Switzerland(German Schweiz, French Suisse, Italian Svizzera, Romsh Svizra), the official name is the Swiss Confederation (German Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, French Confédération suisse, Italian Confederazione Svizzera, Romsh Confederaziun svizra) is a state in Western Europe. It borders in the north with Germany, in the south with Italy, in the west with France, in the east with Austria and Liechtenstein. The name comes from the name of one of the three original cantons of Schwyz.
The Latin name for the country of Switzerland is Confoederatio Helvetica, whose abbreviation is found in the abbreviation of the national currency, car license plates and the name of the Swiss Internet domain (.ch). Postage stamps use the Latin name Helvetia, sometimes used in Russian as the name of the country - Helvetia.
The official languages ​​of Switzerland are: German, French, Italian and partly Romansh (the latter only for business communication with native speakers of Romansh). is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Switzerland has been a member of the UN since 2002 and a member of the Schengen Agreement since 2004.

Flag of Switzerland It is a red square panel with a white straight cross in the center, the ends of the crosses of which do not reach the edges of the panel. The crosses are equal in size, and the length of each cross is 1/6 more than its width. The flag was officially approved as the state symbol of Switzerland in 1889. Flag history According to one version, the flag comes from the coat of arms of the canton of Schwyz (one of the three cantons that formed the Swiss Confederation in 1291, together with Uri and Unterwalden). For the first time, a banner of this kind was used at the Battle of Laupen in 1339. Then the crosses of the cross were narrower and reached the edges of the flag, resembling the modern Danish flag. If the colors of the banner have remained unchanged since the time of the Holy Roman Empire, then the shape of the banners has changed over several centuries: the triangular banner of the confederation in the 15th and 16th centuries; a white cross, consisting of 5 identical squares, on a red background in the 19th century; since 1889 (modern form) 5 squares turn into a cross, the crosses of which are the same and 1/6 longer than their width; The color of the flag was officially approved on January 1, 2007, and corresponds to the 485th textile pantone number and is a mixture of purple and yellow. In October 2011, Swiss Muslims called for the removal of the religious symbol from the country's flag as "not in keeping with today's multicultural Switzerland". The historical flag of the Helvetic Republic was proposed as a new alternative.
Red Cross The Red Cross symbol used by the International Committee of the Red Cross comes from the Swiss flag. The red cross on a white background was declared the official symbol of protection by the Geneva Convention of 1864. These colors of the flag (which are only a mirror image of the colors of the flag of Switzerland) were adopted in order to recognize the special merits of the Swiss citizen and founder of the ICRC, Jean Henri Dunant. The form State flag Switzerland in accordance with the standards has a square shape. The trade flag is rectangular. After Switzerland joined the UN in 2002, a myth arose that a rectangular standard for the shape of the flag had supposedly been adopted, in addition to the square one. This was done due to the fact that the rules of this organization regulate rectangular shape flags of the participating countries. This myth is not confirmed by official sources. On the contrary, when Switzerland joined the UN, the latter undertook to observe the square shape of the flag of Switzerland, as the unique shape of the flag of Nepal is respected. It is noteworthy that when a rectangular flag was hoisted in front of the UN headquarters in New York by mistake, official Bern protested and demanded that a square flag be displayed.
Coat of arms of Switzerland - the state symbol of Switzerland, adopted in 1889. It is a red shield with a white cross, which is also on the Swiss flag. Along with the flag, the coat of arms is used as a symbol both at the state level and at the level of the cantons (along with the symbols of the cantons themselves), is used during official visits, events, decorates the buildings of state institutions, etc. Description A shortened silver cross is depicted on the red shield of the coat of arms. The red and white colors symbolize the independence of the country, and the cross reminds that the sovereignty of Switzerland is inviolable. For many centuries, this emblem has remained virtually unchanged.
Story Despite the fact that the coat of arms was officially approved only on December 12, 1889, the history of its origin is rooted in the distant past. A white cross on a red shield first became the hallmark of Swiss archers in 1339 at the Battle of Laupen. In the 11th century, a white cross appears on the combat banners of the Swiss, and since the 16th century this image has been the basis of the coat of arms of the Swiss Confederation. There are several versions of the origin of the cross. It is believed that he is one of the symbols of Saint Mauritius - a saint who lived in the XII-XIII centuries. There is a version that the cross was taken from the military banners of the canton of Bern, which at that time played a leading role in the Confederation. Some believe that the cross is borrowed from the red banner of Schwyz, which depicted a crucifix.

Political structure of Switzerland

Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 20 cantons and 6 half-cantons. There are 2 enclaves in Switzerland: Büsingen belongs to Germany and Campione di Italia belongs to Italy. Until 1848 (except for a short period of the Helvetic Republic), Switzerland was a confederation. Each canton has its own constitution, laws, but their powers are limited by the federal constitution. The federal authorities are in charge of matters of war and peace, foreign relations, the army, railways, communications, money emission, approval of the federal budget, etc.

Legislature - a bicameral Federal Assembly, consisting of the National Council and the Council of Cantons, and in the legislative process, both chambers are equal. The National Council (200 deputies) is elected by the population for 4 years under the proportional representation system. The federal structure of Switzerland was enshrined in the constitutions of 1848, 1874 and 1999. There are 46 deputies in the Council of Cantons, who are elected by the population, in most cantons, according to the majority system of a relative majority in 20 two-mandate and 6 single-mandate districts, that is, 2 people each. from each canton and one from the half-canton for 4 years (in some cantons - for 3 years).
Executive agency - Federal Council (German Bundesrat, French Conseil fédéral, Italian Consiglio federale), consisting of 7 federal councilors (German Bundesrat, French conseiller fédéral, Italian consigliere federale), each of which heads one of the departments (ministries) . Two of the councilors act as president of the confederation (German Bundespräsident, French président de la Confédération, Italian presidente della Confederazione) and vice president, respectively. To manage the apparatus of the Federal Council, there is the position of chancellor (German Bundeskanzler, French chancelier de la Confédération, Italian cancelliere della Confederazione), who has an advisory vote in the Council and is not formally a member of it.
Members of the Federal Council and Chancellor elected at a joint meeting of both houses of parliament for the term of his office, i.e. 4 years. Each year the Parliament appoints the president of the confederation and the vice-president from among the members of the Council, with no right of reappointment for the next year. In practice, federal councilors are almost always re-elected, so that the composition of the Council can remain unchanged for several terms of parliamentary terms, and it is customary for all members of the Council to hold the presidency in turn.

All laws passed by parliament can be approved or rejected in an (optional) popular referendum (direct democracy), for which, after the adoption of the law, 50,000 signatures must be collected within 100 days. Changes to the Constitution or accession to international organizations require confirmation in a (mandatory) popular referendum. All citizens who have reached the age of 18 have the right to vote.

The foundations of the Swiss state were laid in 1291. Until the end of the 18th century, there were no central state bodies in the country, but all-Union councils (Tagsatzung) were periodically convened. In 1798, Switzerland was occupied by France and a French-style constitution was adopted. In 1803, as part of the "Act of Mediation", Napoleon returned independence to Switzerland. The constitution adopted in 1848 provided for the creation of a bicameral federal parliament. In 1874, a constitution was adopted that provided for the introduction of the institution of referendums. In 1971, women received the right to vote. In 1999, a new, thoroughly revised edition of this constitution was adopted.

Composition of the parliament elected in 2003: Swiss People's Party (SNP) - 8 seats in the Council of Cantons and 55 in the National Council, in 2008 the faction includes members of the Civic Party; Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SPS) - 9th and 52nd seats; Radical Democratic Party of Switzerland (Liberals) - 14 and 36 seats; Christian Democratic People's Party - 15 and 28 seats. Composition of the Federal Council: Civic Democratic Party (Bern wing of the SNP) - 1, Swiss People's Party - 1, Social Democratic Party - 2, Radical Democratic Party - 2, Christian Democratic People's Party - 1.

In October 2007, regular parliamentary elections were held in the country, in which the right-wing conservative Swiss People's Party won a major victory, receiving 29% of the vote. The composition of the parliament according to the results of the 2007 elections: the Swiss People's Party - 7 seats in the Council of States and 62 in the National Council; Social Democratic Party of Switzerland - 6th and 43rd seats; Christian Democratic People's Party - 11th and 31st; Radical Democratic Party of Switzerland - 9th and 31st. The People's Party won the largest number of votes in the canton of Schwyz (44.9%) and the smallest in Ticino (8.7%).

Switzerland has a long tradition of political and military neutrality, but takes an active part in international cooperation; the headquarters of many international organizations are located on its territory. There are several points of view regarding the time of the emergence of Swiss neutrality. According to some scholars, Switzerland began to adhere to the status of neutrality after the conclusion of a peace treaty with France on November 29, 1516, in which "perpetual peace" was proclaimed. Subsequently, the Swiss authorities made a number of decisions that moved the country towards the definition of its neutrality. In 1713, the neutrality of Switzerland was recognized by France, Spain, the Netherlands and England, who concluded the Peace of Utrecht. However, in 1803, Switzerland concluded an agreement on a military alliance with Napoleonic France, according to which the country was obliged to provide its territory for military operations, as well as to provide a military contingent for the French army. At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the “perpetual neutrality” of Switzerland was secured. Neutrality was finally confirmed and specified by the Guarantee Act, signed in Paris on November 20, 1815, by Portugal, Prussia, and. On January 22, 1506, the Swiss Guard was founded to protect the head of the Roman Catholic Church and his palace. The total number of the first composition of the Swiss Guard was 150 people.

Legal system

The highest court is the Federal Court (Bundesgericht, Tribunal federal), the courts of appeal are the higher courts (Obergericht), in Geneva - the Chamber of Justice (Justizhof, Cour De Justice), in Basel-Stadt - the courts of appeal (Appellationsgericht), the courts of first instance - district courts (Bezirksgericht), in Lucerne - district courts (Amtsgericht), in the Jura - courts of first instance (Gericht erster Instanz), in Obwalden, Nidwalden, Glarus, Schaffhausen, Zug, Appenzele-Ausserrhoden - cantonal courts (Kantonsgericht), in St. Gallen - county courts (Kreisgericht), the lowest level of the judicial system - world courts (Friedensgerichte) (there are not in all cantons), the highest judicial instance of administrative justice is the Federal Administrative Court (Bundesverwaltungsgericht, Tribunal administratif federal).

Territorial device

Administrative divisions of Switzerland

Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons (20 cantons (Kanton) and 6 semi-cantons), the cantons can be divided into districts (Bezirk), districts into cities and communities (Gemeinde), some communities into urban areas (Stadtkreis).

