SWITZERLAND
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LAND
41,440 km2; 10% arable, 43% meadows and pastures, 20% waste or urban, 24% forested, 3% inland water
Land boundaries: 1,884 km
PEOPLE
Population: 6,407,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate −0.3%
Nationality: noun—Swiss (sing. & pl.); adjective—Swiss
Ethnic divisions: total population—69% German, 19% French, 10% Italian, 1% Romansch, 1% other; Swiss nationals—74% German, 20% French, 4% Italian, 1% Romansch, 1% other
Religion: 53% Protestant, 46% Roman Catholic
Language: Swiss nationals—74% German, 20% French, 4% Italian, 1% Romansch, 1% other; total population—69% German, 19% French, 10% Italian, 1% Romansch, 1% other
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 2.6 million, about one-tenth foreign workers, mostly Italian; 16% agriculture and forestry, 47% industry and crafts, 20% trade and transportation, 5% professions, 2% in public service, 10% domestic and other; approximately 0.2% unemployed in September 1980
Organized labor: 20% of labor force
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Swiss Confederation
Type: federal republic
Capital: Bern
Political subdivisions: 23 cantons (3 divided into half cantons)
Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; constitution adopted 1874, amended since; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; legal education at Universities of Bern, Geneva, and Lausanne, and four other university schools of law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: 1 August
Branches: bicameral parliament has legislative authority; federal council (Bundesrat) has executive authority; justice left chiefly to cantons
Government leader: Fritz HONEGGER, President (1982, rotates annually)
Suffrage: universal over age 20
Elections: held every four years; next elections 1983
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (SPS), Helmut Hubacher, president; Radical Democratic Party (FDP), Yann Richter, president; Christian Democratic Peopled Party (CVP), Hans Wyer, president; Swiss People's Party (SVP), Fritz Hofmann, chairman; Communist Party (PdA), Armand Magnin, chairman; National Action Party (N.A.), Hans Zwicky, chairman
Voting strength (1979 election): 25.5% FDP, 25.5% SPS, 22.0% CVP, 11.5% SVP, 4.0% LdU, 4.0% LPS, 1.5% PdA, 1.5% EVP, 4.5% others
Communists: about 5,000 members
Other parties: Landesring (LdU); Republican Movement (Rep); Liberal Party (LPS); Evangelical Peopled Party (EVP); Maoist Party (POSH/PSA)
Member of: ADB, Council of Europe, DAC, EFTA, ELDO (observer), ESRO, FAO, GATT, IAEA, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IEA, IFAD, ILO, IMCO, IPU, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, OECD, UN (permanent observer), UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
ECONOMY
GNP: $90.31 billion (1980), $14,270 per capita; 61% consumption, 26% investment, 13% government, −0.9% net foreign balance; real growth rate 0.4% (1980)
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; caloric intake, 3,190 calories per day per capita (1969-70)
Major industries: machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments
Shortages: practically all important raw materials except hydroelectric energy
Electric power: 15,000,000 kW capacity (1980); 48.162 billion kWh produced (1980), 7,610 kWh per capita
