the Catholic and the Protestant cantons (Sonderbundskrieg). ... For the demesne in The Keys to the Kingdom series, see The House An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. ... The Council of States of Switzerland (German: StÃ¤nderat, French Conseil des Etats, Italian Consiglio degli Stati) is the upper house of the Swiss parliament. ... A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. ... The National Council of Switzerland (German: Nationalrat, French: Conseil National, Italian: Consiglio Nazionale) is the large Chamber of the parliament and has 200 seats. ... The Swiss Constitution (Bundesverfassung in German, Constitution fÃ©dÃ©rale in French, Constituzione federale in Italian and Constituziun federala in Romansh) is at the highest level of Switzerlands judicial system. ... 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. ... ISO 4217 Code CHF User(s) Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Campione dItalia Inflation 1. ... A unitary currency can increase the economic stability of a country while enhancing trade within its borders. ... A Watt steam engine, the steam engine that propelled the Industrial Revolution in Britain and the world. ...

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. Direct democracy, classically termed pure democracy,[1] comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all citizens who choose to participate. ...

Modern history

Switzerland was not invaded during either of the World Wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Lenin) and he remained there until 1917.^[7] Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the Grimm-Hoffmann Affair in 1917, but it was short-lived. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, and in 1963 the Council of Europe. During both World War I and World War II, Switzerland managed to keep a stance of armed neutrality, and was not involved militarily. ... After World War II, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a nuclear bomb. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (476x640, 118 KB) Zmutt Valley with MischabelhÃ¶rner group, Valais, Alps of, Switzerland. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (476x640, 118 KB) Zmutt Valley with MischabelhÃ¶rner group, Valais, Alps of, Switzerland. ... Zmutt Valley with MischabelhÃ¶rner group, 1890s photochrom postcard. ... Zmutt Valley with MischabelhÃ¶rner group, Valais, Alps of, Switzerland - 1890 Painting Group of mountains in Switzerland. ... Capital Sion Population (2003) 278,200 (Ranked 9th) - Density 53 /kmÂ² Area 5224 kmÂ² (Ranked 3rd) Highest point Dufourspitze 4634 m Joined 1815 Abbreviation VS Languages French, German Executive Conseil dEtat, Staatsrat (5) Legislative Grand Conseil, Grosser Rat (130) Municipalities 160 municipalities Districts 13 districts, Bezirke Website www. ... This photochrom illustrates Hildesheim town hall in the 1890s, and shows the evocative coloration characteristic of the process. ... Year 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... â€œThe Great War â€ redirects here. ... Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ( Russian: Влади́мир Ильи́ч Ле́нин listen?), original surname Ulyanov (Улья́нов) ( April 22 (April 10 ( O.S.)), 1870 – January 21, 1924), was a Russian revolutionary, the leader of the Bolshevik party, the first Premier of the Soviet Union, and the founder of the ideology of Leninism. ... 1939â€“1941 semi-official emblem Anachronous world map in 1920â€“1945, showing the League of Nations and the world Capital Not applicableÂ¹ Language(s) English, French and Spanish Political structure International organization Secretary-general - 1920â€“1933 Sir James Eric Drummond - 1933â€“1940 Joseph Avenol - 1940â€“1946 SeÃ¡n Lester Historical... Anthem Ode to Joy (orchestral) ten founding members joined subsequently observer at the Parliamentary Assembly observer at the Committee of Ministers official candidate Seat Strasbourg, France Membership 47 European states 5 observers (Council) 3 observers (Assembly) Leaders - Secretary General Terry Davis - President of the Parliamentary Assembly Rene van der Linden...

During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans,^[8] but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, economic concessions to Germany, and good fortune as larger events during the war delayed an invasion. Attempts by Switzerland's small Nazi party to cause an Anschluss with Germany failed miserably. The Swiss press vigorously criticised the Third Reich, often infuriating its leadership. Under General Henri Guisan, a massive mobilisation of militia forces was ordered. The Swiss military strategy was changed from one of static defence at the borders to protect the economic heartland, to a strategy of organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps known as the Réduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides in the conflict and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers. During both World War I and World War II, Switzerland managed to keep a stance of armed neutrality, and was not involved militarily. ... German troops march into Austria on 12 March 1938. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Henri Guisan (monument at Avenches) Equestrian statue of Henri Guisan, in Lausanne, Switzerland Henri Guisan (21 October 1874 - 7 April 1960) was the most recent General of the Swiss army, as Commander in Chief during World War II, and probably Switzerlands most famous soldier. ... Commonly, the rÃ©duit is a fortified defense structure which is used in order that the defending troops can survive and hold out an attack. ...

Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and by the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to the Third Reich varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion, and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached an apex after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland completely surrounded by the Axis. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees, 104,000 of which were foreign troops, interned according to the Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers outlined in the Hague Conventions. 60,000 of the refugees were civilians escaping persecution by the Nazis. Of these, 26,000 to 27,000 were Jews. However, strict immigration and asylum policies as well as the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy.^[9] This article is about the independent states that comprised the Allies. ... Black: Zenith of the Axis Powers Capital Not applicable Political structure Military alliance Historical era World War II - Tripartite Pact September 27, 1940 - Anti-Comintern Pact November 25, 1936 - Pact of Steel May 22, 1939 - Dissolved 1945 This article is about the independent countries (states) that comprised the Axis powers. ... Motto Travail, famille, patrie French: Unoccupied zone of Vichy France (until November 1942) Capital Vichy Capital-in-exile Sigmaringen (1944-1945) Language(s) French Religion Roman Catholic Government Dictatorship Chief of state - 1940 â€” 1944 Philippe PÃ©tain President of the Council - 1940 â€” 1942 Philippe PÃ©tain - 1942 â€” 1944 Pierre Laval... The Hague Conventions were international treaties negotiated at the First and Second Peace Conferences at The Hague, Netherlands in 1899 and 1907, respectively, and were, along with the Geneva Conventions, among the first formal statements of the laws of war and war crimes in the nascent body of secular international...

Women were granted the right to vote in the first Swiss cantons in 1959, at the federal level in 1971, and after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden in 1990. After suffrage at the federal level women quickly rose in political significance, with the first woman on the seven member high council being Elisabeth Kopp from 1984–1989. The first female president was Ruth Dreifuss, elected in 1998 to become president during 1999. (The Swiss president is elected every year from those among the seven member high council). The second female president is Micheline Calmy-Rey who held the 2007 Swiss high office. She is originally from the French-speaking western area of canton Valais (Wallis in German). She is presently joined on the seven member cabinet/high council by two other women, Doris Leuthard, from the canton of Aargau and Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, from the canton of Graubünden. The GrossmÃ¼nster The GrossmÃ¼nster (great minster) is a Romanesque-style church that played an important role in the history of the Protestant Reformation. ... For other uses of Zurich, see Zurich (disambiguation). ... Appenzell Innerrhoden (German; French: Appenzell Rhodes-Intérieures; in English sometimes Appenzell Inner Rhodes) is a canton of Switzerland. ... Elisabeth Kopp (born December 16, 1936 in ZÃ¼rich) is a Swiss politician and the first woman elected to the Swiss Federal Council (1984-1989). ... Ruth Dreifuss (born January 9, 1940 in St. ... Micheline Calmy-Rey (born July 8, 1945) is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2003. ... Capital Sion Population (2003) 278,200 (Ranked 9th) - Density 53 /kmÂ² Area 5224 kmÂ² (Ranked 3rd) Highest point Dufourspitze 4634 m Joined 1815 Abbreviation VS Languages French, German Executive Conseil dEtat, Staatsrat (5) Legislative Grand Conseil, Grosser Rat (130) Municipalities 160 municipalities Districts 13 districts, Bezirke Website www. ... Doris Leuthard (born 10 April 1963) is a Swiss politician, lawyer, member of the Swiss National Council (since 1999) and President of the Christian Democratic Peoples Party (CVP/PDC) (since 2004). ... For other uses, see Aargau (disambiguation). ... GraubÃ¼nden or Grisons (German: ; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun, French: Grisons) is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. ...

In 1979 areas from inside the previous borders in the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On April 18, 1999 the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution. Location within Switzerland The city of Bern, English traditionally Berne (Bernese German BÃ¤rn , German Bern , French Berne , Italian Berna , Romansh Berna ), is the Bundesstadt (administrative capital) of Switzerland, and is the fourth most populous Swiss city (after ZÃ¼rich, Geneva and Basel). ... The Republic and Canton of the Jura, also known as the Canton of Jura or Canton Jura, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... The Swiss Constitution (Bundesverfassung in German, Constitution fÃ©dÃ©rale in French, Constituzione federale in Italian and Constituziun federala in Romansh) is at the highest level of Switzerlands judicial system. ...

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 a founding member of the EFTA, but is not a member of the European Economic Area. An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but not advanced since the EEA was rejected in December 1992 when Switzerland was the only country to launch a referendum on the EEA. There have since been several referenda on the EU issue, with a mixed reaction to these from the population, the membership application has been frozen. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually being adjusted to conform with that of the EU and the government has signed a number of bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been completely surrounded by the EU since Austria's membership in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that was regarded by EU commentators as a sign of support by Switzerland, a country that is traditionally perceived as independent, neutral, or isolationist. UN redirects here. ... European Free Trade Association() on the European continent() Secretariat Geneva, Switzerland Official languages German, French, Norwegian, and Icelandic Type Trade bloc Member states Iceland Liechtenstein Norway Switzerland Establishment 3 May 1960 - 4 January 1960 Area - Total 529,600 kmÂ² 204,518 sq mi Population - 2007 estimate 12,660,623 - Density... EFTA countries (except Switzerland) EU countries Together these form the EEA. 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). ... Bilateralism is a term referring to trade or political relations between two states. ... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Schengen Treaty members are in dark blue, while signatories (where it is not yet implemented) are in light blue. ... For the electronic album, see Isolationism (album). ...

Politics

The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of the modern federal state. A new Constitution was adopted in 1999, but did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines basic and political rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, and divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdictions and authorities. There are three main governing bodies on the federal level:^[10] the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial). Politics of Switzerland takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary democratic republic, whereby the Federal Council of Switzerland is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ... 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. ... Voting in Switzerland is the process with which Swiss citizens make decisions about governance and elect officials. ... Image File history File links Description North view of the Bundeshaus in Bern (house of the Swiss parliament) Source Parliament publications, used with permission [1] [2]. File links The following pages link to this file: Federal Assembly of Switzerland ... Image File history File links Description North view of the Bundeshaus in Bern (house of the Swiss parliament) Source Parliament publications, used with permission [1] [2]. File links The following pages link to this file: Federal Assembly of Switzerland ... For other uses, see Berne (disambiguation). ... The Bundeshaus (Swiss parliament building) The Federal Assembly (in German, Bundesversammlung; in French, AssemblÃ©e fÃ©dÃ©rale; in Italian language, Assemblea federale), is Switzerlands federal parliament. ... The Swiss Federal Council (German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government as well as the head of state of Switzerland. ... This article is about bicameralism in government. ... The Swiss Federal Council (German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government as well as the head of state of Switzerland. ... 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 Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, depending on the population of each canton. Members of both houses serve for 4 years. When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, making Switzerland a direct democracy. The Council of States of Switzerland (German: StÃ¤nderat, French Conseil des Etats, Italian Consiglio degli Stati) is the upper house of the Swiss parliament. ... The National Council of Switzerland (German: Nationalrat, French: Conseil National, Italian: Consiglio Nazionale) is the large Chamber of the parliament and has 200 seats. ... Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation, or PR), is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates (grouped by a certain measure) obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive (usually in legislative assemblies). ... The Bundeshaus (Swiss parliament building) The Federal Assembly (in German, Bundesversammlung; in French, AssemblÃ©e fÃ©dÃ©rale; in Italian language, Assemblea federale), is Switzerlands federal parliament. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: A referendum (plural referendums or referenda), ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... initiative, see Initiative (disambiguation). ... Direct democracy, classically termed pure democracy,[1] comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all citizens who choose to participate. ...

The Federal Council constitutes the federal government, directs the federal administration and serves as collective Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year mandate by the Federal Assembly which also exercises oversight over the Council. The President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation, for a one-year term, in order to chair the government and assume representative functions. However, the president is a primus inter pares with no additional powers, and remains the head of a department of the administration. The Swiss Federal Council (German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government as well as the head of state of Switzerland. ... Moritz Leuenberger (born September 21, 1946) is a Swiss politician, lawyer, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 1995 and President of the Confederation for the years 2001 and 2006. ... Micheline Calmy-Rey (born July 8, 1945) is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2003. ... Pascal Couchepin (born April 5, 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... Samuel Schmid Samuel Schmid (born January 8, 1947) is a member of the Swiss Federal Council, heading the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports. ... Doris Leuthard (born 10 April 1963) is a Swiss politician, lawyer, member of the Swiss National Council (since 1999) and President of the Christian Democratic Peoples Party (CVP/PDC) (since 2004). ... Hans-Rudolf Merz (born 10 November 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... In Switzerland, the Federal Chancellor of Switzerland (Bundeskanzler, Chancelier fédéral, Cancelliere della Confederazione) is elected by the Swiss parliament. ... Corina Casanova (born 1956) is a Swiss lawyer and Vice-Chancellor of Switzerland. ... The Swiss Federal Council (German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government as well as the head of state of Switzerland. ... For the comedy film of the same name, see Head of State (film). ... Look up oversight in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The President of the Confederation (Italian: , French: , German: ) is the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerlands seven-member executive. ... First among equals redirects here. ...

The Swiss government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of electorate and representation in the federal parliament: currently there are 1 Christian Democrat (CVP/PDC), 2 Social Democrats (SPS/PSS), 2 Liberal Democrats (FDP/PRD), and 2 representatives of the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) in the government. This traditional distribution of seats is called the "magic formula", and is not backed up by any law. The original distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC lasted from 1959 to 2003, until the CVP/PDC lost their second seat to the SVP/UDC, which had become the strongest party in Switzerland's legislative following the 2003 parliamentary elections. The Christian Democratic Peoples Party of Switzerland (Also called Christian-Democratic Party; German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is a political party in Switzerland and a member of the Swiss coalition government. ... 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 Free Democratic Party of Switzerland (German: Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP), French: Parti radical-dÃ©mocratique suisse (PRD), 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 (UDC) is a political party in Switzerland. ...

The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. 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. ...

Direct democracy

Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the commune, canton and federal levels. The 1848 federal constitution defines a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct democracy since it is added by the more commonplace institutions of a parliamentary democracy). The instruments of Swiss direct democracy at the federal level, known as civil rights (Volksrechte, droits civiques), include the right to submit a constitutional initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions. Direct democracy, classically termed pure democracy,[1] comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all citizens who choose to participate. ... A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ...

By calling a federal referendum a group of citizens may challenge a law that has been passed by Parliament, if they can gather 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Eight cantons together can also call a referendum on a federal law. For the use of the term in political theory, see Pluralism (political theory). ...

Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if they can get 100,000 voters to sign the proposed amendment within 18 months.^[11] Parliament can supplement the proposed amendment with a counter-proposal, with voters having to indicate a preference on the ballot in case both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in Parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of both the national popular vote and a majority of the cantonal popular votes.^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15] Amend redirects here. ... A double majority is the name given to a vote which requires a majority of votes according to two separate criteria. ...

Cantons

The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons: Capital Sion Population (2003) 278,200 (Ranked 9th) - Density 53 /kmÂ² Area 5224 kmÂ² (Ranked 3rd) Highest point Dufourspitze 4634 m Joined 1815 Abbreviation VS Languages French, German Executive Conseil dEtat, Staatsrat (5) Legislative Grand Conseil, Grosser Rat (130) Municipalities 160 municipalities Districts 13 districts, Bezirke Website www. ... For the river, see Ticino river. ... GraubÃ¼nden or Grisons (German: ; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun, French: Grisons) is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. ... The Republic and Canton of Geneva is the westernmost canton or state of Switzerland, surrounded on almost all sides by France and centered around the city of Geneva. ... Capital Lausanne Population (2004) 657,700 (Ranked 3rd) - Density 205 /kmÂ² Area 3212 kmÂ² (Ranked 4th) Highest point Les Diablerets 3210 m Joined 1803 Abbreviation VD Languages French Executive Conseil dEtat (7) Legislative Grand Conseil (150) Municipalities 382 municipalities Districts 19 districts Website www. ... NeuchÃ¢tel is a canton of Switzerland. ... The Republic and Canton of the Jura, also known as the Canton of Jura or Canton Jura, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland. ... The Swiss Canton of Berne is bilingual (German: Kanton ; French Canton de Berne) and has a population of about 947,000. ... Thurgau (Thurgovia) is a canton of Switzerland. ... The Canton of ZÃ¼rich (German: Kanton ) has a population of about 1. ... For other uses, see Aargau (disambiguation). ... Lucerne (German Luzern) is a canton of Switzerland. ... is a canton of Switzerland. ... Basel-Country (German: ; Swiss German: Basel-Land/Baselbiet; French: BÃ¢le-Campagne) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... The Canton of is a canton of Switzerland. ... Uri (German: ) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... View from hiking trail between Ibergeregg and Spirstock Schwyz (German ) is a canton in central Switzerland between Lake Lucerne in the south and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz. ... (French Glaris) is a canton in east central Switzerland. ... The Canton of St. ... 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. ... Obwalden (German: ) is a canton of Switzerland. ... Nidwalden (German: ) is a canton of Switzerland. ... (-German; French: Zoug; Italian: Zugo) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... The Canton of Fribourg is a canton of Switzerland. ... Basel-City (in German: ) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... Motto: LibertÃ©, Ã‰galitÃ©, FraternitÃ© Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Anthem: La Marseillaise France() â€“ on the European continent() â€“ in the European Union() Capital (and largest city) Paris Official languages French Demonym French Government Unitary semi-presidential republic - President Nicolas Sarkozy - Prime Minister FranÃ§ois Fillon Formation - French State 843 French State Formed - Current... â€œItalian Republicâ€ redirects here. ... Motto: FÃ¼r Gott, FÃ¼rst und Vaterland For God, Prince and Fatherland Anthem: Oben am jungen Rhein Up on the Young Rhine Liechtenstein(circled in inset) on the European continent() â€” [] Capital Vaduz , Largest city Schaan Official languages German Demonym Liechtensteinians, locally Liechtensteiner Government Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy - Prince... For other uses, see Austria (disambiguation). ... â€œDeutschlandâ€ redirects here. ... Valais Ticino GraubÃ¼nden (Grisons) Geneva Vaud NeuchÃ¢tel Jura Berne Thurgau Zurich Aargau Lucerne Solothurn Basel-Land Schaffhausen Uri Schwyz Glarus St. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixelsFull resolution (3200 Ã— 2132 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixelsFull resolution (3200 Ã— 2132 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image:AstroBern. ... For other uses, see Berne (disambiguation). ... 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). ... A canton is a territorial subdivision of a country, e. ...

*These cantons, called half-cantons, are represented by one councillor (instead of two) in the Council of States and only count half (instead of one) in national votes on constitutional amendments. For other uses, see Aargau (disambiguation). ... 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 (helpÂ· info) is bilingual (German: Kanton Bern; French Canton de Berne) and has a population of about 947,000. ... The Canton of Fribourg is a canton of Switzerland. ... The Republic and Canton of Geneva is the westernmost canton or state of Switzerland, surrounded on almost all sides by France and centered around the city of Geneva. ... (French Glaris) is a canton in east central Switzerland. ... GraubÃ¼nden or Grisons (German: ; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun, French: Grisons) is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. ... The Republic and Canton of the Jura, also known as the Canton of Jura or Canton Jura, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland. ... Lucerne (German Luzern) is a canton of Switzerland. ... NeuchÃ¢tel is a canton of Switzerland. ... Nidwalden (German: ) is a canton of Switzerland. ... Obwalden (German: ) is a canton of Switzerland. ... The Canton of is a canton of Switzerland. ... View from hiking trail between Ibergeregg and Spirstock Schwyz (German ) is a canton in central Switzerland between Lake Lucerne in the south and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz. ... is a canton of Switzerland. ... The Canton of St. ... Thurgau (Thurgovia) is a canton of Switzerland. ... For the river, see Ticino river. ... Uri (German: ) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... Capital Sion Population (2003) 278,200 (Ranked 9th) - Density 53 /kmÂ² Area 5224 kmÂ² (Ranked 3rd) Highest point Dufourspitze 4634 m Joined 1815 Abbreviation VS Languages French, German Executive Conseil dEtat, Staatsrat (5) Legislative Grand Conseil, Grosser Rat (130) Municipalities 160 municipalities Districts 13 districts, Bezirke Website www. ... Capital Lausanne Population (2004) 657,700 (Ranked 3rd) - Density 205 /kmÂ² Area 3212 kmÂ² (Ranked 4th) Highest point Les Diablerets 3210 m Joined 1803 Abbreviation VD Languages French Executive Conseil dEtat (7) Legislative Grand Conseil (150) Municipalities 382 municipalities Districts 19 districts Website www. ... (-German; French: Zoug; Italian: Zugo) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... The Canton of ZÃ¼rich (German: Kanton ) has a population of about 1. ... The Council of States of Switzerland (German: StÃ¤nderat, French Conseil des Etats, Italian Consiglio degli Stati) is the upper house of the Swiss parliament. ...

Their populations vary between 15,000 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,253,500 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km² (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km² (Graubünden). The Cantons comprise a total of 2,889 municipalities. Within Switzerland there are two enclaves: Büsingen belongs to Germany, Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. Municipalities are the smallest government division in Switzerland. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... BÃ¼singen am Hochrhein is a German town entirely surrounded by the Swiss canton of Schaffhausen. ... Map showing the location of the Campione enclave near the center. ...

In a referendum held in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg on 11 May 1919 over 80% of those voting supported a proposal that the state should join the Swiss Confederation. However, this was prevented by the opposition of the Austrian Government, the Allies, Swiss liberals, the Swiss-Italians (persons of Swiss nationality who live in Italian Switzerland – see map) and the Romands (Swiss nationals living in the French-speaking regions of Switzerland – see map).^[16] Vorarlberg is the westernmost state (Land) of Austria. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... In Austrian history, the First Republic refers to the period after World War I, following the breakdown of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, up to World War II. This period was marked by violent strife between the left and the right, e. ... Map of the World showing the participants in World War I. Those fighting on the Allies side (at one point or another) are depicted in green, the Central Powers in orange, and neutral countries in gray. ... This article is part of or related to the Liberalism series Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Liberalism by country | Swiss political parties ... The official languages of Switzerland by area (2000) Italian Switzerland (Italian: , French: , German: ) is the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, which includes the Canton of Ticino and the valleys of Mesolcina, Calanca, Bregaglia and Poschiavo in GraubÃ¼nden. ... The French-speaking part of Switzerland is shown in green on this map. ...

International institutions in Switzerland

An unusual number of international institutions have their seats in Switzerland, in part due to its policy of neutrality. The Red Cross was founded there in 1863 and still has its institutional centre in the country. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people rejected membership in a referendum in the early 1990s. Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to have joined the United Nations, in 2002, even though Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York, and Switzerland was a founding member of the League of Nations. The Anarchist Black Cross was originally called the Anarchist Red Cross. The band Redd Kross was originally called Red Cross. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... UN redirects here. ... For other uses, see Geneva (disambiguation). ... UN redirects here. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... 1939â€“1941 semi-official emblem Anachronous world map in 1920â€“1945, showing the League of Nations and the world Capital Not applicableÂ¹ Language(s) English, French and Spanish Political structure International organization Secretary-general - 1920â€“1933 Sir James Eric Drummond - 1933â€“1940 Joseph Avenol - 1940â€“1946 SeÃ¡n Lester Historical...

Geography

With an area of 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi), Switzerland is a relatively small country. The population is about 7.5 million, resulting in an average population density of 182 people per square kilometer (472/sq mi).^[17] However, the more mountainous southern half of the country is far more sparsely populated than this average, while the northern half has a somewhat greater density, as it comprises more hospitable hilly terrain, partly forested and partly cleared, as well as several large lakes. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require rewriting and/or reformatting. ... Satellite image of Switzerland The Swiss Alps are the central portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland, because of their central position they are also known as Central Alps. ... Swisstopo is the common name for the Swiss Federal Office of Topography (in German: Bundesamt fÃ¼r Landestopografie. ... 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... This is a list of mountain passes in Switzerland. ... 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. ... Sent is a municipality with approximately 870 inhabitants in the Swiss Canton GraubÃ¼nden. ... GraubÃ¼nden or Grisons (German: ; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun, French: Grisons) is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. ... Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 545 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 545 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Matterhorn (German) or Cervino (Italian), (French: Mont Cervin or Le Cervin) is perhaps the most familiar mountain in the European Alps. ... In June, the Matterhorn is still snow-covered, while it is spring in Zermatt below. ... Capital Sion Population (2003) 278,200 (Ranked 9th) - Density 53 /kmÂ² Area 5224 kmÂ² (Ranked 3rd) Highest point Dufourspitze 4634 m Joined 1815 Abbreviation VS Languages French, German Executive Conseil dEtat, Staatsrat (5) Legislative Grand Conseil, Grosser Rat (130) Municipalities 160 municipalities Districts 13 districts, Bezirke Website www. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol kmÂ², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ...

Switzerland comprises three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps, the Swiss plateau or "middleland", and the Jura mountains along the northwestern border with France. The Alps are a high mountain range running across the central-south of the country, comprising about 60 % of the country's total area. Among the high peaks of the Swiss Alps, the highest of which is the Dufourspitze at 4,634 metres (15,203 ft), countless valleys are found, many with waterfalls and glaciers. From these the headwaters of several major European rivers such as the Rhine, Rhône, Inn, Aare, and Ticino flow finally into the largest Swiss lakes such as Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), Lake Zürich, Lake Neuchâtel, and Lake Constance. Satellite image of Switzerland The Swiss Alps are the central portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland, because of their central position they are also known as Central Alps. ... The Swiss plateau (plateau suisse in French, Schweizer Mittelland in German) constitutes one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the Jura mountains and the Alps. ... Looking towards Lelex from near to CrÃªt de la Neige The Jura folds are located north of the main Alpine orogenic front and are being continually deformed, accommodating the northwards compression from Alpine folding. ... Alp redirects here. ... Satellite image of Switzerland The Swiss Alps are the central portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland, because of their central position they are also known as Central Alps. ... Dufourspitze (in German), Pointe Dufour (in French) or Punta Dufour (in Italian), is located in the Pennine Alps, near the watershed between Italy and Switzerland, on the Italian side. ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ... Perito Moreno Glacier Patagonia Argentina Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland Icebergs breaking off glaciers at Cape York, Greenland This article is about the geological formation. ... For other uses, see Rhine (disambiguation). ... 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. ... Lake Geneva or Lake LÃ©man (French Lac LÃ©man, le LÃ©man, or Lac de GenÃ¨ve) is the second largest freshwater lake in Central Europe (after Lake Balaton). ... Lake Zurich showing a sailing boat, a popular pastime on the lake Lake Zurich (also spelled Lake ZÃ¼rich or Lake of ZÃ¼rich; in German ZÃ¼richsee) is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the town of ZÃ¼rich. ... Lake NeuchÃ¢tel (French: Lac de NeuchÃ¢tel; German: Neuenburgersee) is a lake in Western Switzerland (French-speaking Switzerland). ... For other uses, see Lake Constance, New Zealand. ...