Each canton has its own constitution and legislation. The legislative bodies of the cantons are cantonal councils (kantonsrat) elected by the population, the executive bodies are the ruling councils (Regierungsrat), consisting of prime ministers (Regierungspräsident) (or land ammans (Landammann)), deputy prime ministers (Regierungsvizepräsident) (or land stadtholders (Landstatthalter)) and government councilors (regierungsrat), elected by the cantonal councils. The legislative bodies of the Roman cantons are large councils (fr. Grand Conseil, it. Gran Consiglio), the executive bodies are state councils (fr. Conseil d'État, it. Consiglio di Stato), consisting of the chairmen of the state council (fr. Président du Conseil d'État, it. Presidente del Consiglio di Stato), deputy chairmen of the Council of State (fr. Vice-président du Conseil d'État, it. Vicepresidente del Consiglio di Stato) and councilors of state (fr. Conseiller d'État, it. Consigliere di Stato). State power is organized in a special way in Appenzell-Innerrhoden: the legislative body is the land community (Landsgemeinde), which includes all voters, the executive body is the cantonal commission (Standes-kommission), consisting of the ruling land amman (Regierender Landammann), helping landamman (Stillstehender Landammann) and government advisers (Regierungsrat). In districts which are headed by a prefect (bezirksamman) appointed by the cantonal council. The representative bodies of cities are community councils (Gemeinderat) elected by the population, the executive bodies are city councils (stadtrat), consisting of city presidents (Stadtpräsident) and city councilors (Stadtrat), elected by community councils. The representative bodies of the communities are community meetings (gemeiendeversammlung), consisting of all residents of the community, the executive bodies of the communities are community councils (gemeinderat), consisting of the community president (Gemeindepräsident) and community councilors (gemeinderat), elected by community meetings.

Geography of Switzerland: mountains, nature, climate

The Swiss Confederation is a state in Central Europe. According to the state structure - a federal republic. The area of ​​the country is 41.3 thousand square meters. km. In the north it borders with Germany, in the west with France, in the south with Italy, in the east with Austria and Liechtenstein. The northern border runs partly along Lake Constance and the Rhine, which starts in the center of the Swiss Alps and forms part of the eastern border. The western border runs along the Jura mountains, the southern - along the Italian Alps and Lake Geneva. The capital of Switzerland is Bern.
Three natural regions are distinguishable on the territory of Switzerland: the Jura mountain range in the northwest, the Swiss plateau (plateau) in the center and the Alps in the southeast.
Switzerland and France, stretching from Geneva to Basel and Schaffhausen. The Swiss Plateau was formed on the site of a trough between the Jura and the Alps, which was filled with loose glacial deposits in the Pleistocene and is currently cut through by numerous rivers. Most of the country's population is concentrated here, large cities and industrial centers are located. The most fertile agricultural lands and pastures are concentrated in the same region.
Almost the entire southern half of Switzerland is occupied by the Alps. The mountains of Switzerland are high, uneven, snow-covered mountains dissected by deep gorges. In the ridge zone - firn fields and glaciers (10% of the country's territory). The highest peaks are Dufour peak (4634 m) in the Monte Rosa massif on the border with Italy, Dom (4545 m), Weisshorn (4505 m), Matterhorn (4477 m), Grand Combin (4314 m), Finsterarhorn (4274 m) and Jungfrau (4158 m).
Climate of Switzerland

Switzerland belongs to the temperate continental climate region. But, speaking about the climate of this country, it should be borne in mind that about 60% of its territory is occupied by mountains, so here you can get from winter to summer in two hours. The Alps are a kind of barrier that prevents the flow of cold arctic masses to the south, and warm subtropical masses to the north. In the northern cantons, winter is mild and lasts about 3 months: from December to February. At that time minimum temperature is -1...-4, maximum +2...+5 degrees. In summer (from June to August) at night it is usually +11...+13 degrees, in the daytime the air warms up to +22...+25 degrees. There is quite a lot of precipitation throughout the year. Their maximum falls on summer period(up to 140 mm per month), at least for the period from January to March (slightly more than 60 mm per month).
In the south, winter temperatures are almost the same, and summer temperatures are higher. The average minimum temperature is +13...+16, the average maximum temperature is +26...+28. There is more rainfall in this area. From March to November, more than 100 mm of precipitation per month falls here, and from June to August this amount approaches 200 mm. The least precipitation falls in January and February (about 60 mm).

The weather in the mountains depends on the altitude of the area. It is snowy in the highlands in winter. The temperature for most of the year (from October to May) is negative both at night and during the day. In the coldest months (January and February) at night the temperature drops to -10...-15, during the day - to -5...-10. It is warmest in July and August (2...7 degrees at night, 5...10 degrees in the daytime). The maximum snow height is observed, as a rule, in early April. At an altitude of 700 meters, it lasts 3 months, 1000 meters - 4.5 months, 2500 meters - 10.5 months.

Water system of Switzerland

The Rhine and its tributary Aare flow through most of Switzerland. The southwestern regions belong to the drainage basin of the Rhone, the southern regions to the Ticino basin and the southeastern regions to the basin of the river. Inn (a tributary of the Danube). The rivers of Switzerland have no navigable value. On the Rhine, navigation is supported only as far as Basel. Many lakes, the most picturesque of them are located along the edges of the Swiss plateau - Geneva, Thun in the south, Firwaldstet, Zurich in the east, Neuchâtel and Biel in the north. Most of these lakes are of glacial origin: they were formed during an era when large glaciers descended from the mountains to the Swiss plateau. South of the axis of the Alps in the canton of Ticino are the lakes of Lugano and Lago Maggiore.
Flora of Switzerland
About 1/4 of the country's territory is covered with forests. The composition of forests depends on the height above sea level. Broad-leaved forests of oak, beech, ash, elm, maple, and linden predominate in the region of the Swiss plateau up to a height of 800 m. Above 1000 m, broad-leaved species remain mainly beech; spruces, pines, firs appear. And starting from a height of 1800 m, the main place is occupied by coniferous forests of spruce, fir, pine and larch. At the highest altitudes (up to 2800 m) there are subalpine and alpine meadows, thickets of rhododendron, azaleas, juniper.

The Swiss Plateau is located in the zone of European broadleaf forests. The predominant species are oak and beech, in places pine is mixed with them. On the southern slope of the Alps, the chestnut tree is typical. Higher up the slopes of the mountains, coniferous forests grow, forming a transitional belt between broad-leaved forests and alpine meadows (at high altitudes). Crocuses and daffodils are typical for alpine flowers in spring, rhododendrons, saxifrage, gentians and edelweiss are typical in summer.
Animal world of Switzerland
The animal world is severely depleted. While the snow partridge and mountain hare are still quite common, such characteristic animals of the upper tiers as roe deer, marmot and chamois are much less common. Great efforts are being made to protect wildlife. in Swiss national park, located near the border with Austria, roe deer and chamois live, less often - alpine mountain goat and fox; there are also white partridge and several species of birds of prey. There are numerous reserves and sanctuaries.
In the mountains there are fox, hare, chamois, marten, alpine marmot, among birds - capercaillie, thrush, swift, snow finch. On the shores of the lakes you can meet gulls, and in the lakes - trout, char, whitefish, grayling.

Economy and industry of Switzerland

Economy of Switzerland

The Swiss economy is one of the most stable in the world. The ongoing policy of long-term monetary security and banking secrecy has made Switzerland the place where investors are most confident in the safety of their funds, as a result of which the country's economy is becoming increasingly dependent on constant inflows of foreign investment. Due to the small territory of the country and the high specialization of labor, the key economic resources for Switzerland are industry and trade, and the fact that the Swiss Confederation is included in the list of offshore zones is of no small economic importance.
Switzerland is poor natural resources except for hydropower. Nevertheless, it is a prosperous country, in many respects the richest in Europe, primarily due to the high development of manufacturing and services (tourism is especially important). During the period 1950-1990, the economy developed steadily, unemployment was kept low, inflation was kept in check by the Swiss National Bank, and the downturns in business activity were short-lived.
The economic recession that engulfed most of Europe in the early 1990s also affected Switzerland: unemployment reached its highest level since 1939, and inflation rose. Nevertheless, the standard of living in the country remained still very high. In 1997, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Switzerland was nominally estimated at 365 billion Swiss francs, in reality - at 316 billion. In per capita terms - 51.4 thousand Swiss francs (nominally) and 44.5 thousand (real).
The population of the country is 6.99 million. The urban population is about 75%. The state belongs to countries with low natural growth (up to 10 people per 1000 inhabitants per year). Over the past two decades, the birth rate has been declining, but at the same time, the death rate has also been declining. Therefore, all the same, there was a natural increase in the population.

Swiss industry

The high standard of living of the Swiss population was achieved thanks to the large-scale development of various industries. The Swiss watch industry has won world fame, concentrated mainly in the western part of the country (La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel, Geneva) and Schaffhausen, Thun, Bern and Olten. In the 1970s, due to competition from East Asian countries, this sector of the Swiss economy experienced a severe crisis, but in the 1980s it was overcome by the production of inexpensive electronic watches.
The Swiss industry does not have its own raw materials, the mountains here are poor in minerals. But in the Alps, cheap electricity is generated at numerous hydroelectric power stations. Industry and railways run on electricity.
The greatest development in Switzerland has been in those branches of industry which require comparatively little raw material and much highly skilled labour. In addition to watches, textile and printing machines, measuring instruments, internal combustion engines, turbines, electric motors, electric locomotives, motorcycles, and pharmaceutical products are produced here. Lots of textile factories. In the metallurgical industry, mainly aluminum production is developed.

The textile industry, the oldest in the country, was for many years the most important industry. However, during World War II there was a shift in favor of metallurgy and chemical industry, and during the 1980s, the production of machinery and equipment developed rapidly. In the 1990s, the production of chemical products and medicines, scientific and measuring instruments, optical instruments, machine tools and foodstuffs, especially cheese and chocolate. Footwear, paper, leather and rubber products stood out among other industrial products.
Most of the Swiss industry consists of large multinational companies that successfully operate in the global market and, importantly, occupy one of the leading positions. For example, these are the Nestle concerns ( food products, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, baby food), Novartis and Hoffmann-la-Roche (chemical and pharmaceutical products), Alusuiss (aluminum), the Swedish-Swiss concern ABB - Acea Brown Boveri (electrical engineering and turbine building ). And, of course, Switzerland is considered the #1 watch factory in the world. It is in Switzerland that such famous and elite watch brands as Patek Philippe, Breguet or Longines are produced.
Near many villages at a distance, in a meadow or at the edge of a forest, you can see small factories and factories: cheese, butter, condensed milk, sawmills and cement; in the eastern and northern cantons - textile, in the west - in the mountains of the Jura, in Geneva and near it - watch factories. There are more than two and a half thousand watch factories and plants in Switzerland. They produce up to 40 million watch movements a year and export watches to many countries of the world.
Swiss watchmakers create the most precise mechanisms: watches that are not afraid of water, self-winding chronometers, watches that fit in a ring or brooch, watches with music. There are watches whose dial lies like a small crystal lake, and the hands are the oars of a tiny boat floating in the middle. There is a clock - a shepherd's hut and a girl on a swing near it, a globe clock and many others.
Foreign trade of Switzerland

Switzerland's highly developed foreign trade is based on exports industrial products such as machinery, watches, medicines, electronic equipment, chemical products and clothing. In 1991, the share of manufacturing products accounted for approx. 90% of the country's export earnings. Export structure in 1997: 20% - machinery and equipment; 9% - electrical machinery and equipment; 9% - products of organic chemistry; 9% - pharmaceutical products; 6% - precision instruments and watches, 6% - precious metals, 4% - artificial materials.
The Swiss foreign trade balance usually had a deficit, which was traditionally covered by the import of foreign capital, income from the export of capital, income from foreign tourism, insurance and transportation. In the mid-1990s, improved imports led to a slight trade surplus for the first time: in 1997, exports were valued at CHF 105.1 billion and imports at CHF 103.1 billion.
The leading foreign trade partners of Switzerland are Germany, USA, Italy, France and Great Britain. Switzerland was one of the founding countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1959, in 1972 Swiss voters approved a free trade agreement with the European Economic Community (now the European Union, EU), in 1977 all duties on industrial products.
In 1992, Switzerland applied for EU membership, but later that year Swiss voters voted against the country's accession to the European Economic Area (EEA). This project was aimed at facilitating free movement work force, goods, services and capital in 7 EFTA countries and 12 EU countries. After that, Switzerland concluded an agreement with the EU on limited participation in the EEA; as a result, Switzerland has reduced duties on goods transported through its territory by EU member states.
Agriculture in Switzerland

Swiss agriculture is one of the most subsidized in the world. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Switzerland subsidizes more than 70% of its agriculture, compared to 35% in the EU. In accordance with the Agricultural Program, adopted by the country's parliament in 2007, the amount of subsidies to agriculture is increased by 63 million to 14.092 billion Swiss francs. In addition, Switzerland's agriculture is protected by a system of protectionist barriers.

About 12% of the area of ​​Switzerland is used for arable land and another 28% for extensive cattle breeding and dairy production. Approximately one third of the country's territory is occupied by unproductive lands (at least unsuitable for agriculture), especially in the cantons of Uri, Valais and Grisons, and a quarter is covered with forests. Not surprisingly, 40% of food products have to be imported. At the same time, Switzerland provides itself with wheat, meat and dairy products are produced in excess.
The main centers of agriculture are concentrated in the cantons of Bern, Vaud, Zurich, Friborg and Aargau. The main crops are wheat, potatoes and sugar beets. In 1996, there were 1,772,000 cattle in the country (of which about 40% were dairy cows), 1,580,000 pigs, 442,000 sheep and 52,000 goats. A large timber processing industry works for the domestic and foreign markets. In recent years, however, Switzerland's forests have been hit hard by air pollution, forcing the government to impose strict controls on car exhaust emissions.
Swiss Transport Switzerland

The country's position at the crossroads of many European roads, the country's mountainous terrain, the need to ensure the uninterrupted transfer of goods imported and exported by Switzerland - all this played a big role in the development of transport. total length over 5,000 km of railways, all electrified; 18.4 thousand km of main roads, 58 km of cable cars, 724 km of overhead roads. Railways account for the bulk of traffic. The country's most important railway line, Basel-Zurich-Bern-Lausanne-Geneva, passes through the main industrial regions and major cities.
Although Switzerland is landlocked, it has maritime merchant ships. Only pleasure boats ply on inland waters. Navigation is carried out along the river. Rhine. The main port of the country is Basel. The mountainous relief of the country explains the large number of cog-rope and cable-suspension roads. Thanks to them, a large number of people can get to those peaks that are accessible only to professional climbers. The highest railway station is located almost at around 4 km above sea level.

Leisure and tourism in Switzerland

Time

Switzerland is in the UTC+1 (Central European Time) time zone and switches to daylight saving time with most European countries on the last Sunday in March at 02:00, back to standard time on the last Sunday in October at 03:00.
The delay from Moscow time is two hours in summer and three hours in winter. Sunrise in winter at 09:02 and sunset at 18:24. Sunrise in summer at 06:02 and sunset at 21:11.

Population

About 8 million people live in Switzerland, but only 130 thousand people live in the capital.
The national composition of the country is very heterogeneous, mainly consists of four communities: German-Swiss (4.3 million), French-Swiss (1.3 million), Italian-Swiss (200 thousand), Romansh. In addition to these indigenous people, Italians, Germans, Spaniards, French and representatives of other nationalities live there.

Customs

Items for personal use, including gifts, up to a maximum of CHF 200 can be brought into Switzerland duty-free.
From a European country, you can import some goods duty-free, information about the restrictions on their volumes:
- tobacco products: 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 100 cigarillos, 250 gr. tobacco products;
- alcohol: 2 liters of wine, 1 liter of spirits;
- perfumery: 50 ml of perfume, 250 ml of eau de toilette.
Import and export of any currency, both foreign and national, is not limited in any way.

Visa

Switzerland is part of the Schengen area. Accordingly, in order to enter the country, you must have either a Schengen visa or a national Swiss one.
Due to some bureaucratic delays, a Swiss visa is not issued very quickly, and besides, you have to wait in line to apply.

healthcare

The quality of medical care in Switzerland is at a very high level, thanks to which medical tourism is actively developing here, which wealthy foreigners sometimes combine with business trips and holidays abroad. To visit the country it is necessary (mandatory) to have a valid health insurance. Residents of Switzerland themselves receive medical services also through insurance. Without it, all services are paid in cash and at very high prices. For example, hospitalization may require up to several thousand US dollars. There are no special conditions for the Russians.

Behavior rules

The inhabitants of Switzerland are quite reserved and polite, often even reserved, especially when it comes to family. They don't like being compared to the Germans.

The Swiss are residents of a multicultural country, coexisting with other nationalities for centuries. No wonder tolerance is in their blood. Their respect for the rights of other people, including their own, is also clearly visible, for example, crossing the boundaries of private property is considered a very indecent act. And for smoking on the balcony, the neighbors, who have polluted the air in the house because of this, can call the police, and they will really come. In general, the Swiss are very law-abiding, punctual and do not waste words.
There are no clothing restrictions in Switzerland. Of course, you will have to come to official receptions in a suit, the rest of the time everyone dresses as they want. The peculiarity of the Swiss: the visible high cost and fashionability of clothing is highly valued, as well as neatness and accuracy.
Tips are most often included in the bill by default, so you rarely have to pay them separately. However, it is customary to give waiters up to 5% of the bill, in addition, a small amount (1-2 euros) can be paid for services that are not included in the bill - maids and porters.

Attractions

When people think of Switzerland, “watches”, “chocolate”, “cans” and “cheese” come to mind first. But not only these unconditionally useful and good things famous for Switzerland. It is rich in many natural, cultural and architectural attractions. A tourist who wants to feel both summer and winter in a few days and in one country should go to Switzerland.
On the territory of the country there are 10 attractions that UNESCO considers to be world heritage sites: the city of Bern, Bellinzona castles, Lavoe vineyards and others. Beautiful mountain landscapes amaze with their glaciers, mountains and lakes.
Across the country, different civilizations have left their traces: an amphitheater for 10,000 spectators in Nyon and Avenches; architectural monuments of the Gothic, Romanesque and Renaissance styles in Geneva, Basil and Lausanne; the monasteries of Einsiedeln, Engelbern; the churches of Kreuzlingen and Arlesheim. Ten kilometers to the southwest rises Mount Pilatus with a height of 2120 meters. North and south converge at this point, Mittelland and Urschweiz. A tourist should take as a souvenir a guide to the most interesting sights of this amazing multicultural country.

Holidays

Information about major holidays in the Czech Republic:
January 1 - New Year
January 2 - St. Berthold's Day, is considered the day of the founding of the country's capital - Bern
March 28 - Good Friday
The first Sunday and Monday after the spring equinox - Easter and Easter Monday
May 10 - Mother's Day
May 8-12 - Ascension
May 18-19 - Trinity and Spirits day
June 11 - Feast of the Lord's Corpus (Corpus Christi)
August 1 - Swiss Confederation Day
September 26 - Harvest Day
December 12 - Swiss Flag Day
December 25 - Christmas

In Switzerland, where 4 titular nations live, a very large number of holidays and events are held - business, sports, cultural.
In the spring, the Swiss say goodbye to the winter and, on this occasion, hold carnivals with costume processions around the city, and in each city at its own time (in February, March, April). Somewhere it is supplemented by exhibitions and competitions, somewhere - guild parades and burning of a stuffed snowman.
At the beginning of summer, small tourists will especially like it in Switzerland, because many children's festivals take place here. For almost two centuries, the St. Gallen parade has been held every 2 years.
The day the prototype of the modern Confederation was created - August 1 - is celebrated with numerous events from concerts to parades, from bonfires to fireworks.
Preparing for Christmas in Switzerland begins from the first week of December, entertainment and festive events are held almost daily. This is where the Christmas holiday can stretch for a whole holiday.

Traditional cuisine

Traditional Swiss cuisine is in many ways similar to the cuisines of neighboring countries, but still it has its own zest. Along with dishes that are clearly borrowed from the Germans, French and Italians, there are purely national ones - for example, fondue and raclette, as well as Alpine pasta.
Meat dishes are very tender and original: Zurich-style veal with potatoes, perch fillet with almonds for garnish. There are many different soups in Swiss cuisine, of which you should definitely try barley soup with smoked meats.
Stunning Swiss wines complement the traditional dinner.
A distinctive feature of Swiss food is the highest quality and environmental friendliness, here it is in the order of things. But the prices for them here are almost the highest in Europe. Food in restaurants is really expensive, but even in cafes you won’t be able to save much.

Airports

Information about international airports in Switzerland:
Zurich Airport is the main and largest airport in Switzerland.
Bern Belp Airport is an airport in the state capital, Bern.
Geneva Airport (Geneva International Airport, aka Cointrin Airport).
Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Airport (aka EuroAirport).

Transport

The transport network in Switzerland is quite developed, and local railways are almost the best in the world, both in terms of reliability and comfort. There are also private railways in this country, mainly in the mountains. Tourists will certainly want to ride on these panoramic trains. They are intended for those who wish to see the Alpine mountains, meadows, vineyards and glaciers. Some routes are free with some types of passes, others are cheaper due to a discount when presenting a pass, others are very expensive to maintain and therefore expensive for tourists.
Swiss precision is also evident in the work of Swiss transport, which runs exactly on schedule.
There are few bus routes, and they are mostly suburban. Their main task is to deliver people to railway stations. At the same time, the roads in the country are excellent, it is very pleasant to travel here by your own transport, especially if you forget about the sometimes difficult mountainous terrain.
Public urban transport in Switzerland: buses, trolleybuses, trams.
You can also travel around the city by taxi, but this is not at all a cheap pleasure. As in many other areas of life related to tourism and recreation, the cost of travel in Switzerland for all modes of transport is one of the highest in Europe.

