1989 Edition

Agriculture

animal husbandry predominates, with milk and dairy products accounting for 37% of farm income; main crops — grains, sugar beets, potatoes; 100% self-sufficient in grains and potatoes, 85% self-sufficient in sugar beets

Aid

donor — ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $7.9 billion

Budget

revenues $58.0 billion; expenditures $57.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY89)

Climate

temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy /snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Coastline

none — landlocked

Comparative area

slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey

Currency

Swedish krona (plural — kroner); 1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 6re

Electricity

39,716,000 kW capacity; 200,315 million kWh produced, 23,840 kWh per capita (1989)

Environment

dominated by Alps

Exchange rates

Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1— 6.1798 (January 1990), 6.4469 (1989), 6.1272 (1988), 6.3404 (1987), 7.1236(1986), 8.6039(1985)

Exports

$52.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities — machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products; partners — EC 52.1%, (FRG 12.1%, UK 11.2%, Denmark 6.8%), US 9.8%, Norway 9.3%

External debt

$17.9 billion (1988)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

GDP

$132.7 billion, per capita $15,700; real growth rate 2.1% (1989 est.)

Imports

$48.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities — machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing; partners— EC 55.8% (FRG 21.2%, UK 8.6%, Denmark 6.6%), US 7.5%, Norway 6.0%

Industrial production

growth rate 3.3% (1989)

Industries

iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.7% (September 1989)

Land boundaries

1,852 km total; Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, FRG 334 km

Land use

10% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 40% meadows and pastures; 26% forest and woodland; 23% other; includes 1% irrigated

Maritime claims

none — landlocked

Natural resources

hydropower potential, timber, salt

Note

landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe

Terrain

mostly mountains (Alps in south. Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Total area

41,290 km2; land area: 39,770 km2

Unemployment rate

1.5% (1989)

Birth rate

12 births/ 1, 000 population (1990)

Death rate

9 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

total population — 65% German, 18% French, 10% Italian, 1% Romansch, 6% other; Swiss nationals — 74% German, 20% French, 4% Italian, 1% Romansch, 1% other

Infant mortality rate

5 deaths/ 1 ,000 live births (1990)

Labor force

3,220,000; 841,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian; 42% services, 39% industry and crafts, 1 1% government, 7% agriculture and forestry, 1% other (1988)

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

Life expectancy at birth

75 years male, 83 years female (1990)

Literacy

99%

Nationality

noun — Swiss (sing. & pi.); adjective — Swiss

Net migration rate

3 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

20% of labor force

Population

6,742,461 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)

Religion

49% Roman Catholic, 48% Protestant, 0.3% Jewish

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/ woman (1990)

Administrative divisions

26 cantons (cantons, singular — canton in French; cantoni, singular — cantone in Italian; kantone, singular— kanton in German); Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, BaselStadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubiinden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich

Capital

Bern

Communists

4,500 members (est.)

Constitution

29 May 1874

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Edouard BRUNNER; Chancery at 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-7900; there are Swiss Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco; US — Ambassador Joseph B. GUILDENHORN; Embassy at Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern; telephone [41] (31) 437011; there is a Branch Office of the Embassy in Geneva and a Consulate General in Zurich

Elections

Council of State — last held throughout 1987 (next to be held NA); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats— (46 total) CVP 19, FDP 14, SPS 5, SVP 4, others 4; National Council — last held 1 8 October 1987 (next to be held October 1991); results—FDP 22.9%, CVP 20.0%, SPS 18.4%, SVP 1 1.0%, GP 4.8%, others 22.9%; seats— (200 total) FDP 51, CVP 42, SPS 41, SVP 25, GP 9, others 32

Executive branch

president, vice president, Federal Council (German — Bundesrat, French — Conseil Federal)

