Ethnic divisions: total population—65% German, 18% French, 10% Italian, 1% Romansch, 6% other; Swiss nationals—74% German, 20% French, 4% Italian, 1% Romansch, 1% other
Religion: 49% Roman Catholic, 48% Protestant, 0.3% Jewish
Language: total population—65% German, 18% French, 12% Italian, 1% Romansch, 4% other; Swiss nationals—74% German, 20% French, 4% Italian, 1% Romansch, 1% other
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 3,220,000; 841,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian; 42% services, 39% industry and crafts, 11% government, 7% agriculture and forestry, 1% other (1988)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Swiss Confederation
Type: federal republic
Capital: Bern
Administrative divisions: 26 cantons (cantons, singular canton—in French; cantoni, singular—cantone in Italian; kantone, singular—kanton in German); Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, BaselStadt, Bern, Fribourg, Genève, Glarus, Graubünden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchâtel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zürich
Independence: 1 August 1291
Constitution: 29 May 1874
Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Federal Council (German—Bundesrat, French—Conseil Fédéral)
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (German—Bundesversammlung, French—Assemblee Fédérale) consists of an upper council or Council of States (German—Ständerat, French—Conseil des Etats) and and a lower council or National Council (German—Nationalrat, French—Conseil National)
Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government—President Arnold KOLLER (1990 calendar year; presidency rotates annually); Vice President Flavio COTTI (term runs concurrently with that of president)
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (SPS), Helmut Hubacher, chairman; Radical Democratic Party (FDP), Bruno Hunziker, president; Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP), Eva Segmüller-Weber, president; Swiss People's Party (SVP), Hans Uhlmann, president; Workers' Party (PdA), Armand Magnin, secretary general; National Action Party (NA), Hans Zwicky, chairman; Independents' Party (LdU), Dr. Franz Jaeger, president; Republican Movement (Rep), Dr. James Schworzenboch, Franz Baumgartner, leaders; Liberal Party (LPS), Gilbert Coutau, president; Evangelical People's Party (EVP), Max Dünki, president; Progressive Organizations of Switzerland (POCH), Georg Degen, secretary; Federation of Ecology Parties (GP), Laurent Rebeaud, president; Autonomous Socialist Party (PSA), Werner Carobbio, secretary
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: Council of State—last held throughout 1987 (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(46 total) CVP 19, FDP 14, SPS 5, SVP 4, others 4;
National Council—last held 18 October 1987 (next to be held October 1991); results—FDP 22.9%, CVP 20.0%, SPS 18.4%, SVP 11.0%, GP 4.8%, others 22.9%; seats—(200 total) FDP 51, CVP 42, SPS 41, SVP 25, GP 9, others 32
Communists: 4,500 members (est.)
Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, ILO, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, OECD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO; permanent observer status at the UN
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Edouard BRUNNER; Chancery at 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-7900; there are Swiss Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco; US—Ambassador Joseph B. GUILDENHORN; Embassy at Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern; telephone [41](31) 437011; there is a Branch Office of the Embassy in Geneva and a Consulate General in Zurich
Flag: red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag
Economy
Overview: Switzerland's economic success
is matched in few, if any, other nations.
Per capita output, general living
standards, education and science, health
care, and diet are unsurpassed in Europe.
Inflation remains low because of sound
government policy and harmonious
labor-management relations. Unemployment is
negligible, a marked contrast to the larger
economies of Western Europe. This
economic stability helps promote the important
banking and tourist sectors. Since
World War II, Switzerland's economy has
adjusted smoothly to the great changes in
output and trade patterns in Europe and
presumably can adjust to the challenges of
the 1990s, in particular, the further
economic integration of Western Europe and
the amazingly rapid changes in East
European political/economic prospects.
GDP: $119.5 billion, per capita $17,800; real growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 0.5% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $17.0 billion; expenditures $16.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)
Exports: $51.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— machinery and equipment, precision instruments, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles and clothing; partners—Europe 64% (EC 56%, other 8%), US 9%, Japan 4%
Imports: $57.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities— agricultural products, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles, construction materials; partners—Europe 79% (EC 72%, other 7%), US 5%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 7.0% (1988)
Electricity: 17,710,000 kW capacity; 59,070 million kWh produced, 8,930 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments
Agriculture: dairy farming predominates; less than 50% self-sufficient; food shortages—fish, refined sugar, fats and oils (other than butter), grains, eggs, fruits, vegetables, meat
Aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $2.5 billion
Currency: Swiss franc, franken, or franco (plural—francs, franken, or franchi); 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi
Exchange rates: Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1—1.5150 (January 1990), 1.6359 (1989), 1.4633 (1988), 1.4912 (1987), 1.7989 (1986), 2.4571 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 5,174 km total; 2,971 km are
government owned and 2,203 km are
nongovernment owned; the government