Sport

Skiing and mountaineering are very popular in Switzerland. Places like Davos, St. Moritz and Zermatt are some of the best ski centers in the world. Excellent conditions, snow, wide slopes, breathtaking landscapes and, above all, the Swiss quality of service are just a few of the reasons that make Switzerland one of the best destinations. winter holiday in the world. Swiss Simon Amman is a four-time Olympic champion in ski jumping.
Switzerland is an ideal country for hiking. The diverse landscape ensures that everyone will find hiking trails according to their ability and desire. There is an extensive network of over 180 routes.
Switzerland is a country of bicycles. Here it is more than just an activity, it is a healthy way to enjoy the magic of nature. The country has 3,300 kilometers of cycling routes, ideal for all levels of difficulty. The Veloland Schweiz project, which was launched in 1998, is a network of nine national cycle routes. In some cities in Switzerland, there is a program whereby a bicycle can be rented for free against some cash deposit or document.
The landscape of Switzerland is perfect for rock climbing.

Swiss Armed Forces

The armed forces consist of the ground forces and the air force. Ground troops consist of 9 combat brigades (2 tank, 4 infantry and 3 alpine (mountain infantry)), as well as auxiliary brigades and formations, training formations. The Swiss Air Force includes fighter squadrons, helicopter formations, ground defense formations, air bases and maintenance personnel.
The Swiss armed forces are organized on the basis of a mixed army-militia principle. Service in the armed forces is compulsory for all male citizens and is usually 260 days spread over 10 years.

Military budget $2.7 billion (2001).
The regular armed forces are about 5,000 people (only personnel).
The reserve is about 240,200 people.
Paramilitary forces: civil defense forces - 280,000 people. By tradition, the Swiss have the right to keep military weapons at home.
Acquisition: by conscription and on a professional basis.
Service life: 18-21 weeks (ages 19-20), then 10 refresher courses of 3 weeks (20-42).
Mob. resources of 2.1 million people, including 1.7 million fit for military service.

Ground troops
With the mobilization of 320,600 people, 9 brigades (tank - 2, mountain infantry (alpine) - 3, infantry - 4).
Armament of the ground forces:

370 Leopard 2 tanks,
319 BRM,
435 infantry fighting vehicles,
1180 armored personnel carrier,
558 155mm self-propelled howitzers,
1758 mortars of caliber 81 and 120 mm,
3063 ATGM launchers (of which 303 are SPUTOU-2),
MANPADS "Stinger",
12 512 grenade launchers,
60 Aluett-3 helicopters,
11 PCA.

Swiss media

Switzerland, despite the extreme limitations of its national market, has a well-developed network of electronic and "paper" media.

Newspapers

The development of the modern newspaper market in Switzerland begins under the influence of the Reformation. In 1610, the first regular Swiss newspaper, the Ordinari-Zeitung, was published in Basel. In 1620, newspapers began to appear in Zurich, one of them, the Ordinari-Wohenzeitung, is considered the immediate predecessor of the unofficial "main" newspaper of the country, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. In 1827, 27 newspapers were published in Switzerland. When, after the revolutionary events of 1830, censorship was abolished, the number of publications began to grow rapidly, and by 1857 there were already 180 newspapers in the Confederation. The largest number newspapers in Switzerland came out in the 30s of the XX century (more than 400). Then their number begins to decline, and this process continues to this day.
The first all-Swiss supra-regional newspaper, the Schweitzer Zeitung, began publication in 1842 in the city of St. Gallen. A feature of the Swiss press landscape at that time was the fact of a rigid ideological division of newspapers - Catholic-conservative newspapers were opposed by liberal-progressive publications. In 1893, the newspaper ["Tages-Anzeiger"], the first "non-partisan" (and in this sense "independent") newspaper, began to appear in Zurich.
In 1850, with the formation of the newspaper Der Bund, the first newspaper with a regular professional editorship appeared in Switzerland. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (it celebrated its 225th anniversary in January 2005) was the first newspaper to establish specialized departments within its editorial office dealing with specific topics (politics, economics, culture, etc.).
Today, Switzerland is one of the first places in the world in terms of the number of printed periodicals per capita. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the nearly 200 main Swiss daily newspapers (their total circulation is about 3.5 million copies) are characterized by a pronounced “provincialism” and a focus mainly on local events.
Of the German-language leading newspapers in Switzerland today, the tabloid newspaper Bleek (275 thousand copies), published in Zurich, the well-informed Tages Anzeiger (259 thousand copies, there is a correspondent in Moscow) and Neue Zürcher Zeitung ( 139 thousand copies). Among the French speakers, the boulevard Matin (187,000 copies), Le Tan (97,000 copies), Van Quatre-er (97,000 copies), Tribune de Geneve (65,000 copies) are in the lead. . copies), among the Italian-speaking - "Corriere del Ticino" (24 thousand copies).
A relatively significant segment of the market is occupied by tabloid free "transport newspapers" (distributed mainly at public transport stops) "20 minutes" (about 100 thousand copies) and "Metropol" (130 thousand copies), as well as advertising and corporate publications "COOP-Zeitung" (almost 1.5 million copies) and "Vir Brückenbauer" (1.3 million copies). There are no informational and analytical sections in these newspapers.

Most of the major Swiss federal newspapers are steadily reducing their official circulation. It should be noted that the circulation of Blick, the largest Swiss tabloid newspaper, has declined. In 2004, its circulation was approximately 275 thousand copies. The informed newspaper Der Bund, which is published in the Bernese agglomeration and in some neighboring cities, currently sells a little more than 60,000 copies a day. The situation on the market of Sunday newspapers looks similar. The circulation of the popular newspaper Sonntagszeitung has fallen by 8.6% over the past three years and currently stands at 202 thousand copies, while the number of copies of the newspaper Sonntagsblick has decreased over the same time to 312 thousand copies.

Only the popular Bernese newspaper Berner Zeitung (its circulation is 163 thousand copies) and the illustrated tabloid magazine Schweitzer Illustrirte, which is in great demand (255.7 thousand copies), were able to maintain their positions, and this against the background of the fact that that the main news magazine of Switzerland "Facts" reduced its circulation, dropping to the level of 80 thousand copies. These tendencies are connected, first of all, with the continuing decrease in the number of published advertisements and with the growing popularity of the “Internet press”. In July 2007, Facts magazine ceased to exist.

The unfavorable conditions for the development of the media in Switzerland lead not only to a reduction in circulation, but also to the need for "structural reductions". So, in 2003, the Moscow office of the Swiss television company SF-DRS was closed (except for the correspondent of the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, only a representative of the Swiss "German-language" radio DRS remained in Moscow). The provision of information from Russia will now be carried out following the example of many Swiss newspapers, which engage Moscow correspondents of newspapers from other German-speaking countries, primarily the FRG, to write materials. As for the SF-1 TV channel itself, it will now receive the “Russian picture” with the help of the Austrian ORF TV channel.

A television

The Swiss television market is controlled by the Swiss Society for Broadcasting and Television (SHORT), founded in 1931. Radio and television broadcasts are conducted in German (in fact, almost 80% of "German-language" television is produced in dialects that are very different from the "literary" German language), French and Italian (in the canton of Graubünden - also in Romansh) languages. Being in the form of a joint-stock company, "SHORT", however, like many Swiss joint-stock formations in other sectors of the economy, in fact, is a state structure that receives subsidies from the state.
This kind of subsidy is officially justified by the need to support the "obviously unprofitable system of" four-language "national television broadcasting", especially given the fact that TV channels from its neighboring countries, primarily Germany, as well as France and Italy, are freely received in Switzerland. If in 2000 SHORT earned a profit of 24.5 million Swiss francs on its own. francs, then already in 2002 its losses amounted to 4.4 million Swiss francs. francs. Both the unfavorable economic situation in the country and the lack of advertising, as well as the growth in the number of categories of television signal consumers exempted from the subscription fee, led to this result. In this regard, in 2004 the state was forced to allocate more than 30 million Swiss francs to support SHORT. francs.
The Swiss TV channels "SF-1" and "SF-2" (produced by the state broadcaster "SF-DRS", which is part of "SHORT") devote "prime time" mainly to programs of a sports and socio-political nature, therefore their "entertainment needs" the Swiss viewer satisfies, as a rule, with the help of foreign broadcasters. As for private television broadcasting, unlike private radio broadcasting, it has not yet been able to gain a foothold in Switzerland as a real alternative to state television.

Private TV channels "TV-3" and "Tele-24", which won almost 3% of the Swiss TV audience, failed to reach the level of market self-sufficiency and their work was terminated in 2002. At the beginning of November 2003, another attempt was made to establish private television in Switzerland. The Federal Council (government of the country) issued an appropriate license to the U-1 TV channel. The license is issued for 10 years and gives the right to nationwide broadcasting of "German-language" programs. By the beginning of 2005, the channel had not succeeded in winning any significant niche in the Swiss electronic media market.

The reason why Switzerland is still a very difficult market for private broadcasters is primarily due to the unfavorable legal framework conditions. Another reason is the relatively small percentage of advertisements placed on television in Switzerland. If in Germany almost 45% of all advertising in the country is placed on TV, then in Switzerland this figure is only 18.1% (newspapers account for 43% of all advertising in the Confederation).

Switzerland is undoubtedly one of the smallest federal states in existence. For example, the United States is 227 times larger than Switzerland. Switzerland has a population of approximately 6.3 million. However, Switzerland is divided into 26 cantons, each of which is a state with sovereign jurisdiction. The canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden has only 14,000 inhabitants. It has fewer residents than civil servants in the city of Zurich. But these small democracies can thrive in today's high-tech and superpower environment, where the economy requires large territories and large markets.

Historically, Switzerland as a country emerged on the site of a traditional confederation of old medieval states. Although institutionally Switzerland became a federal state, it is still called a Confederation. The reason for this confusion lies in the peculiarities of the translation. Switzerland is called "Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft" in German. The German word "Eidgenossenschaft" does not translate into French, Italian, or even English languages. This German word literally means that Switzerland is a country based on the agreement of "sworn".

Each subject of the Swiss Confederation has its own constitution, legislature and government, but their rights are limited by the federal Constitution: according to Art. 3 of the Constitution, the cantons are sovereign to the extent that their sovereignty is not limited by the federal Constitution. Taking into account all these circumstances, the researchers point out that Switzerland is divided into 26 cantons, each of which "is a state with sovereign jurisdiction" of the Constitution of European States: V.3 // Ed. Okunkova L.A. M., 2001. S. 540..

At the federal level, the autonomy of the cantons is protected not only by the Constitution, but also by political practice, often going beyond the existing legal framework, but ultimately receiving institutional implementation.

Switzerland is a "variegated" ethno-national country, consisting of four main ethnic groups: German - 65%; French - 18%; Italian - 10%; Romansh - 1% (represented by Swiss romances). In accordance with the Constitution, all these groups are equal in rights and all four languages ​​are state languages ​​(however, Romansh is a "limited" state language, that is, not all official documents published in that language). The linguistic composition of the population is as follows: German (63.7%), French (19.2%), Italian (7.6%), Romansh (0.6%). Approximately 1 million foreign non-citizens live in Switzerland (about 6% of the population belong to ethnic groups other than those listed). Catholicism and Protestantism are professed by an approximately equal number of Swiss (other cults and religions account for 5% of total number residents of the country).