Flag

red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag

Independence

1 August 1291

Judicial branch

Federal Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government— President Arnold ROLLER (1990 calendar year; presidency rotates annually); Vice President Flavio COTTI (term runs concurrently with that of president) Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (SPS), Helmut Hubacher, chairman; Radical Democratic Party (FDP), Bruno Hunziker, president; Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP), Eva SegmiillerWeber, president; Swiss People's Party (SVP), Hans Uhlmann, president; Workers' Party (PdA), Armand Magnin, secretary general; National Action Party (NA), Hans Zwicky, chairman; Independents' Party (LdU), Dr. Franz Jaeger, president; Republican Movement (Rep), Dr. James Schworzenboch, Franz Baumgartner, leaders; Liberal Party (LPS), Gilbert Coutau, president; Evangelical People's Party (EVP), Max Diinki, president; Progressive Organizations of Switzerland (POCH), Georg Degen, secretary; Federation of Ecology Parties (GP), Laurent Rebeaud, president; Autonomous Socialist Party (PSA), Werner Carobbio, secretary

Legal system

civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral Federal Assembly (German — Bundesversammlung, French — Assemblee Federate) consists of an upper council or Council of States (German — Standerat, French — Conseil des Etats) and and a lower council or National Council (German — Nationalrat, French — Conseil National)

Long-form name

Swiss Confederation

Member of

ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDB— InterAmerican Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, ILO, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council, OECD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO; permanent observer status at the UN

National holiday

Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)

Suffrage

universal at age 20

Type

federal republic

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 — ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $2.5 billion

Budget

revenues $17.0 billion; expenditures $16.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)

Currency

Swiss franc, franken, or franco (plural — francs, franken, or franchi); 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi

Electricity

17,710,000 kW capacity; 59,070 million kWh produced, 8,930 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1— 1.5150 (January 1990), 1.6359(1989), 1.4633(1988), 1.4912 (1987), 1.7989 (1986), 2.4571 (1985)

Exports

$51.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— machinery and equipment, precision instruments, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles and clothing; partners — Europe 64% (EC 56%, other 8%), US 9%, Japan 4%

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$1 19.5 billion, per capita $17,800; real growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.)

Imports

$57.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities— agricultural products, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles, construction materials; partners— Europe 79% (EC 72%, other 7%), US 5%

Industrial production

growth rate 7.0% (1988)

Industries

machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.8% (1989 est.)

Overview

Switzerland's economic success is matched in few, if any, other nations. Per capita output, general living standards, education and science, health care, and diet are unsurpassed in Europe. Inflation remains low because of sound government policy and harmonious labormanagement relations. Unemployment is negligible, a marked contrast to the larger economies of Western Europe. This economic stability helps promote the important banking and tourist sectors. Since World War II, Switzerland's economy has adjusted smoothly to the great changes in output and trade patterns in Europe and presumably can adjust to the challenges of the 1990s, in particular, the further economic integration of Western Europe and the amazingly rapid changes in East European political/economic prospects.

Unemployment rate

0.5% (1989 est.)

Airports

259 total, 256 usable; 138 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 91 with runways 1,2202,439 m

Branches

Royal Swedish Army, Royal Swedish Air Force, Royal Swedish Navy

Civil air

65 major transports

Defense expenditures

4.5% billion (1989 est.) 100km chaffhausen Bodensee Sre regional map V

Highways

97,400 km (51,899 km paved, 20,659 km gravel, 24,842 km unimproved earth)

Inland waterways

2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges

Merchant marine

173 ships (1,000 CRT or over) totaling 1,856,217 CRT/ 2,215,659 DWT; includes 9 short-sea passenger, 29 cargo, 3 container, 42 roll-on/ roll-off cargo, 1 1 vehicle carrier, 2 railcar carrier, 27 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 25 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 combination ore/oil, 6 specialized tanker, 12 bulk, 1 combination bulk

Military manpower

males 15-49, 2,133,101; 1,865,526 fit for military service; 56,632 reach military age (19) annually

Pipelines

84 km natural gas

Ports

Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Kalmar, Malmo, Stockholm; numerous secondary and minor ports

Railroads

1 2,000 km total; Swedish State Railways (SJ)— 10,819 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 6,955 km electrified and 1,152 km double track; 182 km 0.891meter gauge; 1 1 7 km rail ferry service; privately owned railways — 511 km 1.435meter standard gauge (332 km electrified); 371 km 0.891 -meter gauge (all electrified)

5,174 km total; 2,971 km are government owned and 2,203 km are nongovernment owned; the government

Telecommunications

excellent domestic and international facilities; 8,200,000 telephones; stations — 4 AM, 56 (320 relays) FM, 1 10 (925 relays) TV; 5 submarine coaxial cables; communication satellite earth stations operating in the INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems Defense Forces