From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Swiss Confederation
- Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German)
- Confédération suisse (French)
- Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)
- Confederaziun svizra (Romansh)
- Confoederatio Helvetica (Latin)
|
|
|
|
Location of Switzerland (green)
|
Capital | None (de jure) Bern (de facto) 46°57′N 7°27′E |
Largest city | Zürich |
Official languages | German French Italian Romansh |
Demonym(s) | English: Swiss, German: Schweizer(in), French: Suisse(sse), Italian: svizzero/svizzera, or elvetico/elvetica, Romansh: Svizzer/Svizra |
Government | Federal semi-direct democracy under a multi-party parliamentary directorial republic |
|
|
|
| Walter Thurnherr |
Legislature | Federal Assembly |
| Council of States |
| National Council |
History |
|
| c. 1300 (traditionally 1 August 1291) |
| 24 October 1648 |
| 7 August 1815 |
| 12 September 1848 |
Area |
• Total
| 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi) (132nd) |
• Water (%)
| 4.2 |
Population |
• 2018 estimate
| 8,508,898 (100th) |
• 2015 census
| 8,327,126 |
• Density
| 206/km2 (533.5/sq mi) (68th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2018 estimate |
• Total
| $551 billion (39th) |
• Per capita
| $64,988 (9th) |
GDP (nominal) | 2018 estimate |
• Total
| $709 billion (19th) |
• Per capita
| $83,583 (2nd) |
Gini (2016) | 29.4 low · 19th |
HDI (2017) | 0.944 very high · 2nd |
Currency | Swiss franc (CHF) |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| UTC+2 (CEST) |
Date format | dd.mm.yyyy (AD) |
Driving side | right |
Calling code | +41 |
Patron saint | St Nicholas of Flüe |
ISO 3166 code | CH |
Internet TLD | .ch, .swiss |
Switzerland, officially the
Swiss Confederation, is a country situated in
western,
central, and
southern Europe. It consists of
26 cantons, and the city of
Bern is the seat of the federal authorities. The
sovereign state is a
federal republic bordered by
Italy to the south,
France to the west,
Germany to the north, and
Austria and
Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a
landlocked country geographically divided between the
Alps, the
Swiss Plateau and the
Jura, spanning a total area of 41,285 km
2 (15,940 sq mi) (land area 39,997 km
2
(15,443 sq mi)). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the
territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million people is
concentrated mostly on the plateau, where the largest cities are to be
found: among them are the two
global cities and economic centres
Zürich and
Geneva.
The
establishment of the
Old Swiss Confederacy dates to the late medieval period, resulting from a series of military successes against
Austria and
Burgundy. Swiss independence from the
Holy Roman Empire was formally recognized in the
Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The country has a history of
armed neutrality going back to the
Reformation; it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815 and did not join the
United Nations
until 2002. Nevertheless, it pursues an active foreign policy and is
frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world. In addition to being the birthplace of the
Red Cross, Switzerland is home to numerous international organisations, including the
second largest UN office. On the European level, it is a founding member of the
European Free Trade Association, but notably not part of the
European Union, the
European Economic Area or the
Eurozone. However, it participates in the
Schengen Area and the
European Single Market through bilateral treaties.
Spanning the intersection of
Germanic and
Romance Europe, Switzerland comprises four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and
Romansh. Although the majority of the population are German-speaking,
Swiss national identity is rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as
federalism and
direct democracy, and
Alpine symbolism. Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by a variety of native names:
Schweiz (
German);
Suisse (
French);
Svizzera (
Italian); and
Svizra or (
Romansh). On
coins and
stamps, the Latin name – frequently shortened to "
Helvetia" – is used instead of the four national languages.
Switzerland is one of the most developed countries in the world, with the highest nominal
wealth per adult and the
eighth-highest per capita gross domestic product according to the
IMF.
Switzerland ranks at or near the top globally in several metrics of
national performance, including government transparency, civil
liberties, quality of life,
economic competitiveness and
human development. Zürich, Geneva and
Basel
have all three been ranked among the top ten cities in the world in
terms of quality of life, with the first ranked second globally,
according to
Mercer in 2018.
Etymology
The English name
Switzerland is a compound containing
Switzer, an obsolete term for the
Swiss, which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries. The English adjective
Swiss is a loan from French
Suisse, also in use since the 16th century. The name
Switzer is from the
Alemannic Schwiizer, in origin an inhabitant of
Schwyz and its
associated territory, one of the Waldstätten cantons which formed the nucleus of the
Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swiss began to adopt the name for themselves after the
Swabian War of 1499, used alongside the term for "Confederates",
Eidgenossen (literally:
comrades by oath), used since the 14th century.
The
data code for Switzerland, CH, is derived from
Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (English:
Helvetic Confederation).
The toponym
Schwyz itself was first attested in 972, as
Old High German Suittes, ultimately perhaps related to
swedan ‘to burn’ (cf.
Old Norse svíða ‘to singe, burn’), referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build.
The name was extended to the area dominated by the canton, and after
the Swabian War of 1499 gradually came to be used for the entire
Confederation.
The
Swiss German name of the country,
Schwiiz, is homophonous to that of the canton and the settlement, but distinguished by the use of the definite article (
d'Schwiiz for the Confederation, but simply
Schwyz for the canton and the town).
The
Latin name
Confoederatio Helvetica was
neologized and introduced gradually after the
formation of the federal state in 1848, harking back to the Napoleonic
Helvetic Republic, appearing on coins from 1879, inscribed on the
Federal Palace in 1902 and after 1948 used in the official seal. (for example, the
ISO banking code "CHF" for the
Swiss franc, and the country top-level domain ".ch", are both taken from the state's Latin name).
Helvetica is derived from the
Helvetii, a
Gaulish tribe living on the
Swiss plateau before the
Roman era.
Helvetia appears as a
national personification of the Swiss confederacy in the 17th century with a 1672 play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach.
History
Switzerland has existed as a state in its present form since the
adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. The precursors of
Switzerland established a protective alliance at the end of the 13th
century (1291), forming a loose confederation of states which persisted
for centuries.
Early history
The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date back about 150,000 years. The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at
Gächlingen, have been dated to around 5300 BC.
Founded in 44 BC by Lucius Munatius Plancus, Augusta Raurica
(near Basel) was the first Roman settlement on the Rhine and is now
among the most important archaeological sites in Switzerland.
The earliest known cultural tribes of the area were members of the
Hallstatt and
La Tène cultures, named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of
Lake Neuchâtel. La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late
Iron Age from around 450 BC, possibly under some influence from the
Greek and
Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups in the Swiss region was the
Helvetii. Steadily harassed by the
Germanic tribes, in 58 BC the Helvetii decided to abandon the Swiss plateau and migrate to western
Gallia, but
Julius Caesar's armies pursued and defeated them at the
Battle of Bibracte, in today's eastern France, forcing the tribe to move back to its original homeland. In 15 BC,
Tiberius, who would one day become the second Roman emperor, and his brother
Drusus, conquered the Alps, integrating them into the
Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii—the namesakes of the later
Confoederatio Helvetica—first became part of Rome's
Gallia Belgica province and then of its
Germania Superior province, while the eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the
Roman province of
Raetia. Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large legionary camp called
Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the
Aare and
Reuss rivers, near the town of
Windisch, an outskirt of
Brugg.
The first and second century AD was an age of prosperity for the population living on the Swiss plateau. Several towns, like
Aventicum,
Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica, reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (
Villae rusticae) were founded in the countryside.
Around 260 AD, the fall of the
Agri Decumates territory north of the Rhine transformed today's Switzerland into a frontier land of the Empire. Repeated raids by the
Alamanni
tribes provoked the ruin of the Roman towns and economy, forcing the
population to find shelter near Roman fortresses, like the
Castrum Rauracense
near Augusta Raurica. The Empire built another line of defence at the
north border (the so-called Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes), but at the end of
the fourth century the increased Germanic pressure forced the Romans to
abandon the linear defence concept, and the Swiss plateau was finally
open to the settlement of Germanic tribes.
By 1200, the Swiss plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of
Savoy,
Zähringer,
Habsburg, and
Kyburg. Some regions (
Uri,
Schwyz,
Unterwalden, later known as
Waldstätten) were accorded the
Imperial immediacy
to grant the empire direct control over the mountain passes. With the
extinction of its male line in 1263 the Kyburg dynasty fell in AD 1264;
then the Habsburgs under
King Rudolph I
(Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed
them extending their territory to the eastern Swiss plateau.
Old Swiss Confederacy
The 1291 Bundesbrief (Federal charter)
The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy, governed by
nobles and
patricians of various cantons, facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on the important mountain trade routes. The
Federal Charter of 1291 agreed between the
rural communes of
Uri,
Schwyz, and
Unterwalden is considered the confederacy's founding document, even though similar alliances are likely to have existed decades earlier.
The
Old Swiss Confederacy from 1291 (dark green) to the sixteenth century
(light green) and its associates (blue). In the other colours are shown
the subject territories.
The Old Swiss Confederacy had acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but
expansion of the confederation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the
Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called "heroic" epoch of Swiss history. The success of
Zwingli's
Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal religious conflicts in 1529 and 1531 (
Wars of Kappel). It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the
Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its
neutrality.
Napoleonic era
The Act of Mediation was Napoleon's attempt at a compromise between the Ancien Régime and a Republic.
In 1798, the
revolutionary French government conquered Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover,
Mülhausen joined France and the
Valtellina valley became part of the
Cisalpine Republic, separating from Switzerland. The new
regime,
known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. It had been
imposed by a foreign invading army and destroyed centuries of tradition,
making Switzerland nothing more than a French
satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the
Nidwalden Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the
French Army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.
When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and
Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803
Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The result was the
Act of Mediation which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons.
Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons'
tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.
In 1815 the
Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence and the European powers agreed to permanently recognise Swiss neutrality. Swiss troops still served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the
Siege of Gaeta. The treaty also allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of
Valais,
Neuchâtel and
Geneva. Switzerland's borders have not changed since, except for some minor adjustments.
Federal state
The first Federal Palace in Bern (1857). One of the three cantons presiding over the Tagsatzung
(former legislative and executive council), Bern was chosen as the
permanent seat of federal legislative and executive institutions in
1848, in part because of its closeness to the French-speaking area.
The restoration of power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a
period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the
Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the
Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the
Sonderbund). The war lasted for less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties, most of which were through
friendly fire.
Yet however minor the Sonderbundskrieg appears compared with other
European riots and wars in the 19th century, it nevertheless had a major
impact on both the psychology and the society of the Swiss and of
Switzerland.
The war convinced most Swiss of the need for unity and strength
towards its European neighbours. Swiss people from all strata of
society, whether Catholic or Protestant, from the liberal or
conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more if
their economic and religious interests were merged.
Thus, while the rest of Europe saw
revolutionary uprisings, the Swiss drew up a constitution which provided for a
federal layout, much of it inspired by the
American example.
This constitution provided for a central authority while leaving the
cantons the right to self-government on local issues. Giving credit to
those who favoured the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone),
the national assembly was divided between an
upper house (the
Council of States, two representatives per canton) and a
lower house (the
National Council, with representatives elected from across the country).
Referendums were made mandatory for any amendment of this constitution. This new constitution also brought a legal end to
nobility in Switzerland.
Inauguration in 1882 of the Gotthard Rail Tunnel connecting the southern canton of Ticino, the longest in the world at the time
An important clause of the constitution was that it could be
re-written completely if this was deemed necessary, thus enabling it to
evolve as a whole rather than being modified one amendment at a time.
This need soon proved itself when the rise in population and the
Industrial Revolution
that followed led to calls to modify the constitution accordingly. An
early draft was rejected by the population in 1872 but modifications led
to its acceptance in 1874. It introduced the
facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.
In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of
direct democracy, which remain unique even today.
Modern history
General Ulrich Wille, appointed commander-in-chief of the Swiss Army for the duration of World War I
Switzerland was not invaded during either of the world wars. During
World War I, Switzerland was home to Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (
Vladimir Lenin) and he remained there until 1917. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the
Grimm–Hoffmann Affair in 1917, but it was short-lived. In 1920, Switzerland joined the
League of Nations, which was based in
Geneva, on condition that it was exempt from any military requirements.
During
World War II,
detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked.
Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of
military deterrence, concessions to Germany, and good fortune as larger
events during the war delayed an invasion. Under General
Henri Guisan, appointed the
commander-in-chief for the duration
of the war, a general mobilisation of the armed forces was ordered. The
Swiss military strategy was changed from one of static defence at the
borders to protect the economic heartland, to one of organised long-term
attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in
the Alps known as the
Reduit.
Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides in the
conflict and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied
powers.
Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the
Allies and by the
Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to the
Third Reich
varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion and the
availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached a peak after
a crucial rail link through
Vichy France
was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein)
entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis controlled territory.
Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees and the
International Red Cross, based in Geneva, played an important part during the conflict. Strict immigration and
asylum policies as well as the financial relationships with
Nazi Germany raised controversy, but not until the end of the 20th century.
During the war, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding
Luftwaffe
planes in May and June 1940, then forcing down other intruders after a
change of policy following threats from Germany. Over 100 Allied bombers
and their crews were interned during the war. Between 1940 and 1945,
Switzerland was bombed by the Allies causing fatalities and property damage. Among the cities and towns bombed were
Basel,
Brusio,
Chiasso,
Cornol,
Geneva,
Koblenz,
Niederweningen,
Rafz,
Renens,
Samedan,
Schaffhausen,
Stein am Rhein,
Tägerwilen,
Thayngen,
Vals, and
Zürich. Allied forces explained the bombings, which violated the 96th
Article of War,
resulted from navigation errors, equipment failure, weather conditions,
and errors made by bomber pilots. The Swiss expressed fear and concern
that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end
economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany.
Court-martial proceedings took place in England and the U.S. Government
paid 62,176,433.06 in Swiss francs for reparations of the bombings.
After the war, the Swiss government exported credits through the
charitable fund known as the Schweizerspende and also donated to the
Marshall Plan to help Europe's recovery, efforts that ultimately benefited the Swiss economy.
Switzerland was the last Western republic to grant women the
right to vote. Some Swiss cantons approved this in 1959, while at the federal level it was achieved in 1971 and, after resistance, in the last canton
Appenzell Innerrhoden (one of only two remaining
Landsgemeinde)
in 1990. After obtaining suffrage at the federal level, women quickly
rose in political significance, with the first woman on the seven member
Federal Council executive being
Elisabeth Kopp, who served from 1984 to 1989, and the first female president being
Ruth Dreifuss in 1999.
In 2003, by granting the Swiss People's Party a second seat in the governing cabinet, the Parliament altered the coalition which had dominated Swiss politics since 1959.
Switzerland joined the
Council of Europe in 1963. In 1979 areas from the canton of
Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new
canton of Jura. On 18 April 1999 the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised
federal constitution.
In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving the
Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the
EFTA, but is not a member of the
European Economic Area. An application for membership in the
European Union was sent in May 1992, but not advanced since the EEA was rejected in December 1992
when Switzerland was the only country to launch a referendum on the
EEA. There have since been several referendums on the EU issue; due to
opposition from the citizens, the membership application has been
withdrawn. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually being adjusted to conform
with that of the EU, and the government has signed a number of
bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with
Liechtenstein,
has been completely surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry in 1995.
On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the
Schengen treaty,
a result that was regarded by EU commentators as a sign of support by
Switzerland, a country that is traditionally perceived as independent
and reluctant to enter supranational bodies.
Geography
Physical map of Switzerland
Extending across the north and south side of the
Alps in
west-
central Europe,
Switzerland encompasses a great diversity of landscapes and climates on
a limited area of 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi). The population is about 8 million, resulting in an average
population density of around 195 people per square kilometre (500/sq mi). The more mountainous southern half of the country is far more sparsely populated than the northern half. In the largest Canton of
Graubünden, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 27 /km² (70 /sq mi).
Switzerland lies between latitudes
45° and
48° N, and longitudes
5° and
11° E. It contains three basic topographical areas: the
Swiss Alps to the south, the
Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau, and the
Jura mountains
on the west. The Alps are a high mountain range running across the
central-south of the country, comprising about 60% of the country's
total area. The majority of the Swiss population live in the Swiss
Plateau. Among the high valleys of the Swiss Alps many glaciers are
found, totalling an area of 1,063 square kilometres (410 sq mi). From
these originate the headwaters of several major rivers, such as the
Rhine,
Inn,
Ticino and
Rhône,
which flow in the four cardinal directions into the whole of Europe.
The hydrographic network includes several of the largest bodies of
freshwater in Central and Western Europe, among which are included
Lake Geneva (also called le Lac Léman in French),
Lake Constance (known as Bodensee in German) and
Lake Maggiore.
Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes, and contains 6% of Europe's stock
of fresh water. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national
territory. The largest lake is Lake Geneva, in western Switzerland
shared with France. The Rhône is both the main source and outflow of
Lake Geneva. Lake Constance is the second largest Swiss lake and, like
the Lake Geneva, an intermediate step by the Rhine at the border to
Austria and Germany. While the Rhône flows into the Mediterranean Sea at
the French Camargue region and the Rhine flows into the North Sea at
Rotterdam in the Netherlands, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) apart,
both springs are only about 22 kilometres (14 miles) apart from each
other in the Swiss Alps.
48 of Switzerland's mountains are 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) above sea in altitude or higher. At 4,634 m (15,203 ft),
Monte Rosa is the highest, although the
Matterhorn (4,478 m or 14,692 ft) is often regarded as the most famous. Both are located within the
Pennine Alps in the canton of
Valais, on the border with
Italy. The section of the
Bernese Alps above the deep glacial
Lauterbrunnen valley, containing 72 waterfalls, is well known for the
Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft)
Eiger and
Mönch, and the many picturesque valleys in the region. In the southeast the long
Engadin Valley, encompassing the
St. Moritz area in canton of
Graubünden, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring
Bernina Alps is
Piz Bernina (4,049 m or 13,284 ft).
The more populous northern part of the country, comprising about
30% of the country's total area, is called the Swiss Plateau. It has
greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open
pastures, usually with grazing herds, or vegetables and fruit fields,
but it is still hilly. There are large lakes found here and the biggest
Swiss cities are in this area of the country.
Climate
The Swiss climate is generally
temperate, but can vary greatly between the localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the often pleasant near
Mediterranean climate
at Switzerland's southern tip. There are some valley areas in the
southern part of Switzerland where some cold-hardy palm trees are found.
Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall so
they are ideal for pastures and grazing. The less humid winters in the
mountains may see long intervals of stable conditions for weeks, while
the lower lands tend to suffer from
inversion, during these periods, thus seeing no sun for weeks.
A weather phenomenon known as the
föhn (with an identical effect to the
chinook wind)
can occur at all times of the year and is characterised by an
unexpectedly warm wind, bringing air of very low relative humidity to
the north of the Alps during rainfall periods on the southern face of
the Alps. This works both ways across the alps but is more efficient if
blowing from the south due to the steeper step for oncoming wind from
the south. Valleys running south to north trigger the best effect.
The driest conditions persist in all inner alpine valleys that receive
less rain because arriving clouds lose a lot of their content while
crossing the mountains before reaching these areas. Large alpine areas
such as
Graubünden remain drier than pre-alpine areas and as in the main valley of the
Valais wine grapes are grown there.
The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the
Ticino canton which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time.
Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year with a
peak in summer. Autumn is the driest season, winter receives less
precipitation than summer, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland are
not in a stable climate system and can be variable from year to year
with no strict and predictable periods.
Environment
Switzerland's ecosystems can be particularly fragile, because the
many delicate valleys separated by high mountains often form unique
ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves are also vulnerable, with a
rich range of plants not found at other altitudes, and experience some
pressure from visitors and grazing. The climatic, geological and
topographical conditions of the alpine region make for a very fragile
ecosystem that is particularly sensitive to
climate change. Nevertheless, according to the
2014 Environmental Performance Index,
Switzerland ranks first among 132 nations in safeguarding the
environment, due to its high scores on environmental public health, its
heavy reliance on renewable sources of energy (
hydropower and
geothermal energy), and its control of
greenhouse gas emissions.
Politics
The
Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of the modern federal state.
A new Swiss Constitution was adopted in 1999, but did not introduce
notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines basic and
political rights of individuals and citizen participation in public
affairs, divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons
and defines federal jurisdiction and authority. There are three main
governing bodies on the federal level: the
bicameral parliament (legislative), the
Federal Council (executive) and the
Federal Court (judicial).
The Federal Council constitutes the federal government, directs the
federal administration and serves as collective
Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year mandate by the Federal Assembly which also exercises
oversight over the Council. The
President of the Confederation
is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally
in rotation and for a one-year term; the President chairs the government
and assumes representative functions. However, the president is a
primus inter pares with no additional powers, and remains the head of a department within the administration.
The Swiss government has been a coalition of the four major
political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that
roughly reflects its share of electorate and representation in the
federal parliament.
The classic distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1
SVP/UDC as it stood from 1959 to 2003 was known as the "
magic formula". Following the
2015 Federal Council elections, the seven seats in the Federal Council were distributed as follows:
- 1 seat for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC),
- 2 seats for the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD),
- 2 seats for the Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS),
- 2 seats for the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC).
The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against
rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the
Federal Assembly for six-year terms.
Direct democracy
Direct democracy and
federalism are hallmarks of the Swiss political system.
Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the
municipality, canton and federal levels. The 1848 and 1999 Swiss
Constitutions define a system of direct democracy (sometimes called
half-direct or representative direct democracy because it is aided by
the more commonplace institutions of a
representative democracy). The instruments of this system at the federal level, known as popular rights (
German:
Volksrechte,
French:
droits populaires,
Italian:
diritti popolari), include the right to submit a federal initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.
By calling a federal referendum, a group of citizens may
challenge a law passed by parliament, if they gather 50,000 signatures
against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled
where voters decide by a
simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Any 8 cantons together can also call a constitutional referendum on a federal law.
Similarly, the federal
constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a
constitutional amendment to a national vote, if 100,000 voters sign the proposed amendment within 18 months.
The Federal Council and the Federal Assembly can supplement the
proposed amendment with a counter-proposal, and then voters must
indicate a preference on the ballot in case both proposals are accepted.
Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in
parliament, must be accepted by a
double majority of the national popular vote and the cantonal popular votes.
Cantons
The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:
*These cantons are known as half-cantons.
The cantons are
federated states,
have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with the
situation in other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the
Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status, except that 6
(referred to often as the
half-cantons) are represented by only one councillor (instead of two) in the
Council of States and have only half a cantonal vote with respect to the required cantonal majority in
referendums on constitutional amendments. Each canton has its own constitution, and its own parliament, government, police and courts.
However, there are considerable differences between the individual
cantons, most particularly in terms of population and geographical area.
Their populations vary between 16,003 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and
1,487,969 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km
2 (14 sq mi) (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km
2 (2,743 sq mi) (
Grisons).
Municipalities
Foreign relations and international institutions
Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail
military, political, or direct economic action and has been neutral
since the end of its
expansion in 1515. Its
policy of neutrality was internationally recognised at the
Congress of Vienna in 1815. Only in 2002 did Switzerland become a full member of the
United Nations
and it was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland
maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and
historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the
European Union; the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. However, Switzerland does participate in the
Schengen Area.
Apart from the United Nations headquarters, the Swiss
Confederation is host to many UN agencies, like the World Health
Organization (
WHO), the International Labour Organization (
ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (
ITU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (
UNHCR) and about 200 other international organisations, including the
World Trade Organization and the
World Intellectual Property Organization. The annual meetings of the
World Economic Forum in
Davos
bring together top international business and political leaders from
Switzerland and foreign countries to discuss important issues facing the
world, including health and the environment. Additionally the
headquarters of the
Bank for International Settlements (BIS) are located in
Basel since 1930.
Military
The
Swiss Armed Forces, including the
Land Forces and the
Air Force, are
composed mostly of conscripts, male citizens aged from 20 to 34 (in special cases up to 50) years. Being a
landlocked
country, Switzerland has no navy; however, on lakes bordering
neighbouring countries, armed military patrol boats are used. Swiss
citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armies, except for the
Swiss Guards of the
Vatican, or if they are
dual citizens of a foreign country and reside there.
The structure of the Swiss militia system stipulates that the
soldiers keep their Army issued equipment, including all personal
weapons, at home. Some organisations and political parties find this
practice controversial. Women can serve voluntarily. Men usually receive military conscription orders for training at the age of 18.
About two thirds of the young Swiss are found suited for service; for
those found unsuited, various forms of alternative service exist.
Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in recruit centres
for a duration from 18 to 21 weeks. The reform "Army XXI" was adopted by
popular vote in 2003, it replaced the previous model "Army 95",
reducing the effectives from 400,000 to about 200,000. Of those, 120,000
are active in periodic Army training and 80,000 are non-training
reserves.
Overall, three general mobilisations have been declared to ensure the
integrity and neutrality of Switzerland. The first one was held on the
occasion of the
Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The second was in response to the outbreak of the
First World War in August 1914. The third mobilisation of the army took place in September 1939 in response to the
German attack on Poland;
Henri Guisan was elected as the General-in-Chief.
Because of its neutrality policy, the Swiss army does not
currently take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but is part
of some peacekeeping missions around the world. Since 2000 the armed
force department has also maintained the
Onyx intelligence gathering system to monitor satellite communications.
Following the end of the
Cold War
there have been a number of attempts to curb military activity or even
abolish the armed forces altogether. A notable referendum on the
subject, launched by an
anti-militarist group, was held on 26 November 1989. It was defeated with about two thirds of the voters against the proposal. A similar referendum, called for before, but held shortly after the
11 September attacks in the US, was defeated by over 78% of voters.
Gun politics in Switzerland are unique in Europe in that 29% of citizens are legally armed. The large majority of firearms kept at home are issued by the
Swiss army, but ammunition is no longer issued.
The capital or Federal City issue
Until 1848 the rather loosely coupled Confederation did not know a
central political organisation, but representatives, mayors, and
Landammänner met several times a year at the capital of the
Lieu presiding the
Confederal Diet for one year.
Until 1500 the legates met most of the time in
Lucerne, but also in Zürich,
Baden, Bern, Schwyz etc., but sometimes also at places outside of the confederation, such as
Constance. From the
Swabian War
in 1499 onwards until Reformation, most conferences met in Zurich.
Afterwards the town hall at Baden, where the annual accounts of the
common people had been held regularly since 1426, became the most
frequent, but not the sole place of assembly. After 1712
Frauenfeld
gradually dissolved Baden. From 1526, the Catholic conferences were
held mostly in Lucerne, the Protestant conferences from 1528 mostly in
Aarau, the one for the legitimation of the French Ambassador in
Solothurn. At the same time the syndicate for the
Ennetbirgischen Vogteien located in the present Ticino met from 1513 in
Lugano and
Locarno.
After the
Helvetic Republic and during the
Mediation from 1803 until 1815 the Confederal Diet of the 19
Lieus met at the capitals of the
directoral cantons Fribourg, Berne,
Basel, Zurich, Lucerne and Solothurn.
After the Long Diet from 6 April 1814 to 31 August 1815 took
place in Zurich to replace the constitution and the enhancement of the
Confederation to 22 cantons by the admission of the cantons of Valais,
Neuchâtel and Geneva to full members, the directoral cantons of Lucerne,
Zurich and Berne took over the diet in two-year turns.
In 1848, the federal constitution provided that details
concerning the federal institutions, such as their locations, should be
taken care of by the
Federal Assembly
(BV 1848 Art. 108). Thus on 28 November 1848, the Federal Assembly
voted in majority to locate the seat of government in Berne. And, as a
prototypical federal compromise, to assign other federal institutions,
such as the
Federal Polytechnical School (1854, the later ETH) to Zurich, and other institutions to Lucerne, such as the later
SUVA
(1912) and the Federal Insurance Court (1917). In 1875, a law (RS 112)
fixed the compensations owed by the city of Bern for the federal seat. According to these living fundamental federalistic feelings further federal institutions were subsequently attributed to
Lausanne (
Federal Supreme Court in 1872, and
EPFL in 1969),
Bellinzona (
Federal Criminal Court, 2004), and
St. Gallen (
Federal Administrative Court and
Federal Patent Court, 2012).
The 1999 new constitution, however, does not contain anything
concerning any Federal City. In 2002 a tripartite committee has been
asked by the Swiss Federal Council to prepare the "creation of a federal
law on the status of Bern as a Federal City", and to evaluate the
positive and negative aspects for the city and the canton of Bern if
this status were awarded. After a first report the work of this
committee was suspended in 2004 by the Swiss Federal Council, and work
on this subject has not resumed since.
Thus as of today, no city in Switzerland has the official status
either of capital or of Federal City, nevertheless Berne is commonly
referred to as "Federal City" (
German:
Bundesstadt,
French:
ville fédérale,
Italian:
città federale).
Economy and labour law
The Omega Speedmaster worn on the moon during the Apollo missions. In terms of value, Switzerland is responsible for half of the world production of watches.
Switzerland has a stable, prosperous and high-tech economy and enjoys
great wealth, being ranked as the wealthiest country in the world per
capita in multiple rankings. In 2011 it was ranked as the wealthiest
country in the world in per capita terms (with "wealth" being defined to
include both financial and non-financial assets), while the 2013 Credit
Suisse Global Wealth Report showed that Switzerland was the country
with the highest average wealth per adult in 2013. It has the world's
nineteenth largest economy by nominal
GDP and the
thirty-sixth largest by
purchasing power parity. It is the
twentieth largest exporter, despite its small size. Switzerland has the highest European rating in the
Index of Economic Freedom 2010, while also providing large coverage through public services. The nominal per capita
GDP is higher than those of the larger Western and Central European economies and Japan.
If adjusted for purchasing power parity, Switzerland ranks 8th in the
world in terms of GDP per capita, according to the World Bank and IMF
(ranked 15th according to the CIA Worldfactbook).
The World Economic Forum's
Global Competitiveness Report currently ranks Switzerland's economy as the most competitive in the world, while ranked by the
European Union as Europe's most innovative country. For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin (by GDP – per capita).
In 2017, average gross household income in Switzerland was 9,946 francs
per month (equivalent to US$10,720 per month), though 61% of the
population made less than the average income. Switzerland also has one of the world's largest
account balances as a percentage of GDP.
The Greater Zürich Area, home to 1.5 million inhabitants and 150,000 companies, is one of the most important economic centres in the world.
Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. The largest Swiss companies by revenue are
Glencore,
Gunvor,
Nestlé,
Novartis,
Hoffmann-La Roche,
ABB,
Mercuria Energy Group and
Adecco. Also, notable are
UBS AG,
Zurich Financial Services,
Credit Suisse,
Barry Callebaut,
Swiss Re,
Tetra Pak,
The Swatch Group and
Swiss International Air Lines. Switzerland is ranked as having one of the most powerful economies in the world.
Slightly more than 5 million people work in Switzerland; about 25% of employees belonged to a trade union in 2004. Switzerland has a more flexible
job market than neighbouring countries and the
unemployment rate is very low. The unemployment rate increased from a low of 1.7% in June 2000 to a peak of 4.4% in December 2009. The unemployment rate decreased to 3.2% in 2014 without further decrease in 2015 and 2016. Population growth from net immigration is quite high, at 0.52% of population in 2004. The
foreign citizen population was 21.8% in 2004, about the same as in Australia.
GDP per hour worked is the world's 16th highest, at 49.46
international dollars in 2012.
The high valley of Engadine. Tourism constitutes an important revenue for the less industrialised alpine regions.
Switzerland has an overwhelmingly private sector economy and low tax rates by
Western World standards;
overall taxation is one of the smallest of
developed countries. Switzerland is a relatively easy place to do business, currently ranking 20th of 189 countries in the
Ease of Doing Business Index.
The slow growth Switzerland experienced in the 1990s and the early
2000s has brought greater support for economic reforms and harmonisation
with the European Union. According to
Credit Suisse, only about 37% of residents own their own homes, one of the lowest rates of
home ownership in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the
EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany.
The
Swiss Federal budget
had a size of 62.8 billion Swiss francs in 2010, which is an equivalent
11.35% of the country's GDP in that year; however, the regional
(canton) budgets and the budgets of the municipalities are not counted
as part of the federal budget and the total rate of
government spending is closer to 33.8% of GDP. The main sources of income for the federal government are the
value-added tax
(33%) and the direct federal tax (29%) and the main expenditure is
located in the areas of social welfare and finance & tax. The
expenditures of the Swiss Confederation have been growing from 7% of GDP
in 1960 to 9.7% in 1990 and to 10.7% in 2010. While the sectors social
welfare and finance & tax have been growing from 35% in 1990 to
48.2% in 2010, a significant reduction of expenditures has been
occurring in the sectors of agriculture and national defence; from 26.5%
in to 12.4% (estimation for the year 2015).
Agricultural protectionism—a rare exception to Switzerland's free
trade policies—has contributed to high food prices. Product market
liberalisation is lagging behind many
EU countries according to the
OECD. Nevertheless, domestic
purchasing power is one of the best in the world.
Apart from agriculture, economic and trade barriers between the
European Union and Switzerland are minimal and Switzerland has free
trade agreements worldwide. Switzerland is a member of the
European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
Education and science
Education in Switzerland is very diverse because the
constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system to the
cantons.
There are both public and private schools, including many private
international schools. The minimum age for primary school is about six
years in all cantons, but most cantons provide a free "children's
school" starting at four or five years old.
Primary school continues until grade four, five or six, depending on
the school. Traditionally, the first foreign language in school was
always one of the other national languages, although recently (2000)
English was introduced first in a few cantons.
At the end of primary school (or at the beginning of secondary
school), pupils are separated according to their capacities in several
(often three) sections. The fastest learners are taught advanced classes
to be prepared for further studies and the
matura, while students who assimilate a little more slowly receive an education more adapted to their needs.
As might befit a country that plays home to innumerable international organisations, the
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, located in
Geneva,
is not only continental Europe's oldest graduate school of
international and development studies, but also widely believed to be
one of its most prestigious.
The LHC tunnel. CERN is the world's largest laboratory and also the birthplace of the World Wide Web.
Switzerland Space Agency, the
Swiss Space Office, has been involved in various space technologies and programmes. In addition it was one of the 10 founders of
the European Space Agency
in 1975 and is the seventh largest contributor to the ESA budget. In
the private sector, several companies are implicated in the space
industry such as
Oerlikon Space or Maxon Motors who provide spacecraft structures.
Switzerland and the European Union
Switzerland voted against membership in the
European Economic Area
in a referendum in December 1992 and has since maintained and developed
its relationships with the European Union (EU) and European countries
through bilateral agreements. In March 2001, the Swiss people refused in
a popular vote to start accession negotiations with the EU.
In recent years, the Swiss have brought their economic practices
largely into conformity with those of the EU in many ways, in an effort
to enhance their international competitiveness. The economy grew at 3%
in 2010, 1.9% in 2011, and 1% in 2012.
EU membership
was a long-term objective of the Swiss government, but there was and
remains considerable popular sentiment against membership, which is
opposed by the conservative
SVP
party, the largest party in the National Council, and not currently
supported or proposed by several other political parties. The
application for membership of the EU was formally withdrawn in 2016,
having long been frozen. The western French-speaking areas and the urban
regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU, nonetheless
with far from a significant share of the population.
The government has established an Integration Office under the
Department of Foreign Affairs and the
Department of Economic Affairs.
To minimise the negative consequences of Switzerland's isolation from
the rest of Europe, Bern and Brussels signed seven bilateral agreements
to further liberalise trade ties. These agreements were signed in 1999
and took effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements
included the free movement of persons. A second series covering nine
areas was signed in 2004 and has since been ratified, which includes the
Schengen Treaty and the
Dublin Convention besides others. They continue to discuss further areas for cooperation.
In 2006, Switzerland approved 1 billion francs of supportive
investment in the poorer Southern and Central European countries in
support of cooperation and positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further
referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support
Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission. The Swiss have also
been under EU and sometimes international pressure to reduce banking
secrecy and to raise tax rates to parity with the EU. Preparatory
discussions are being opened in four new areas: opening up the
electricity market, participation in the European GNSS project
Galileo, cooperating with the European centre for disease prevention and recognising certificates of origin for food products.
On 27 November 2008, the interior and justice ministers of European Union in
Brussels announced Switzerland's accession to the Schengen passport-free zone from 12 December 2008. The land
border checkpoints
will remain in place only for goods movements, but should not run
controls on people, though people entering the country had their
passports checked until 29 March 2009 if they originated from a Schengen nation.
On 9 February 2014, Swiss voters narrowly approved by 50.3% a ballot
initiative launched by the
national conservative Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) to
restrict immigration,
and thus reintroducing a quota system on the influx of foreigners. This
initiative was mostly backed by rural (57.6% approvals) and suburban
agglomerations (51.2% approvals), and isolated towns (51.3% approvals)
of Switzerland as well as by a strong majority (69.2% approval) in the
canton of
Ticino, while metropolitan centres (58.5% rejection) and the French-speaking part (58.5% rejection) of Switzerland rather rejected it. Some news commentators claim that this proposal
de facto contradicts
the bilateral agreements on the free movement of persons from these respective countries.
In December 2016, a compromise with the
European Union
was attained effectively canceling quotas on EU citizens but still
allowing for favorable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants.
Energy, infrastructure and environment
Switzerland has the tallest dams in Europe, among which the Mauvoisin Dam, in the Alps. Hydroelectricity is the most important domestic source of energy in the country.
Electricity generated in Switzerland is 56% from
hydroelectricity and 39% from
nuclear power, resulting in a nearly CO
2-free electricity-generating network. On 18 May 2003, two
anti-nuclear initiatives were turned down:
Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new
nuclear power plants (41.6% supported and 58.4% opposed), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported and 66.3% opposed) after a previous moratorium expired in 2000. However, as a reaction to the
Fukushima nuclear disaster, the Swiss government announced in 2011 that it plans to end its use of nuclear energy in the next 2 or 3 decades. In November 2016, Swiss voters rejected a proposal by the
Green Party to accelerate the phaseout of nuclear power (45.8% supported and 54.2% opposed).
The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is the office responsible for
all questions relating to energy supply and energy use within the
Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency is supporting the
2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by the year 2050.
The most dense rail network in Europe of 5,250 kilometres (3,260 mi) carries over 596 million passengers annually (as of 2015). In 2015, each Swiss resident travelled on average 2,550 kilometres (1,580 mi) by rail, which makes them the keenest rail users. Virtually 100% of the network is electrified. The vast majority (60%) of the network is operated by the
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS). Besides the second largest
standard gauge railway company
BLS AG two railways companies operating on
narrow gauge networks are the
Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in the southeastern canton of Graubünden, which includes some World Heritage lines, and the
Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), which co-operates together with RhB the
Glacier Express between
Zermatt and
St. Moritz/
Davos. On 31 May 2016 the
world's longest and deepest railway tunnel and the first flat, low-level route through the Alps, the 57.1-kilometre long (35.5 mi)
Gotthard Base Tunnel, opened as the largest part of the
New Railway Link through the Alps (NRLA) project after 17 years of realization. It started its daily business for passenger transport on 11 December 2016 replacing the
old, mountainous, scenic route over and through the
St Gotthard Massif.
Switzerland has a publicly managed road network without
road tolls
that is financed by highway permits as well as vehicle and gasoline
taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the purchase of a
vignette (toll sticker)—which costs 40
Swiss francs—for
one calendar year in order to use its roadways, for both passenger cars
and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network has a total length of
1,638 km (1,018 mi) (as of 2000) and has, by an area of 41,290 km
2 (15,940 sq mi), also one of the highest
motorway densities in the world.
Zürich Airport is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway, which handled 22.8 million passengers in 2012. The other international airports are
Geneva Airport (13.9 million passengers in 2012),
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg which is located in France,
Bern Airport,
Lugano Airport,
St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport and
Sion Airport. Swiss International Air Lines is the flag carrier of Switzerland. Its main hub is Zürich.
Switzerland has one of the best environmental records among nations in the developed world; it was one of the countries to sign the
Kyoto Protocol in 1998 and ratified it in 2003. With
Mexico and the
Republic of Korea it forms the
Environmental Integrity Group (EIG).
The country is heavily active in recycling and anti-littering
regulations and is one of the top recyclers in the world, with 66% to
96% of recyclable materials being recycled, depending on the area of the
country. The 2014 Global Green Economy Index ranked Switzerland among the top 10 green economies in the world.
Switzerland developed an efficient system to recycle most recycable materials. Publicly organised collection by volunteers and economical
railway
transport logistics started as early as 1865 under the leadership of
the notable industrialist Hans Caspar Escher (Escher Wyss AG) when the
first modern Swiss
paper manufacturing plant was built in
Biberist.
Switzerland also has an economic system for garbage disposal, which is based mostly on recycling and energy-producing
incinerators due to a strong political will to protect the environment.
As in other European countries, the illegal disposal of garbage is not
tolerated at all and heavily fined. In almost all Swiss municipalities,
stickers or dedicated garbage bags need to be purchased that allow for
identification of disposable garbage.
Demographics
Population density in Switzerland (2016)
Percentage of foreigners in Switzerland (2016)
In 2018, Switzerland's population slightly exceeded 8.5 million. In
common with other developed countries, the Swiss population increased
rapidly during the industrial era, quadrupling between 1800 and 1990.
Growth has since stabilised, and like most of Europe, Switzerland faces
an
ageing population, albeit with consistent annual growth projected into 2035, due mostly to immigration and a fertility rate close to
replacement level.
As of 2012, resident foreigners made up 23.3% of the population, one of the largest proportions in the developed world. Most of these (64%) were from European Union or
EFTA countries.
Italians were the largest single group of foreigners, with 15.6% of total foreign population, followed closely by
Germans (15.2%), immigrants from
Portugal (12.7%),
France (5.6%),
Serbia (5.3%),
Turkey (3.8%),
Spain (3.7%), and
Austria (2%). Immigrants from
Sri Lanka, most of them former
Tamil refugees, were the largest group among people of Asian origin (6.3%).
Additionally, the figures from 2012 show that 34.7% of the
permanent resident population aged 15 or over in Switzerland (around
2.33 million), had an immigrant background. A third of this population
(853,000) held Swiss citizenship. Four fifths of persons with an
immigration background were themselves immigrants (first generation
foreigners and native-born and naturalised Swiss citizens), whereas one
fifth were born in Switzerland (second generation foreigners and
native-born and naturalised Swiss citizens).
In the 2000s, domestic and international institutions expressed concern about what was perceived as an increase in
xenophobia,
particularly in some political campaigns. In reply to one critical
report, the Federal Council noted that "racism unfortunately is present
in Switzerland", but stated that the high proportion of foreign citizens
in the country, as well as the generally unproblematic integration of
foreigners, underlined Switzerland's openness.
Languages
National languages in Switzerland (2016):
Switzerland has four
national languages: mainly
German (spoken by 62.8% of the population in 2016);
French (22.9%) in the west; and
Italian (8.2%) in the south. The fourth national language,
Romansh (0.5%), is a
Romance language spoken locally in the southeastern trilingual
canton of Grisons,
and is designated by Article 4 of the Federal Constitution as a
national language along with German, French, and Italian, and in Article
70 as an official language if the authorities communicate with persons
who speak Romansh. However, federal laws and other official acts do not
need to be decreed in Romansh.
In 2016, the languages most spoken at home among permanent residents aged 15 and older were
Swiss German (59.4%), French (23.5%),
Standard German
(10.6%), and Italian (8.5%). Other languages spoken at home included
English (5.0%), Portuguese (3.8%), Albanian (3.0%), Spanish (2.6%) and
Serbian and Croatian (2.5%). 6.9% reported speaking another language at
home. In 2014 almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the permanent resident population indicated speaking more than one language regularly.
The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official
languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is
provided from and into German, French and Italian.
Aside from the official forms of their respective languages, the
four linguistic regions of Switzerland also have their local dialectal
forms. The role played by dialects in each linguistic region varies
dramatically: in the German-speaking regions,
Swiss German
dialects have become ever more prevalent since the second half of the
20th century, especially in the media, such as radio and television, and
are used as an everyday language for many, while the
Swiss variety of Standard German is almost always used instead of dialect for written communication (c.f.
diglossic usage of a language).
Conversely, in the French-speaking regions the local dialects have
almost disappeared (only 6.3% of the population of Valais, 3.9% of
Fribourg, and 3.1% of Jura still spoke dialects at the end of the 20th
century), while in the Italian-speaking regions dialects are mostly
limited to family settings and casual conversation.
The principal official languages (German, French, and Italian) have terms, not used outside of Switzerland, known as
Helvetisms. German Helvetisms are, roughly speaking, a large group of words typical of
Swiss Standard German, which do not appear either in
Standard German, nor in other German dialects. These include terms from Switzerland's surrounding language cultures (German
Billett from French), from similar terms in another language (Italian
azione used not only as
act but also as
discount from German
Aktion).
The French spoken in Switzerland has similar terms, which are equally
known as Helvetisms. The most frequent characteristics of Helvetisms are
in vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation, but certain Helvetisms
denote themselves as special in syntax and orthography likewise.
Duden, the comprehensive German dictionary, contains about 3000 Helvetisms. Current French dictionaries, such as the
Petit Larousse, include several hundred Helvetisms.
Learning one of the other national languages at school is
compulsory for all Swiss pupils, so many Swiss are supposed to be at
least
bilingual, especially those belonging to linguistic minority groups.
Health
Swiss residents are universally required to buy health insurance from
private insurance companies, which in turn are required to accept every
applicant. While the cost of the system is among the highest, it
compares well with other European countries in terms of health outcomes;
patients have been reported as being, in general, highly satisfied with
it. In 2012, life expectancy at birth was 80.4 years for men and 84.7 years for women — the highest in the world. However, spending on health is particularly high at 11.4% of
GDP (2010), on par with Germany and France (11.6%) and other European countries, but notably less than spending in the USA (17.6%). From 1990, a steady increase can be observed, reflecting the high costs of the services provided. With an ageing population and new healthcare technologies, health spending will likely continue to rise.
Urbanisation
Between two thirds and three quarters of the population live in urban areas.
Switzerland has gone from a largely rural country to an urban one in
just 70 years. Since 1935 urban development has claimed as much of the
Swiss landscape as it did during the previous 2,000 years. This
urban sprawl does not only affect the plateau but also the Jura and the Alpine foothills and there are growing concerns about land use. However, from the beginning of the 21st century, the population growth in urban areas is higher than in the countryside.
Switzerland has a dense network of towns, where large, medium and small towns are complementary. The
plateau is very densely populated with about 450 people per km
2 and the landscape continually shows signs of human presence. The weight of the largest metropolitan areas, which are
Zürich,
Geneva–
Lausanne,
Basel and
Bern tend to increase. In international comparison the importance of these urban areas is stronger than their number of inhabitants suggests. In addition the two main centres of Zürich and Geneva are recognised for their particularly great quality of life.
Religion
Christianity is the predominant religion of Switzerland (about 68% of resident population in 2016 and 75% of Swiss citizens), divided between the Roman Catholic Church (37.2% of the population), the Swiss Reformed Church (25.0%), further
Protestant churches (2.2%),
Eastern Orthodoxy (around 2%), and other Christian denominations (1.3%).
Immigration has established
Islam (5.1%) as a sizeable minority religion.
24% of Swiss permanent residents are not affiliated with any church (
Atheism,
Agnosticism, and others).
As of the 2000 census other Christian minority communities included Neo-
Pietism (0.44%),
Pentecostalism (0.28%, mostly incorporated in the
Schweizer Pfingstmission),
Methodism (0.13%), the
New Apostolic Church (0.45%),
Jehovah's Witnesses (0.28%), other Protestant denominations (0.20%), the
Old Catholic Church (0.18%), other Christian denominations (0.20%). Non-Christian religions are
Hinduism (0.38%),
Buddhism (0.29%),
Judaism (0.25%) and others (0.11%); 4.3% did not make a statement.
