Territory, population and total area of ​​Switzerland. Switzerland: description and history

Swiss Confederation
German fr. Confederation suisse ital. Confederation Svizzera romsh. Confederaziun svizra
Motto: "Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno from lat. - "One for all and all for one""
Hymn: "Swiss Psalm"
Based	1 August 1291 (Oath of Rütli) Federation since 1848
date of independence	Proclaimed in 1499 Recognized October 24, 1648 (from the Holy Roman Empire)
official languages	German, French, Italian, Romansh (Swiss Romansh)
Capital
Largest cities	,
Form of government	federal parliamentary republic (directory)
Federal Council	Uli Maurer (Vice President) Guy Parmelin Ignacio Cassis Doris Leuthard Simonetta Sommaruga Alain Berset (President) Johann Schneider-Ammann
Federal chancellor	Walter Turnher
Territory	132nd in the world
Total	41,284 km²
% water surface	4,2
Population
Score (2017)	▲ 8,560,988 people (98s)
Density	207 people/km²
GDP
Total (2016)	$636 billion (19th)
Per capita	81 thousand dollars
HDI (2015)	▲ 0.917 (very high; 2nd)
Names of residents	swiss, swiss, swiss
Currency	Swiss franc (CHF, code 756)
Internet domain	.ch, .swiss
ISO code	CH
IOC code	SUI
Telephone code	+41
Time Zones	CET (UTC+1, summer UTC+2)

Switzerland(German die Schweiz, French Suisse, Italian Svizzera, Romsh Svizra), officially - Swiss Confederation(lat. Confoederatio Helvetica, German. Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, fr. Confédération suisse, Italian Confederazione Svizzera, rumsh. Confederaziun svizra) - a state in. It borders in the north with, in the south - with Italy, in the west - with, in the east - with and. The name comes from the canton, one of the three original cantons of the Confederation.

Historical Latin name of the country - Confoederatio Helvetica- appears in full on coins as the designation of the issuing country, and its initials are used in the abbreviation of the national currency, on car license plates and in 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).

Switzerland has been a member of the UN since 2002 and a member of the Schengen Agreement since 2004.

Etymology

The Russian name of the country goes back to the name of the canton, which was the core of the first unification of the cantons in 1291. In 970, the center of this canton is mentioned as Suuites, in 1281 - Switz, modern. Schwyz; the name comes from other-in.-it. suedan "uproot". From the 14th century by the name of this canton, they begin to call the whole state. From the name of the country Schweitz(German Schweiz) formed the name of its inhabitants Swiss(German Schweizer, Polish Szwajcar), and from it the Russian name of the country Switzerland- "country of the Swiss".

Story

Political structure

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; currently it is a federation - even though the word "confederation" is retained in the country's official name. Each canton has its own constitution, laws, but their powers are limited by the federal constitution. 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.

Legislative power is 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 people, in most cantons, according to the majority system of a relative majority in 20 two-member and 6 single-member districts, that is, 2 people each. from each canton and one from the half-canton for 4 years (in some cantons - for 3 years).

The executive body is the Federal Council (in German. Bundesrat, fr. conseil federal, it. Consiglio federale), consisting of 7 federal councilors (German. Bundesrat, fr. conseiller federal, it. consigliere federale), each of which heads one of the ministries of the Federal Administration. Two of the councilors alternately act as president of the confederation (in German. Bundespräsident, fr. president de la Confederation, it. Presidente della Confederazione) and vice president, respectively. To manage the apparatus of the Federal Council, there is the position of Chancellor (German: Chancellor). Bundeskanzler, fr. chancelier de la Confederation, it. Cancelliere della Confederazione), which has an advisory vote in the Council and is not formally a member of it.

The members of the Federal Council and the chancellor are 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 parliament, and it is customary for all members of the Council to hold the presidency in turn.

Federal Palace, Bern

Supreme Court building in Lausanne

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 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.

Political parties

Rights

• Swiss People's Party ( Schweizerische Volkspartei (SVP)) - national conservative, right
• Liga Ticino ( Lega dei Ticinese) - right, isolationist
• Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland - Christian right

centre-right

• Conservative Democratic People's Party of Switzerland - conservative
• Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland ( Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz (CVP)) - Moderate Christian Democratic
• Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland - social conservative

Centrists

• Free Democratic Party of Switzerland ( Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP)) - liberal
• The Green Liberal Party of Switzerland is an environmentalist liberal

centre-left

• Social Democratic Party of Switzerland ( Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz (SP)) - socialist
• Christian Social Party of Switzerland - Christian socialist

Left

• Green Party of Switzerland Grüne Partei der Schweiz (GPS)) - environmentalist
• Alternative Left - Socialist Left
• Swiss Labor Party ( Partei der Arbeit der Schweiz (PDA)) - communist
• Solidarity ( SolidariteS) - communist, trotskyist, anti-capitalist

Unions

The largest trade union center is the Association of Swiss Trade Unions ( Schweizerischer Gewerkschaftsbund). In sectoral terms, it consists of sectoral trade unions, in territorial terms - of cantonal unions of trade unions ( kantonalgewerkschaftsbund), cantonal trade union associations from regional trade union associations ( regionalgewerkschaftsbund), regional associations of trade unions from local associations of trade unions ( lokalgewerkschaftsbund). The highest body is the trade union congress ( Gewerkschaftskongress), between trade union congresses - the board of the association of trade unions ( Gewerkschaftsbundesvorstand), youth organization - trade union youth ( gewerkschaftsjugend).

Legal system

The highest court is the Federal Court ( Bundesgericht, Tribunal federal), courts of appeal - higher courts ( Obergericht), in Geneva - the Chamber of Justice ( Justizhof, Cour De Justice), in Basel-Stadt - courts of appeal ( Appellationsgericht), 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, - cantonal courts ( Kantonsgericht), in St. Gallen - county courts ( Kreisgericht), the lowest level of the judicial system - world courts ( Friedensgerichte) (does not exist in all cantons), the highest administrative court 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 half-cantons ( Landesteil)), cantons may be divided into districts ( Bezirk), counties into cities and communities ( Gemeinde), some communities into urban areas ( Stadtkreis). Below is a list of cantons (it is worth noting that many cities in Switzerland have different names used in different languages ​​of the country).

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)), vice prime ministers ( Regierungsvizepräsident) (or land stadtholders ( Landstatthalter)) and government advisers ( regierungsrat), elected by cantonal councils.

Canton of Schwyz

Legislatures of the Romanesque cantons - great councils (fr. grand conseil, it. Gran Consiglio), executive bodies - state councils (fr. Conseil d'État, it. Consiglio di Stato), consisting of the chairmen of the Council of State (fr. President du Conseil d'État, it. Presidente del Consiglio di Stato), deputy chairmen of the Council of State (fr. Vice President du Conseil d'État, it. Vice Presidente del Consiglio di Stato) and state advisers (fr. Conseiller d'État, it. Consigliere di Stato).

In a special way, state power is arranged in Appenzell-Innerrhoden: the legislative body is the land community ( Landsgemeinde), which includes all voters, the executive body is the cantonal commission ( Standes-commission), consisting of the ruling landed amman ( Regierender Landammann), helping landammann ( Stillstehender Landammann) and government advisers ( Regierungsrat).

In districts which are headed by a prefect ( bezirksamman) appointed by the cantonal council.

Representative bodies of cities - community councils ( Gemeinderat) elected by the population, executive - city councils ( stadtrat), consisting of city presidents ( Stadtpräsident) and city councilors ( Stadtrat), elected by community councils.

Representative bodies of communities - community meetings (gemeiendeversammlung), consisting of all residents of the community, executive bodies of communities - community councils ( gemeinderat), consisting of a communal president ( Gemeindepräsident) and community councilors ( gemeinderat), elected by community meetings.

Geography

Territory of Switzerland. satellite image

Switzerland is a landlocked country whose territory is divided into three natural regions: the Jura mountains in the north, the Swiss plateau in the center and the Alps in the south, occupying 61% of the entire territory of Switzerland.

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 plateau lies in a lowland, but most of it is located above 500 meters above sea level. Consisting of wooded ridges (up to 1600 m), the young folded mountains of the Jura stretched into the territory and. The highest point in Switzerland is located in the Pennine Alps - Peak Dufour (4634 m), the lowest - Lake Maggiore - 193 m.

Switzerland holds 6% of Europe's reserves. The largest rivers are Rhone, Rhine, Limmat, Are. Switzerland is rich and famous for its lakes, the most attractive of which are located along the edges of the Swiss plateau - Geneva (582.4 km²), Vierwaldstet (113.8 km²), Thun (48.4 km²) in the south, Zurich (88.4 km²) in the east, Bilske (40 km²) and Neuchâtel (217.9 km²) in the north. Most of them are of glacial origin: they were formed at a time when large glaciers descended from the mountains to the Swiss plateau. South of the axis of the Alps in the canton are lakes Lago Maggiore (212.3 km²) and Lugano (48.8 km²).

Staubbach

About 25% of the territory of Switzerland is covered with forests - not only in the mountains, but also in the valleys, and on some plateaus. Wood is an important raw material and source of fuel.

Minerals

In Switzerland, there are practically no minerals. There are only large reserves of coal, deposits of iron ore, small deposits of graphite and talc. The extraction of rock salt, carried out in the upper reaches of the Rhone and along the Rhine near the border with Germany, covers the needs of the country. There are raw materials for the construction industry: sand, clay, stone. 11.5% of the energy is produced with the help of water resources, 55% of the electricity consumed - due to hydroelectric power plants.

Climate

Winter landscape in the village of Sent, in the eastern canton of Graubünden

Switzerland has a continental climate typical of Central Europe, with significant fluctuations depending on the altitude. In the West of the country, the influence of the Atlantic Ocean is great, as you move to the east and in the southern mountainous regions, the climate acquires continental features. Winters are cold, on the plateaus and in the valleys the temperature reaches zero, and in mountainous areas -10 ° C and below. The average summer temperature in the lowlands is +18-20 °C, slightly lower in the mountains. In July, the average temperatures are about 19 ° C, in January about 3 ° C. About 850 mm of precipitation falls per year. Strong north and south winds.

Supporters of the reliability of Swiss banks argue that they, in their opinion, cannot go bankrupt, because, even if they are involved in risky financial transactions, these banks, according to their supporters, are located in a country with a stable legal, economic, financial, political system . However, primarily as part of UBS's conflict with the US tax authorities, the bank had to issue 4,450 accounts of American citizens suspected of tax evasion. However, the essence and core of banking secrecy (the absence of automatic issuance of information on non-residents' accounts in Swiss banks) remained intact.

In 2006, the Cantonal bank audited unclaimed deposits and found an open account in the name of Vladimir Ulyanov, which contains only 13 francs - 286 rubles.

Currently, there is talk of adopting a law that will reduce the term for claiming a deposit for owners of “dormant” assets to 50 years. And if after this period no one claims their rights, the banks liquidate the funds, transferring them to the management of the Swiss Ministry of Finance.

Since the onset of the global crisis, Swiss banking secrecy has come under attack. At the same time, a conflict arose between the largest Swiss bank UBS and the American Federal Tax Service IRS (Internal Revenue Service). At the beginning of 2009, Switzerland was at a disadvantage - the whole world turned against it, accusing it of unfair competition due to the cultivation of "tax havens" on its territory.

Therefore, the United States, not wanting, moreover, to follow the tedious "legal path", aggressively demanded the issuance of data, first about 300, and then about as many as 52,000 accounts of American citizens in the UBS bank, suspected of tax evasion.

After the G20 summit in London in April 2009, the situation calmed down somewhat. Switzerland has adopted the OECD standards in the field of legal assistance in cases related to tax crimes. However, the US Department of Justice continues to insist on its claims against the UBS bank, supporting the IRS in its demand to provide the US tax authorities with data on 52,000 American accounts at once. The court in Miami that is handling the case has already rejected the Swiss and the bank's arguments, pointing out that the case is fully consistent with US law, which provides the right to receive information from abroad, so this kind of requirement for UBS is not a "new legal concept" . “The bank must be held responsible for its actions,” the court believes.

UBS seeks to lead the course in this situation to "minimize damage", declaring its readiness to find a "mutually acceptable solution." At the same time, the bank once again emphasized that the IRS civil suit is a violation of Swiss law, and therefore this problem should be resolved not by the courts, but by the governments of both countries in a bilateral format. In addition, the bank requires the American side to clarify the number of accounts for which information is required to be provided, since at the moment many of their owners voluntarily transferred all information on their accounts to UBS to the IRS. At the same time, the Swiss financial giant is drastically limiting and reducing the volume of so-called "cross-border transactions" ("cross-border").

Since July 1, 2009, the bank's American customers who have not responded to UBS's plan to exit such transactions have been denied access to their own accounts. And this plan offered them either to transfer their fortunes to an account indicated by the client in an American financial institution, or to receive their money back in the form of a check. US customers had 45 days to make a decision. In both cases, customers had to assume that the information on these transactions would be passed on to the US tax authorities. Since, as a rule, we are talking about large, previously undeclared amounts, such clients risk, at best, getting a “juicy” tax surcharge invoice, and at worst, a lawsuit. UBS recommends in this case to take a chance and go for "voluntary recognition". As for the IRS itself, until the end of September, it offers all "evaders" to take advantage of the penalty rate for tax evasion with a "discount".

