1984 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1984 (Internet Archive)
Geography
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
Aid
donor — bilateral economic aid committed, ODA and OOF (1970-81), $1.2 billion
Airfields
81 total, 72 usable; 42 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,660 m, 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 14 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Area
41,228 km2; 43% meadow and pasture, 24% forest, 20% waste or urban, 3% inland water
Branches
bicameral parliament (National Council, Council of States) has legislative authority; federal council (Bundesrat) has executive authority; justice left chiefly to cantons
Budget
receipts $9.58 billion, expenditures $10.14 billion, deficit $0.56 billion (1984)
Capital
Bern
Civil air
81 major transport aircraft
CNP
$95.6 billion (1982), $14,270 per capita; 60% consumption, 24% investment, — 12% government, —0.1% net foreign balance; real growth rate —1.7% (1982)
Communists
about 5,000 members
Elections
held every four years; next elections 1987 Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (SPS), Helmut Hubacher, president; Radical Democratic Party (FDP), Yann Richter, president; Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP), Hans Wyer, president; Swiss People's Party (SVP), Fritz Hofmann, chairman; Labor Party (PdA), Armand Magnin, chairman; National Action Party (NA), Hans Zwicky, chairman; Independents' Party (LdU); Republican Movement (Rep); Liberal Party (LPS); Evangelical People's Party (EVP); Maoist Party (POSH/PSA); Green Party (GP); Autonomous Socialist Party (PSA); Progressive Swiss Organization (POS)
Electric power
15,750,000 kW capacity (1983); 52.773 billion kWh produced (1983), 8, 1 65 kWh per capita
Ethnic divisions
total population — 65% German, 18% French, 10% Italian, 1% Romansch, 5% other; Swiss nationals — 74% German, 20% French, 4% Italian, 1% Romansch, 1% other
Exports
$26.01 billion (f.o.b., 1982); principal items — machinery and equipment, chemicals, precision instruments, metal products, textiles, foodstuffs
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
Government leader
Leon SCHLUMPF, President (1984; rotates annually)
Highways
62,145 km total (all paved), of which 18,620 km are canton and 1,057 km are national highways (740 km autobahn); 42,468 km are communal roads
Imports
$28.68 billion (c.i.f., 1982); principal items — machinery and transportation equipment, metals and metal products, foodstuffs, chemicals, textile fibers and yarns
Inland waterways
65 km; Rhine River — Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to Constanz; in addition, there are 12 navigable lakes ranging in size from Lake Geneva to Hallwilersee
Labor force
3.05 million, about 706,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian; 42% services, 39% industry and crafts, 11% government, 7% agriculture and forestry, 1% other; approximately 0.8% unemployed in October
Land boundaries
1,884 km People
Language
total population — 65% German, 18% French, 12% Italian, 1% Romansch, 4% other; Swiss nationals — 74% German, 20% French, 4% Italian, 1% Romansch, 1% other
Legal system
civil law system influenced by customary law; constitution adopted 1874, amended since; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; legal education at Universities of Bern, Geneva, and Lausanne, and four other university schools of law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Literacy
99% •.
Major industries
machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments
Major trade partners
57% EC, 22% other developed, 4% Communist, 15% less developed countries
Member of
ADB, Council of Europe, DAC, EFTA, ELDO (observer), ESRO, FAO, GATT, IAEA, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDE— Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, ILO, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council, OECD, UN (permanent observer), UNESCO, UPU, World Confederation of Labor, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO Economy
Monetary conversion rate
2.15 francs=US$l (third quarter 1983)
National holiday
National Day, 1 August
Nationality
noun — Swiss (sing. & pi.); adjective — Swiss
Official name
Swiss Confederation
Organized labor
20% of labor force Government
Pipelines
314 km crude oil; 1,046km natural gas
Political subdivisions
23 cantons (3 divided into half cantons)
Population
6,477,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 0.2%
Ports
1 major (Basel), 2 minor (all inland)
Railroads
5,157 km total; 2,952 km government owned (SBB), 2,879 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 73 km 1.000-meter narrow gauge; 1,432 km double track, 99% electrified; 2,203 km nongovernment owned, 710 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 1,418 km 1.000-meter gauge, 75 km 0.790-meter gauge, 100% electrified
Religion
49% Catholic, 48% Protestant, 0.3% Jewish
Shortages
practically all important raw materials except hydroelectric energy
Suffrage
universal over age 20
Telecommunications
excellent domestic, international, and broadcast services; 4.61 million telephones (72.5 per 100 popl.); 7 AM, 209 FM, and 1,203 TV stations; 1 satellite station with 2 Atlantic Ocean antennas
Type
federal republic
Voting strength
(1983 election) 23.4% FDP, 22.8% SPS, 20.5% CVP, 1 1 . 1 % SVP, 3.5% NA, 2.9% GP, 16.1% others