witzerland is the land of lakes and mountains, skiing and sailing, cheese and wine, cowbells and alpenhorns.
Switzerland is located in the heart of Europe, sharing borders with Germany, France, Italy, Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein. The main cities are Zürich (the financial capital), Berne (the federal capital) and Geneva (the international capital). Switzerland was founded more than 700 years ago. Long years of peace have left their mark on the Swiss heritage, history and culture. The Swiss are a friendly and hospitable people, though rather somewhat reserved.
Four main languages are spoken: Swiss-German is spoken by 65% of the population, French, spoken by 18%, predominates in the south-west; Italian, spoken by about 12%, is the language of Ticino ; and Romansh (a Rhaeto - Romanic dialect), spoken by about 1%, is the language of the Grisons in the south-east.
Switzerland has a highly successful economy based on international trade and banking. Switzerland as a tax haven as attracted many international companies and investors. Because of the inflow of the international capital, Switzerland is one of the richest countries world wide.
Facts and Figures
National Name
:
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera/Switzerland
Size
:
Total surface area of 41,290
sq km
Population
:
7,262,372 (19.4% of the population are foreigners)
Capital
:
Berne or Bern
Largest Cities
:
Zurich, Basle, Geneva, Lausanne
Main Religion
:
Roman Catholics (49%) and Protestants (40%)
Monetary Unit
:
Swiss Franc (CHF)
Unemployment
:
3.6%
Inflation
:
0%
Climate
:
Continental Europe
Economy
Switzerland is a prosperous and stable modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP larger than that of the big Western European economies. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safe haven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the anemic economic conditions of Europe, GDP growth dropped in 2001 to about 0.8%, to 0.2% in 2002, and to -0.3% in 2003.
Telecommunications Infrastructure
The Swiss telephone system is run primarly by the state owned Swiss Telecom and is in it´s quality and availability of services and offerings excellent. There are extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks in use.
Important Cities
Zurich
About 1/7th (1,187,600) of the population of Switzerland lives in the canton of Zürich. Zürich was established in 15 B.C. as the Roman customs post Turicum. The 19th century saw the city rise to become the financial and business capital of Switzerland. Zürich and its enchanting surroundings will delight you, with its cobbled streets, alpine panoramas, parks, rivers, mountains and lakes. Zürich (our little big city) has a variety of experiences to offer: street parties, street parades, water sports , in-line skating areas around the lake, outdoor cafes and sports, open air theaters and concerts in the summer; skiing and ice-skating, shows and operas, live concerts and museums, fondues and wine-tasting on boats in the winter.
Zürich today is the financial capital for all investors round the globe. The two big banks UBS and Credit Suisse are located in Zurich. But beside these banking institutions there are a lot of very powerful, very specialized private banks who are focused on large investors. Because of this fact the economy is driven by most part by the financial industry (like funds and private equity) and tourists.
Basel - Basle
Basel is both a frontier town and an important European commercial centre. Situated in the Upper Rhine valley in the heart of the region known as the point where three countries meet, it enjoys close cooperation with neighbouring France and Germany. With nearly 177,000 inhabitants, Basel is Switzerland's second largest city after Zürich.
Basel is a major commercial centre for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries (it is home to world-famous companies such as the Novartis and Roche groups), while banking is also an important activity (Union Bank of Switzerland, the Bank for International Settlements).
Finally, this unique city enjoys a reputation as Switzerland's cultural centre and boasts over thirty museums, numerous art galleries, and a lively contemporary and classical music and drama scene. The Messe Basel exhibition centre is Switzerland's leading venue for trade fairs, congresses and symposiums and is host to major science, computer technology, transportation, watches and jewellery, art, and antique fairs.
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