Encyclopedia
Switzerland , officially the
Swiss Confederation, is a
landlocked Alpine country in
Central Europe. A male native of Switzerland is said to be a
Schweizer and a female is a
Schweizerin in
German;
Suisse or
Suissesse in
Swiss French and
svizzero or
svizzera in
Italian.
The country, which borders
Germany to the north,
France to the west,
Italy to the south, and
Austria and
Liechtenstein to the east, was historically a confederation, and has been a
federation since 1848. Switzerland has a strong economy in
finance and
banking, and a long and strong tradition of
political and military neutrality. This background allows Switzerland to host various international co-operations and organizations.
Confoederatio Helvetica, the country's official
Latin name, means
Helvetic Confederation. The use of
Latin avoids having to favour one of the four national languages. The abbreviation is used for the same reason. The titles commonly used in French , Italian and Romansh translate as "Swiss Confederation", while the German name of
Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft translates literally as "Swiss Oath Fellowship" or "Swiss Commonwealth of the Covenant".
History
Early history
Switzerland is a federation of relatively autonomous
cantons, some of which have a history of confederacy that goes back more than 700 years, arguably putting them among the world's oldest surviving
republics.
Historically, in 1291, representatives of the three forest cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and
Unterwalden signed the
Federal Charter. The charter united the involved parties in the struggle against the rule by the
Habsburgs, the family then holding the Duchy of Austria in the Holy Roman Empire. At the
Battle of Morgarten on November 15, 1315, the Swiss defeated the Habsburg army and secured existence of the Swiss Confederation within the Holy Roman Empire.
By 1353, the three original cantons had been joined by the cantons of
Glarus and Zug and the city states of
Lucerne,
Zürich and
Berne, forming the "Old Federation" of eight states that persisted during much of the 15th century and led to a significant increase of power and wealth of the federation, in particular due to the victories over
Charles the Bold of
Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the
Swiss mercenaries. The traditional listing order of the
cantons of Switzerland reflects this state, listing the eight "Old Cantons" first, with the city states preceding the founding cantons, followed by cantons that joined the federation after 1481, in historical order. The Swiss victory in the
Swabian War against the Swabian League of
emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to
de facto independence from the
Holy Roman Empire.
In 1506,
Pope Julius II engaged the
Swiss Guard that continues to serve the
Vatican to the present day. The expansion of the federation, and the reputation of invincibility acquired during the earlier wars, suffered a first setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the
Battle of Marignano. The success of
Zwingli's
Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal wars in 1529 and 1531 . The conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the battles of Villmergen in 1656 and 1712. Under the
Treaty of Westphalia in 1648,
European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its
neutrality .
French invasion of 1798
In 1798, the armies of the
French Revolution conquered Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country and effectively abolished the cantons. The new regime was known as the
Helvetic Republic and was highly unpopular. It had been imposed by a foreign invading army, had destroyed centuries of tradition, including the right to worship, and had made Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. Uprisings were common and only the presence of French troops kept them from succeeding. The brutal French suppression of the Nidwalden revolt in September was especially infamous.
When war broke out between France and other countries Switzerland found itself being invaded by other outside forces from
Austria and
Russia. The Swiss were divided mainly between "Republicans" who were in favour of a centralised government, and "Federalists" who wanted to restore autonomy to the cantons. In
Paris in 1803,
Napoleon Bonaparte organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides. The result was the Act of Mediation which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 Cantons. From then on much of Swiss politics would be about balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government. The
Congress of Vienna in 1815 fully re-established Swiss independence and the European powers agreed to permanently recognise the Swiss neutrality. At this time, the territory of Switzerland was increased for the last time, by the new cantons of
Valais, Neuchâtel and
Geneva.
Constitution of 1848
In 1847, a civil war broke out between the Catholic and the Protestant cantons . The Catholics disliked the moves towards a more united Switzerland which the Radical Party, then in government, was promoting. The Catholics therefore came up with a 'special treaty' which the Radicals objected to. The war lasted for less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties. Apart from small riots, this was the most recent armed conflict on Swiss territory.
As a consequence of the civil war, Switzerland adopted the use of referenda and a
federal constitution in 1848. This constitution provided for a central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. The constitution was amended extensively in 1874 in order to take into account the rise in population, the
Industrial Revolution and the settling of a single currency. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.
In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remains unique even today. Since then, continued political, economic, and social improvement has characterised Swiss history.
