Switzerland Overview
| Switzerland is bordered by France to the west, Germany to the north, Austria to the east and Italy to the south. It has the highest mountains in Europe, with waterfalls and lakes set amid green pastures. The highest peaks are Dufour Peak, 4634m (15,217ft), on the Italian border; the Dom, 4545m (14,912ft); the Matterhorn, 4478m (14,692ft); and the Jungfrau, 4166m (13,669ft). |
| 41,284 sq km (15,940 sq miles). |
| Federal Republic since 1848. Recent history: Switzerland has long traditions of neutrality in its relations with the rest of the world, and it is not a member of the EU. There was a referendum in 2001 on whether to open talks about joining or not, and the result was negative. Nine years before membership of the European Economic Area was also rejected by referendum. Relations between Switzerland and the EU are now based on a wide range of bilateral agreements. There are signs that things may be slowly changing, however, as a referendum in 2005 supported membership of the EU, Schengen and Dublin agreements, bringing Switzerland into Europe’s passport-free zone and increasing cooperation on crime and asylum issues. A further referendum the same year opened the job market to workers from the 10 newest EU member countries. On 10 December 2003, the National Assembly decided that the so-called ’Magic Formula’ – in place since 1959 - regarding the composition of the Federal Council would have to change as a result of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party’s electoral success that same Autumn. There are seven seats in the Federal Council, and under the old formula, the four main parties divided these between them (two seats each for the Radicals, Christian Democrats and Social Democrats and one seat for the Swiss People’s Party) in an effort to try to ensure that the main languages, religions and regions were represented in the Council. However, in 2003, the Swiss People’s Party gained a seat at the expense of the Christian Democratic Party. |
| 7.4 million (official estimate 2005). |
| 181 per sq km. |
| German in central and eastern areas, French in the west and Italian in the south. Raeto-Romansch is spoken in the southeast. English is spoken by many. Overlapping cultural influences characterise the country. |
| Roman Catholic (43 per cent) and Protestant (47 per cent). |
| GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October). |
| Bern. Population: 127,000 (2005). |
| 220 volts AC, 50Hz. |