The most famous mountain is the Matterhorn (4,478 m) in Valais and Pennine Alps bordering Italy. The highest mountain, the Dufourspitze (4,634 m) of Monte Rosa, is close to the Matterhorn. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen Valley containing 72 waterfalls is also well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m), Mönch, Eiger group of peaks, and the many picturesque valleys in the region. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing the St Moritz area in canton Graubünden, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m).^[18] The Matterhorn (German) or Cervino (Italian), (French: Mont Cervin or Le Cervin) is perhaps the most familiar mountain in the European Alps. ... Capital Sion Population (2003) 278,200 (Ranked 9th) - Density 53 /kmÂ² Area 5224 kmÂ² (Ranked 3rd) Highest point Dufourspitze 4634 m Joined 1815 Abbreviation VS Languages French, German Executive Conseil dEtat, Staatsrat (5) Legislative Grand Conseil, Grosser Rat (130) Municipalities 160 municipalities Districts 13 districts, Bezirke Website www. ... The Pennine Alps (also: Valais Alps) are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. ... Dufourspitze (in German), Pointe Dufour (in French) or Punta Dufour (in Italian), is located in the Pennine Alps, near the watershed between Italy and Switzerland, on the Italian side. ... For other uses, see Monte Rosa, SÃ£o TomÃ© and PrÃncipe. ... The Bernese Alps (German: Berner Alpen) is a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. ... Population 2,663 (December 2002) - Density 16 /kmÂ² (42 /sq. ... Lej da Segl and Lej da Silvaplauna, Upper Engadin Piz Roseg and Vadret da Roseg as seen from Fuorcla Surlej The Engadine (German: Engadin, Romansch: Engiadina) is a long mountain valley located in the canton of GraubÃ¼nden in southeast of Switzerland. ... GraubÃ¼nden or Grisons (German: ; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun, French: Grisons) is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. ... The chief peaks of the Bernina Alps, from the Maloja to the Reschen Scheideck and the Stelvio, south and east of the Val Bregaglia and of the Engadine and north of the Vultellina, are: List of passes The chief passes of the Bernina Alps, from the Maloja to the Reschen... Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the eastern Alps with an elevation of 4049 metres. ...

The more populous northern part of the country, comprising about 30 % of the country's total area, is called the Middle Land. It has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds, or vegetables and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. There are large lakes found here and the biggest Swiss cities are in this area of the country.^[18] This region, particularly the west, is also referred to as the "Seeland" (the land of lakes) and the largest lake is Lake Geneva (also called Lac Léman), in the West of Switzerland. The Rhone River is the main tributary to Lac Léman. Download high resolution version (819x614, 192 KB)A view of Morcote. ... Download high resolution version (819x614, 192 KB)A view of Morcote. ... Categories: Switzerland geography stubs ... For the river, see Ticino river. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 243 KB) en: Sea of fog over Central Switzerland. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 243 KB) en: Sea of fog over Central Switzerland. ... The town of (French: , Italian: ) is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. ... Lake Geneva or Lake LÃ©man (French Lac LÃ©man, le LÃ©man, or Lac de GenÃ¨ve) is the second largest freshwater lake in Central Europe (after Lake Balaton). ... 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 Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly between the localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the often pleasant Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall so they are ideal for pastures and grazing. The winters in the mountains alternate with sun and snow, while the lower lands tend to be more cloudy and foggy in winter. A weather phenomenon known as the Föhn can occur at all times of the year, even in winter, and is characterized by a wind with warm Mediterranean air crossing the Alps from Italy. The driest conditions persist in the southern valleys of the Wallis/Valais above which valuable saffron is harvested and many wine grapes are grown, Graubünden also tends to be drier in climate and slightly colder, yet with plentiful snow in winter. The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. The east tends to be colder than the west of Switzerland, yet anywhere up high in the mountains can experience a cold spell at any time of the year. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with minor variations across the seasons depending on locale. Autumn frequently tends to be the driest season, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland can be highly variable from year to year, and difficult to predict. Image File history File linksMetadata Swiss_National_Park,_2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Swiss_National_Park,_2. ... The Swiss National Park (German: Schweizerischer Nationalpark, French: Parc National Suisse, Italian: Parco Nazionale Swizzero, Romansh: Parc Naziunal Svizzer) is located in the east of Switzerland between Zernez, S-Chanf, Scuol and the Fuorn pass in the Engadin valley. ... GraubÃ¼nden or Grisons (German: ; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun, French: Grisons) is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. ... Satellite image of Switzerland The Swiss Alps are the central portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland, because of their central position they are also known as Central Alps. ... In geography, temperate latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. ... Areas with Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide. ... For other uses, see Snow (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Saffron (disambiguation). ...

Switzerland's eco-systems can be particularly vulnerable, due to the many delicate valleys separated by high mountains, often forming unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves are also vulnerable, with a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes, and experience some pressure from visitors and grazing. The tree line in the mountains of Switzerland has advanced down 1000 ft over the years, largely due to the increasing absence of herding and grazing pressures.

Economy

Switzerland has a stable, modern, and some of the most capitalist economies in the world, having the 2nd highest European rating (after Ireland) in the Index of Economic Freedom 2008 edition. Public sector has always been minimal and overall taxation amounted to just 29.2% of GDP in 2007, about the same as United States, Ireland, or Estonia. The nominal per capita GDP that is higher than those of the larger western European economies, Japan ranking 6th behind Luxembourg, Norway, Qatar, Iceland and Ireland. If adjusted for purchasing power parity it ranks 15th.^[19] The World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report currently ranks Switzerland's economy as the second most competitive in the world.^[20] For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin.^[21] In 2005 the median household income in Switzerland was an estimated 95,000 CHF, the equivalent of roughly 55,000 USD in purchasing power parity, which is similar to wealthy American states like California and Vermont^[22]. The economy of Switzerland is one of the worlds most stable economies. ... This is a list of Swiss companies, currently active and former ones: Adriatica PR&A Watch Co Sagl Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) ACM Forex Adecco Alpina Watches AMAG Arbonia Forster ASCOM ATAG ATAG Ernst Young AviComp AG Bally Shoe, shoe company Baloise, insurance company Batigroup, construction business Belimo Automation AG... Swiss banks are world-renowned for their stability, privacy and protection of clients. ... Somewhat unusually for a landlocked country, Switzerland has a long tradition of civilian navigation, both on its lakes and rivers, and on the high seas. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 698 KB) Photograph taken by my mother Tinelot Wittermans and released under GFDL File links The following pages link to this file: Engadin Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 698 KB) Photograph taken by my mother Tinelot Wittermans and released under GFDL File links The following pages link to this file: Engadin Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Lej da Segl and Lej da Silvaplauna, Upper Engadin Piz Roseg and Vadret da Roseg as seen from Fuorcla Surlej The Engadine (German: Engadin, Romansch: Engiadina) is a long mountain valley located in the canton of GraubÃ¼nden in southeast of Switzerland. ... St. ... GraubÃ¼nden or Grisons (German: ; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun, French: Grisons) is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. ... For other uses, see Capitalism (disambiguation). ... Map of Economic Freedom released by the Heritage Foundation. ... GDP redirects here. ... PPP of GDP for the countries of the world (2003). ... The median household income is commonly used to provide data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more. ... CHF is: The ISO 4217 code for the Swiss franc. ... PPP of GDP for the countries of the world (2003). ...

Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. Notable among these are Nestlé, UBS AG, Zurich Financial Services, Credit Suisse, Novartis, Roche, ABB, Swiss Re, and The Swatch Group. Switzerland is ranked as one of the most powerful economies in the world.^[21] Download high resolution version (948x800, 86 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (948x800, 86 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ... This article is about the company. ... The UBS Tower in Chicago (photo by Krzysztof Makara) UBS AG (NYSE: UBS; SWX: UBSN; TYO: 8657) is a diversified global financial services company, with its main headquarters in Basel & ZÃ¼rich, Switzerland. ... Zurich Financial Services Group is a major financial services group based in Zurich, Switzerland. ... The Credit Suisse Group (SWX:CSGN, NYSE: CS) is a financial services company, headquartered in ZÃ¼rich, Switzerland. ... Novartis headquarters in Basel Suffern, New York: the sole Novartis pharmaceutical production facility in the United States. ... Roche is French for boulder/rock. The word is (part of) several names: // Roche Applied Science, a business area of Roche Diagnostics, a division of Hoffmannâ€“La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world Roche or Roches is the name or part of the... ABB, formerly Asea Brown Boveri, is a multinational corporation headquartered in ZÃ¼rich, Switzerland, operating mainly in the power and automation technology areas. ... 30 St Mary Axe - at 180 m, Swiss Res London headquarters is the 6th tallest building in London Swiss Re is the worlds second-largest reinsurance company (after Munich Re/ MÃ¼nchener RÃ¼ck), and the worlds largest life and health reinsurer. ... The Swatch Group Ltd. ...

Chemicals, health and pharmaceuticals, instruments, real estate, banking and insurance, and tourism are important industries in Switzerland. The manufacturing of precision instruments for engineering is important, as is watch-making, and the biological sciences industries all enjoy a high place in the Swiss economy. The many international organizations in Switzerland contribute to the Swiss economy and labour market. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods or 62 billion USD in 2006), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%).^[24] Pharmaceuticals are the largest high-technology export category at around 30 billion USD in 2006, followed by instruments at around 20 billion USD.^[24] Exported services amount to a third of exported goods.^[24] Tourist redirects here. ...

Switzerland has relatively free labor market compared to neighboring countries. Switzerland's unemployment rate increased from a low of 1.7% in June 2000 to a peak of 3.9% in September 2004. Partly due to the economic upturn which started in mid-2003, the unemployment rate is currently 2.8% as of February 2008. Average household size is a typical 2.2 persons.^[24] Net immigration is quite high at 0.52% of population in 2004, compared to 0.76% in Austria, 0.34% in UK and 0.1% in Germany.^[24] 21.8% of residents were foreigners in 2004^[24], higher than any major Western country. According to Credit Suisse, only about 37 percent of residents own their own homes. Ownership rates are among the lowest in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany.^[24] Food prices are particularly affected by agricultural protectionism, which keeps more competitive imports outside and swallows comparatively a lot resources. CIA figures for world unemployment rates, 2006 Unemployment is the state in which a person is without work, available to work, and is currently seeking work. ... The Credit Suisse Group (SWX:CSGN, NYSE: CS) is a financial services company, headquartered in ZÃ¼rich, Switzerland. ...

Switzerland is relatively easy place to do business, ranking 16th in the Ease of Doing Business Index. Among others, Switzerland has relatively low taxation and relatively free job market. However, OECD argues that the product market reform is still lagging behind most OECD countries.^[25] The slow growth Switzerland experienced in the 1990s and the early 2000s has brought greater support for liberalization and harmonization with the European Union. In 2004, the government launched a “growth package”, including a series of measures aimed at boosting productivity, and legislative changes are slowly taking place.^[25]^[26] World map of the Ease of Doing Business Index. ...

Science, technology, and education

Education in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system to the cantons. There are both public and private schools, including many private international schools. For other uses, see Berne (disambiguation). ... Special relativity (SR) or the special theory of relativity is the physical theory published in 1905 by Albert Einstein. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... 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). ... 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). ... The Swiss Constitution (Bundesverfassung in German) is at the highest level of Switzerlands judicial system. ... The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ...

The minimum age for primary school is about six years in all cantons. Typically children choose their school depending on whether they want to speak French, German or Italian. Primary school continues until grade four or five, depending on the school. At the end of primary school (or at the beginning of secondary school), pupils are separated according to their capacities in several (often three) sections. The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to be prepared for further studies and the matura, while students who assimilate a little bit more slowly receive an education more adapted to their needs. Matura (Matur, MaturitÃ , MaturitÃ¤t) is the word commonly used in Austria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine for the final exams young adults (aged 18 or 19) take at the end of their secondary education. ...

The first university in Switzerland was founded in 1460 in Basel, with a faculty of medicine. This place has a long tradition of chemical and medical research in Switzerland. Other large universities are the ETHZ in Zürich and the EPFL in Lausanne. There are 14 Universities in Switzerland, 10 of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer a range of non-technical subjects. Switzerland has the second highest rate of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia.^[27] For other uses, see Basel (disambiguation). ... ETH Zurich (from its German name Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, ETHZ) is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich, Switzerland. ... For other uses of Zurich, see Zurich (disambiguation). ... The Monster Clothespin from Outer Space, and entrance of the EPFL The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne in Switzerland. ... Lausanne (pronounced ) is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac LÃ©man), and facing Ã‰vian-les-Bains (France) and with the Jura mountains to its north. ... This article lists universities in Switzerland. ...

Many Nobel prizes were awarded to Swiss scientists, for example to the world-famous physicist Albert Einstein or more recently to Heinrich Rohrer also in the field of physics. Geneva host the world's largest particle physics laboratory, the CERN. An other important research center is the Paul Scherrer Institute which belongs to the ETHZ. The Nobel Prize (Swedish: ) was established in Alfred Nobels will in 1895, and it was first awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace in 1901. ... â€œEinsteinâ€ redirects here. ... Heinrich Rohrer (born June 6, 1933) is a Swiss physicist who, with Gerd Binnig, received half of the 1986 Nobel Prize for Physics for their joint invention of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). ... For other uses, see Geneva (disambiguation). ... Thousands of particles explode from the collision point of two relativistic (100 GeV per nucleon) gold ions in the STAR detector of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. ... CERN logo The European Organization for Nuclear Research (French: ), commonly known as CERN (see Naming), pronounced (or in French), is the worlds largest particle physics laboratory, situated just northwest of Geneva on the border between France and Switzerland. ... The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) is an multi-disciplinary research institute. ... ETH Zurich (from its German name Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, ETHZ) is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich, Switzerland. ...

Switzerland and the European Union

In recent years, the Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the European Union in many ways, in an effort to enhance their international competitiveness. The economy has been growing most recently at around 3% per year. Full EU membership is a long-term objective of some in the Swiss government, but there is considerable popular sentiment against this supported by the conservative SVP party. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU. ^[28] ^[29] Switzerland took part in negotiating the EEA agreement with the EU and signed the agreement on 2 May 1992 and submitted an application for accession to the EU on 20 May 1992. ... The European Union (EU) was created by six founding states in 1957 (following the earlier establishment by the same six states of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952) and has grown to 27 member states. ...

The government has established an Integration Office under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. To minimise the negative consequences of Switzerland's isolation from the rest of Europe, Bern and Brussels signed seven bilateral agreements to further liberalise trade ties. These agreements were signed in 1999 and took effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series covering nine areas was signed in 2004 and has since been ratified. The second series includes the Schengen treaty and the Dublin Convention. They continue to discuss further areas for cooperation. Switzerland most recently (2006) approved a billion francs supportive investment in the poorer eastern European countries in support of cooperation and positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission. The Swiss have also been under EU and sometimes international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and to raise tax rates to parity with the European Union. Preparatory discussions are being opened in four new areas: opening up the electricity market, participation in the European GNSS project Galileo, cooperating with the European centre for disease prevention and recognising certificates of origin for food products. 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 through bilateral agreements. In March 2001, the Swiss people refused in a popular vote to start accession negotiations with the EU.^[30] This article is about the settlement itself. ... Schengen Treaty members are in dark blue, while signatories (where it is not yet implemented) are in light blue. ... 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 Galileo positioning system is a planned Global Navigation Satellite System, to be built by the European Union (EU) and European Space Agency (ESA). ... EFTA countries (except Switzerland) EU countries Together these form the EEA. 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). ...

Infrastructure and environment

Electricity generated in Switzerland is 53% from hydroelectricity and 42% from nuclear power, with 5% of the electricity generated from conventional power sources (thermal etc.) resulting in a nearly CO₂-free electricity-generating network. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Nuclear power station Leibstadt, abbreviated KKL, is in the municipality Leibstadt (canton Aargau, Switzerland) on the Rhine River close of the Aare delta and the German border. ... For other uses, see Aargau (disambiguation). ... Transport in Switzerland // Main article: Rail transport in Switzerland total: 5063 km standard gauge: 3652 km 1. ... Switzerland has four nuclear power plants with five reactors in operation as of 2007. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Electricity (from New Latin Ä“lectricus, amberlike) is a general term for a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. ... Hydroelectricity is electricity produced by hydropower. ... This article is about applications of nuclear fission reactors as power sources. ...

On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear initiatives were turned down: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported and 58.4% opposed),^[31] and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported and 66.3% opposed).^[32] The former ten-year moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants was the result of a citizens' initiative voted on in 1990 which had passed with 54.5% Yes vs. 45.5% No votes. A new nuclear plant in the Canton of Bern is presently planned. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is the office responsible for all questions relating to energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency is supporting the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by the year 2050.^[33] See also SwissEnergy. is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. ... initiative, see Initiative (disambiguation). ... The Swiss canton of (helpÂ· info) is bilingual (German: Kanton Bern; French Canton de Berne) and has a population of about 947,000. ... The Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (in Italian Dipartimento federale dell, dei trasporti, dell e delle comunicazioni (DATEC)) is one of the seven departments of Swiss federal government, headed by a member of the Swiss Federal Council. ... The 2000-watt society is a vision, originated by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in ZÃ¼rich at the end of 1998, in which each person in the developed world would cut their rate of energy use to an average of no more than 2,000 watts (i. ... 2050 (MML) will be a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Swiss private-public managed road network is funded by road tolls and vehicle taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the purchase of a vignette (toll sticker) - which costs 40 Swiss francs - for one calendar year in order to use its roadways, for both passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network has a total length of 1,638 km (as of 2000) and has, by an area of 41,290 km², also the one of the highest motorway densities in the world. Zürich Airport, managed by Unique Airport, is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway, which handled 20.7 million passengers in 2007. The second largest Geneva Cointrin International Airport handled 10.8 million passengers and the third largest EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg 4.3 million passengers, both airports being shared with France. A high-speed toll booth on SR 417 near Orlando, Florida A toll road, turnpike or tollpike is a road on which a toll authority collects a fee for use. ... Vignettes are small, coloured stickers affixed to motor vehicles passing through motorways and motorroads in some European nations, such as Switzerland, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and several others. ... ISO 4217 Code CHF User(s) Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Campione dItalia Inflation 1. ... Motorway symbol in UK, Australia, Spain, France and Ireland. ... ZÃ¼rich Airport (IATA: ZRH, ICAO: LSZH) also called Kloten Airport, is located in Kloten, canton of ZÃ¼rich, Switzerland and managed by Unique Airport. ... Airport entrance. ... EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (IATA: BSL, EAP, MLH, ICAO: LFSB) is an international airport near Mulhouse (France), Basel (Switzerland), and Freiburg (Germany). ...

Switzerland is heavily active in recycling and anti-littering regulations and is one of the top recyclers in the world with 66% to 96% of the different recyclable materials being recycled.^[34] In many places in Switzerland, household rubbish disposal is charged for. Garbage (except dangerous items, batteries etc.) will only be collected if it is in bags which either have a payment sticker attached, or in official bags with the surcharge paid when the bags are purchased.^[35] This gives a financial incentive to recycle as much as possible, since recycling is free.^[36] Swiss health officials and police often open up garbage for which the disposal charge has not been paid. They search for evidence such as old bills which connect the bag to the household/person they originated from. Fines for not paying the disposal fee range from CHF 200–500.^[37]

Demographics

Switzerland lies at the crossroads of several major European cultures that have heavily influenced the country's languages and culture. Switzerland has four official languages: German (63.7% total population share, with foreign residents; 72.5% of residents with Swiss citizenship, in 2000) in the north, east and centre of the country; French (20.4%; 21.0%) to the west; Italian (6.5%; 4.3%) in the south.^[38] Romansh, a Romance language spoken locally by a small minority (0.5%; 0.6%) in the southeastern canton of Graubünden, is designated by the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French and Italian (Article 4 of the Constitution), and as official language if the authorities communicate with persons of Romansh language (Article 70), but federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in this language. The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian. The German spoken in Switzerland is predominantly a group of Alemannic dialects collectively known as Swiss German, but written communication typically use Swiss Standard German, whilst a the majority of radio and TV broadcast is (nowadays) in Swiss German as well. Similarly, there are some dialects of Franco-Provençal in rural communities in the French speaking part, known as "Suisse romande", called Vaudois, Gruérien, Jurassien, Empro, Fribourgeois, Neuchâtelois, and in the Italian speaking area, Ticinese (a dialect of Lombard). Also the official languages (German, French and Italian) borrow some terms not understood outside of Switzerland, i.e. terms from other languages (German Billette^[39] from French), from similar term in another language (Italian azione used not as act but as discount from German Aktion). Learning one of the other national languages at school is obligatory for all Swiss, so most Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual. Main languages in Switzerland[1]: German (63. ... Switzerland sits at the crossroads of several major European cultures, which have heavily influenced the countrys languages and cultural practices. ... Language distribution in Switzerland French (Romandy) German Italian Romansh The linguistic geography of Switzerland is on the main tripartite, with the Swiss German region (Deutschschweiz) in the northeast, the Swiss French part (Romandie) in the west and the Swiss Italian Ticino in the south. ... This is a list of famous Swiss and notable people from or resident in Switzerland and cantons forming present-day Switzerland. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1500x957, 277 KB) Beschreibung Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Switzerland Demographics of Switzerland ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1500x957, 277 KB) Beschreibung Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Switzerland Demographics of Switzerland ... Swiss German (Schweizerdeutsch, SchwyzerdÃ¼tsch, SchwiizertÃ¼Ã¼tsch, Schwizertitsch) is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland. ... Romansh (also spelled Rumantsch, Romansch or Romanche) is one of the four national languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian and French. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Romansh (also spelled Rumantsch, Romansch or Romanche) is one of the four national languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian and French. ... The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family that comprises all the languages that descend from Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. ... GraubÃ¼nden or Grisons (German: ; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun, French: Grisons) is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. ... Swiss German (Schweizerdeutsch, SchwyzerdÃ¼tsch, SchwiizertÃ¼Ã¼tsch, Schwizertitsch) is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland. ... Swiss Standard German refers to the spoken and written varieties of Standard German used in the German speaking part of Switzerland. ... Swiss German (Schweizerdeutsch, SchwyzerdÃ¼tsch, SchwiizertÃ¼Ã¼tsch, Schwizertitsch) is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland. ... Franco-ProvenÃ§al (FrancoprovenÃ§al) or Arpitan (in vernacular: patouÃ¨s) (in Italian: francoprovenzale, provenzale alpina, arpitano, patois; French: francoprovenÃ§al, arpitan, patois) is a Romance language with several dialects in a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue dOÃ¯l and Langue dOc. ... Ticinese (ticines, ticinées) is a common denomination for Lombard language varieties spoken in Canton Ticino (Tessin). ... The term Lombard refers to a group of related varieties spoken mainly in Northern Italy (most of Lombardy and some areas of neighbouring regions) and Southern Switzerland (Ticino and GraubÃ¼nden). ... Bilingual redirects here. ...

Resident foreigners and temporary foreign workers make up about 21% of the population.^[40] Most of these are from European Union and EFTA countries.^[41] Italians are the largest single group of foreigners with 18,9% of total foreign population, while people from the various nations of former Yugoslavia make up 21%, there are also many ethnic Albanians^{[citation needed]}. Immigrants from Sri Lanka, most of them former Tamil refugees, are the largest group among people of Asian origin.^[42] 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). ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in the Latin alphabet, ÐˆÑƒÐ³Ð¾ÑÐ»Ð°Ð²Ð¸Ñ˜Ð° in Cyrillic; English: South Slavia, or literary The Land of South Slavs) describes three political entities that existed one at a time on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century. ...

Religion

Switzerland has no official state religion, though most of the cantons (except Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, in all cases including the Catholic Church and the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons also the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of adherents.^[43] A church in Fischenthal, a village in the canton of ZÃ¼rich Switzerland has no country-wide state religion, though most of the cantons (except for Geneva and NeuchÃ¢tel) recognize official churches, in all cases including the Catholic Church and the Swiss Reformed Church. ... Download high resolution version (600x900, 97 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (600x900, 97 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Lausanne (pronounced ) is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac LÃ©man), and facing Ã‰vian-les-Bains (France) and with the Jura mountains to its north. ... Capital Lausanne Population (2004) 657,700 (Ranked 3rd) - Density 205 /kmÂ² Area 3212 kmÂ² (Ranked 4th) Highest point Les Diablerets 3210 m Joined 1803 Abbreviation VD Languages French Executive Conseil dEtat (7) Legislative Grand Conseil (150) Municipalities 382 municipalities Districts 19 districts Website www. ... South America Europe Middle East Africa Asia Oceania Demography of religions by country Full list of articles on religion by country Religion Portal Nations with state religions: Buddhism Islam Shia Islam Sunni Islam Orthodox Christianity Protestantism Roman Catholic Church A state religion (also called an official religion, established church... Valais Ticino GraubÃ¼nden (Grisons) Geneva Vaud NeuchÃ¢tel Jura Berne Thurgau Zurich Aargau Lucerne Solothurn Basel-Land Schaffhausen Uri Schwyz Glarus St. ... The Republic and Canton of Geneva is the westernmost canton or state of Switzerland, surrounded on almost all sides by France and centered around the city of Geneva. ... NeuchÃ¢tel is a canton of Switzerland. ... The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ... The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zurich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basle (Johannes Oecolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), St. ... The Old Catholic Church is a community of Christian churches. ...

Christianity is the predominant religion of Switzerland, divided between various Protestant denominations (42.5% of the population) and the Catholic Church (41%). Immigration has brought Islam (4.3%, predominantly Albanians mostly from Kosovo) and Eastern Orthodoxy (1.8%) as sizeable minority religions.^[44] The 2005 Eurobarometer poll^[45] found 48% to be theist, 39% expressing belief in "a spirit or life force", 9% atheist and 4% agnostic. Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box: Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... For other uses, see Kosovo (disambiguation). ... ... Theism is the belief in one or more gods or goddesses. ... For information about the band, see Atheist (band). ... The term agnosticism and the related agnostic were coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869. ...

The country is historically about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, with a complex patchwork of majorities over most of the country. One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597.^[46] The larger cities (Bern, Zürich and Basel) are predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, as well as the Ticino, is traditionally Catholic. The Swiss constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs. Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was clearly rejected, with only 21.1% voting in support. Image File history File linksMetadata Sion_notre_dame. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Sion_notre_dame. ... Basilique de ValÃ¨re Basilique de ValÃ¨re The ValÃ¨re basilica (Basilique de ValÃ¨re), also called ValÃ¨re castle (ChÃ¢teau de ValÃ¨re), is a fortified church situated in Sion in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. ... Capital Sion Population (2003) 278,200 (Ranked 9th) - Density 53 /kmÂ² Area 5224 kmÂ² (Ranked 3rd) Highest point Dufourspitze 4634 m Joined 1815 Abbreviation VS Languages French, German Executive Conseil dEtat, Staatsrat (5) Legislative Grand Conseil, Grosser Rat (130) Municipalities 160 municipalities Districts 13 districts, Bezirke Website www. ... The Swiss Constitution (Bundesverfassung in German) is at the highest level of Switzerlands judicial system. ... In 1847, a civil war broke out between the Catholic and the Protestant cantons (Sonderbundskrieg). ... 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 stable, due to consultation among the elites of each of its major social groups. ... Constantines Conversion, depicting the conversion of Emperor Constantine the Great to Christianity, by Peter Paul Rubens. ...

Culture

The culture of Switzerland is influenced by its neighbours and its international sentiment, but over the years a distinctive culture with some regional differences and an independent streak has developed. In particular, French-speaking regions have tended to orient themselves slightly more on French culture and tend to be more pro EU. In general, the Swiss are known for their long standing humanitarian tradition as Switzerland is the birth place of the Red Cross Movement and hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council. Swiss German speaking areas may perhaps be seen more oriented on German culture, although German-speaking Swiss people identify strictly as Swiss because of the difference between High German, and the Swiss German dialects. Italian-speaking areas can have more of an Italian culture. A region may be in some ways strongly culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language. The linguistically isolated Rhaeto-Romanic culture in the eastern mountains of Switzerland is also robust and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition. Switzerland's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest of 1989 was in Romansh. The culture of Switzerland is influenced by its neighbours, but over the years a distinctive culture with strong regional differences has developed. ... Switzerland has long had a distinct cultural identity, despite its diversity of German, French and other ethnicities. ... Swiss mythology, before Christianity, was a mix of Celtic mythology and Germanic mythology. ... The valleys of the Alps have been inhabited since prehistoric times. ... The Swiss cuisine is unique in its many regional influences from its neighbors cuisine, including Italian, French, and, to a lesser extent, German cuisine. ... There is no such thing as a Swiss national vernacular literature properly speaking, this being explained by the diversity between the states of which it is composed, which has not favored any common intellectual life. ... Media in Switzerland. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about: European Union The European Union On-Line Official EU website, europa. ... Humanitarianism is the view that all people should be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve as human beings, and that advancing the well-being of humanity is a noble goal. ... The Anarchist Black Cross was originally called the Anarchist Red Cross. The band Redd Kross was originally called Red Cross. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The United Nations Human Rights Council is an international body within the United Nations System. ... Swiss German (Schweizerdeutsch, SchwyzerdÃ¼tsch, SchwiizertÃ¼Ã¼tsch, Schwizertitsch) is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland. ... Romansh (also spelled Rumantsch, Romansch or Romanche) is any of the various Rhaetian languages spoken in Switzerland. ... The Eurovision Song Contest 1989 was the 34th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on May 6, 1989 in Lausanne, Switzerland. ... Not to be confused with Romand which is one of the names for the Franco-ProvenÃ§al language. ...

Many mountain areas have a strong highly energetic ski town culture in winter, and a hiking/wandering culture in summer. Some areas throughout the year have a recreational culture that caters to tourism, yet the quieter seasons are spring and autumn when there are fewer visitors and a higher ratio of Swiss. A traditional farmer and herder culture also predominates in many areas, and this connection to the land and agriculture is a strong glue holding all the Swiss together. Even though most no longer actually farm themselves, the small farms are omnipresent outside the cities, and as well many Swiss at least have a small garden plot or many window boxes with geraniums and other flowers. Not to be confused with germanium. ...

Sport

Like many European nations the Swiss are big fans of football and the national team or 'Nati' is widely supported. Switzerland's most well known football clubs include Grasshoppers Zurich, Neuchatel Xamax and Basle. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Hornussen is an indigenous Swiss sport and is like a cross between baseball and golf. ... Soccer redirects here. ... First international France 1 - 0 Switzerland (Paris, France; 12 February 1905) Biggest win Switzerland 9 - 0 Lithuania (Paris, France; 25 May 1924) Switzerland 7 - 0 San Marino (St. ... Grasshopper-Club ZÃ¼rich, also referred to as Grasshopper(s), GC Zurich, or simply GCZ, is a football club from Zurich, Switzerland. ... NeuchÃ¢tel Xamax Football Club is a Swiss football club, based in NeuchÃ¢tel. ... Basel (English traditionally: Basle [ba:l], German: Basel [ba:z@l], French Bâle [ba:l], Italian Basilea [bazilE:a]) is Switzerlands third most populous city (188,000 inhabitants in the canton of Basel-City as of 2004; the 690,000 inhabitants in the conurbation stretching across the immediate...

Swiss wrestling or "Schwingen" is an old tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport. Schwingen is a Swiss version of wrestling. ...

Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Hornussen is an indigenous Swiss sport and is like a cross between baseball and golf. ... Swiss may be: Related to Switzerland: the Swiss Confederation Swiss people Swiss cheese Swiss corporations Switzerland-related topics Named Swiss: Swiss, Missouri Swiss, North Carolina Swiss, West Virginia Swiss, Wisconsin Swiss International Air Lines Swiss Re SWiSS is also used as a disparaging nickname for the Socialist Workers Student Society. ... This article is about the sport. ... This article is about the game. ...

Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practiced among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is also central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 kg Unspunnenstein. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. ... Swiss may be: Related to Switzerland: the Swiss Confederation Swiss people Swiss cheese Swiss corporations Switzerland-related topics Named Swiss: Swiss, Missouri Swiss, North Carolina Swiss, West Virginia Swiss, Wisconsin Swiss International Air Lines Swiss Re SWiSS is also used as a disparaging nickname for the Socialist Workers Student Society. ... The stone put event at the 2005 Whidbey Island Highland Games The stone put is one of the main Scottish heavy athletic events at modern-day Highland Games gatherings. ... For other uses, see Basel (disambiguation). ... Unspunnenfest is a festival held in the town of Interlaken, Switzerland, near the old ruin of Unspunnen Castle, in the Bernese Alps, approximately once every ten years. ... The Unspunnen Stone (German: Unspunnenstein) has been a symbol of the Unspunnenfest since 1805. ...

Floorball is a new sport in Switzerland that grows every year in popularity. A main factor is the professional league called Nationalliga A that draws many famous players from other countries. A floorball match between Sweden (yellow) and Finland (white) Floorball is a gay indoor team sport played using composite or carbon sticks with a plastic vented blade where the aim is to put a light plastic ball into the opponents goal. ...

Over the last few years several Swiss tennis players, like Roger Federer and Martina Hingis, have been multiple Grand Slam singles champions. One of the world's best current ice skaters is Swiss Stéphane Lambiel. Many Swiss also follow hockey and support one of the 12 clubs in the league A. Two clubs are from the French speaking part, and two other from the Italian part. The canton Graubünden has HC Davos as its own club which won the 2006–2007 Swiss championship. The German speaking part of Switzerland has 7 clubs. The most known Swiss club is SCBerne. Switzerland is also the home of the successful sailing team Alinghi. Other sports where the Swiss have been successful include fencing (Marcel Fischer), whitewater slalom (Ronnie Dürrenmatt – canoe, Mathias Röthenmund – kayak), ice hockey (Swiss National League), beach volleyball (Sascha Heyer, Markus Egger, Paul and Martin Laciga), and skiing (Bernhard Russi, Pirmin Zurbriggen, Didier Cuche). Motorsport racecourses were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster, however the country has produced successful racers such as Clay Regazzoni and Jo Siffert, and leading drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso and now Lewis Hamilton all live there^[47]. Switzerland is also the joint venue following Austria in the Euro 2008 football tournament. For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). ... Federer redirects here. ... Martina Hingis (pronounced: ) (born September 30, 1980 in KoÅ¡ice, Slovakia) is a former World No. ... StÃ©phane Lambiel (born April 2, 1985 in Martigny, Switzerland) is a Swiss figure skater, known for his creative and beautiful spins. ... Hockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a ball, or a hard, round disc called a puck, into the opponents net or goal, using a hockey stick. ... GraubÃ¼nden or Grisons (German: ; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun, French: Grisons) is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. ... Hockey Club Davos is a professional Swiss ice hockey club based in Davos, Switzerland. ... Alinghi is a coined name of the syndicate set up by Ernesto Bertarelli to challenge for the Americas Cup. ... Marcel Fischer (born August 14, 1978 in Biel) is a Swiss fencer who competed in the Mens Ã‰pÃ©e Individual at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal. ... Sascha Heyer (born July 21, 1972 in ZÃ¼rich) is a beach volleyball player from Switzerland, who won the silver medal in the mens beach team competition at the 2005 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Berlin, Germany, partnering Paul Laciga. ... Paul Laciga (born November 24, 1970 in Bern) is a beach volleyball player from Switzerland, who won the silver medal in the mens beach team competition at the 2005 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Berlin, Germany, partnering Sascha Heyer. ... Martin Laciga (born January 25, 1975 in Aarberg) is a beach volleyball player from Switzerland, who won the silver medal in the mens beach team competition at the 1999 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Marseille, France, partnering his older brother Paul Laciga (born 1970). ... Pirmin Zurbriggen (born February 4, 1963, Saas-Almagell, Kanton Wallis, Switzerland), was one of the all time great ski racers. ... Didier Cuche (born 16 August 1974) is a Swiss alpine skier. ... Motor Sport redirects here. ... Start of the 1955 race. ... Gianclaudio Giuseppe Clay Regazzoni (September 5, 1939 â€“ December 15, 2006) was a Swiss racing car driver. ... Jo Siffert, born July 7, 1936 â€“ died October 24, 1971, was a Swiss race car driver. ... Michael Schumacher (pronounced , (born January 3, 1969, in HÃ¼rth HermÃ¼lheim, Germany)[1] is a former Formula One driver, and seven-time world champion. ... Kimi-Matias RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen (pronounced ) (born October 17, 1979 in Espoo, Finland) is a race car driver, currently driving for Scuderia Ferrari. ... Fernando Alonso DÃaz (born July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and reigning, two-time, world champion. ... This article is about the Formula One racing driver. ... The 2008 European Football Championship (EURO 2008) will take place in Austria and Switzerland. ...

Notes

^ The motto is traditional; it is not officially defined by the Swiss constitution or Swiss law. See Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno for more information.
^ Federal Constitution, article 4, "National languages" : National languages are German, French, Italian and Romansh; Federal Constitution, article 70, "Languages", paragraph 1: The official languages of the Confederation are German, French, and Italian. Romansh shall be an official language for communicating with persons of Romansh language.
^ Traditional. Federal Charter only mentions "early August" and the treaty is clearly a renewal of an older and lost one.
^ Current population and population growth, Source: Annual Population Statistics (ESPOP), Swiss Federal Statistical Office.
^ Due to historical federalist sensibilities, Swiss law does not designate a formal capital, and several federal institutions such as courts are spread across the country.
^ Schwabe & Co.: Geschichte der Schweiz und der Schweizer, Schwabe & Co 1986/2004. ISBN 3-7965-2067-7 (German)
^ See Vladimir Lenin
^ Let's Swallow Switzerland by Klaus Urner (Lexington Books, 2002).
^ The Bergier Commission Final Report, page 117.
^ Political System. Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
^ Since 1999, an initiative can also be in the form of a general proposal to be elaborated by Parliament, but because it is considered less attractive for various reasons, this form of initiative has yet to find any use.
^ That is a majority of 23 cantonal votes, because the result of the popular vote in the six traditional half-cantons each counts as half the vote of one of the other cantons.
^ Tremblay; Lecours; et. al. (2004) Mapping the Political Landscape. Toronto: Nelson.
^ Turner; Barry (2001). The Statement's Yearbook. New York: MacMillan Press ltd.
^ Banks, Arthur (2006). Political Handbook of The World 2005-2006. Washington: Cq Press.
^ unige.ch - Direct democracy in the world
^ A zoomable map of Switzerland is available at either swissinfo-geo.org or swissgeo.ch; a zoomable satellite picture is at map.search.ch.
^ ^a ^b Herbermann, Charles George (1913). The Catholic Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia Press, 358.
^ CIA World Factbook
^ World Economic Forum - Global Competitiveness Report
^ ^a ^b Taylor & Francis Group (2002). Western Europe. Routledge, 645-646. ISBN 1857431529.
^ Median household income
^ A cheesy tale, The Economist
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Swiss Statistical Yearbook 2008 by Swiss Federal Statistical Office
^ ^a ^b Policy Brief: Economic Survey of Switzerland, 2007, OECD
^ Economic Policy Reforms: Going for Growth 2008 - Switzerland Country Note
^ Education at Glance 2005 by OECD: Percentage of foreign students in tertiary education.
^ Volksinitiative «Ja zu Europa!» (Initiative «Yes to Europe!») (PDF) (German). BFS/OFS/UST (2003-02-13). Retrieved on 2008-06-15.
^ Volksinitiative "Ja zu Europa!", nach Kantonen. (Initiative "Yes to Europe!" by Canton). (XLS) (German). BFS/OFS/UST (2003-01-16). Retrieved on 2008-06-15.
^ Prof Clive Church (2003). The contexts of swiss opposition to europe (PDF) p. 12. Sussex European Institute. Retrieved on 2008-06-13.
^ Vote No. 502 – Summary (German) (18 May 2003).
^ Vote No. 501 – Summary (German) (18 May 2003).
^ Federal government energy research (16 January 2008).
^ Swiss Recycling
^ Stadtreinigung Basel-Stadt - Pricelist bags and stickers
^ Recycling around the world. BBC (25 June 2005). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
^ Richtig Entsorgen (Kanton Basel-Stadt) - Wilde Deponien sind verboten... Für die Beseitigung widerrechtlich deponierter Abfälle wird zudem eine Umtriebsgebühr von Fr. 200.– oder eine Busse erhoben (page 90)
^ ^a ^b Swiss Federal Statistical Office. Languages and religions - Data, indicators. Retrieved on 2007-10-09. The first number refers to the share of languages within total population. The second refers to the Swiss citizens only.
^ SBB: Billette - OnlineTicket
^ Foreign population in Switzerland, 2006 (German), Swiss Federal Statistical Office, page 8.
^ Foreign resident population by nationality, 2006, Source: Foreign population structure and migration statistics (PETRA), Swiss Federal Statistical Office.
^ Foreign population in Switzerland detailed by nationality, 1980 - 2006 (German), Swiss Federal Statistical Office.
^ International Religious Freedom Report 2004 – Switzerland, U.S. Department of State.
^ CIA World Factbook section on Switzerland
^ Social values, Science and TechnologyPDF (1.64 MiB), Eurobarometer, June 2005.
^ Reclus, Élisée (1881). The Earth and Its Inhabitants. D. Appleton and Company, 478.
^ BBC Hamilton decides to leave Britain

Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno is a Latin phrase that means One for all, all for one in English. ... Not to be confused with Romand which is one of the names for the Franco-ProvenÃ§al language. ... 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. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Lenin redirects here. ... Valais Ticino GraubÃ¼nden (Grisons) Geneva Vaud NeuchÃ¢tel Jura Berne Thurgau Zurich Aargau Lucerne Solothurn Basel-Land Schaffhausen Uri Schwyz Glarus St. ... The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London. ... The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization of those developed countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization of those developed countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... â€œPDFâ€ redirects here. ... MiB redirects here. ... Ã‰lisÃ©e Reclus (March 15, 1830 - July 4, 1905) was a French geographer and anarchist. ...

References

The Historical Dictionary of Switzerland is an encyclopedia on the history of Switzerland that aims to take into account the results of modern historical research in a manner accessible to a broader audience. ...

Contents

History

Early history

Old Swiss Confederacy

Napoleonic era

Federal state

Modern history

Politics

Direct democracy

Cantons

International institutions in Switzerland

Geography

Economy

Science, technology, and education

Switzerland and the European Union

Infrastructure and environment

Demographics

Religion

Culture

Sport

Notes

References

See also

External links

Contents

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Early history

Old Swiss Confederacy

Napoleonic era

Federal state

Modern history

Politics

Direct democracy

Cantons

International institutions in Switzerland

Geography

Economy

Science, technology, and education

Switzerland and the European Union

Infrastructure and environment

Demographics

Religion

Culture

Sport

Notes

References

See also

External links

History