The conflict also cast a shadow over the visit to the United States by Swiss Economy Minister Doris Leuthard in July 2009, given that a full-fledged IRS v. UBS trial was due to begin on July 13 in Miami. In her speech to the members of the Swiss American Chamber of Commerce (SACC) on July 8, Doris Leuthard once again emphasized the importance of commercial and industrial contacts between the US and Switzerland. At the same time, “the financial crisis, which originated in the United States, has also affected Switzerland to a large extent.” In such a situation, it is necessary to "stick together in order to return to financial stability again." It was also about the just agreed Swiss-American Double Taxation Treaty. D. Leuthard said that the lack of a solution to the tax dispute between the IRS and UBS may lead to the fact that the chances of a positive vote of parliamentarians on this document may be significantly reduced. A new factor is Leuthard's hint that the Swiss Federal Council could - if necessary, on the basis of an emergency decree - simply ban UBS from issuing account information.

In mid-August 2009, a solution was found. The United States withdraws its lawsuit against UBS from the Miami court and pledges not to resort to such tools in the future. Formally, this claim remains, as it were, in force in order to avoid the expiration of the established statute of limitations in tax cases. However, no later than 370 days after the signing of the agreement reached, this claim will disappear from the face of the earth once and for all.

The American tax office IRS (Internal Revenue Service) will submit to the Swiss tax office (Eidg. Steuerverwaltung), based on the current Swiss-American Double Tax Treaty, an application for legal assistance.

At the same time, the American tax authorities will proceed from a very specific set of criteria that will allow, being within the framework of Swiss law, to identify the fact of committing "tax evasion". The owners of the accounts will have the opportunity to appeal to one of the Swiss courts.

Former federal adviser and current UBS chief Kaspar Villiger is confident the deal will work towards a secure future for the bank. "It is working to solve one of the most difficult problems facing the bank UBS," - said on his behalf in a special communiqué. He also expressed satisfaction with the fact that the agreement will operate within the framework of Swiss law and the current Swiss-American Double Tax Treaty. Now, according to Villiger, the bank will be able to restore its reputation in the eyes of customers - through solid services and first-class service.

The corresponding agreement, therefore, was signed in Washington on the evening of August 19 and immediately entered into force.

According to the Swiss Banking Association (Die Schweizerische Bankiervereinigung - SBVg), it may be quite satisfied with the details of the agreement. Most importantly, we managed to prevent a long process with an unobvious outcome. Now, having received legal certainty, the bank will be able to continue the process of overcoming the crisis. It is very important that the agreement is within the framework of Swiss law - this further strengthens the business reputation of Switzerland as a global financial center, as foreign clients can continue to rely on the predictability of the Swiss legal order.

Industry

The industry is dominated by large transnational associations, which, as a rule, successfully withstand competition in the world market and occupy leading positions on it: the Nestle concerns (food products, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, baby food), Novartis and Hoffman-la- Roche (chemical and pharmaceutical products), Alyusuiss (aluminum), the Swedish-Swiss concern ABB - Acea Brown Boveri (electrical engineering and turbine building). Switzerland is often associated with the watch factory of the world. Based on old traditions and high technical culture, watches and jewelry of the most prestigious brands are produced here: Rolex, Chopard, Breguet, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, etc.

Extractive industry

There are practically no fossils in Switzerland. Rock salt and building materials are of industrial importance.

Energy

About 42% of electricity in Switzerland produced at nuclear power plants, 50% at hydroelectric power plants, and the remaining 8% at thermal power plants from imported oil. Most hydroelectric power stations are located in the Alps, where more than 40 artificial lakes - reservoirs have been created. At the initiative of the "greens", the construction of new nuclear power plants has been temporarily stopped, but in the future, Switzerland is not going to curtail the nuclear energy program yet.

Transport

Gotthard road tunnel

The Swiss transport system is “debugged like clockwork”. All 3212 km of the main tracks of public railways, owned by the federal company SBB-CFF-FFS, are fully electrified. More than 600 tunnels have been laid in the mountains, including the Simplon tunnel (19.8 km). Funiculars and cable cars operate in mountainous regions. The length of roads is about 71 thousand km. An important role is played by roads passing through the mountain passes of St. Gotthard, Greater St. Bernard and others.

On October 27, 2008, the first underground metro in Switzerland was officially opened - 5.9 km, 14 stations, trains are controlled automatically, without a driver. Prior to this, metro lines only partially passed underground, resembling more tram lines.

The main international airports are Geneva, Zurich, Basel.

Agriculture

Agriculture has a pronounced livestock orientation (with an emphasis on the production of meat and dairy products), is characterized by high yields and labor productivity. The predominance of small farms is characteristic. Swiss cheese has been well known in many countries of the world for centuries. In general, agriculture provides the country's needs for food by 56-57%.

Switzerland maintains foreign trade relations with almost all countries of the world. The country's economy largely depends on foreign trade - both in the import of raw materials and semi-finished products, and in the export of industrial products (more than 50% of textile products, about 70% of engineering, over 90% of chemical and pharmaceutical, 98% of the watch industry are exported) .

The developed industrial countries account for 80% of Switzerland's foreign trade turnover. Its main partners are the EU countries - over 3/4 of exports and imports. Among the largest foreign trade partners are Germany, France, USA, Italy, Great Britain, Benelux.

Tourism

Swiss Alps near the Vierwaldstet lake

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, primarily Germans, Americans, Japanese, and in recent years also Russians, Indians, and Chinese. 15% of national income comes from tourism.

The Alps occupy 2/3 of the entire territory of Switzerland and annually attract thousands of outdoor enthusiasts to Switzerland. The highest point of the country is located in the Pennine Alps and is called Peak Dufour (4634 m). Also in Switzerland are Europe's highest railway station Jungfraujoch at 3454 m above sea level and Europe's highest brewery in Monstein at 1600 m.

The most famous ski and recreational resorts in Switzerland:

Education

Switzerland is world famous for its private schools, boarding houses and universities. Switzerland is the birthplace of reformist pedagogy, education here is still based on the principles of Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget and Rudolf Steiner. The level of education in the private sector is quite high, thanks to the excellent training of teachers and the tradition of quality. It is also worth mentioning such aspects that complement the ideal conditions for learning, such as stability, security and prestige. All of the above factors attract a huge number of students and learners from all over the world. In addition to specialized schools of hotel business, foreign language courses are very popular. Programs designed for any period usually give excellent results and are conducted by native speakers using modern techniques. Private language schools usually offer a wide range of places of study and a variety of adapted language programs for adults, children and teenagers. Private educational institutions enjoy special prestige.

According to an international study of the quality of secondary education, Switzerland for 10 years (2000-2009) has been demonstrating consistently high rates of training of graduates of its schools. So, for example, in 2000, according to the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) monitoring of the quality of education in the school, conducted by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), Switzerland ranked 13th among 32 countries, and in 2009 - 14th among 65. In all four studies (PISA 2000, PISA 2003, PISA 2006 and PISA 2009), Swiss schoolchildren were well above the OECD average.

Switzerland also shows good results in terms of higher education. In the international rankings of the best universities in the world, Switzerland traditionally occupies 4-9 positions, second only to the USA, Canada and the UK.

A Swiss education is considered by some not very knowledgeable inhabitants to be expensive even by European standards. Meanwhile, tuition at public universities in Switzerland is one of the cheapest in the world.

Population

Swiss population dynamics from 1970 to 2005. Number of inhabitants in thousand people

The total population according to 2008 estimates is 7,580,000 people. (8 500 000 June 2018)

Ethno-linguistic composition

Historically, the Swiss Confederation was formed in the conditions of coexistence of various linguistic, cultural and religious groups. 94% of the population are Swiss. They don't have a common language. The largest language group: German Swiss (65%), followed by the number of Franco-Swiss (18%), Italo-Swiss (10%). Romansh and Ladins also live in the country, they make up about 1% of the population.

German, French, Italian and Romansh are the national and official languages ​​of the Swiss Confederation.

The relationship between the "French" and "German" parts of Switzerland is the most important factor in the development of national history. However, they are far from ideal. Relations between the main cultural and linguistic areas of the country since the beginning of the 19th century, when densely populated French-speaking regions were annexed to the territory of Switzerland, are still characterized by a large number of conflicts and contradictions. There is even an imaginary border between these two cultural and linguistic communities - Röstigraben. Perhaps the most acute issue in these relations was the conflict over the formation of the new Jura canton.

Religion

Notre Dame Cathedral in Lausanne

Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, Valais

At present, the shares of Protestants and Catholics in the population of the country are approximately equal, amounting to 49% each.

Protestantism

The largest Protestant religious organization is the Union of Swiss Evangelical Churches ( Schweizerischer Evangelischer Kirchenbund), consists of the following local churches:

• (local majority churches)
  • Reformed Church of Bern-Jura-Solothurn ( Reformierte Kirchen Bern-Jura-Solothurn) - unites the Zwinglians of the cantons of Bern, Solothurn and Jura, is the majority church in the canton of Bern
  • Evangelical Reformed Local Church of the Canton of Zurich ( Evangelisch-reformierte Landeskirche des Kantons Zurich) - unites the Zwinglians of the canton of Zurich, is the majority church in the canton
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of Canton Rural Basel ( Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Basel-Landschaft) - unites the Zwinglians of the canton of Basel-Lands, is the church of the majority of the canton
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of City Basel ( Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Basel-Stadt) - unites the Zwinglians of the canton of Basel-Stadt, is the church of the majority of the canton
  • Evangelical Reformed Local Church of Canton Glarus ( Evangelisch-Reformierte Landeskirche des Kantons Glarus)
  • Evangelical Reformed Local Church of Appenzell ( Evangelisch-reformierte Landeskirche beider Appenzell listen)), is the majority church in Appenzell-Ausserrhoden
  • Evangelical Local Church of the Canton of Thurgau ( Evangelische Landeskirche des Kantons Thurgau)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Neuchâtel ( Eglise reformée evangélique du canton de Neuchâtel) - unites the Calvinists of Neuchâtel, is the church of the majority of the canton
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Vaud ( Eglise Evangélique Réformée du canton de Vaud) - unites the Calvinists of Vaud, is the church of most cantons
• (other)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Schaffhausen ( Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Schaffhausen)
  • Evangelical Reformed Local Church of Graubünden ( Evangelisch-reformierte Landeskirche Graubünden listen)) - unites the majority of believers in German-speaking areas
  • Aargau Reformed Local Church ( Reformierte Landeskirche Aargau listen)) - unites the majority of believers in the western part of the canton (former Bernese Aargau)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of St. Gallen ( Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons St. Gallen)
  • Protestant Church of Geneva ( Eglise Protestante de Geneve
  • Free Evangelical Church of Geneva ( Eglise Evangélique Libre de Genève listen)) - unites the Calvinists of Geneva
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Friborg Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche des Kantons Freiburg, fr. eglise Evangelique Reformée du canton de Friborg)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Lucerne Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche des Kantons Luzern)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of Nidwalden ( Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche Nidwalden)
  • Association of Evangelical Reformed Churches in the Canton of Obwalden ( Verband der evangelisch-reformierten Kirchgemeinden des Kantons Obwalden)
  • Evangelical Reformed Cantonal Church of Schwyz ( Evangelisch-reformierte Kantonalkirche Schwyz)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church in the canton of Solothurn ( Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche im Kanton Solothurn)
  • Evangelical Reformed Local Church of Uri ( Evangelisch-Reformierte Landeskirche Uri)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of Valle ( Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche des Wallis)
  • Evangelical Reformed Communities of the Canton of Zug ( Evangelisch-reformierte Kirchgemeinde des Kantons Zug)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of Ticino ( Chiesa evangelica riformata nel Ticino)
  • Evangelical Methodist Church in Switzerland ( Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche in der Schweiz listen)) - unites Methodists all over Switzerland

Confessional differences in Switzerland do not always coincide with linguistic boundaries. Among the Protestants one can find both French-speaking Calvinists and German-speaking Zwinglians.

Part of the Lutherans are united in the Union of the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Switzerland and Liechtenstein ( Bund Evangelisch-Lutherischer Kirchen in der Schweiz und im Fürstentum Liechtenstein), including:

• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Geneva - unites the Lutherans of Geneva
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Basel and Northeast Switzerland ( Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Basel and Nordwestschweiz listen)) - unites the Lutherans of both Basel
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bern Evangelisch Lutherische Kirche Bern listen)) - unites the Lutherans of Bern
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Zurich Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Zürich listen)) - unites the Lutherans of Zurich
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liechtenstein Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche im Furstentum Liechtenstein listen)) - unites the Lutherans of Liechtenstein

Other Protestant groups include Adventists, Baptists, the Pentecostal Apostolic Church, the Swiss Pentecostal Mission, the Salvation Army, and others.

Catholicism

Catholics are represented by:

• diocese of Basel (Aargau, both Basel, Bern, Jura, Lucerne, Schaffhausen, Solothurn, Thurgau, Zug)
  • the diocesan region of St. Urs (both Basel and Aargau) - unites the majority of believers in the eastern part of the canton Aargau (the former counties of Baden and the Free Amts)
  • diocesan region of St. Verena (Bern, Jura and Solothurn) - unites the majority of the faithful of Jura and Solothurn
  • diocesan region of St. Victor (Lucerne, Schaffhausen, Thurgau and Zug) - unites the majority of the faithful of Lucerne, Schaffhausen and Zug
• Diocese of Hur (Graubünden, Glarus, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Uri, Schwyz, Zurich)
  • Vicariate General of Graubünden - unites the majority of the faithful in the Italian-speaking and Romansh areas
  • Vicariate General of Schwyz, Uri, Nidwalden and Obwalden - unites the majority of the faithful in all 4 cantons
  • Vicariate General of Zurich and Glarus
• Diocese of Lausanne (Fribourg, Geneva, Neuchâtel, Vaud)
  • Episcopal Vicariate of Friborg - unites the majority of the faithful in the canton
  • Episcopal Vicariate of Geneva - unites the majority of the faithful in the canton
  • Episcopal Vicariate of Vaud
  • Episcopal Vicariate of Neuchâtel
• diocese of Lugano (Ticino) - unites the majority of believers in the canton
• diocese of St. Gallen (both Appenzell and St. Gallen) - unites the majority of believers in Appenzell-Innerrhoden
• Diocese of Sion (Vallee) - unites the majority of believers in the canton

All are directly subordinate to the Holy See.

Judaism

Judaism in Switzerland is represented by the Union of Swiss Jewish Communities ( Schweizerischer Israelitischer Gemeindebund), consisting of:

• Jewish Community of Basel ( Israelitesche Gemeinde Basel)
• Jewish Community of Bern ( Judische Gemeinde Bern)
• Jewish Community of Bremgarten ( Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Bremgarten) (Bern)
• Jewish Community of Biel ( Judische Gemeinde Biel, Communauté Juive Bienne)
• Jewish Community of Solothurn ( Judische Gemeinde Solothurn)
• Jewish community of St. Gallen ( Judische Gemeinde St. Gallen)
• Jewish religious community of Endingen ( Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Endingen) (St. Gallen)
• Jewish Community of Winterthur ( Israelitische Gemeinde Winterthur) (Zurich)
• Jewish Community of Agudas Achim ( Judische Gemeinde Agudas Achim) (Zurich)
• Jewish cult community of Zurich ( Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich)
• Jewish Religious Community of Zurich ( Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft Zürich)
• Jewish Community of Geneva ( Communauté Israelite de Geneve)
• Jewish Community of the Canton of Neuchâtel ( Communauté Israelite du Canton de Neuchatel)
• Jewish community of Lausanne and the canton of Vaud ( Communauté Israelite de Lausanne et du ct de Vaud)
• Jewish Community of Friborg ( Communauté Israelite de Friborg)

Approximately 400,000 Muslims live in Switzerland, mostly Turks and Kosovars. On November 29, 2009, in a popular referendum in Switzerland, an amendment to the constitution was adopted banning the construction of minarets in the country. In addition, kosher and halal slaughter of animals is prohibited in Switzerland, which was considered insufficiently humane there.

Foreign policy

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, and concluded the Peace of Utrecht. However, in 1803, Switzerland was forced to conclude an agreement on a military alliance with Napoleonic France, according to which the country was obliged to provide its territory for the conduct of hostilities, as well as to put up 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 Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, Russia and France. 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 (currently 110).

The foreign policy of Switzerland, in accordance with the constitution of this country, is built taking into account the international legal status of permanent neutrality. The beginning of the Swiss policy of neutrality is difficult to link to any specific date. The Swiss historian Edgar Bonjour said about this: "The concept of Swiss neutrality arose simultaneously with the concept of the Swiss nation." It is interesting to note that as far back as the 14th century, in the treaties of individual cantons, which later formed the Swiss Confederation, with their neighbors, the German term “stillsitzen” (literally “sit still”) is used, which approximately corresponds to the later concept of neutrality.

The permanent neutrality of Switzerland arose as a result of the signing of four international legal acts: the Act of the Congress of Vienna of March 8 (20), 1815, the Appendix to the Act of the Vienna Congress No. 90 of March 8 (20), 1815, the Declaration of the Powers on the Affairs of the Helvetic Union and the Act recognition and guarantee of the permanent neutrality of Switzerland and the inviolability of its territory. Unlike other countries that chose a similar path solely under the influence of external factors (for example, as a result of a defeat in a war), Switzerland's neutrality was also formed for domestic political reasons: neutrality, becoming a nation-unifying idea, contributed to the evolution of its statehood from an amorphous confederation to a centralized federal structure. .

During the years of the policy of permanent armed neutrality, the Alpine Republic managed to avoid participation in two devastating world wars and strengthen its international authority, including through the implementation of numerous mediation efforts. The principle of maintaining relations “between countries, not between governments” allowed for dialogue with everyone, regardless of political or ideological considerations.

Switzerland represents third states where their diplomatic relations are interrupted (for example, the interests of the USSR in Iraq in 1955, Great Britain during the Anglo-Argentine conflict of 1982; Switzerland currently represents the interests of the United States in Iran, the interests of the Russian Federation in Georgia after the rupture of diplomatic relations between these countries in 2008). Switzerland provides "good offices" by providing its territory for direct negotiations between the parties to conflicts (the Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazian and South Ossetian problems, the Cyprus settlement, etc.).

Of all the types of neutrality that exist in the modern world, Swiss is the longest and most consistent. Today, the Swiss Confederation is not part of any military alliance or the EU.

In recent years, due to changes in Europe and the world, the government and public opinion are gaining momentum in favor of strengthening integration with the EU and a more flexible interpretation of the principle of neutrality.

In May 2004, the "second package" of EU sectoral agreements - Switzerland was signed, which, together with the "first package" (entered into force on June 1, 2002), is a kind of alternative to Switzerland's accession to the EU.

Within the framework of national referendums held in 2005, the people of Switzerland positively resolved the issue of Switzerland's accession to the Schengen and Dublin agreements (an agreement on this with the EU is included in the "second package"), as well as the extension of the provisions of the Treaty on freedom of movement between Switzerland and the EU (included in the "first package" of sectoral agreements) for new EU members who joined the Union in 2004. At the same time, it was decided to consider the issue of Switzerland's accession to the European Union not as a "strategic goal", as before, but only as a "political option", that is, an opportunity.

In 1959, Switzerland became one of the founding countries of the EFTA, and in 2002 joined the UN.

Culture of Switzerland

The culture of the country developed, on the one hand, under the influence of German, French and Italian culture, and, on the other hand, on the basis of the special identity of each canton. Therefore, it is still very difficult to say exactly what "Swiss culture" actually is. In Switzerland itself, there is a distinction between "Swiss culture" (usually folklore) and "culture from Switzerland" - all available genres in which people with a Swiss passport work. So, for example, associations of musicians playing the alpenhorns are more of a "Swiss culture", and rock bands "Yello", "Gotthard", "Krokus" and "Samael" are a culture from Switzerland.

A bright representative in music - Tilo Wolff and his group Lacrimosa working in the gothic rock genre.

There are universities in Basel, Zurich, Bern, Lugano, St. Gallen, Geneva, Lausanne, Friborg and Neuchâtel (there is no single national university in Switzerland, its role is played to some extent by the Higher Technical School in Zurich). The WTS is also located in Lausanne, and the Higher School of Economics operates in St. Gallen. A network of professional educational institutions has been developed. Among the students, a significant part are foreigners. Along with general education schools, there are privileged private colleges that are highly rated throughout the world.

Probably the most famous piece of Swiss literature is Heidi's story. This story of an orphan girl living with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps is still one of the most popular children's books, it has become one of the symbols of Switzerland. Its creator, the writer Johanna Spyri (1827-1901), also wrote a number of other books for children.

The famous sculptor Herman Haller, who is the founder of modern Swiss plastic arts, was born, lived and worked in Switzerland.

Swiss painters:

• Franz Gerch,
• Johann Ludwig Aberle,
• Daniel Spoerry,
• Frank Buxer,
• Roman Signer,
• Louis Muillier,
• Niklaus Manuel,
• Jean Renggli,
• Thomas Huber,
• Hans Asper.

There are many literary stories associated with Switzerland. For example, thanks to the Notes on Sherlock Holmes, the Reichenbach Falls is famous not only as a beautiful place, but also as the grave of Professor Moriarty. The history of Chillon Castle inspired Byron to compose The Prisoner of Chillon. Victor Frankenstein, character in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, hails from Geneva. The heroes of Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms have arrived! From Russian literature, first of all, the citizen Nikolai Stavrogin, the hero of Dostoevsky's novel "Demons", is known.

Connected to Lake Geneva is Deep Purple's famous song "Smoke on the Water" ("We all came out to Montreaux, on the lake Geneva shoreline...").

Sport

Skiing and mountaineering are very popular in Switzerland. Places like , and are some of the best ski centers in the world. As in neighboring Austria, skiing is one of the most popular. Swiss skiers have been among the strongest in the world throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

Swiss St. Moritz twice (1928 and 1948) hosted the Winter Olympic Games.

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 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.

Holidays

• In Switzerland, January 2 is Saint Berthold's Day.
• The Escalade is celebrated on December 12 in Geneva.
• August 1 is Confederation Day (Switzerland's national holiday). On this day, mass festivities are held in all cantons, magnificent fireworks are arranged.
• In Zurich in April they celebrate the Six Rings - a kind of meeting of spring.
• The canton celebrates the Old New Year - Sylvesterclaus.

National cuisine of Switzerland

Swiss cuisine deserves recognition from gourmets all over the world, despite the rather strong influence of neighboring countries (Germany, France and Italy), it has many of its own delicacies. One of the main attractions of Switzerland is chocolate. Switzerland is known not only for cultural and national diversity, but also for a rich selection of French, Italian, German cuisine. Swiss traditional food is based on several fundamental components. The most common components of Swiss cuisine are: milk, butter, cheese, potatoes, corn, beets, onions, cabbage, a relatively small amount of meat and a moderately selected bouquet of aromatic spices and herbs. Despite the fact that animal husbandry in Switzerland is unspeakably developed, meat is still not a frequent guest on the table of the Swiss.

Typical dishes of Swiss cuisine:

• Fondue
• Rosti
• Tartiflette
• Basel Brunels (Cookies)
• Swiss sausage salad
• Swiss gingerbread
• Swiss soup with cheese
• swiss roll
• Polenta
• Raclette
• Cookies "Lotus petals"
• meringues

Opening hours of establishments

Institutions in Switzerland are open on weekdays from 8:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00. Saturday and Sunday are days off.

Swiss banks are usually open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, except on weekends. Once a week, banks work longer than usual, you need to clarify this in each specific place. Post offices in large cities are open on weekdays from 8:30 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 18:30, on Saturday from 7:30 to 11:00, Sunday is a day off.

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.

Attempt to abandon the armed forces

In Switzerland, referendums were held twice (in 1989 and 2001) in favor of abandoning the regular army: both times the result was negative.

Mass 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 1620, newspapers began to appear in Zurich, one of them, the Ordinari-Wohenzeitung, is considered the direct 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 of 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 - newspapers of the Catholic-conservative direction were opposed by liberal-progressive publications. In 1893, the newspaper [Tages-Anzeiger] began to appear in Zurich, the first "non-partisan" (and in this sense "independent") newspaper.

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 (275,000 copies), the well-informed Tages Anzeiger (259,000 copies, there is a correspondent in Moscow) and the Neue Zürcher Zeitung published in Zurich ( 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.

TV

The Swiss television market is controlled by the Swiss Society for Broadcasting and Television, founded in 1931. Schweizerische Radio- und Fernsehgesellschaft, SRG, fr. Société suisse de radiodiffusion et television, SSR, it. Societa svizzera di radio-televisione, SHORT). 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 neighboring countries, primarily Germany, as well as France and Italy, are freely received in Switzerland. If in 2000 SRG SSR 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 the SRG SSR. francs.

The Swiss TV channels SRF1 and SRF zwei (produced by the SRG state broadcaster SRG, which is part of the SRG SSR) devote their “prime time” mainly to sports and socio-political programs, so the Swiss viewer satisfies his “entertainment needs”, as a rule, with the help of foreign TV 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.

The private TV channels TV3 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 (the government of the country) issued the corresponding license to the TV channel U1. 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).

At present, the Swiss Broadcasting Law of 21 June 1991 is being improved, its new version should give more opportunities for private activities in the field of television and radio, especially in terms of attracting additional advertising.

see also

• Copyright in Switzerland

Travel forums are full of posts with a question that begins like this:

“I have Schengen open. Will they let me into Switzerland?

From France, Poland, Finland, Russia and Belarus... will they let you in? At the same time, even the answers of those who have checked everything in practice do not relieve anxiety about this issue. Involuntarily, I think: what if someone just got lucky, but they will definitely leave me at the border, and I won’t see Zurich (Lucerne, Bern, Geneva) forever? With regard to Switzerland, a truly Hamlet question is posed.

Will they or won't they?

We will not torment you with uncertainty and will answer right away - they will let you in! And now to clarify: with a valid standard Schengen visa today, you can freely enter the territory of the Swiss Confederation and just as freely leave it. This answer to the question that worries everyone has been the only correct one since 2008, when Switzerland officially became part of the Schengen visa-free area.

What do we know about Schengen:

• having a Schengen visa in your passport, you can freely move around all the countries that make up the Schengen area;
• a visa can be issued by any state of the Schengen area;
• a visa can be issued for any period;

You can enter the Schengen area with a valid visa through any country, but it is recommended to stay in the country that issued the visa most of the time.

Top 5 myths about Schengen in Switzerland that we want to dispel

If the Schengen is issued by another state, they won't even let me out of Zurich airport.

According to the Schengen agreement, the visa regime in the countries that have signed it operates in the same way. Therefore, Switzerland freely lets people into its territory who have a valid visa of the required sample, regardless of which state it was issued.

You can only visit Switzerland with a multiple-entry visa.

For some reason, Switzerland is confused with Andorra in this matter, to visit which you really need a multiple-entry Schengen visa. As for Switzerland, the visa can be any.

If I have a visa from a state that is not neighboring Switzerland, they will not let me into the country.

Why popular rumor prefers Switzerland's neighbors to the detriment of other countries in the visa-free zone is a mystery.

Another myth is dispelled, as people with Polish, Czech and even Finnish visas are freely allowed into Switzerland.

NB! It should also be remembered that EU countries and Schengen countries are not the same thing. EU members such as the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and Bulgaria are not part of the Schengen area.

To cross the territory of Switzerland, you must have a residence permit in one of the Schengen countries.

Yes, a residence permit is one of the mutually exclusive conditions for transit through the territory of Switzerland.

The second condition is a Schengen visa. So, either a residence permit or a visa. In other words, the Swiss require a document confirming that your stay in Europe is legal.

You can drive your car into Switzerland, but back - only on foot.

In fact, you are free to do whatever you want, and you can use any vehicle to enter and exit the country. The Swiss won't mind. Naturally, provided that you use this transport legally.

Perhaps so many myths are generated by the peculiar foreign policy of Switzerland, which it has demonstrated for five centuries: the main principles of the country were neutrality and closeness. The past four years have not yet had time to change public opinion, but we are pleased to tell you that today it has become much easier to become a guest of the Swiss.

Useful data for tourists about Switzerland, cities and resorts of the country. As well as information about the population, currency of Switzerland, cuisine, features of visa and customs restrictions in Switzerland.

Geography of Switzerland

The Swiss Confederation is a state in central Europe bordering Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein.

Almost all of Switzerland lies in the mountains of the Alps and Jura. The highest peak is Dufour Peak (4634 m) in the south of the country.

State

State structure

Federal republic (confederation), consisting of 23 cantons, each of which has its own constitution, parliament and government. The head of state is the president. The legislature is the bicameral Federal Assembly (National Council and Council of Cantons). Executive power is exercised by the Federal Council (Government) of 7 Federal Councilors (Ministers).

Language

Official language: German, French, Italian

In the northeast of the country, they speak Retroman. Most Swiss speak English.

Religion

About 48% are Catholics, 46% are Protestants, and 6% are other religions.

Currency

International name: CHF

The Swiss franc is equal to 100 centimes (rappen in German Switzerland). In circulation there are denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 francs, as well as coins of 5, 2, 1 franc, 50, 20, 10 and 5 centimes.

Many stores accept convertible currency and accept all major credit cards and traveler's checks. You can change money at any bank branch, in the evening - at the exchange offices of large department stores, airports and some travel agencies. It is better to change money abroad, since in Switzerland itself the exchange rate of the national currency is too high.

History of Switzerland

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.

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 changed the white cover turned into green, and the "revived" earth found its first inhabitants from the human race....

Popular Attractions

Tourism in Switzerland

Where to stay

Switzerland is a country with a high standard of living, which has not bypassed such an area as the tourism business. All hotels in this country have their own classification and are characterized by a high level of service.

The highest category - Swiss Deluxe - includes hotels located in old historical buildings, completely renovated and adapted to the needs of guests. The windows of such a room will offer a beautiful view, the interior will delight the eye with sophistication. The hotels of this category operate not only first-class restaurants, but also golf courses, SPA centers and much more.

The SWISS Quality standard includes five classes of hotels (similar to stars), which are located in large or resort cities. Five stars, or SWISS Quality Excellence, is given to hotels with a high level of service, meticulous interior design, upscale restaurants, etc.

Four stars, or SWISS Quality Superior, are hotels in which, in addition to special comfort, guests will be offered to use a restaurant, a modern conference room, a gym or spa services. Hotels that are awarded three stars also please with good service and are suitable for both tourist groups and businessmen.

The campsites in Switzerland, which are located in the picturesque corners of the country, also have a gradation from 1 to 5 stars. Please note that unauthorized placement outside the campsite is fraught with a police visit and a fine.

In small towns, you can rent a room in private hotels or live in a real peasant house. For those who prefer some extreme sports, there is an opportunity to spend the night in a real hayloft.

In winter, mountain chalets are very popular. However, keep in mind that they must be ordered in advance.

Office Hours

Banks are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (some until 6 p.m.) on weekdays, with a break from 12 a.m. to 2 p.m. Once a week, banks are open longer than usual. Currency exchange offices at airports and railway stations are open daily from 8 am to 10 pm, often around the clock.

Shops are open on weekdays from 8.30 to 18.30, some are open until 22. On Saturday, all shops are open from 8 to 12 and from 14 to 16. In large cities, some shops are open without a lunch break, but are closed on Monday morning .

Purchases

Value Added Tax (VAT) in Switzerland is 7.5%. In hotels and restaurants, all taxes are included in the bill. When buying in one store for more than 500 francs, you can get a VAT refund. To do this, you need to get a "Tax-free Shopping Check" check at the store (a passport is required), according to which, when leaving the country, you must pay VAT at the bank at the airport or stamp it. In this case, upon returning home, the stamped form must be mailed in order to receive a receipt with a VAT refund. In large stores, VAT is refunded on the spot upon presentation of a passport.

Safety

The crime rate in Switzerland is very low. However, beware of pickpockets and bag snatchers.

Emergency Phones

Police - 117
Fire services - 118
Ambulance - 14

Questions and opinions about Switzerland

Question answer

More than 16 million tourists visit Switzerland every year. For most of them, Switzerland is initially associated with watches, chocolate, Swiss cheese and ski resorts. However, tourists very quickly realize that this country has unique medieval architectural buildings, amazingly beautiful nature, a large number of attractions, the annual international automobile show in Geneva, as well as excellent thermal resorts.

The Swiss Confederation is located in the center of Europe, it has no access to the sea. Switzerland borders France to the west, Italy to the south, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. The total area of ​​this country is 30,528 sq. km., and the total length of the border is 1,850 km.

The territory of Switzerland is divided into three main geographical regions - the Alps (occupy 60% of the country), the Swiss Plateau (30% of the country's territory) and the Jura mountains in the north of the country (about 10% of the territory). The country's highest peak is Dufour Peak in the Alps (4,634 m).

Several rivers flow through Switzerland - Rhone, Limmat, Rhine, etc. But tourists are more interested in Swiss lakes - Zurich in the east, Geneva, Thun, Firwaldstet in the south, Neuchâtel and Biel in the north of the country.

Since 1848, the capital of Switzerland has been the city of Bern, which is now home to about 135 thousand people. Bern was formed in 1191 by order of Duke Berthold the Rich.

Switzerland speaks four languages. The most common of them is German (more than 67%). Next come French (more than 20%), Italian (6.5%) and Romansh (0.5%) languages.

More than 38% of the inhabitants of Switzerland belong to the Roman Catholic Church. Protestants (31% of the population) and Muslims (4.5%) also live in this country.

Switzerland, according to the 1999 Constitution, is a federal parliamentary republic. The head of state is the President, elected from 7 members of the Federal Council for 1 year. It is the Federal Council that has the executive power in the country.

Legislative power has for many centuries been vested in a bicameral parliament - the Federal Council, consisting of the Council of Cantons (46 representatives, two from each canton) and the National Council (200 deputies).

Administratively, the Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons.

