Switzerland

Swiss ConfederationSchweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German) Confederation Suisse (French)

federal republicIndependence 1 August 1291

Switzerland as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 77 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBern

Area41,290 km2

LocationWestern Europe, between France and Austria

Populationas each edition published it

6.99 million July 1993 est. · 6.74m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.83% 1993 est. · 0.72% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 40.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

77.99 years 1993 est. · 83.9 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.6 children per woman 1993 est. · 1.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

6.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 5 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$22,300 1992 · $82,000 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

-0.6% 1992 · 1.3% in 2025

Geography

Western Europe, between France and Austria

14 fields

Land useshare of 41,290 km2

arable land 10%permanent crops 1%meadows and pastures 40%forest and woodland 26%other 23%irrigated 250 km2 (1989)

Area

41,290km2

land area: 39,770 km2comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Land boundaries

1,852km

total · Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km

Location

Western Europe, between France and Austria

Map references

Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Climate

temperate, but varies with altitude;
cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters;
cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Terrain

mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Note

landlocked;
crossroads of northern and southern Europe;
along with southeastern France and northern Italy, contains the highest elevations in Europe

People

14 fields

Population

6,986,621

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 0.83% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

12.37Death

9.24Net migration

5.13

Religions(1980)

Roman Catholic 47.6%Protestant 44.3%other 8.1% (1980)

Labor force

3.31million

(904,095 foreign workers, mostly Italian)by occupation: services 50%, industry and crafts 33%, government 10%, agriculture and forestry 6%, other 1% (1989)

Literacy

15and over can read and write

age · (1980)total population: 99%male: NA%female: NA%

Infant mortality rate

6.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 77.99 years
male:: 74.6 years
female:: 81.54 years (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Swiss (singular and plural)
adjective:: Swiss

Ethnic divisions

total population:: German 65% French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%
Swiss nationals:: German 74% French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%

Languages

German 65%, French 18%, Italian 12%, Romansch 1%, other 4% note: these are figures for Swiss nationals only - German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%

Government

Federal republic

20 fields

Names

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)

Administrative divisions

26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German);
Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich

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)

Political parties and leaders

Free Democratic Party (FDP), Bruno HUNZIKER, president;
Social Democratic Party (SPS), Helmut HUBACHER, chairman;
Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP), Eva SEGMULLER-WEBER, chairman;
Swiss People's Party (SVP), Hans UHLMANN, president;
Green Party (GPS), Peter SCHMID, president;
Automobile Party (AP), DREYER;
Alliance of Independents' Party (LdU), Dr. Franz JAEGER, president;
Swiss Democratic Party (SD), NA;
Evangelical People's Party (EVP), Max DUNKI, president;
Workers' Party (PdA; Communist), Jean SPIELMANN, general secretary;
Ticino League, leader NA;
Liberal Party (LPS), Gilbert COUTAU, president

Elections

Council of States:: last held throughout 1991 (next to be held NA 1995);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (46 total) FDP 18, CVP 16, SVP 4, SPS 3, LPS 3, LdU 1, Ticino League 1
National Council:: last held 20 October 1991 (next to be held NA October 1995);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (200 total) FDP 44, SPS 42, CVP 37, SVP 25, GPS 14, LPS 10, AP 8, LdU 6, SD 5, EVP 3, PdA 2, Ticino League 2, other 2

Executive branch

president, vice president, Federal Council (German - Bundesrat, French - Conseil Federal, Italian - Consiglio Federale)

bicameral Federal Assembly (German - Bundesversammlung, French - Assemblee Federale, Italian - Assemblea Federale) consists of an upper council or Council of States (German - Standerat, French - Conseil des Etats, Italian - Consiglio degli Stati) and a lower council or National Council (German - Nationalrat, French - Conseil National, Italian - Consiglio Nazionale)

Judicial branch

Federal Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Adolf OGI (1993 calendar year; presidency rotates annually); Vice President Otto STICH (term runs concurrently with that of president)

