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Flag of the Swiss confederation
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Short overview:
CH - Confoederatio Helvetica: The foundation of modern Switzerland goes back to 1848. Before this time Switzerland existed as a loose alliance of independent cantons. Every canton was in principle free to leave the alliance any time. In 1848 Switzerland received a modern constitution which did from the federation a föderativen federal state. Now a central government held the cantons together and took over in certain areas (e.g., foreign affairs and financial policy) the power over the cantons.
Switzerland is a nation of will: It forms a unity neither ethnically nor linguistically nor religiously. Since 1848 it is a federal state - one of worldwide 23 and under them, after the United States of America the second-oldest.
The federal constitution forms the juridical basic order of the confederation. It contains the most important rules for living together in our state. It guarantees the fundamental rights of the persons and the co-operation of the people, distributes the tasks between alliance and cantons and circumscribes the competence of the authorities.
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Conventional short form:
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Switzerland (English) Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Svizzera (Italian)
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Conventional long form:
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Swiss Confederation (English), Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German), Confédération Suisse (French),
Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)
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Total area (km²): 1)
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41.290 km²
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Population: 1)
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7.604.467 (July 2009 est.)
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Capital:
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Bern
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Government type: 1)
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federal republic
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Chief of state: 1)
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President Hans-Rudolf Merz (since 1 January 2009)
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Head of government: 1)
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President Hans-Rudolf Merz (since 1 January 2009)
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Administrative districts:
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26 cantons: (German: Kanton/e, French: canton/s, Italian: cantone / cantoni) |
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- Aargau
- Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden
- Appenzell Inner-Rhoden
- Basel-Landkreis
- Basel-Stadt
- Bern
- Fribourg
- Genève (Genf)
- Glarus
- Graubünden
- Jura
- Luzern
- Neuchâtel
- Nidwalden
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- Obwalden
- St. Gallen
- Schaffhausen
- Schwyz
- Solothurn
- Thurgau
- Ticino
- Uri
- Valais
- Vaud
- Zug
- Zürich
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Official languages:
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German (official): 63.7%,
French (official): 20.4%,
Italian (official): 6.5%
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Currency (code):
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Swiss franc (CHF)
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Country code:
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0041
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Country symbol:
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CH
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Internet country code:
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.ch
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National holiday:
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1 August (1291)
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Since beginning of the 20-th century the population of Switzerland has more than doubled: from 3.3 millions (1900) to 7.36 millions (2003). The increase reached its peak level between 1950 and 1970 with annual growth rates from on an average over 1.4%. It was slightest with 0.15% between 1970 and 1980 - as a result of the immigration limitation of foreign manpower and the economic recession in the years 1975 and 1976 which provided a temporary surplus of migration. During the years about 1975 falls also a unique decline of the number of inhabitants (1975:-0,6%). The 80s were marked again by a stronger increase of the population of on an average 0.6% per year. In the 90s was the growth a little higher with a rate of 0.7%.
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Age structure (2009 est.):1)
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0-14 years:
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15.6% (m: 616.561; f: 571.610) |
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15-64 years:
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68.1% (m: 2.609.673; f: 2.567.245) |
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65 years and over:
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16.3% (m: 514.761; f: 724.617) |
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Median age (2009 est.): 1)
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total:
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41 years |
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male:
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40 years |
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female:
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42 years |
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| Ethnic groups: 1) |
German:
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65% |
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French:
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18% |
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Italian:
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10% |
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Romansch:
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1% |
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other:
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6% |
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| Religions (2000): 1) |
Roman Catholic:
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41.8% |
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Protestant:
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35.3% |
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other:
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11.8% |
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none:
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11.1% |
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| Mobil phones: 1) |
8.096.000 (2007) |
| Internet hosts: 1) |
3.437.000 (2008) |
| Internet users: 1) |
4.610.000 (2007) |
In the middle of Europe
Indeed, Switzerland does not lie geographically exactly in the middle of Europe, nevertheless, plays at least in traffic-technical aspect a central role: the central European connection leads through the Alps from the north to the south. In addition, Switzerland borders in the north on Germany, in the east on Austria and the principality Liechtenstein, in the west on France and in the south on Italy. In this manner three large European cultures meet in Switzerland, namely the German, French and Italian ones.
The jura, the middle land and the Alps are three geographical main regions of the land. Switzerland is densely populated: on average 183 people live on 1 square kilometre. Nevertheless, according to region there are great differences: thus live, e.g., in the Alps which cover according to surfaces a huge part of the land, only just 10% of the whole population.
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Geographic location:
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Central Europe, it borders in the north on Germany, in the west on France and in the south on Italy
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Land boundaries: 1)
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1.852 km
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Border countries:
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- Germany 334 km,
- France 573 km,
- Italy 740 km,
- Liechtenstein 41 km,
- Austria 164 km
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Coastline: 1)
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0 km
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Natur resources: 1)
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hydropower potential, timber, salt
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Climate: 1)
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temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers |
Sources of information:
1) CIA World Factbook, updated on 21 May, 2009
BK Schweizerische Bundeskanzlei, 3003 Bern
(c) Copyright 2005, Verband der Vereine Creditreform e.V. / Creditreform International e.V.
kindly supported by the Schweizerischen Verband Creditreform
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