The Swiss federal experience is unique: it goes beyond classical American or Canadian federalism. The Swiss federal structure is often characterized in terms of divided (or limited) sovereignty. According to the Constitution, individual cantons also act as sovereigns - along with the entire Swiss people as a whole. The cantons are sovereign in that they are founders of themselves and co-founders of a single state. But the state is also affirmed by the entire Swiss people as a whole, and this whole is also sovereign. Thus, the people of Switzerland and the citizens of the cantons "share" sovereignty. In institutional and functional terms, this is reflected in the autonomous powers of both the central government and the authorities of the cantons.

In addition to the Swiss principle that each cantonal majority must reckon with the same right of local (communal or municipal) minorities, the Swiss model also has other institutions for maintaining unity at the federal level. The federal government leaves in its exclusive legislative competence the spheres of foreign policy and defense, financial system, civil and criminal law, patent law, transport, mail, social insurance, nuclear energy. The highest authority, confirming changes in the constitutions of the cantons, which are obliged to comply with federal laws, is the Federal Assembly.

The highest body of executive power is the Federal Council. Seven of its members are elected for a four-year term at a joint session of both houses of the Federal Assembly. When forming the Federal Council, the election of two people from the same canton is excluded. In December of each year, the Federal Assembly elects from among the members of the Federal Council the Federal President and his deputy for a period of one year. The Federal President performs the function of head of state, but has very limited powers, being "first among equals" in the Federal Council. The government is accountable to the Federal Assembly, but the latter does not have the power to dissolve or dismiss the Federal Council. In turn, the Federal Council also cannot dissolve Parliament.

Members of the Federal Supreme Court and the Federal Insurance Court are elected from the lower house of parliament.

It is believed that the judicial system of the country operates mainly at the cantonal level. Each canton has a court of appeal, a court of cassation, a general civil court and a criminal court.

The supreme legislative body of Switzerland is the Federal Assembly, which consists of two equal chambers - the National Council and the Council of Cantons.

The lower house of parliament - the National Council - consists of 200 deputies elected for a four-year term in direct elections under the proportional system.

The upper house of parliament - the Council of Cantons - consists of 46 people (two deputies from each canton; in the divided cantons, one deputy from each half-canton), elected on the basis of cantonal laws, which differ significantly from canton to canton.

Legislative acts approved by both houses of parliament cannot be vetoed by the executive branch. Such laws also cannot be challenged in court. A feature of the legislative process in Switzerland is the introduction of constitutional amendments or additions based on the results of referendums, which are considered the most effective way to influence legislative decisions, provided for by the Constitution of the country. 50 thousand citizens may demand a referendum on the decision of the Federal Assembly. Thus, the Swiss political tradition favors popular initiatives and referendums. According to the Swiss themselves, in a system where power is transferred to the cantons and communes, the principles of representative democracy play a secondary role. At the cantonal level, legislative power is exercised by the Grand Council or the Council of the Canton, or the Council of the Land.

Executive power is the prerogative of the canton government, which is headed by a chairman elected by local legislators for one year (this position is called differently in different cantons). In the smaller cantons (the semi-cantons of Appenzell and Unterwalden, Glarus) elections are not held; general assemblies of citizens take decisions by simple voting.

The cantons are deprived of the right to freely secede from the federation, although there is no provision in the Constitution to regulate this issue. According to Art. 6 of the Constitution, the cantons must obtain approval (guarantees) from the federation for their constitutions. Federal laws provide for measures to ensure these guarantees, including measures of federal intervention - the withdrawal of subsidies, the use of military force, which has not been used since 1847.

At the same time, the political autonomy of the cantons is revealed in the fulfillment of its obligations, since the federal government does not have executive structures for the direct implementation of federal laws. Their introduction and execution is the function of the cantonal authorities. In this regard, the cantons retain a certain residual autonomy even in the sphere of the exclusive competence of the federation. Cantons cannot organize themselves in the manner of a monarchy. Their government system must be either Republican or Democratic. However, they can copy the Westminster model, the American or even the French presidential system. However, none of the cantons used these opportunities. So the cantonal systems somehow changed the system of the federal government, the only government in the world that copied the directive system of the second French Republic of 1795. Encyclopedia: Federalism. // Ed. IN AND. Kovalenko. M., 2000. S. 374

The institutions of local self-government in Switzerland are represented by communes (municipalities), that is, a form of self-organization that allows the most effective balancing of the interests of cantons and citizens. The latter are given ample opportunity to make decisions at the lowest level. The role of the communes (there are more than three thousand of them) in the political process is so significant that the Swiss federal model is sometimes called communal federalism. Gradually there is an increase in the number of local communities due to fragmentation and the formation of new communes. Approximately half of the communes have no more than 500 people. In some cantons, communes are grouped into districts. The degree of autonomy of the communes varies and is regulated by cantonal constitutions. However, some inalienable rights are assigned to them: to unite with another commune, non-interference from above, if the federal or cantonal Constitution is not violated, determination of the management structure within the framework of cantonal legislation, freedom of action within the framework of powers that are not within the competence of the cantonal or federal level of government.

It is advisable to dwell on such unique feature Switzerland as an institution of dual (sometimes triple) citizenship, providing for the granting of federal citizenship to non-citizens only after obtaining municipal (communal) and then cantonal citizenship.

It is of fundamental importance that the Swiss Constitution begins with the words: “We, the people of Switzerland and the cantons”, which gives reason to speak, as already emphasized above, about the special principle of sovereignty, as well as a kind of cantonal and communal loyalty, organically supplemented by loyalty to the federation as a whole. . Constitutions of European States: V.3 // Ed. Okunkova L.A. M., 2001. S. 531.

It is necessary to emphasize the nature of the political culture of the Swiss, which largely determines the appearance of this country. As Daniel Eleiser argued, despite the many dividing lines, Swiss political culture is federalist in all its manifestations (including institutional ones), especially in the organization of civil society cells in the ability to create consultative mechanisms with the aim of making decisions based on consensus. According to this researcher, the covenant lineage of Swiss federalism is manifested at least in the fact that the German-speaking Swiss still call the federation "Eidgenossenschaft", which can be translated as "an association (Genossenschaft) sealed by a special obligation in the form of a mutual oath (Eid)", and Swiss citizen - "Eidgenosse", which means a participant in an agreement, a comrade bound by an oath. Eleizer D.J. Comparative federalism // Polis. 1995. No. 5. S. 106--115.

Common sense, moderate conservatism and tolerance are manifested at all levels of government and in all spheres of life in Switzerland. For many years, according to an unwritten rule, the federal government has included two representatives of the Radical Democratic Party, the Christian Democratic People's Party, the Social Democratic Party and one representative of the Swiss People's Party, which allows maintaining a political balance in society. So we can say that a four-party coalition dominates in multi-party Switzerland.

The party system contributes to compliance with agreements on the party composition of the federal council and other federal authorities. Unlike most other federations, in Switzerland the organizational centers of the parties are dispersed among the cantons, i.e., geographical divisions within parties play a more important role than ideological differences between different parties. As a result, in federal elections, the main struggle takes place directly in the cantons.

The principle of separation of powers applies not only to the Federal Council, but also to other federal structures, as well as to all levels of government. Various segments of society (national communities, confessional and linguistic groups) are considered as partners in the political process. With this principle in mind, the Swiss Federal Postal Service, for example, is headed by three directors, each of whom belongs to a particular language group.

Although Art. 3 and 5 of the Constitution proclaim the sovereignty of the cantons, they are not independent in external relations. According to Art. 8 of the Constitution, the conclusion of alliances and treaties is the exclusive right of the Swiss Confederation, but - as an exception - article 9 gives the cantons "the right to conclude agreements in the field of economic relations of the public sector, regulation of relations with neighbors and police cooperation, provided that they are not in which they do not conflict with the Confederation or the rights of other cantons." In practical terms, the cantons have only parallel and subordinate powers, as stipulated in Art. 10 of the Constitution: “For the purposes of good neighborliness, the cantons may directly establish relations with the authorities and officials corresponding to them in terms of level,” however, this right, as follows from Art. 9 must not be used "to the detriment of the Confederation or the rights of other cantons". Constitutions of European States: V.3 // Ed. Okunkova L.A. M., 2001. pp. 531-540.

Switzerland is in many ways a potentially highly conflicted country. Therefore, procedures that help maintain peace in society are so important.

Many observers think that democratic procedures in Switzerland are inefficient, since it usually takes more than a decade to realize a political idea that needs to be amended by constitutions and laws. But such a procedure allows all groups whose interests do not coincide to protect their interests in a rational and open procedure.

In addition, since parliamentary proposals for new laws or spending are rejected if citizens are not convinced of their legitimacy and necessity, minorities always have the opportunity to prevent new laws from being passed in a referendum. And, since it is easy to propose new initiatives, minorities also have a good opportunity to put forward new political ideas and renew established political structures.

Many critics argue that these procedures are very ineffective. If efficiency is measured by the time needed to implement new ideas that will be adopted at the level of laws, this criticism is justified. But, if we take into account that these ideas must be implemented in society, that they must be carried out without police force and without violating the interests of minorities, then the test of such ideas for effectiveness in Switzerland is successful.

(officially the Swiss Confederation) is a state in central Europe. In the north it borders with Germany, in the west with France, in the south with Italy, in the east with Austria and Liechtenstein.

Area - 41.3 thousand square meters. km.

The capital is Bern (127 thousand people).

The population is 7.56 million people. 20.2% of the country's population are foreigners.

The largest cities (in thousand people) are Zurich (365), Geneva (185), Basel (165), Lausanne (123). Official languages: German (Swiss dialect, the so-called "Schwitzerduch") - 64% of the population), French - 20%, Italian - 6.5%, Romansh - 0.5%.

The dominant denominations are Roman Catholic (42% of the population) and Protestant (33%). Adherents of Orthodoxy make up 4.4%, Islam - 4.3%, Judaism - 0.3%. 11% of the population do not identify themselves with any of the confessions.

The national flag is a square red cloth with a white symmetrical cross in the center. The coat of arms of the country is a white cross on a red shield.

The monetary unit is the Swiss franc (1/100 franc - centime).

State history

In ancient times, Switzerland was called Helvetia. Having been subjugated by the Romans, the Helvetian tribes continued to resist their rule until the empire collapsed. Then the country became part of the kingdom of Burgundy. After that, the Helvetii fell under the rule of the Franks, and then the German emperors.

In 1291, the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden entered into an “alliance for all time” to fight against the Habsburgs, who were trying to subjugate the lands located on the outskirts of the St. Gotthard Pass - the shortest transit route from Southern Europe to Northern and Western. Gradually, due to the voluntary entry into the union of neighboring territories, a multinational Swiss state was formed.