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australian Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM (coopeating country), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTRC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Edouard BRUNNER
chancery:: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: (202) 745-7900
FAX:: (202) 387-2564
consulates general:: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Joseph B. GILDENHORN
embassy:: Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: [41] (31) 437-011
FAX:: [41] (31) 437-344
branch office:: Geneva
consulate general:: Zurich

Flag

red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag

Economy

18 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$22,300

(1992)

Real growth rate

-0.6%

(1992)industrial production growth: growth rate 0.4% (1991 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

4.1%

(1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

(1992 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$24.0 billionExpenditures

$23.8 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)

Overview

Switzerland's economy - one of the most prosperous and stable in the world - is nonetheless undergoing a painful adjustment after both the inflationary boom of the late-1980s and the electorate's rejection late last year of membership in the European Economic Area. Stubborn inflation and a soft economy have afflicted Switzerland.

Despite slow growth in 1991-92, the Swiss central bank had been unable to ease monetary policy in the past three years because of the threat to the Swiss franc posed by high German interest rates. As a result, unemployment is forecast to rise from 3% in 1992 to more than 4% in 1993, with inflation moving down from 4% to 3%. The voters' rejection in December 1992 of a referendum on membership in the EEA which was supported by most political, business, and financial leaders has raised doubts that the country can maintain its preeminent prosperity and leadership in commercial banking in the 21st century.

Despite these problems, Swiss per capita output, general living standards, education and science, health care, and diet remain unsurpassed in Europe. The country has few natural resources except for the scenic natural beauty that has made it a world leader in tourism. Management-labor relations remain generally harmonious.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $152.3 billion (1992)

Exports

$62.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: machinery and equipment, precision instruments, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles and clothing
partners:: Western Europe 64% (EC countries 56%, other 8%), US 9%, Japan 4%

Imports

$68.5 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)

commodities:: agricultural products, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles, construction materials
partners:: Western Europe 78% (EC countries 71%, other 7%), US 6%

External debt

$NA

Electricity

17,710,000 kW capacity; 56,000 million kWh produced, 8,200 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments

Agriculture

dairy farming predominates;
less than 50% self-sufficient in food;
must import fish, refined sugar, fats and oils (other than butter), grains, eggs, fruits, vegetables, meat

Economic aid

donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $3.5 billion

Currency

1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi

Exchange rates

Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1 - 1.4781 (January 1993), 1.4062 (1992), 1.4340 (1991), 1.3892 (1990), 1.6359 (1989), 1.4633 (1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 23 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 5roll-on/roll-off cargo 2chemical tanker 5specialized tanker 2bulk 8oil tanker 123 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 308,725 GRT/548,244 DWT

Networkskm

Highways

62,145Inland waterways

Highways: (all paved); 18,620 km are canton, 1,057 km are national highways (740 km autobahn), 42,468 km are communal roads · Inland waterways: ; Rhine (Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to Bodensee); 12 navigable lakes

Railroads

4,418 km total;
3,073 km are government owned and 1,345 km are nongovernment owned;
the government network consists of 2,999 km 1.435-meter standard gauge and 74 km 1.000-meter narrow gauge track;
1,432 km double track, 99% electrified;
the nongovernment network consists of 510 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, and 835 km 1.000-meter gauge, 100% electrified

Highways

62,145 km total (all paved); 18,620 km are canton, 1,057 km are national highways (740 km autobahn), 42,468 km are communal roads

Inland waterways

65 km;
Rhine (Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to Bodensee);
12 navigable lakes

total:: 66
usable:: 65
with permanent-surface runways:: 42 with runways over 3,659 m: 2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 5
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 18

Telecommunications

excellent domestic, international, and broadcast services;
5,890,000 telephones;
extensive cable and microwave networks;
broadcast stations - 7 AM, 265 FM, 18 (1,322 repeaters) TV;
communications satellite earth station operating in the INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean) system