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Background: |
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
sovereignty 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: |
Central Europe, east of France,
north of Italy |
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Geographic coordinates: |
47 00 N, 8 00 E |
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Map references: |
Europe |
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Area: |
total: 41,290 sq km
land: 39,770 sq km
water: 1,520 sq km |
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Area - comparative: |
slightly less than twice the
size of New Jersey |
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Land boundaries: |
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: |
0 km (landlocked) |
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Maritime claims: |
none (landlocked) |
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Climate: |
temperate, but varies with
altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid
summers with occasional showers |
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Terrain: |
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: |
lowest point: Lake
Maggiore 195 m
highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m |
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Natural resources: |
hydropower potential, timber,
salt |
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Land use: |
arable land: 9.91%
permanent crops: 0.58%
other: 89.51% (2005) |
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Irrigated land: |
250 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources: |
53.3 cu km (2005) |
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Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
Total: 2.52 cu km/yr
(24%/74%/2%)
Per capita: 348 cu m/yr (2002) |
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Natural hazards: |
avalanches, landslides, flash
floods |
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Environment - current issues: |
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: |
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: |
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: |
7,554,661 (July 2007 est.)
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Age structure: |
0-14 years: 16.1% (male
630,341/female 584,167)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male
2,596,996/female 2,553,108)
65 years and over: 15.8% (male
489,895/female 700,154) (2007 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 40.4 years
male: 39.3 years
female: 41.4 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
0.381% (2007 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
9.66 births/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
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Death rate: |
8.51 deaths/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
2.66 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2007 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.079 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.017 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.969 male(s)/female (2007
est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total: 4.28 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 4.77 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 80.62
years
male: 77.8 years
female: 83.59 years (2007
est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
1.44 children born/woman (2007
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.4% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
13,000 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
less than 100 (2003 est.)
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Nationality: |
noun: Swiss (singular
and plural)
adjective: Swiss |
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Ethnic groups: |
German 65%, French 18%, Italian
10%, Romansch 1%, other 6% |
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Religions: |
Roman Catholic 41.8%,
Protestant 35.3%, Muslim 4.3%, Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, other
1%, unspecified 4.3%, none 11.1% (2000 census) |
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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%, Romansch (official) 0.5%,
other 2.8% (2000 census)
note: German, French, Italian, and
Romansch are all national and official languages |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 99%
male:
99%
female: 99% (2003 est.) |
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Country name: |
conventional long form:
Swiss Confederation
conventional short form: Switzerland
local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German);
Confederation Suisse (French); Confederazione Svizzera (Italian);
Confederaziun Svizra (Romansh)
local short form: Schweiz
(German); Suisse (French); Svizzera (Italian); Svizra (Romansh) |
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Government type: |
formally a confederation but
similar in structure to a federal republic |
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Capital: |
name: Bern
geographic coordinates: 46 57 N, 7 26 E
time
difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March;
ends last Sunday in October |
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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 |
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Independence: |
1 August 1291 (founding of the
Swiss Confederation) |
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National holiday: |
Founding of the Swiss
Confederation, 1 August (1291) |
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Constitution: |
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: |
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: |
18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President Pascal COUCHEPIN (since 1 January 2008); Vice President
Hans-Rudolf MERZ (since 1 January 2008); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government representing the Federal Council;
the Federal Council is the formal chief of state and head of government
whose council members, rotating in one-year terms as federal president,
represent the Council
head of government: President Pascal
COUCHEPIN (since 1 January 2008); Vice President Hans-Rudolf MERZ (since 1
January 2008)
cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in
German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian)
elected by the Federal Assembly usually from among its 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
a one-year term (they may not serve consecutive terms); election last held
on 12 December 2007 (next to be held in December 2008)
election
results: Pascal COUCHEPIN elected president; percent of Federal
Assembly vote - 80.0%; Hans-Rudolf MERZ elected vice president; percent of
Federal Assembly vote - 86.5% |
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Legislative branch: |
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; membership consists of 2 representatives from each canton and 1
from each half canton; to 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 on 19
October 2003 (each canton determines when the next election will be held);
National Council - last held on 21 October 2007 (next to be held in
October 2011)
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 29%, SPS 19.5%, FDP
15.6%, CVP 14.6%, Greens 9.6%, other 11.7%; seats by party - SVP 62, SPS
43, FDP 31, CVP 31, Green Party 20, other small parties 13; note - seating
for the Council of States as of December 2007 is CVP 16, FDP 12, SVP 7,
SPS 9, other 2 |
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Judicial branch: |
Federal Supreme Court (judges
elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly) |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Green Party (Gruene Partei der
Schweiz or Gruene, 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
(Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti
Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano Popolare
Svizzero or PDC, Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD)
[Christophe DARBELLAY]; Radical Free Democratic Party
(Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti
Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or
PLR) [Fulvio PELLI]; 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]; 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]; and other minor
parties |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
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International organization participation: |
ADB (nonregional members),
AfDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA
(observer), MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW,
OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR,
UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Urs ZISWILER
chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900
FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564
consulate(s) general:
Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Peter R. CONEWAY
embassy: Jubilaeumsstrasse 93,
CH-3001 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: |
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: |
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 safehaven 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 stagnated during the 2001-03 period,
improved during 2004-05, and jumped to 2.9% in 2006, and 2.6% in 2007.