20th century
In 1920, Switzerland joined the
League of Nations, and in 1963 the
Council of Europe. Switzerland proclaimed neutrality in
World War I and was not involved militarily in the conflict. Neutrality was again proclaimed in
World War II, and although a German intervention was both planned and anticipated, it ultimately did not occur. The massive mobilisation of Swiss armed forces under the leadership of General
Henri Guisan is often cited as a decisive factor that the German invasion was never initiated. Modern historical findings, such as the research done by the Bergier commission, suggest that another major factor may have been the alleged trade by
Swiss banks with
Nazi Germany. It has since been suggested that Switzerland's neutrality was compromised, as some Swiss citizens may have helped to launder the wealth allegedly stolen in the
Holocaust.. On the other hand, during the war, Switzerland became a hub for spying activities against Germany and the Axis Powers, which helped to bring about their defeat.
Women were granted the right to vote in the first cantons in 1959, at the federal level in 1971, and in the last canton,
Appenzell Innerrhoden, in 1990. In 1979, parts of the canton of
Bern attained independence, forming the new canton of Jura. On April 18, 1999 the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal
constitution.
21st century
In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the
United Nations, leaving the
Vatican as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the
EFTA, but is not a member of the
European Economic Area. An application for membership in the
European Union was sent in May 1992, but not advanced since the EEA was rejected in December 1992 when Switzerland was the only country to launch a referendum on the EEA. There have since been several referenda on the EU-issue, but, as these are initiated by marginal groups within the country they have never been supported by the government. However, Swiss law is gradually being adjusted to conform with that of the EU and the government has signed a number of bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland has been completely bordered by the EU since
Austria's membership in 1995. On June 5, 2005, Swiss voters agreed, by a 55% majority, to join the
Schengen treaty, a result that was welcomed by EU commentators as a sign of goodwill by Switzerland, a country that is traditionally perceived as isolationist.
Politics
The
bicameral Swiss
parliament, the Federal Assembly, is the primary seat of power, apart from the Federal Council. Both houses, the
Council of States and the
National Council, have equal powers in all respects, including the right to introduce legislation.
Under the 1999
constitution, cantons hold all powers not specifically delegated to the federation.
The 46 members of the Council of States are directly elected in each canton, whereas the 200 members of the National Council are elected directly under a system of proportional representation. Members of both houses serve for 4 years. Through referenda, citizens may challenge any law voted by federal parliament and through initiatives introduce amendments to the federal constitution, making Switzerland a direct democracy.
The top executive body and collective
Head of State is the
Federal Council, a collegial body of seven members. Although the constitution provides that the Assembly elects and supervises the members of the Council, the latter has gradually assumed a pre-eminent role in directing the
legislative process as well as executing federal laws. The President of the Confederation is elected from the seven to assume special representative functions for a one-year term.
From 1959 to December 2003, the four major parties were represented in the Federal Council according to the "magic formula", proportional to their representation in federal parliament: 2 Christian Democrats , 2 from the Social Democrats , 2 Free Democrats , and 1 from the Swiss People's Party . This traditional distribution of seats, however, is not backed up by any law, and in the 2003 elections to the Federal Council the CVP/PDC lost their second seat to the SVP/UDC.
The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals of cantonal courts or the administrative rulings of the federal administration. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.
See also: International relations of Switzerland, Voting in Switzerland
Direct democracy
Switzerland features a system of government not seen at the national level any other place on Earth: direct democracy, sometimes called half-direct democracy . Referenda on the most important laws have been used since the 1848 constitution.
Any citizen may challenge a law that has been passed by parliament. If he is able to gather 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days, a national vote has to be scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law.
Also, any citizen may seek a decision on an amendment they want to make to the constitution. For such an amendment initiative to be organised, the signatures of 100,000 voters must be collected within 18 months. Such a popular initiative may be formulated as a general proposal or - much more often - be put forward as a precise new text whose wording can no longer be changed by
parliament and the government. After a successful vote gathering, the federal council may create a counterproposal to the proposed amendment and put it to vote on the same day. Such counterproposals are usually a compromise between the status quo and the wording of the initiative. Voters will again decide in a national vote whether to accept the initiative amendment, the counterproposal put forward by the government or both. If both are accepted, one has to additionally signal a preference. Initiatives have to be accepted by a double majority of both the popular votes and a majority of the states.
Energy politics
The
energy generated in Switzerland comprises around 40%
nuclear power and 60% from
hydroelectricity.
On May 18, 2003, two referenda regarding the future of nuclear power in Switzerland were held. The referendum
Electricity Without Nuclear asked for a decision on a
nuclear power phase-out and
Moratorium Plus asked about an extension of an existing law forbidding the building of new
nuclear power plants. Both were turned down: Moratorium Plus by a margin of 41.6% for and 58.4% opposed, and Electricity Without Nuclear by a margin of 33.7% for and 66.3% opposed. The former ten-year moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants was the result of a citizens' initiative voted on in 1990 which had passed with 54.5% Yes vs. 45.5% No votes .
Cantons
The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons:
*These cantons are represented by only one councillor in the Council of States.Their populations vary between 15,000 and 1,253,500 , and their area between 37 km² and 7,105 km² . The Cantons comprise a total of 2,889 municipalities.
The following are
enclaves within Switzerland:
Büsingen is territory of
Germany,
Campione d'Italia is territory of
Italy.
In a referendum held in the
Austrian state of
Vorarlberg on 11 May 1919 over 80% of those voting supported a proposal that the state should join the Swiss Confederation. However, this was prevented by the opposition of the Austrian Government, the
Allies, Swiss liberals, the Swiss-Italians and the
Swiss-French.
Geography
With an area of 41,285 square kilometres , Switzerland is a relatively small country. The population is about 7.4 million, resulting in a
population density of 182 people per square kilometre .
Switzerland comprises three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps, the
Swiss plateau, and the
Jura mountains.The
Alps are a high mountain range running across the central-south of the country. Among the high peaks of the Swiss Alps, the highest of which is the Dufour Peak at 4,634 metres , are found countless valleys, some with
glaciers. From these the headwaters of several major European rivers such as the
Rhine, the
Rhône, the
Inn, the
Aare or the
Ticino, flow down into lakes such as
Lake Geneva, Lake Zürich, Lake Neuchâtel, and
Lake Constance.
The northern, more populous part of the country is more open, but can still be mountainous, for example, in the
Jura Mountains, a smaller range in the northwest. The Swiss
climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly between the localities, from harsh conditions on the high mountains to the often pleasant
Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip.
A zoomable map of Switzerland is available at either or ; a zoomable satellite picture is at .
See also: Swisstopo topographical survey, List of lakes of Switzerland,
List of rivers of Switzerland,
List of mountain passes in Switzerland.
Economy
Switzerland is a prosperous and stable modern market economy, with a nominal per capita
GDP that is higher than those of the big western European economies,
United States and
Japan, though on a PPP basis, it ranks tenth. For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin. However, since the early 1990s it has suffered from slow growth and, as of 2005, fell to fourth among European states with populations above one million in terms of nominal
Gross Domestic Product per capita behind
Ireland,
Denmark and
Norway and to the tenth position in terms of
Gross Domestic Product per capita at purchasing power parity
In recent years, the Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the European Union, in an effort to enhance their international competitiveness, but this has not produced strong growth. Full EU membership is a long-term objective of the Swiss government, but there is considerable popular sentiment against this. To this end, it has established an under the Department of Foreign and Economic Affairs. To minimise the negative consequences of Switzerland's isolation from the rest of Europe, Bern and
Brussels signed seven agreements, called bilateral agreements, to further liberalise trade ties. These agreements were signed in 1999 and took effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series covering nine areas was signed in 2004 and awaits ratification. The second series includes the
Schengen treaty and the Dublin Convention. They continue to discuss further areas for cooperation. Preparatory discussions are being opened on four new areas: opening up the electricity market, participation in the European GPS system
Galileo, cooperating with the European centre for disease prevention and recognising certificates of origin for food products. Switzerland voted against membership in the
European Economic Area in December 1992 and has since maintained and developed its relationships with the European Union and European countries through bilateral agreements. A full report on the potential advantages and inconveniences of full EU membership is expected to be published in June 2006 by the Department of Foreign affairs. EU membership supporters hope this report could help reopen the internal debate, which has been dormant since March 2001, when the Swiss people refused in a popular vote to start accession negotiations with the EU.
See also: List of Swiss companies,
Swiss bank,
Merchant Marine of SwitzerlandDemographics
Switzerland sits at the crossroads of several major European cultures that have heavily influenced the country's languages and culture. Switzerland has four
official languages:
German in the north and centre;
French to the west;
Italian in the south; and
Romansh , that is spoken locally by a small minority in the southeastern canton of Graubünden. The federal government is obliged to communicate in the four official languages. In the federal parliament, German, French, Italian and Romansh are the official languages and simultaneous translation is provided. The German spoken in Switzerland is predominantly a group of dialects collectively known as
Swiss German, but written communication and broadcasts typically use standard German.
Swiss French and Swiss Italian differ far less from their counterparts in France and Italy, respectively. Learning one of the other national languages at school is obligatory for all Swiss, so most Swiss are supposed to be at least
bilingual.
Resident foreigners and temporary foreign workers make up about 21% of the population. Most of these are from European Union countries , with smaller numbers from the rest of the world, including refugees from the former Yugoslavia and Turks .
Religion
Switzerland has no country-wide
state religion, though most of the
cantons financially support through taxation either the
Roman Catholic Church 
