Switzerland (ARCHIVE)

Swiss Confederation Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: "Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno" "One for all, all for one"
Anthem: "Swiss Psalm" (ANTHEM FILE)
Capital		Bern
Largest city		Zürich
National language		French, German, Italian, Romansh
Demonym		Swiss
Government		Federal directorial republic with elements of direct democracy
-	Federal Chancellor	Edvard Freigh
-	Federal Council	(NAME OF PERSON)
-	(FIGURE OF IMPORTANCE)	(NAME OF PERSON)
-	(FIGURE OF IMPORTANCE)	(NAME OF PERSON)
Legislature		Federal Assembly
-	Upper House	Council of States
-	Lower House	National Council
Formation
-	Liberation from the Germanic Union	(DATE)
-	Swiss Independance	(DATE)
Area
-	Total	41,285  km2 15,940 sq mi
-	Water (%)	4.2
Population
-	2032 estimate	10,014,000
-	Density	201/km2 480.4/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2032 estimate
-	Total	$IDK billion
-	Per capita	$IDK
GDP (nominal)		2032 estimate
-	Total	$IDK billion
-	Per capita	$IDK
Gini (2011)		29.7
HDI (2013)		0.913
Currency		Switzerland franc (CHF)
Time zone		CET (UTC+1)
-	Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC +2)
Drives on the		right
Calling code		+41
ISO 3166 code		CH
Internet TLD		.ch

Switzerland, or officiallly known as the Swiss Confederation, lies situated in western and central Europe. Switzerland is bordered by many countries; France to the west, Italy to the south and the Germanic Union to the north and east. Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided by the Alps, Swiss Plateu and the Jura. Although the Alps occupy most of the country's territory, many of the country's settlements have been on the Swiss Plateu, where many of Switzerland's major cities, such as Zürich can be found. 

The establishment of the Swiss Confederation dates to (Date), where it is celebrated as Swiss National Day. Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross and home to a large number of international organizations. Switzerland comprises four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and the Romansh-speaking valleys. Therefore the Swiss, although predominantly German-speaking, do not form a nation in the sense of a common ethnic or linguistic identity; rather, the strong sense of identity and community is founded on a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism.

History

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Territory Claims

The country is about 41,285 km² (15,940 sq mi), controlling lands of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and well aware that France owns Geneva, and southwestern Switzerland.

Government

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Political Divisions

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Political Parties

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Foreign Relations

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Military

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Science & Technology

Switzerland Space Agency, the Swiss Space Office, has been involved in various space technologies and programs. In the private sector, several companies are implicated in the space industry such as Oerlikon Space or Maxon Motors who provide spacecraft structures. An important research center, is the Paul Scherrer Institute. Notable inventions include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), the scanning tunneling microscope (Nobel prize) and Velcro. Some technologies enabled the exploration of new worlds such as the pressurized balloon of Auguste Piccard and the Bathyscaphe which permitted Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest point of the world's oceans.

Infrastructure

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Transportation

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Energy

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Landmarks

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Economy

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Demographics

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Culture

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Healthcare

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Education

Education in Switzerland is very diverse because the constitution of Swiss delegates' authority of school systems in provinces. There are both public and private schools, many private international schools. The minimum age for primary school is about six years, however, Switzerland provides a free "children's school" starting at four or five years old. Primary school continues until grade four, five or six, depending on the school. In Switzerland, only primary school are of no cost to all citizens.

At the end of primary school (or at the beginning of secondary school), pupils are separated according to their capacities in often three sections. The fastest learners are taught advanced classes to be prepared for further studies and the matura, while students who assimilate a little bit more slowly receive an education more adapted to their needs.

There are 12 universities in Switzerland, ten of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer a range of non-technical subjects. The first university in Switzerland was founded in 1460 in Basel, and has a tradition of chemical and medical research in Switzerland. The largest university in Switzerland is the Univeristy of Zürich with nearly 35,000 students. The two institutes sponsored by the federal government, both having an excellent international reputation.

Law Enforcement

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References

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland