Switzerland

federal republicIndependence 1 August 1291

Switzerland as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 122 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
LocationCentral Europe, between France and Austria
1994

Every edition of Switzerland

Populationas each edition published it
7.04 million July 1994 est. · 6.74m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.7% 1994 est. · 0.83% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 40.2 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 77.99 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.6 children per woman 1994 est. · 1.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
6.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 5 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$21,300 1993 · $22,300 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
-0.6% 1993 · -0.6% in 1993

Geography

Central Europe, between France and Austria

22 fields
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
Irrigated land
250sq km
(1989)

Location

Central Europe, between France and Austria

Map references

Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

41,290 sq km

land area

39,770 sq km

comparative area

slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey

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

Natural resources

hydropower potential, timber, salt

arable land

10%

permanent crops

1%

meadows and pastures

40%

forest and woodland

26%

other

23%

current issues

  • air pollution from vehicle emissions and open air burning;
  • acid rain;
  • water pollution from increased use of agricultural fertilizers;
  • loss of biodiversity

natural hazards

subject to avalanches, landslides, flash floods

international agreements

  • party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling;
  • signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Note

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

People

23 fields
Population
7,040,119
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 0.7% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
12.23Death
9.2Net migration
3.97

Religions(1980)

Roman Catholic 47.6%Protestant 44.3%other 8.1% (1980)
Labor force
3.31million
(904,095 foreign workers, mostly Italian)
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1980 est.)

Infant mortality rate

6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

78.17 years

male

74.8 years

female

81.71 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Swiss (singular and plural)

adjective

Swiss

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

figures for Swiss nationals only - German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%

total population

99%

male

NA%

female

NA%

by occupation

services 50%, industry and crafts 33%, government 10%, agriculture and forestry 6%, other 1% (1989)

Government

Federal republic

34 fields

Legislature, 46 seatsone dot, one seat

FDP 18CVP 16SVP 4SPS 3LPS 3LdU 1Ticino League 1

Legislature, 200 seatsone dot, one seat

FDP 44SPS 42CVP 37SVP 25GPS 14LPS 10AP 8LdU 6SD 5EVP 3PdA 2Ticino League 2other 2

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)

Type

federal republic

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

Independence

1 August 1291

National holiday

Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)

Constitution

29 May 1874

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state and head of government

President Otto STICH (1994 calendar year; presidency rotates annually); Vice President Kaspar VILLIGER (term runs concurrently with that of president)

cabinet

Federal Council (German - Bundesrat, French - Censeil Federal, Italian - Consiglio Federale); elected by the Federal Assembly from own members

Legislative branch

bicameral Federal Assembly (German - Bundesversammlung, French - Assemblee Federale, Italian - Assemblea Federale)

Council of States

  • (German - Standerat, French - Conseil des Etats, Italian - Consiglio degli Stati) elections 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

  • (German - Nationalrat, French - Conseil National, Italian - Consiglio Nazionale) elections 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

Judicial branch

Federal Supreme Court

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

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australian Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM (cooperating), 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, UNOMIG, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission

Ambassador Carlo JAGMETTI

chancery

2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 745-7900

FAX

(202) 387-2564

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco

chief of mission

(vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael C. POLT

embassy

Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[41] (31) 357-7011

FAX

[41] (31) 357-7344

branch office

Geneva

consulate(s) 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

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$21,300
(1993)
Real growth rate
-0.6%
(1993)industrial production growth: growth rate 0% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate
5.1%
(1993 est.)

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 of membership in the European Economic Area in 1992. The Swiss finally emerged from a three-year recession in mid-1993 and posted a -0.6% GDP growth for the year.

After a three-year struggle with inflation, the Swiss central bank's tight monetary policies have begun to pay off. Inflation slowed to 3.3% in 1993 from about 4% in 1992 and is expected to slow down further to 1.5% in 1994. Unemployment, however, will continue to be a problem over the near term.

Swiss unemployment reached 5.1% in 1993 and will likely remain at that level through 1994 before declining in 1995. The voters' rejection 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 twenty-first 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 - $149.1 billion (1993)

revenues

$23.7 billion

expenditures

$26.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)

Exports

$63 billion (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities

machinery and equipment, precision instruments, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles and clothing

partners

Western Europe 63.1% (EC countries 56%, other 7.1%), US 8.8%, Japan 3.4%

Imports

$60.7 billion (c.i.f., 1993)

commodities

agricultural products, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles, construction materials

partners

Western Europe 79.2% (EC countries 72.3%, other 6.9%), US 6.4%

capacity

17,710,000 kW

production

56 billion kWh

consumption per capita

8,200 kWh (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

Illicit drugs

money-laundering center

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 - 1.715 (January 1994), 1.4776 (1993), 1.4062 (1992), 1.4340 (1991), 1.3892 (1990), 1.6359 (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

14 fields

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

total

71,106 km

paved

71,106 km (including 1,502 km of expressways)

Inland waterways

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

Pipelines

crude oil 314 km; natural gas 1,506 km

Ports

Basel (river port)

Merchant marine

23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 337,455 GRT/592,213 DWT, bulk 10, cargo 4, chemical tanker 5, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, specialized tanker 1

total

70

usable

69

with permanent-surface runways

42

with runways over 3,659 m

3

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

4

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

Defense Forces

Army (Air Force is part of the Army), Frontier Guards, Fortification | Guards

3 fields

Branches

Army (Air Force is part of the Army), Frontier Guards, Fortification Guards

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 1,853,075;
  • fit for military service 1,589,288;
  • reach military age (20) annually 43,005 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $3.4 billion, 1.7% of GDP (1993)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Switzerland.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/switzerland/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →