Country: Switzerland - Geography Total area: 41,290 km2; land area: 39,770 km2 Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey Land boundaries: 1,852 km total; Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, FRG 334 km Coastline: none--landlocked Maritime claims: none--landlocked Climate: temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers Terrain: mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes Natural resources: hydropower potential, timber, salt Land use: 10% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 40% meadows and pastures; 26% forest and woodland; 23% other; includes 1% irrigated Environment: dominated by Alps Note: landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe - People Population: 6,742,461 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990) Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990) Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990) Net migration rate: 3 migrants/1,000 population (1990) Infant mortality rate: 5 deaths/1,000 live births (1990) Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 83 years female (1990) Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990) Nationality: noun--Swiss (sing. & pl.); adjective--Swiss Ethnic divisions: total population--65% German, 18% French, 10% Italian, 1% Romansch, 6% other; Swiss nationals--74% German, 20% French, 4% Italian, 1% Romansch, 1% other Religion: 49% Roman Catholic, 48% Protestant, 0.3% Jewish Language: total population--65% German, 18% French, 12% Italian, 1% Romansch, 4% other; Swiss nationals--74% German, 20% French, 4% Italian, 1% Romansch, 1% other Literacy: 99% Labor force: 3,220,000; 841,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian; 42% services, 39% industry and crafts, 11% government, 7% agriculture and forestry, 1% other (1988) Organized labor: 20% of labor force - Government Long-form name: Swiss Confederation Type: federal republic Capital: Bern Administrative divisions: 26 cantons (cantons, singular--canton in French; cantoni, singular--cantone in Italian; kantone, singular--kanton in German); Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich Independence: 1 August 1291 Constitution: 29 May 1874 Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291) Executive branch: president, vice president, Federal Council (German--Bundesrat, French--Conseil Federal) Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (German--Bundesversammlung, French--Assemblee Federale) consists of an upper council or Council of States (German--Standerat, French--Conseil des Etats) and and a lower council or National Council (German--Nationalrat, French--Conseil National) Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Arnold KOLLER (1990 calendar year; presidency rotates annually); Vice President Flavio COTTI (term runs concurrently with that of president) Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (SPS), Helmut Hubacher, chairman; Radical Democratic Party (FDP), Bruno Hunziker, president; Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP), Eva Segmuller-Weber, president; Swiss People's Party (SVP), Hans Uhlmann, president; Workers' Party (PdA), Armand Magnin, secretary general; National Action Party (NA), Hans Zwicky, chairman; Independents' Party (LdU), Dr. Franz Jaeger, president; Republican Movement (Rep), Dr. James Schworzenboch, Franz Baumgartner, leaders; Liberal Party (LPS), Gilbert Coutau, president; Evangelical People's Party (EVP), Max Dunki, president; Progressive Organizations of Switzerland (POCH), Georg Degen, secretary; Federation of Ecology Parties (GP), Laurent Rebeaud, president; Autonomous Socialist Party (PSA), Werner Carobbio, secretary Suffrage: universal at age 20 Elections: Council of State--last held throughout 1987 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(46 total) CVP 19, FDP 14, SPS 5, SVP 4, others 4; National Council--last held 18 October 1987 (next to be held October 1991); results--FDP 22.9%, CVP 20.0%, SPS 18.4%, SVP 11.0%, GP 4.8%, others 22.9%; seats--(200 total) FDP 51, CVP 42, SPS 41, SVP 25, GP 9, others 32 Communists: 4,500 members (est.) Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, ILO, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO; permanent observer status at the UN Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Edouard BRUNNER; Chancery at 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-7900; there are Swiss Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Joseph B. GUILDENHORN; Embassy at Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern; telephone p41o (31) 437011; there is a Branch Office of the Embassy in Geneva and a Consulate General in Zurich Flag: red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag - Economy Overview: Switzerland's economic success is matched in few, if any, other nations. Per capita output, general living standards, education and science, health care, and diet are unsurpassed in Europe. Inflation remains low because of sound government policy and harmonious labor-management relations. Unemployment is negligible, a marked contrast to the larger economies of Western Europe. This economic stability helps promote the important banking and tourist sectors. Since World War II, Switzerland's economy has adjusted smoothly to the great changes in output and trade patterns in Europe and presumably can adjust to the challenges of the 1990s, in particular, the further economic integration of Western Europe and the amazingly rapid changes in East European political/economic prospects. GDP: $119.5 billion, per capita $17,800; real growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (1989 est.) Unemployment rate: 0.5% (1989 est.) Budget: revenues $17.0 billion; expenditures $16.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988) Exports: $51.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--machinery and equipment, precision instruments, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles and clothing; partners--Europe 64% (EC 56%, other 8%), US 9%, Japan 4% Imports: $57.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--agricultural products, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles, construction materials; partners--Europe 79% (EC 72%, other 7%), US 5% External debt: $NA Industrial production: growth rate 7.0% (1988) Electricity: 17,710,000 kW capacity; 59,070 million kWh produced, 8,930 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments Agriculture: dairy farming predominates; less than 50% self-sufficient; food shortages--fish, refined sugar, fats and oils (other than butter), grains, eggs, fruits, vegetables, meat Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $2.5 billion Currency: Swiss franc, franken, or franco (plural--francs, franken, or franchi); 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi Exchange rates: Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1--1.5150 (January 1990), 1.6359 (1989), 1.4633 (1988), 1.4912 (1987), 1.7989 (1986), 2.4571 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year - Communications Railroads: 5,174 km total; 2,971 km are government owned and 2,203 km are nongovernment owned; the government network consists of 2,897 km 1.435-meter standard gauge and 74 km 1.000-meter narrow gauge track; 1,432 km double track, 99% electrified; the nongovernment network consists of 710 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 1,418 km 1.000-meter gauge, and 75 km 0.790-meter gauge track, 100% electrified Highways: 62,145 km total (all paved), of which 18,620 km are canton and 1,057 km are national highways (740 km autobahn); 42,468 km are communal roads Pipelines: 314 km crude oil; 1,506 km natural gas Inland waterways: 65 km; Rhine (Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to Bodensee); 12 navigable lakes Ports: Basel (river port) Merchant marine: 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 215,851 GRT/365,131 DWT; includes 4 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 chemical tanker, 3 specialized liquid cargo, 8 bulk Civil air: 89 major transport aircraft Airports: 72 total, 70 usable; 42 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: excellent domestic, international, and broadcast services; 5,808,000 telephones; stations--6 AM, 36 (400 relays) FM, 145 (1,250 relays) TV; communications satellite earth stations operating in the INTELSAT (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems - Defense Forces Branches: Army, Air Force Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,800,211; 1,550,662 fit for military service; 44,154 reach military age (20) annually Defense expenditures: $1.2 billion (1989 est.)