Since 1848, the Swiss constitutional norm has been permanent armed neutrality, recognized and guaranteed by the European powers at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and subsequently confirmed by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

In the 1990s, Switzerland modernized its concept of foreign policy, including on the issue of neutrality. Now participation in the creation of collective security systems, in multilateral actions under the auspices of the UN and the OSCE are considered as compatible with a neutral status. However, joining any military alliance is still excluded. Switzerland firmly adheres to the policy of neutrality and does not intend to deviate from it in the future, including as a member of the UN, which it has been since 2002.

State structure

Switzerland is a federal parliamentary republic. It consists of 26 cantons, each of which has its own constitution, parliament and government.

The youngest is the canton of Jura, which seceded in 1979 from the canton of Bern after the people of Switzerland overwhelmingly voted in autumn 1978 to create it.

The legislative power of Switzerland belongs to the Parliament - the Federal Assembly, consisting of two chambers: the National Council (200 deputies, chairman for 2009 - Chiara Simoneschi-Cortesi and the Council of Cantons (46 deputies, chairman for 2009 - Alain Berset (Allen Berse

The National Council is elected by direct secret ballot according to the proportional system for a term of 4 years, the Council of Cantons - according to the majoritarian system. The presidents of the chambers are re-elected annually. The last parliamentary elections took place on 21 October 2007.

The collective head of state and the highest executive body (government) is the Federal Council, which consists of seven federal advisers (ministers) elected by parliament for four years. According to the Constitution, all of them are equal in rights, they make decisions strictly on a collegiate basis.

The head of state and government is the President of the Confederation. He is elected by the Parliament from among the members of the Federal Council for one year in rotation, chairs the meetings of the Federal Council and performs mainly representative functions.

In 2009, the President of Switzerland is Hans-Rudolf Merz.

Since 1953, the Federal Council has traditionally been formed on the basis of a coalition of the country's four leading parties: the Social Democratic Party (SDPSh), the Radical Democratic Party (RDPSh), the Swiss People's Party (SNP) and the Christian Democratic Party (HDPSh).

Each of the federal councilors heads one of the federal departments (ministries).

There are more than 20 registered national parties in Switzerland, 13 of which are represented in the federal parliament.

In the trade union movement stand out the Association of Swiss Trade Unions (OSHP), Swiss Confederation Christian-National Trade Unions, Federation of Swiss Associations of Employees.

The armed forces are organized according to the militia principle on the basis of universal military duty. Number - 226 thousand people. They consist of 4 motorized infantry, 3 mountain infantry and 2 armored brigades, communications and control brigades, air force and air defense forces (one combat training brigade each).

Economics and finance

Switzerland is a highly developed industrial state with intensive agriculture and an almost complete absence of any minerals.

The country is one of the most important banking and financial centers of the world (Zurich is the third world currency market after New York and London). There are about 4,000 financial institutions in the country, including many branches of foreign banks. Swiss banks account for 35-40% of the global property and property management of private and legal entities. They enjoy a good reputation among clients due to the stable domestic political situation, the solid Swiss currency, and the observance of the principle of "bank secrecy". The banking sector of the country produces 11% of GDP, provides up to 20% of all tax revenues to the state budget.

The most important source of income for Switzerland is the transit of goods through the country (50% of the freight turnover between the northern and southern parts Western Europe).

In terms of the production of GDP per capita (62.8 thousand Swiss francs), Switzerland ranks fourth in the world, behind only Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Norway.

The leading industries are microelectronics, biotechnological, electrical and pharmaceutical industries.

The share of agriculture in the gross national product is 2.4%. The main industry is meat and dairy farming (75% of the gross agricultural output). About 60% of the needs of the country's population in agricultural products are provided by own production.

In the production of electricity, the share of hydroelectric power plants is up to 60%, nuclear power plants - 39.5%.
The largest volume of domestic transportation is carried out by rail. The total length of railways is 4840 thousand km; automobile - 71300 km (including 1730 km of high-speed).

Foreign economic relations are mainly focused on Western Europe and North America (83% of foreign trade turnover, including 60% of exports and up to 80% of imports - to the countries of the European Union). Export of capital falls mainly on the top 10 industrialized countries. The total volume of Swiss direct investments abroad is 444.7 billion Swiss francs, portfolio - 857.8 billion Foreign holdings of Swiss banks reach 2.2 trillion Swiss francs.

International tourism plays a significant role in the country's economy (5.3% of GDP). As a traditional country of tourism, Switzerland holds a strong position in this area in Europe. The presence of a developed tourist infrastructure, a network of railways and roads, combined with picturesque nature and an advantageous geographical position, ensures the influx of a significant number of tourists into the country.

Internationally famous is the city of Davos, located in eastern Switzerland, in the canton of Graubünden, on the Landwasser River. This is the highest (1560 m above sea level) city in Europe. Known as a ski resort and venue for the World Economic Forum ("Davos Forum"). In addition, Davos hosts an annual international ice hockey tournament known as the Spengler Cup.

The territory of present-day Switzerland came under the control of the Romans from the 3rd century BC. BC e. and by 15 BC. e. turned out to be a Roman province, and the Celtic tribes of the Helvetians and Retes who inhabited it were strongly Romanized. The Romans built cities and roads to take advantage of Switzerland's geographic position for the transit of goods. The main ancient "logistics center" of that time was Genava, modern Geneva.
In the development of agriculture and maintaining the infrastructure of Switzerland, monasteries played a huge role in the Middle Ages, and among them - St. Gallen, which were built for the most part in strategically important areas. The discovery of the Gotthard mountain pass in 1220 paved a new profitable trade route.
In 1291, the lands of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden formed the core of the future confederation, and by 1513, as a result of the addition of 10 more lands, a Confederation of 13 cantons was formed.
The spread of Protestantism had a huge impact on the economic development of the Swiss Confederation. The French Protestant Jean Calvin (1509-1564) not only preached that hard work is the only value, and that wealth and prosperity are God's reward, but also actively carried out economic transformations. Geneva under Calvin provides refuge to Protestants from France, Italy, England and the Netherlands. Refugees, among whom were artisans, merchants and bankers, created new industries - watchmaking, silk, velvet production and poured new funds into the country's economy.
In the 17th century Switzerland experienced an economic boom - it remained neutral during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and received international recognition of the Confederation as an independent state according to the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. In the 18th century. in Switzerland, industry (especially textiles and watches), agriculture and trade developed significantly. By the end of the century, Switzerland occupied one of the first places in Europe in the production of cotton fabrics, and by 1814, spinning in the country was completely mechanized - mechanical engineering was developing. The demand for dyes for fabrics led to the development of the chemical industry.
In 1848, the Constitution was adopted and internal customs duties were abolished, a single monetary unit was introduced and postal services were combined into a system, systems of weights and measures were unified, and the inhabitants of Switzerland received the right to freely choose their place of residence. The chemical, food, machine-building industries and the banking sector began to actively develop. The country has a common capital -.
In 1860, the German refugee Henry Nestle created a breast milk substitute - and founded the world-famous company of the same name. In Switzerland, railways were actively built (since 1847) and mountain passes were expanded. By 1864, the length of the railway network was 1300 km. Tourist trips to Switzerland are becoming popular among wealthy Europeans.
The need for large investments in the construction of roads and the electrification of the country led to the founding of the first large industrial banks that accepted the money of private shareholders and invested them in promising projects. In 1907, the Swiss National Bank opened.
Gradually, Switzerland became a world financial center - its legislation strictly protected the interests of bank depositors.

In accordance with the Hague Convention of 1907, Switzerland, as a neutral state, had the right to trade with the warring countries, which it took advantage of during the First and Second World Wars. As a neutral financial center, Switzerland did business with both the Allies and Germany and Italy and bought up gold and jewelry from all interested parties. This was later blamed on Switzerland. Switzerland was also accused of hiding Nazi deposits after the end of World War II, and of not looking for the heirs of those deposits whose holders died.
Although the Swiss bankers claimed to have carried out their own investigations and that all unclaimed accounts theoretically belonging to Holocaust victims contained no more than 30 million Swiss francs, a decision by a group of Swiss banks in 1998 to pay more than a billion dollars to Holocaust victims did not led to the cessation of attacks on Switzerland.
These accusations were supplemented by demands to disclose information about depositors who have acquired their capital by criminal means, laundering "dirty money" or hiding from taxes. Moreover, the very concept of banking secrecy has been severely criticized and the European Parliament proposed to abolish it altogether by 2014.

It is worth remembering how the term "bank secrecy" arose in general. The first written information about it dates back to 1713, when the Great Council of Geneva not only obliged the banker to "register his clients and their transactions", but also forbade the transfer of such information to third parties except with the express permission of the city council.
The reason for the emergence of "bank secrecy" in the distant past. Even before the French Revolution of 1789, one of the clients of Swiss bankers were French kings, transactions with which had to be kept in the strictest confidence. The Catholic king had no right to borrow money from a Protestant banker.
Wealthy people all over the world have found salvation for their capital in Switzerland for centuries. Wars, revolutions, financial crises, huge taxes, claims of states and third parties - Swiss "banking secrecy" protected account holders from all this.

In 1934, the law on the secrecy of bank deposits came into force, which provided for its disclosure of criminal liability up to imprisonment. The meaning of this was so, in the same 1934 in Nazi Germany executed people for holding overseas accounts.
Of course, the legend that "bank secrecy" leads to crime is based on an erroneous notion of the essence of the matter. Swiss law provides for restrictions, according to which information ceases to be a “bank secret” and is issued by order of the courts or at the request of law enforcement agencies without the consent of the client. Of course, Swiss specificity is present in this legislation - for example, tax evasion in Switzerland is not considered a crime. But tax fraud or other crimes can really cause the disclosure of "bank secrecy" - but only the court has the right to decide this.
So far, Swiss banks continue to be a reliable "piggy bank" for many wealthy people. But not only banks determine the well-being of the Swiss economy. High-tech products, cheeses and chocolates of unique quality, the most accurate clocks in the world, one of the most attractive tourist infrastructures, all this is Switzerland.
Formulated at one time by the church reformer J. Calvin, who lived and died in Geneva, the postulate that a true Christian believer is industrious and temperate is not forgotten in this country. It is not customary to flaunt wealth. A Swiss businessman can invest money even in a very risky science-intensive project, but he will not buy something “for prestige” - he will manage with the necessary. Such are the principles here. Unwavering.

general information

Official name: Swiss Confederation.

Form of government: parliamentary republic.

Residence of international organizations: headquarters of the World Trade Organization, International Labor Organization. World Health Organization, International Red Cross, World Council of Churches, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations European Office and many others (Geneva); Universal Postal Union (Bern); International Olympic Committee (Lausanne), etc.

Administrative-territorial division: 26 cantons.
Capital: Bern, 128,345 people (2007).
Languages: German, French, Italian, Romansh.

Religion: Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam.

Currency unit: Swiss frank.

The most important airports: Geneva-Cointrin International Airport, Kloten International Airport (Zurich), Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg International Airport (Europort, located in France, shared).
Major rivers:, Ticino.

Neighbouring countries: Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Liechtenstein.

Numbers

Area: 41,284 km2.

