The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. A constitution of 1848, subsequently modified in 1874, replaced the confederation with a centralized federal government. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.

Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy

slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

hydropower potential, timber, salt

avalanches, landslides; flash floods

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

landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps

7,604,467 (July 2010 est.)

9.59 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

8.59 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

1.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

1.46 children born/woman (2010 est.)

fewer than 500 (2007 est.)

German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%

Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Muslim 4.3%, Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%, none 11.1% (2000 census)

German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 20.4%, Italian (official) 6.5%, Serbo-Croatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%, Portuguese 1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, Romansch (official) 0.5%, other 2.8% (2000 census)

formally a confederation but similar in structure to a federal republic

26 cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; Kantone, singular - Kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden, Appenzell Inner-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich

1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)

Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)

revision of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal Parliament 18 December 1998, adopted by referendum 18 April 1999, officially entered into force 1 January 2000

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

18 years of age; universal

bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German), Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian) consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in German), Conseil des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats; membership consists of 2 representatives from each canton and 1 from each half canton; members to serve four-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly)

Green Party (Gruene Partei der Schweiz or Gruene, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ueli LEUENBERGER]; Christian Democratic People's Party (Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Christophe DARBELLAY]; Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Fulvio PELLI]; Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Christian LEVRAT]; Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Toni BRUNNER]; and other minor parties

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag; various medieval legends purport to describe the origin of the flag; a white cross used as identification for troops of the Swiss Confederation is first attested at the Battle of Laupen (1339)

Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. Switzerland's economy benefits from a highly developed service sector, led by financial services, and a manufacturing industry that specializes in high-technology, knowledge-based production. In recent years the Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's, in order to enhance their international competitiveness, but some trade protectionism remains, particularly for its small agricultural sector. The global financial crisis and resulting economic downturn put Switzerland in a recession in 2009 as global export demand stalled. The Swiss National Bank during this period effectively implemented a zero-interest rate policy in a bid to boost the economy and prevent appreciation of the franc. Switzerland's economy will probably experience modest GDP growth in 2010, when Bern is scheduled to implement a third fiscal stimulus program, but its prized banking sector has recently faced significant challenges. The country's largest banks suffered sizable losses in 2008-09, leading its largest bank to accept a government rescue deal in late 2008. Switzerland has also come under increasing pressure from individual neighboring countries, the EU, the US, and international institutions to reform its banking secrecy laws. Consequently, the government agreed to conform to OECD regulations on administrative assistance in tax matters, including tax evasion. The government has renegotiated its double taxation agreements with numerous countries, including the US, to incorporate the OECD standard. Parliament will vote on the first five negotiated agreements, including the agreement with the US, in March 2010. These agreements, if passed by Parliament, will be subject to public referendum. In 2009, Swiss financial regulators ordered the country's largest bank to reveal at Washington's behest the names of US account-holders suspected of using the bank to commit tax fraud. These steps will have a lasting impact on Switzerland's long history of bank secrecy.

$314.7 billion (2009 est.)

$319.5 billion (2008 est.)

$313.8 billion (2007 est.)

$494.6 billion (2009 est.)

4.103 million (2009 est.)

4.4% (February 2010 est.)

20.4% of GDP (2009 est.)

40.5% of GDP (2009 est.)

41.3% of GDP (2008 est.)

0.05% (31 December 2008)

2.05% (31 December 2007)

3.34% (31 December 2008)

3.15% (31 December 2007)

$275.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$213.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

$454.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$450.7 billion (31 December 2007)

$864.4 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$855.4 billion (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2009)

$862.7 billion (31 December 2008)

$1.275 trillion (31 December 2007)

grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs

machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, and insurance

59.1 billion kWh (2009 est.)

62 billion kWh (2009 est.)

49.9 billion kWh (2009 est.)

46.6 billion kWh (2009 est.)

3,488 bbl/day (2009 est.)

280,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

10,310 bbl/day (2008 est.)

247,200 bbl/day (2008 est.)

3.282 billion cu m (2009 est.)

NA cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

$35.91 billion (2009 est.)

$5.094 billion (2008 est.)

$207 billion (2009 est.)

$241.2 billion (2008 est.)

machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products

Germany 20.98%, US 9.09%, France 8.62%, Italy 8.08%, Austria 5.38% (2009)

$192.1 billion (2009 est.)

$227.7 billion (2008 est.)

machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles

Germany 27.19%, Italy 10.42%, US 9.61%, France 7.69%, Netherlands 4.35% (2009)

$135.1 billion (31 January 2010 est.)

$74.07 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$1.339 trillion (30 June 2009)

$1.305 trillion (31 December 2008)

$416.4 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$405.1 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$755.4 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$726.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Swiss francs (CHF) per US dollar - 1.1081 (2009), 1.0774 (2008), 1.1973 (2007), 1.2539 (2006), 1.2452 (2005)

the publicly-owned radio and television broadcaster, Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG/SSR), operates 7 national television networks, 3 broadcasting in German, 2 in Italian, and 2 in French; private commercial television stations broadcast regionally and locally; television broadcasts from stations in Germany, Italy, and France are widely accessed using multi-channel cable and satellite TV services; SRG/SSR operates 18 radio stations that, along with private broadcasters, provide national to local coverage (2008)

3.697 million (2009)

5.739 million (2008)

gas 1,662 km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2009)

65 km; (Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee) (2008)

Swiss Armed Forces: Land Forces, Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe) (2010)

19-26 years of age for male compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; every Swiss male has to serve at least 260 days in the armed forces; conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory training, followed by seven 3-week intermittent recalls for training during the next 10 years (2010)

1% of GDP (2005 est.)

a major international financial center vulnerable to the layering and integration stages of money laundering; despite significant legislation and reporting requirements, secrecy rules persist and nonresidents are permitted to conduct business through offshore entities and various intermediaries; transit country for and consumer of South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and Western European synthetics; domestic cannabis cultivation and limited ecstasy production