| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Europe |
| Geographical Location |
47° 00' North Latitude
8° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
41,290 sq km |
| Climate |
Temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers |
| Natural Resources |
Hydropower potential, timber, salt |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Swiss Confederation |
| Capital City |
Bern |
| Government Type |
Federal republic |
| Administrative Divisions |
26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden,
Appenzell Inner-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen,
Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich |
| Independence Day |
1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
7,489,370 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Swiss |
| Ethnic Groups |
German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6% |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, Muslim 4.3%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%, none 11.1% (2000 census) |
| Languages |
German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 20.4%, Italian (official) 6.5%, Serbo-Croatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%, Portuguese 1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, other 3.3% (2000 census) |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.49% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Swiss franc (CHF) |
| Industries |
Machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments |
| Labor Force |
3.77 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 4.6%, industry 26.3%, services 69.1% (1998) |
| Agriculture Products |
Grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs |
| Export Commodities |
Machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products |
| Export Partners |
Germany 20%, US 9.1%, France 9.1%, Italy 8.8%, UK 4.9% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles |
| Import Partners |
Germany 29%, Italy 11.8%, France 11.1%, US 7.6%, Austria 4.5%, UK 4.5%, Netherlands 4.3% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
4,527 km |
| Highways |
71,212 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 1,831 km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2004) |
| Airports |
65 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Basel |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+41 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.ch |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
Switzerland's independence and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and Switzerland was not involved in either of the two World Wars.
The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened
Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international
organizations, but retains a strong commitment to neutrality. |
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