Population: 7,700,200 (2008).

Population density: 186.5 people / km 2.

Economically active population: 3,950,000 people
Employment by sector: agriculture - 5%, industry - 26%, services - 69%.

Urbanization: 73%.

Economy

GDP (nominal):$492.6 billion (2008), according to the World Book of Facts (WKF).
GDP (PPP): $309.9 billion (2008) filed by the WCF.
GDP per capita (PPP):$40,900 (2008), filed by the VKF.
GDP by sectors of the economy: agriculture - 2%, industry - 34%, services - 64%.
Export volume: $202.8 billion
State budget deficit: is absent.
The volume of public debt:$493.1 billion (2009), according to the annual report of the Center for International Competition (Lausanne).
Industry, most competitive areas: microelectronics, biotechnological, electrical and pharmaceutical industries, chemical industry, mechanical engineering, production of special equipment and precision tools, watch industry (52% of the world market), jewelry industry, textile industry, food industry; energy (hydropower - 56.2%, nuclear energy - 38%, thermal power plants - 5.4%, renewable energy sources (wind and solar) - less than 1%).
Agriculture: dairy farming (75% of the value of all agricultural products); fodder production, viticulture; in 2005, the proportion of farms using organic methods was 11% of the total.
Service sector: insurance activity, banking system, trade enterprises, tourism.

Features of the economy: the need for food exports; the largest subsidies in Europe for agriculture; dependence of the economy on external demand; the high cost of living in the country - the high cost of all products.

Curious facts

■ The most complex watch in the world is Patek Philippe's Caliber 89, which consists of 1728 parts and took 9 years to create.
■ In 2006, the first Islamic bank was opened in Geneva, operating on the basis of the principles of Muslim religious ethics.
■ Bank Cantonal, when auditing unclaimed deposits in 2006, discovered an unclosed account in the name of Vladimir Ulyanov. True, the “gold of the party” turned out to be somehow frivolous - there were only 13 francs on this account.

shopping

In the minds of a huge number of people, Switzerland is associated with cheese and watches. And, of course, people come here to make sure that the Swiss cheese is the most delicious, and the clock is the most accurate. It is hardly an exaggeration to say that this is so.

A tourist can try Swiss cheeses and dishes based on them in any corner of the country. But many people go to Geneva specifically to buy watches and jewelry. By the way, you can buy original products here on any main street.

The spring months in Switzerland are especially attractive for those who love to shop for designer items. The fact is that it is at this time that many manufacturers make discounts (up to 70%!) On their goods - from clothes to souvenirs. You can buy things from famous designers in Ticino, in the south of the country.

Among the largest shopping centers are Shop Ville (Zurich) and Fox Town Faktory (Mendrisio). The latter is the largest shopping complex in Europe.

Great pleasure will give you shopping in Bern. In shopping boulevards up to 6 kilometers long, you can find everything from souvenirs to cakes.

As for the schedule of the shops, you will have to get used to it. First, on Sunday, most institutions do not work. On Saturday, the working day lasts, as a rule, until 16:00. Shops used to close on Wednesday, especially on countryside, but on Thursday they work longer - until about 21:00. The Swiss are quite strict with lunch: from 12:00 to 14:00, most institutions do not work.

Out of competition - gas stations: open every day from 08:00 to 22:00. True, food and drinks are more expensive here.

Transport

The largest international airports in Switzerland are located in Zurich, Basel and Geneva. They are operated by the Swiss company.

In general, transport links in Switzerland are one of the densest. Trains leave approximately every half an hour. Major cities have a very dense network of buses and trams. Most of the subway lines in Switzerland resemble our tram lines: they run above ground. Only in 2008, the first underground metro was opened in Lausanne.

Intercity transportation is also well established. Even remote settlements regularly want buses. You can get to any place in the city and country quickly, easily and on the transport that you prefer.

Ferries run on the numerous lakes of Switzerland exactly on schedule. There are cable cars in the mountains: not only very convenient, but also exciting!

In general, transport in this country works - pardon the pun - like a Swiss watch.

As for the roads, traveling in your own car can also be a lot of fun. At least because of the landscapes that stretch around. In addition, you can not complain about the quality of coverage and infrastructure. An important role is played by roads that pass through mountain passes.

An important point: to travel by car on some highways, your car must be equipped with a special ticket. It can be bought at the entrance to Switzerland, at customs. It costs around $30. Permissible speed on highways - 120 km/h, up to 80 km/h - outside settlements, up to 50 km/h - in settlements. There are video cameras on all roads that help catch violators, so be careful. By the way, for speeding in Switzerland can judge. You can even pay a fine for exceeding the speed limit by 5 km/h.

Helpful Hint: Don't drive with sunglasses on. The fact is that there are a lot of tunnels on the roads of Switzerland. Entering the tunnel on a sunny day, you will find yourself in total darkness, which is unsafe for you and, possibly, for a vehicle moving towards you.

Connection

Communications in Switzerland, you guessed it, also work smoothly. Moreover, modern public telephones offer very unusual opportunities for many tourists. So, they have a touch screen, through which you can not only make a call, send an email or look through the telephone directory, but also order train tickets.

As for mobile communications, the GSM standard is used here.

Internet access can be found everywhere: in public access areas or in a virtual cafe - for free or for a couple of francs.

Post offices are open on weekdays (Monday-Friday) from 07:30 to 18:30 (lunch - from 12:00 to 13:30). In the lobby of most hotels there are one or two computers connected to the Internet that you can use.

Security

Tourists who intend to spend a vacation in Switzerland with accommodation or a hotel need a tourist visa. To obtain it, you need to submit the following documents: a foreign passport and a copy of its first page, a completed application form with a signature and a photo, an original and a copy of a round-trip ticket, confirmation of prepayment for housing, confirmation of availability Money. In some cases, the Embassy may require other documents.

Switzerland is considered a safe country, and yet experts recommend getting insurance, which can save you from paying impressive amounts for emergency medical care (you never know). And if your property is stolen, insurance will help repair the damage.

In general, the crime rate in Switzerland is very low. However, you should still beware of pickpockets, especially at the height of the season or during exhibitions and conferences. Particular caution is advised at train stations and during night train journeys.

In case of theft, immediately contact the police station for a report. It is better to always have your passport with you if you want to avoid problems with the police. By the way, the representatives of the law here do not differ in angelic character.

The level of road safety in this country is also very high. However, winding mountain roads can pose an increased risk, especially during the summer and winter holidays, when congestion increases.

Business

Switzerland is the richest country in the world. In addition, it is one of the most important financial centers in the world: a huge number of branches of foreign banks operate here. The secret of the reliability of Swiss banks is simple: they are located in a country with a stable economic and legal system, and therefore cannot go bankrupt.

It seems completely logical that a country with such a status annually hosts international conferences and exhibitions, which attract tens, hundreds of thousands of people from different parts of the world. So, the most popular of the exhibitions are: FESPO ZURICH (“Leisure, travel, sports”), SICHERHEIT (“International Safety Fair”), IGEHO (“International exhibition of the supply industry, hotel and restaurant business”), Internationaler Automobil-Salon Genf ( "International Automobile Salon"), Blickfang Basel ("Furniture Design, Jewelry and Fashion Exhibition") and many others. Conferences on political, financial, banking, industrial and cultural issues are regularly held here.

The property

Switzerland has long been considered one of the most closed countries for property buyers from abroad. It is impossible to buy real estate here if you do not have a category B residence permit (and this is a permanent visa extension for 10 years). Moreover, the buyer is still obliged to comply with the rules of the "game" of the state: the acquired property cannot be used for commercial purposes. A foreigner is allowed to use housing only for his own needs, and with a restriction on residence time - 6 months a year. You can live permanently in this house only by obtaining a residence permit in this country. There is also an area limitation.

Houses and apartments in Switzerland are very expensive, and the country's real estate market has demonstrated its resilience even during the crisis. Experts even noted a slight increase in prices for a number of objects.

The cost of housing in Switzerland depends on many factors. One of the most important is location. So, a small apartment in Villars, in a residential complex, can be purchased for some 60 thousand euros. Apartments in more expensive resorts can cost from 150 thousand to 800 thousand euros (depending on the area and the view from the window). Those who have more serious means and are looking for solitude in the bosom of nature and a huge personal space, of course, choose luxury villas and chalets. Such housing will cost about 5-8 million euros.

Contrary to popular belief, a trip to Switzerland is no more expensive than a trip to Germany or Italy. It's just that the Swiss understand very well that "good money" equals " good service". In this country, a tourist always gets what he paid for.

If you want to spend as little as possible, then the best option is to live in a camp site, cook for yourself, travel short distances and only by bike. With such a rest, you can spend about $ 30 per day. You will not spend much more if you eat at fast food restaurants or student canteens at universities: lunches are relatively inexpensive there (7-9 $).

Comfortable conditions within reason - a three-star hotel or inn - "pull" about $ 100 per day. Lunch at a restaurant can significantly lighten your wallet. By the way, tips there (+15%) are included in the bill. The same goes for the cost of taxi services.

A visit to a museum or an acquaintance with some attraction will cost about $ 4. About the same amount you will spend on moving around the city by public transport.

Visa Information

Citizens of the CIS and the Russian Federation to travel to the territory of Switzerland, which is part of the Schengen countries, need a visa. A short-term Schengen visa (category C) can be tourist (when booking a hotel or tour around the country), guest (when visiting relatives or friends), business (if necessary, meetings with business partners) and transit (when traveling in transit to those countries that are not members of the Schengen area).

In addition, the Swiss embassy issues study visas for people who are going to study for more than 90 days, and work visas for people who are employed.

The Swiss Embassy in Moscow is located at: per. Ogorodnaya Sloboda, 2/5. You can also contact the Consulate General in St. Petersburg (Chernyshevsky Ave., 17) or the Visa Department of the Embassy (Moscow, Prechistenskaya Embankment, 31).

Story

The history of Switzerland dates back to the 12th millennium BC. It was then that the territory covered with eternal snows, under the onslaught of global warming, began to free itself from ice. Gradually, the white cover changed into green, and the "revived" earth found its first inhabitants from the human race.

In ancient times, Switzerland was inhabited by the Celtic tribes of the Helvetii, hence its ancient name - Helvetia. Around the 1st century BC, after the campaigns of Julius Caesar, the country was conquered by the Romans and gained worldwide fame. In the 5th century AD, during the era of the Great Migration of Peoples, it was captured by the Alemanni, Burgundians and Ostrogoths; in the VI century - the Franks. In the 11th century, Switzerland became part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.

Initially, the Swiss were not a single nation, while Switzerland itself was a union of communities (cantons) that aspired to self-government. At the beginning of August 1291, the peasants of the forested cantons of Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden, who lived on the shores of Lake Firwaldstet, entered into an alliance and swore an oath to help each other in the struggle against the rule of the Habsburg dynasty; in a stubborn struggle they defended their independence. The Swiss celebrate this joyful event to this day: August 1 - the National Day of Switzerland - salutes and fireworks illuminate the Swiss sky in memory of the events of more than seven centuries ago.

