1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Introduction
Background
Switzerland's independence and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers and Switzerland did not participate in either World War I or II. The political and economic integration of Europe since World War II may be rendering obsolete Switzerland's concern for neutrality.
Geography
Area
total: 41,290 sq km land: 39,770 sq km water: 1,520 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Climate
temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m
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
Environment--international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea
Geographic coordinates
47 00 N, 8 00 E
Geography--note
landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France and northern Italy, contains the highest elevations in Europe
Irrigated land
250 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 1,852 km border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km
Land use
arable land: 10% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 28% forests and woodland: 32% other: 28% (1993 est.)
Location
Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy
Map references
Europe
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
avalanches, landslides, flash floods
Natural resources
hydropower potential, timber, salt
Terrain
mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 17% (male 639,970; female 611,876) 15-64 years: 68% (male 2,509,988; female 2,417,580) 65 years and over: 15% (male 444,482; female 651,571) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
10.53 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
9.06 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%
Infant mortality rate
4.87 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
German 63.7%, French 19.2%, Italian 7.6%, Romansch 0.6%, other 8.9%
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.99 years male: 75.83 years female: 82.32 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
noun: Swiss (singular and plural) adjective: Swiss
Net migration rate
0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
7,275,467 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
0.2% (1999 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 46.1%, Protestant 40%, other 5%, no religion 8.9% (1990)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.46 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
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
Capital
Bern
Constitution
29 May 1874
Country name
conventional long form: Swiss Confederation conventional short form: Switzerland local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German), Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian) local short form: Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Svizzera (Italian)
Data code
SZ
Executive branch
chief of state: President Ruth DREIFUSS (since 1 January 1999); Vice President Adolf OGI (since 1 January 1999); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ruth DREIFUSS (since 1 January 1999); Vice President Adolf OGI (since 1 January 1999); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal Assembly from among its own 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 one-year terms that run concurrently; election last held NA December 1998 (next to be held NA December 1999) election results: Ruth DREIFUSS elected president; percent of Federal Assembly vote--Ruth DREIFUSS 75%; Adolf OGI elected vice president; percent of legislative vote --NA
Flag description
red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag
Government type
federal republic
Independence
1 August 1291
International organization participation
ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Alfred DEFAGO chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Madeleine May KUNIN embassy: Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern mailing address: use embassy street address
Judicial branch
Federal Supreme Court, judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly Political parties and leaders: Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Christian Democratic People's Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida president]; Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or Green Party (Grune Partei der Schweiz or Grune, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida (Landesring der Unabhaengigen or LdU, Alliance des Independants or Party (Schweizer Demokraten or SD, Democrates Suisses or DS, Democratici Svizzeri or DS), Liberal Party (Liberale Partei der Schweiz or LPS, Parti Liberal Suisse or PLS, Partito Liberale Svizzero or PLS), Workers' Party (Parti Suisse du Travail or PST, Partei der Arbeit der Schweiz or PdAdS, Partito Svizzero del Lavoro or PSdL), Evangelical People's Party (Evangelische Volkspartei der Schweiz or EVP, Parti Evangelique Suisse or PEV, Partito Evangelico Svizzero or PEV), and the Union of Federal Democrats (Eidgenossisch-Demokratische Union or EDU, Union Democratique Federale or UDF, Unione Democratica Federale or UDF)
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
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--members 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 a basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Council of States--last held throughout 1997 (each canton determines when the next election will be held); National Council--last held 20 October 1995 (next to be held probably 24 October 1999) election results: Council of States--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--FDP 17, CVP 16, SVP 5, SPS 5, LPS 2, LdU 1; National Council--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--FDP 45, SPS 54, CVP 34, SVP 29, Greens 9, LPS 7, FPS 7, LdU 3, EVP 2, SD 3, PdAdS 3, Ticino League 1, EDU 1, FRAP 1, CSP 1
National holiday
Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs
Budget
revenues: $32.66 billion expenditures: $34.89 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.3 billion (1998 est.)
Currency
1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SFR) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi
Debt--external
$NA
Economic aid--donor
ODA, $1.1 billion (1995)
Economy--overview
Switzerland, a fundamentally prosperous and stable modern economy with a per capita GDP 15%-20% above that of the big West European economies, experienced an export-driven upturn in its economy in 1998. The downturn in the global economy, however, will have a cooling effect on the 1998 boom in the Swiss export sector, including financial services, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and special-purpose machines. A major downturn in the Swiss economy should still be avoided, as consumer and capital spending have picked up and will keep the economy moving in 1999. GDP growth in 1999 is expected to come in around 1.4%. The growing political and economic union of Europe suggests that Switzerland's time-honored neutral separation is becoming increasingly obsolete. Thus, when the surrounding trade partners launched the euro on 1 January 1999, their firms began prodding Swiss exporters and importers to keep their accounts in euros.
Electricity--consumption
53.765 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
24.2 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
23.15 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
54.815 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 3.99% hydro: 52.73% nuclear: 43.27% other: 0.01% (1996)
Exchange rates
Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SFR) per US$1--1.3837 (January 1999), 1.4498 (1998), 1.4513 (1997), 1.2360 (1996), 1.1825 (1995), 1.3677 (1994)
Exports
$94.4 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities
machinery 29%, chemicals 28%, metals, watches, agricultural products (1997)
Exports--partners
EU 61% (Germany 23%, France 9%, Italy 8%, UK 6%, Austria 3%), US 10%, Japan 4% (1997)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$191.8 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 2.8% industry: 31.1% services: 66.1% (1995)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$26,400 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
2% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 28.6% (1982)
Imports
$95.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities
machinery 22%, chemicals 16%, vehicles, metals, agricultural products, textiles (1997)
Imports--partners
EU 79% (Germany 32%, France 12%, Italy 10%, Netherlands 5%, UK 5%),, US 7%, Japan 3% (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
6% (1998 est.)
Industries
machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0% (1998)
Labor force
3.8 million (850,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian)
Labor force--by occupation
services 67%, manufacturing and construction 29%, agriculture and forestry 4% (1995)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
3.6% (1998 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 1 (1997)
Radios
2.8 million (1996)
Telephone system
excellent domestic and international services domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks international: satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)
Telephones
5.24 million (1996 est.); 307,000 cellular telephone subscribers (1994 est.)
Television broadcast stations
108 (1997)
Televisions
2.647 million licenses (1996)
Transportation
Airports
67 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 42 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 15 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 25 under 914 m: 25 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 71,048 km (including 1,613 km of expressways) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1997 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 412,459 GRT/724,995 DWT ships by type: bulk 13, cargo 1, chemical tanker 5, oil tanker 1 (1998 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 314 km; natural gas 1,506 km Ports and harbors: Basel
Railways
total: 4,479 km (1,564 km double track) standard gauge: 3,304 km 1.435-m gauge (3,288 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,165 km 1.000-m gauge (1,057 km electrified); 10 km 0.750-m or 0.800-m gauge (1996)
Waterways
65 km; Rhine (Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to Bodensee); 12 navigable lakes
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Air Force, Frontier Guards, Fortification Guards
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$3.1 billion (1999)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
1.2% (1999)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 1,867,290 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,592,696 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
20 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 41,204 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none
Illicit drugs
because of more stringent government regulations, used significantly less as a money-laundering center; transit country for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin