RAOnline Schweiz - Switzerland: Switzerland at a glance

Switzerland at a glance

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Schweiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra Switzerland

Name:

the Swiss Confederation (Confoederatio Helvetica)

Climate:

temperate

RAOnline: Swiss Climate

Location:

Central Europe, bordering France to the west, Liechtenstein and Austria to
the east, Germany to the north and Italy to the south

Area:

41,284 km²

Capital:

Bern

Population:

7,593,000 ( 2008)

Languages:

(percentage of resident speakers): 2000
German (64%), French (20%), Italian (6%),
Romansch (1%), others (9%)

Religion:

Roman Catholic: 41.8% (2000)
Protestant: 33.0%
Jewish: 0.2%
Muslim: 4.3%
no religious affiliation: 11.1%

National Day:

August 1

System of government:

democratic federal Republic

Parliament:

bicameral Federal Assembly consisting of:
National Council with 200 members

Governing parties:

the four most important parties forming the government are:
- Radical Democratic Party (FDP)
- Swiss Socialist Party (SPS)
- Christian Democratic Party (CVP)
- Swiss People's Party (SVP)

Churches:

Roman Catholic: 41% (2000)
Protestant: 33%

Administrative structure:

markedly federalist state consisting of 20 cantons and 6 half-cantons with wide-ranging powers

Principal media:

1. Radio
Schweizer Radio SR DRS 1, 2, 3 with three channels each for the French,
German and Italian areas of Switzerland;
Swiss Radio International (SRI) broadcasting worldwide on short wave in
seven languages;
various regional and local radio stations

2. Television
Schweizer Fernsehen SF 1 and 2 broadcasts programmes by the
Schweizerische Radio- and Fernsehgesellschaft (SRG) for the three
language areas;
commercial TV stations: various regional and local TV stations, TV 3+ (nationwide)

3. high-circulation papers:

daily newspapers:
Blick (Boulevardzeitung)
TagesAnzeiger Zürich
Berner Zeitung
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ)
Die Südostschweiz
Mittelland Zeitung
St. Galler Tagblatt
Basler Zeitung
Der Bund
Le Temps

newspapers published on Sunday:
SonntagsBlick
SonntagsZeitung
NZZ am Sonntag
weekly newspapers:
Die Weltwoche
Facts (Magazin)
L'Hebdo (Magazin)

4. Press Agency
Schweizerische Depeschen-Agentur (SDA)

Currency:

Swiss franc (CHF.USD): 1,04 - 1,15 (2008)

GDP:

426,6 Mrd. USD (market exchange rates) (2007)
GDP per head: 40,317 USD (purchasing power party) (2007)
real GDP growth: 2,3% (average 2003-2007)

Currency:

Swiss franc (CHF.USD): 1,04 - 1,15 (2008)

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