The country was historically about evenly balanced between
Catholic and Protestant, with a complex patchwork of majorities over
most of the country. Switzerland
played an exceptional role during the
Reformation as it became home to many
reformers.
Geneva converted to Protestantism in 1536, just before
John Calvin arrived there. In 1541, he founded the
Republic of Geneva on his own ideals. It became known internationally as the
Protestant Rome, and housed such reformers as
Theodore Beza,
William Farel or
Pierre Viret.
Zürich became another stronghold around the same time, with
Huldrych Zwingli and
Heinrich Bullinger taking the lead there. Anabaptists
Felix Manz and
Conrad Grebel also operated there. They were later joined by the fleeing
Peter Martyr Vermigli and
Hans Denck. Other centres included
Basel (
Andreas Karlstadt and
Johannes Oecolampadius),
Berne (
Berchtold Haller and
Niklaus Manuel), and
St. Gallen (
Joachim Vadian).
One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and
Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities and their cantons (Bern,
Geneva, Lausanne, Zürich and Basel) used to be predominantly Protestant.
Central Switzerland, the
Valais, the
Ticino,
Appenzell Innerrhodes, the
Jura, and
Fribourg are traditionally Catholic. The
Swiss Constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs. Protestant cantons that culminated in the
Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a
consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete
separation of church and state was rejected by 78.9% of the voters.
Some traditionally Protestant cantons and cities nowadays have a slight
Catholic majority, not because they were growing in members, quite the
contrary, but only because since about 1970 a steadily growing minority
became not affiliated with any church or other religious body (21.4% in
Switzerland, 2012) especially in traditionally Protestant regions, such
as Basel-City (42%), canton of Neuchâtel (38%), canton of Geneva (35%),
canton of Vaud (26%), or Zürich city (city: more than 25%; canton: 23%).
Culture
Three of Europe's major languages are official in Switzerland. Swiss
culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in a wide
range of traditional customs.
A region may be in some ways strongly culturally connected to the
neighbouring country that shares its language, the country itself being
rooted in western
European culture. The linguistically isolated
Romansh culture in
Graubünden
in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception, it survives only in
the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its
rare linguistic tradition.
Switzerland is home to many notable contributors to literature,
art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition the country attracted
a number of creative persons during time of unrest or war in Europe.
Some 1000 museums are distributed through the country; the number has more than tripled since 1950. Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the
Paléo Festival,
Lucerne Festival, the
Montreux Jazz Festival, the
Locarno International Film Festival and the
Art Basel.
Alpine symbolism has played an essential role in shaping the history of the country and the Swiss national identity. Nowadays some concentrated mountain areas have a strong highly energetic
ski resort culture in winter, and a
hiking (ger:
das Wandern) or
Mountain biking
culture in summer. Other areas throughout the year have a recreational
culture that caters to tourism, yet the quieter seasons are spring and
autumn when there are fewer visitors. A traditional farmer and herder
culture also predominates in many areas and small farms are omnipresent
outside the cities. Folk art is kept alive in organisations all over the
country. In Switzerland it is mostly expressed in music, dance, poetry,
wood carving and embroidery. The
alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood, has become alongside
yodeling and the accordion an epitome of traditional
Swiss music.
Literature
As the Confederation, from its foundation in 1291, was almost
exclusively composed of German-speaking regions, the earliest forms of
literature are in German. In the 18th century, French became the
fashionable language in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the
French-speaking allies and subject lands was more marked than before.
Famous French-speaking writers were
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and
Germaine de Staël (1766–1817). More recent authors include
Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878–1947), whose novels describe the lives of peasants and mountain dwellers, set in a harsh environment and
Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887–1961).
Italian and Romansh-speaking authors also contributed to the Swiss
literary landscape, but generally in more modest ways given their small
number.
Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation,
Heidi,
the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps,
is one of the most popular children's books ever and has come to be a
symbol of Switzerland. Her creator,
Johanna Spyri (1827–1901), wrote a number of other books on similar themes.
Media
The freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the federal constitution of Switzerland. The
Swiss News Agency
(SNA) broadcasts information around-the-clock in three of the four
national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA
supplies almost all Swiss media and a couple dozen foreign media
services with its news.
Switzerland has historically boasted the greatest number of newspaper titles published in proportion to its population and size. The most influential newspapers are the German-language
Tages-Anzeiger and
Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ, and the French-language
Le Temps, but almost every city has at least one local newspaper. The cultural diversity accounts for a large number of newspapers.
The government exerts greater control over broadcast media than print media, especially due to finance and licensing. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, whose name was recently changed to
SRG SSR,
is charged with the production and broadcast of radio and television
programmes. SRG SSR studios are distributed throughout the various
language regions. Radio content is produced in six central and four
regional studios while the television programmes are produced in
Geneva,
Zürich, and
Lugano. An extensive cable network also allows most Swiss to access the programmes from neighbouring countries.
Sports
Switzerland hosted the
1954 FIFA World Cup, and was the joint host, with Austria, of the
UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. The
Swiss Super League
is the nation's professional football club league. Europe's highest
football pitch, at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, is located
in Switzerland and is named the
Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium.
Roger Federer has won a record 20 Grand Slam singles titles, making him the most successful men's tennis player ever.
Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the
1955 Le Mans disaster with exception to events such as
Hillclimbing. During this period, the country still produced successful racing drivers such as
Clay Regazzoni,
Sébastien Buemi,
Jo Siffert,
Dominique Aegerter, successful
World Touring Car Championship driver
Alain Menu,
2014 24 Hours of Le Mans winner
Marcel Fässler and 2015
24 Hours Nürburgring winner
Nico Müller.
Switzerland also won the
A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in
2007–08 with driver
Neel Jani. Swiss
motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005
MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category. In June 2007 the
Swiss National Council, one house of the
Federal Assembly of Switzerland, voted to overturn the ban, however the other house, the
Swiss Council of States rejected the change and the ban remains in place.
Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or "
Schwingen". It is an old tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some.
Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf.
Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of
stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practised only among the alpine population since
prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in
Basel in the 13th century. It is also central to the
Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 stone named
Unspunnenstein.
Cuisine
Fondue is melted cheese, into which bread is dipped
The cuisine of Switzerland is multifaceted. While some dishes such as
fondue,
raclette or
rösti
are omnipresent through the country, each region developed its own
gastronomy according to the differences of climate and languages. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique
dairy products and
cheeses such as
Gruyère or
Emmental, produced in the valleys of
Gruyères and
Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.
Chocolate
has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century but it gained its
reputation at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern
techniques such as
conching and
tempering which enabled its production on a high quality level. Also a breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by
Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest consumers of chocolate.
The most popular alcoholic drink in Switzerland is wine.
Switzerland is notable for the variety of grapes grown because of the
large variations in
terroirs, with their specific mixes of soil, air, altitude and light.
Swiss wine is produced mainly in
Valais,
Vaud (
Lavaux),
Geneva and
Ticino,
with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in
Switzerland since the Roman era, even though certain traces can be
found of a more ancient origin. The most widespread varieties are the
Chasselas (called
Fendant in Valais) and
Pinot noir. The
Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.