For two centuries, Swiss troops have been victorious over the feudal armies of dukes, kings and kaisers. Provinces and cities began to join the original union. The united allies sought to expel the Habsburgs, gradually expanding their borders. In 1499, after the victory over Kaiser Maximilian I of Habsburg, Switzerland freed itself from the domination of the empire. In 1513, there were already 13 cantons in the union. Each canton was absolutely sovereign - there was no common army, no common constitution, no capital, no central government. In the 16th century, a severe crisis began in Switzerland. The reason for this was a split in the Christian church. Geneva and Zurich became centers of activity for the Protestant reformers Calvin and Zwingli. In 1529, a religious war broke out in Switzerland. Only a serious danger emanating from outside prevented the complete disintegration of the state. In 1798, the French invaded Switzerland and transformed it into a unitary Helvetic Republic. For fifteen years the country was under their rule. The situation changed only in 1815, when the Swiss introduced their own constitution with equal rights for 22 sovereign cantons. In the same year, the Peace Congress of Vienna recognized the "permanent neutrality" of Switzerland and determined its borders, which are still inviolable. However, the unity of the union of cantons was not reliably ensured by the organization of a sufficiently strong central authority. Only under the constitution of 1948, the fragile union turned into a single state - federal Switzerland.

National features

Switzerland is a highly developed country with intensive agriculture. It is the largest exporter of capital, the financial center of the capitalist world. Swiss banks are the most reliable. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the country has never joined any blocs. It has been and remains a stable country in Europe.

In Switzerland, four languages ​​are spoken and written: German (various local dialects of Swiss German and literary High German are spoken by 65% ​​of the population), French (18%), Italian (mainly one of the Lombard dialects, 12%), and in Romansh (in five different dialects). Having the opportunity to learn all the languages ​​​​of the country at school, every Swiss, as a rule, understands them, although he is not always able to express himself in all.

The Swiss are very religious: according to the 1980 census, about 50% profess the Protestant faith, 44% - Catholic, 6% adhere to other religions or atheism. Traveling in Switzerland, one cannot fail to notice the world-famous virtue of the Swiss - the love of cleanliness and order. They vacuum the streets! James Joyce once remarked that soup here can be eaten without plates, straight from the pavement. Switzerland is impossible to miss swiss watches, which have become the embodiment of precision, elegance, a kind of world standard. For this small country, watches have become the most prestigious and significant export.

culture

In Eastern Switzerland is the Rhine Falls (average water flow - 1100 cubic meters per second). Near the waterfall is the city of Schaffhausen. This part of the country is replete with colorful flower carpets: alpine rose (rhododendron), edelweiss, saxifrage, breakwort. Most of the plants are perennial herbs and shrubs. Their flowers are relatively large and bright; both the flowers and the plants themselves are often fragrant. Small towns and villages with an unobtrusive charm fit perfectly into such a natural landscape. In Central Switzerland, you can admire Mount Pilatus - a favorite vacation spot for both residents of the country and foreign tourists.

Switzerland is an amazing country. In a small space, both the beauties of nature and the outstanding creations of human hands are concentrated in it. At every step - traces of different civilizations. The ruins in Nyon and Avenches remind of the Romans, in particular the amphitheater for 10,000 visitors. In Basel, Geneva and Lausanne, a variety of Romanesque and Gothic architectural monuments attract attention. The fortress Castello di Montebello (Castello di Montebello) of the Renaissance has been preserved - one of the places of pilgrimage for tourists. The baroque is richly represented, mainly the monasteries of Einsiedeln (Einsiedeln), Engelberg (Engelberg) and the churches of Kreuzlingen (Kreuzlingen) and Arlesheim (Arlesheim).

The architectural appearance of the city of Schaffhausen is dominated by Baroque and Rococo, and the oldest surviving buildings date back to the late Gothic period. Along a stone-paved path you can climb to the ancient fortress of Munot. The center of Eastern Switzerland is the city of St. Gallen, which, according to legend, owed its birth to the Irish monk Gallus. During the construction of the skete, Gallus was helped by a bear; his image can be seen today on the city coat of arms. The famous cathedral in St. Gallen and the monastery library are considered the main monuments of the Baroque style in Switzerland.

The cultural life of the country is diverse and rich. Every big city has its own theater and symphony orchestra. Of the musical theaters, the most famous are the Opera House in Zurich, the Grand Theater in Geneva and the Basel City Theater. Summer in Switzerland is the time of festivals, they take place in Lausanne, Zurich, Montreux and many other cities. In addition to world-famous international music festivals, Lucerne annually hosts a carnival. The holiday always begins on Thursday and lasts until the first Wednesday of Great Lent.

Swiss cuisine

Swiss cuisine enjoys well-deserved recognition among gourmets all over the world, and the Swiss themselves do not shy away from luculla delights at home. So, the favorite pastime of the inhabitants of Zurich is a walk through restaurants and cafes, and if they praise you any of the eateries, you can safely go there. The local cuisine has been strongly influenced by its neighbors, primarily the "older French cousin" and Italian cuisine, as well as a purely Swabian table, but still it has enough of its own delicacies that have become widespread in other countries. A quintessentially Swiss dish, the famous fondue is best enjoyed when it's cold outside and it's raining or snowing. Then sit comfortably in front of the fireplace and, after chopping pieces of bread crumb on a long fork, dip them in melted cheese. It is best to drink this delicacy with white wine or tea.

Another well-known cheese dish that has become widespread is the Vallis raclette. The very name of the dish ("raclette" (fr.) - a coarse grater) gives out the principle of its preparation. The cheese is rubbed on a coarse grater or broken into small pieces, heated and served with potatoes. However, in order to enjoy the taste and aroma of cheese, it is not at all necessary to warm it up. The best examples are the Emmental (more often called Swiss) and Appenzell cheeses, which enjoy well-deserved recognition among gourmets, as well as Greyerz cheese. Exquisite taste and aroma distinguish "Vasheren" - which is prepared only in winter, and "Schabziger" - cheese with herbs from Glernerland.

Among the Ticinese delicacies, first of all, it is necessary to name small soft formagini cheeses, which are cooked from cottage cheese, as well as various varieties of mountain cheese, the most famous of which is Piora. Another famous Swiss delicacy is the Zurich schnitzel (veal in a creamy sauce). Those who like to eat hearty prefer the Bernese appetizer (Berner Platte) - a dish from sauerkraut with beans and fried potatoes. Bern is also considered the birthplace of the famous Rosti - thinly sliced ​​fried potatoes with cracklings.

And now it's time to think about soups, for example, Basel flour broth, barley soup from Bünden or Busekka - Ticinese tripe soup. The national dish of sunny southern Switzerland is, of course, polenta, a dish of corn grits with cream and pieces of fruit. To the south of St. Gotthard, risotto is very popular - a rice dish prepared in Milanese (with saffron), mushrooms or peasant style (with vegetables).

The menu of Swiss cuisine also includes fish dishes: rudd, trout, pike and egli (freshwater perch), which are prepared differently everywhere. In late autumn and winter, many restaurants offer game delicacies such as roe deer back. And another delicacy, famous on both sides of the Swiss border, deserves your attention. This is Bunden-style meat, beef jerky, cut into very thin slices. Those who first tasted it in Valais, and not in Graubünden, call this dish “Welsh meat”.

The Alpine Republic is famous for its wines. Widely known are white wines - Dezaley and St.-Saphorin, Fendant and Johannisberg, Twanner. The best varieties of red wines are the exquisitely thin "Rose der CEil-de-Perdrix", the strong "Dole", "Pinot Noir" and "Merlot". But, perhaps, the best Bünden wines are made in the Italian town of Veltalin, which since 1815 has become the Swiss canton of Graubünden. "Sassella", "Grumello", "Inferno" - these are the names of strong ruby-red wines, which owe their luxurious bouquet to the generous southern sun. It remains only to say a few words about all kinds of sweets served for dessert, afternoon tea, and evening coffee. These are fruit pies, and Zug cherry cake, and carrot cake, and Engadine walnut cake, and of course, the famous Swiss chocolate.

Economy

Switzerland is one of the most developed and wealthy countries in the world. Switzerland is a highly developed industrial country with intensive, highly productive agriculture and an almost complete absence of any minerals. According to Western economists, it is among the top ten countries in the world in terms of economic competitiveness. The Swiss economy is closely connected with the outside world, primarily with the EU countries, thousands of threads of industrial cooperation and foreign trade transactions. OK. 80-85% of Swiss trade is with EU countries. Switzerland transits more than 50% of all cargo from the northern part of Western Europe to the south and reverse direction. After a noticeable increase in 1998-2000. The country's economy has entered a recession. In 2002, GDP grew by 0.5% to CHF 417 billion. fr. Inflation was at around 0.6%. The unemployment rate reached 3.3%. The economy employs approx. 4 million people (57% of the population), of which: in industry - 25.8%, including in mechanical engineering - 2.7%, in the chemical industry - 1.7%, in agriculture and forestry - 4.1% , in the service sector - 70.1%, including in trade - 16.4%, in banking and insurance - 5.5%, in the hotel and restaurant business - 6.0%. The policy of neutrality made it possible to avoid the devastation of two world wars.

Politics

Switzerland is a federal republic. The current constitution was adopted in 1999. The federal authorities are in charge of issues of war and peace, foreign relations, the army, railways, communications, money emission, approval of the federal budget, etc.

The head of the country is the president, who is elected every year on a rotating basis from among the members of the Federal Council.

The highest legislative body is a bicameral parliament - the Federal Assembly, consisting of the National Council and the Council of Cantons (Equal Chambers).

The National Council (200 deputies) is elected by the population for 4 years under the proportional representation system.

The federal structure and the constitution of Switzerland were enshrined in the constitutions of 1848, 1874 and 1999.

Now Switzerland is a federation of 26 cantons (20 cantons and 6 half-cantons). Until 1848 (except for a short period of the Helvetic Republic) Switzerland was a confederation). Each canton has its own constitution, laws, but their rights are limited by the federal constitution. Legislative power belongs to Parliament, and executive power belongs to the Federal Council (government).

There are 46 deputies in the Council of Cantons, who are elected by the population according to the majority system of relative majority in 20 two-mandate constituencies and 6 single-member constituencies, that is, 2 people each. from each canton and one from the half-canton for 4 years (in some cantons - for 3 years).

All laws adopted by Parliament can be approved or rejected in a popular (optional) referendum. To do this, after the adoption of the law, 50 thousand signatures must be collected within 100 days.

The right to vote is granted to all citizens who have reached the age of 18.

The highest executive power belongs to the government - the Federal Council, consisting of 7 members, each of which heads one of the departments (ministries). Members of the Federal Council are elected at a joint meeting of both houses of parliament. All members of the Federal Council alternately serve as president and vice president.

The foundations of the Swiss state were laid in 1291. Until the end of the 18th century, there were no central state bodies in the country, but all-union councils - tagsatzung - were periodically convened.