Unemployment has remained at less than half the EU average. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$300.9 billion (2007 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate): |
$407.7 billion (2007 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate: |
2.6% (2007 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$39,800 (2007 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 34%
services: 64.5% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force: |
3.85 million (2007 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 4.6%
industry: 26.3%
services: 69.1% (1998) |
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Unemployment rate: |
3.1% (2007 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 25.9% (2000) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index: |
33.7 (2000) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
0.6% (2007 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed): |
21.8% of GDP (2007 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $155.5 billion
expenditures: $154.2 billion (2007 est.) |
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Public debt: |
50.2% of GDP (2007 est.) |
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Agriculture - products: |
grains, fruits, vegetables;
meat, eggs |
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Industries: |
machinery, chemicals, watches,
textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, and insurance |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
6.5% (2006 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
56.1 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 1.3%
hydro: 59.5%
nuclear: 37.1%
other: 2%
(2001) |
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Electricity - consumption: |
58.26 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports: |
32 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - imports: |
38.35 billion kWh (2005) |
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Oil - production: |
3,202 bbl/day (2005 est.)
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Oil - consumption: |
275,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
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Oil - exports: |
11,360 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports: |
267,000 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - proved reserves: |
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
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Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption: |
3.26 billion cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports: |
3.26 billion cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves: |
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
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Current account balance: |
$67.89 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports: |
$201 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
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Exports - commodities: |
machinery, chemicals, metals,
watches, agricultural products |
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Exports - partners: |
Germany 19.7%, US 11.1%, Italy
8.8%, France 8.6%, UK 4.8% (2006) |
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Imports: |
$189.6 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
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Imports - commodities: |
machinery, chemicals, vehicles,
metals; agricultural products, textiles |
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Imports - partners: |
Germany 31.7%, Italy 10.6%,
France 10%, US 6.2%, Netherlands 4.7%, Austria 4.3% (2006) |
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Economic aid - donor: |
ODA, $1.1 billion (1995) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$64.5 billion (2006 est.)
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Debt - external: |
$1.34 trillion (30 June 2007)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: |
$232.5 billion (2006 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: |
$546.6 billion (2006 est.)
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Market value of publicly traded shares: |
$938.6 billion (2005) |
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Currency (code): |
Swiss franc (CHF) |
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Currency code: |
CHF |
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Exchange rates: |
Swiss francs per US dollar -
1.1973 (2007), 1.2539 (2006), 1.2452 (2005), 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003)
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
5.04 million (2006) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
7.418 million (2006) |
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Telephone system: |
general assessment:
highly developed telecommunications infrastructure with excellent domestic
and international services
domestic: ranked among leading
countries for fixed-line teledensity and infrastructure; mobile-cellular
subscribership roughly 100 per 100 persons; 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: |
AM 4, FM 113 (plus many
low-power stations), shortwave 2 (1998) |
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Radios: |
7.1 million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
115 (plus 1,919 repeaters)
(1995) |
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Televisions: |
3.31 million (1997) |
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Internet country code: |
.ch |
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Internet hosts: |
1.405 million (2007) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
44 (Switzerland and
Liechtenstein) (2000) |
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Internet users: |
4.36 million (2006)
|
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Airports: |
65 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 42
over
3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m:
12
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 16 (2007) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 23
under
914 m: 23 (2007) |
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Heliports: |
2 (2007) |
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Pipelines: |
gas 1,781 km; oil 94 km;
refined products 7 km (2007) |
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Railways: |
total: 4,839 km
standard gauge: 3,561 km 1.435-m gauge (3,195 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,268 km 1.000-m gauge (1,274 km electrified); 10
km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2006) |
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Roadways: |
total: 71,297 km
paved: 71,297 km (includes 1,728 of expressways) (2004) |
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Waterways: |
65 km (Rhine River between
Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee) (2003) |
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Merchant marine: |
total: 32 ships (1000
GRT or over) 577,765 GRT/918,974 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 13,
cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, container 6, specialized tanker 1
registered in other countries: 121 (Antigua and Barbuda 5,
Bahamas 2, Cyprus 3, France 3, Indonesia 3, Italy 5, Liberia 11, Malta 22,
Marshall Islands 14, Panama 26, Paraguay 1, Portugal 2, Russia 6,
Singapore 2, St Vincent and The Grenadines 12, Tonga 1, UK 1, Vanuatu 2)
(2007) |
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Ports and terminals: |
Basel |
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Military branches: |
Swiss Armed Forces: Land
Forces, Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe); Switzerland has no navy,
but maintains a fleet of military patrol boats to patrol Swiss borders
(2006) |
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Military service age and obligation: |
19 years of age for male
compulsory military service; 17 years of age for voluntary military
service; the Swiss Constitution states that "every Swiss male is obliged
to do military service"; every Swiss male has to serve for at least 260
days in the armed forces; conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory
training, followed by seven 3-week intermittent recalls for training over
the next 10 years; women are accepted on a voluntary basis but are not
conscripted (2005) |
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Manpower available for military service: |
males age 19-49:
1,707,694
females age 19-49: 1,662,099 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 19-49:
1,375,889
females age 19-49: 1,342,945 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 18-49: 46,319
females age 19-49: 43,829 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1% (2005 est.) |
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Disputes - international: |
none |
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Illicit drugs: |
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, Southwest Asian heroin, and
Western European synthetics; domestic cannabis cultivation and limited
ecstasy production |
This page was last updated on 12 February, 2008
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