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Background:
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The Swiss
Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive
alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other
localities joined the original three. The Swiss
Confederation secured its independence from the Holy
Roman Empire in 1499. Switzerland's sovreignty and
neutrality have long been honored by the major European
powers, and the country 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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Location:
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Central
Europe, east of France, north of Italy |
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Geographic coordinates:
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47 00 N,
8 00 E |
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total:
41,290 sq km
land: 39,770 sq km
water: 1,520 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
less than twice the size of New Jersey |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
1,852 km
border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km,
Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km
(landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none
(landlocked) |
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Climate:
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temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy,
rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers
with occasional showers |
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Terrain:
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mostly
mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a
central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large
lakes |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m |
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Natural resources:
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hydropower potential, timber, salt |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 10.42%
permanent crops: 0.61%
other: 88.97% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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250 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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avalanches, landslides, flash floods |
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Environment - current issues:
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air
pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning;
acid rain; water pollution from increased use of
agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe;
along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and
southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the
Alps |
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Population:
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7,489,370
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 16.6% (male 643,497/female 597,565)
15-64 years: 68% (male 2,570,544/female
2,522,365)
65 years and over: 15.4% (male 472,769/female
682,630) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
39.77 years
male: 38.75 years
female: 40.81 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.49%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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9.77
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.48
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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3.58
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
4.39 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 80.39 years
male: 77.58 years
female: 83.36 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.42
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.4%
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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13,000
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than
100 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Swiss (singular and plural)
adjective: Swiss |
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Ethnic groups:
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German
65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6% |
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Religions:
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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) |
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Languages:
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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%, Romansch
0.5%, other 2.8% (2000 census)
note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are
all national languages, but only the first three are
official languages |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA% |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Swiss Confederation
conventional short form: Switzerland
local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft
(German), Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione
Svizzera (Italian)
local short form: Schweiz (German), Suisse
(French), Svizzera (Italian) |
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Government type:
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formally
a confederation, but similar in structure to a federal
republic |
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Capital:
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Bern |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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1 August
1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation) |
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National holiday:
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Founding
of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291) |
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Constitution:
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revision
of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal
Parliament 18 December 1998, adopted by referendum 18
April 1999, officially entered into force 1 January 2000
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Legal system:
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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 |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Samuel SCHMID (since 1 January
2005); Vice President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1
January 2005); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: President Samuel SCHMID
(since 1 January 2005); Vice President Moritz
LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2005); note - the president
is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in
German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale
(in Italian) elected by the Federal Assembly usually
from among its own members for a four-year term
elections: president and vice president elected
by the Federal Assembly from among the members of the
Federal Council for one-year terms that run
concurrently; election last held 8 December 2004 (next
to be held December 2005)
election results: Samuel SCHMID elected
president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - 70.7%;
Moritz LEUENBERGER elected vice president; percent of
legislative vote - 64.8% |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral
Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German),
Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in
Italian) consists of the Council of States or Standerat
(in German), Conseil des Etats (in French), Consiglio
degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats - members serve
four-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat
(in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio
Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats - members are elected
by popular vote on the basis of proportional
representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Council of States - last held in most
cantons 19 October 2003 (each canton determines when the
next election will be held); National Council - last
held 19 October 2003 (next to be held October 2007)
election results: Council of States - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CVP 15, FDP 14,
SVP 8, SPS 6, other 3; National Council - percent of
vote by party - SVP 26.6%, SPS 23.3%, FDP 17.3%, CVP
14.4%, Greens 7.4%, other small parties all under 5%;
seats by party - SVP 55, SPS 54, FDP 36, CVP 28, Green
Party 13, other small parties 14 |
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Judicial branch:
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Federal
Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the
Federal Assembly) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Green
Party (Grune Partei der Schweiz or Grune, Parti
Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista
Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La
Verda) [Ruth GENNER]; Christian Democratic People's
Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or
CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito
Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida
Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Doris
LEUTHARD, president]; Radical Free Democratic Party
(Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP,
Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio
Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Marianne
KLEINER-SCHLAEPFER, president]; Social Democratic Party
(Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti
Socialist Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or
PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS)
[Hans-Juerg FEHR, president]; Swiss People's Party
(Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique
du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC,
Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER,
president]; and other minor parties |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACCT,
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA,
MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Christian BLICKENSTORFER
chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900
FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston,
Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
consulate(s): Boston |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Pamela P. WILLEFORD
embassy: Jubilaumsstrasse 93, CH-3005 Bern
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [41] (031) 357 70 11
FAX: [41] (031) 357 73 44 |
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Flag description:
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red
square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the
center that does not extend to the edges of the flag
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Economy - overview:
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Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern
market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled
labor force, and a per capita GDP larger than that of
the big Western European economies. The Swiss in recent
years have brought their economic practices largely into
conformity with the EU's to enhance their international
competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safe haven for
investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank
secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external
value. Reflecting the anemic economic conditions of
Europe, GDP growth dropped in 2001 to about 0.8%, to
0.2% in 2002, and to -0.3% in 2003, with a small rise to
1.8% in 2004. Even so, unemployment has remained at less
than half the EU average. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$251.9
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.8%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $33,800 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 34%
services: 64.5% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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3.77
million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 4.6%, industry 26.3%, services 69.1% (1998)
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Unemployment rate:
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3.4%
(2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 25.2% (1992) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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33.1
(1992) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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0.9%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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20.4% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $131.5 billion
expenditures: $140.4 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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57.2% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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grains,
fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs |
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Industries:
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machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision
instruments |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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4.7%
(2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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63.47
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 1.3%
hydro: 59.5%
nuclear: 37.1%
other: 2% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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54.53
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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32.3
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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27.8
billion kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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290,400
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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10,420
bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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289,500
bbl/day (2001) |
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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3.093
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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3.093
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Current account balance:
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$40.95
billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$130.7
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural
products |
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Exports - partners:
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Germany
20.2%, US 10.5%, France 8.7%, Italy 8.3%, UK 5.1%, Spain
4% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$121.1
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural
products, textiles |
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Imports - partners:
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Germany
32.8%, Italy 11.3%, France 9.9%, US 5.2%, Netherlands
5%, Austria 4.3% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$69.58
billion (2003) |
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Debt - external:
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$NA
(2000) |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, $1.1
billion (1995) |
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Currency (code):
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Swiss
franc (CHF) |
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Currency code:
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CHF |
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Exchange rates:
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Swiss
francs per US dollar - 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003),
1.5586 (2002), 1.6876 (2001), 1.6888 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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5.419
million (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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6.172
million (2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: excellent domestic and
international services
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio
relay networks
international: country code - 41; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 4, FM
113 (plus many low power stations), shortwave 2 (1998)
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Radios:
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7.1
million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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115 (plus
1,919 repeaters) (1995) |
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Televisions:
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3.31
million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.ch |
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Internet hosts:
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667,275
(2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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44
(Switzerland and Liechtenstein) (2000) |
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Internet users:
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2.556
million (2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
4,527 km
standard gauge: 3,232 km 1.435-m gauge (3,211 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,285 km 1.000-m gauge (1,273 km
electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified)
(2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
71,212 km
paved: 71,212 km (including 1,706 of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2002) |
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Waterways:
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65 km
note: Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and
Schaffhausen-Bodensee, some canals, and 12 navigable
lakes (2003) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 1,831
km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Basel
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Merchant marine:
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total:
23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 604,843 GRT/1,050,914 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 6, chemical
tanker 2, container 3
foreign-owned: 6 (United Kingdom 6)
registered in other countries: 291 (2005) |
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Airports:
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65 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
42
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 16 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
23
under 914 m: 23 (2004 est.) |
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Heliports:
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2 (2004
est.) |
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Military branches:
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Land
Forces, Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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the Swiss
Confederation states that "every Swiss male is obligated
to do military service"; every Swiss male has to serve
for at least 260 days in the armed forces; 19 years of
age for compulsory military service; 17 years of age for
voluntary military service; conscripts receive 15 weeks
of compulsory training, followed by 10 intermittent
recalls for training over the next 22 years; women are
accepted on a voluntary basis, but are not drafted
(2005) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 19-49: 1,707,694 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 19-49: 1,375,889 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males:
46,319 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$2.548
billion (FY01) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1% (FY01)
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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Illicit drugs:
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a major
international financial center vulnerable to the
layering and integration stages of money laundering;
despite significant legislation and reporting
requirements, secrecy rules persist and nonresidents are
permitted to conduct business through offshore entities
and various intermediaries; transit country for and
consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian
heroin |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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