In general, the climate in Switzerland is temperate, continental, but it has regional differences. In the west of Switzerland, the climate is strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, in the Alps the climate is mountainous, alpine. South of the Alps, the climate is almost Mediterranean. The average annual temperature is +8.6C. In winter, there is a lot of snow in Switzerland, which guarantees a long ski season.

Average air temperature in Bern:

January - -1C
- February - 0C
- March - +5C
- April - +10С
- May - +14С
- June - +17С
- July - +18C
- August - +17C
- September - +13C
- October - +8C
- November - +4С
- December - 0C

Switzerland has several large rivers - the Rhone, Limmat, Rhine, as well as the most beautiful lakes - Zurich in the east, Geneva, Thun, Firwaldstet in the south, Neuchâtel and Biel in the north of the country.

People on the territory of modern Switzerland lived 5 thousand years ago. In 58 B.C. Roman legions led by Gaius Julius Caesar defeated the troops of the Helvetian tribe living in Switzerland. In 15 B.C. the Roman emperor Tiberius conquers the tribes in the Swiss Alps, and from that time Switzerland becomes part of Ancient Rome.

In the early Middle Ages, Switzerland was under the rule of the Franks, and was divided into two parts - Middle Francia and East Francia. Only in 1000 AD. the Swiss territories were reunited under the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1291, the three Swiss cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden united to resist external enemies, and by 1513 this confederation included 13 cantons. The first half of the 16th century in Switzerland was marked by religious wars.

Only in 1648, according to the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognized the independence of Switzerland from the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1798, revolutionary French troops conquered Switzerland and gave it a new constitution.

In 1815, the independence of Switzerland was again recognized by other states. Switzerland has since become a neutral country.

In 1847, some Swiss Catholic cantons tried to create their own union by separating from the rest of Switzerland, but they did not succeed. The civil war in 1847 in Switzerland lasted less than a month and killed about 100 people.

In the 20th century, during two world wars, Switzerland remained a neutral country. However, during the Second World War in Switzerland, the mobilization of men into the army was announced, because. there was a strong threat of invasion by German troops. An important role during the Second World War was played by the International Red Cross, whose main office was in Geneva.

The first Swiss cantons granted women the right to vote in elections in 1959. At the federal level, Swiss women gained the right to vote in 1971.

In 2002, Switzerland became a full member of the UN.

The culture of Switzerland was greatly influenced by neighboring countries - France, Germany, Austria and Italy. However, Swiss culture is now very distinct and unique.

Until now, the Swiss zealously preserve their ancient traditions, the “soul” of which is expressed in music, dances, songs, embroidery and woodcarving. Even small Swiss villages have several musical folklore ensembles or dance groups.

In the mountainous regions of Switzerland, yodel, a type of folk singing, is popular (as in Austria). Every three years Interlaken hosts the International Yodeling Festival. A typical Swiss folk instrument is the accordion.

1 Art Basel
2 Geneva Auto Show
3 Montreux Jazz Festival
4. Omega European Masters
5. White Turf Events
6 Lucerne Festival
7. Locarno International Film Festival
8. Ascona Music Festival

Swiss cuisine is characterized by precision and accuracy in the preparation of dishes. Swiss cuisine uses a lot of vegetables and herbs. In general, Swiss cuisine is formed on the basis of numerous regional traditions. However, in every canton of Switzerland, cheese is often used in cooking. In general, dairy products are very popular among the Swiss.

About 450 types of cheese are produced in Switzerland. Each Swiss eats an average of 2.1 kilograms of cheese annually.

The national Swiss dishes are “rösti” (“roshti”), which is grated potatoes fried in a pan (i.e. a kind of potato pancakes, they are served with herring, scrambled eggs or cheese), and “fondues” (“fondue” ), prepared from cheese and meat.

The Swiss are very fond of chocolate. Each Swiss eats more than 11.6 kilograms of chocolate every year. Now Swiss chocolate is famous all over the world.

Switzerland has not been at war with anyone for a long time, and given that the Swiss are very thrifty and economical, it becomes clear why a large number of various historical and architectural monuments have been preserved there. The top ten attractions in Switzerland, in our opinion, include the following:

Chillon Castle on the shores of Lake Geneva

The famous Chillon Castle was built in 1160 and belonged to the Dukes of Savoy for a long time. The famous English poet George Byron, after a trip to Chillon Castle in 1816, wrote his famous poem "The Prisoner of Chillon"

swiss national park

The Swiss National Park was formed in 1914. It covers an area of ​​169 sq. km. In this reserve, deer, chamois and mountain goats are found in large numbers.

Jet d "Eau fountain in Geneva

The Jet d "Eau fountain was built in 1881. It hits from Lake Geneva to a height of 140 meters. Now the Jet d" Eau fountain is considered one of the symbols of Geneva.

Medieval villages in the canton of Graubünden

There are many old villages in the canton of Graubünden with houses dating back to the 13th century.

Monument to the Duke of Brunswick

A monument to the Duke of Brunswick was built in Geneva in 1879. Not far from this monument is the Jet d "Eau fountain.

Cathedral of St. Peter in Geneva

The construction of the Gothic St. Peter's Cathedral in Geneva lasted from 1160 to 1310. It is in this cathedral that the chair of the famous reformer of the Catholic Church, Han Calvin, is located.

Museum of ceramics and glass "Ariana"

The Ariana Museum is located near the Palais des Nations, in the Ariana Park in Geneva. The museum presents works of art from ceramics, porcelain and glass from around the world.

Bastion park in Geneva

Parc de Bastion is the oldest botanical park in Switzerland (it was founded in 1817). The magnificent building of the University of Geneva is located in this park.

Russian Orthodox Church in Geneva

This church was built in 1866. Now she is one of the decorations of Geneva.

Rhine Falls

In the canton of Schaffhausen, on the border with Germany, there is the famous Rhine Falls (i.e. this is a waterfall on the Rhine River).

The largest Swiss cities are Geneva, Basel, Zurich, Lausanne, and, of course, Bern.

Switzerland is, apparently, the classic country of ski resorts. The skiing season in Switzerland starts in November and lasts until April inclusive. The most popular Swiss ski resorts are Zermatt, Saas-Fee, St. Moritz, Interlaken, Verbier, Crans-Montana, Leukerbad, Villars/Grillon.

For many tourists, Switzerland is associated with ski resorts. However, in this country there are a lot of balneological resorts on thermal waters. The most popular Swiss balneological resorts are Leukerbad, Bad Ragaz, Yverdon-les-Bains, Baden, Ovronna, etc.

We advise you to bring Swiss chocolate (the most famous brands are Toblerone, Cailler, and Lindt), cheese, Swiss watches, cuckoo clocks, Swiss army knives, small cow bells, handicrafts, towels, etc. from Switzerland as souvenirs.

The territory on which modern Switzerland is located, before the advent of the Romans, was inhabited mainly by the Celtic tribe of the Helvetians, who came from the south of modern Germany in the 2nd-1st centuries BC, as well as by the Rhet tribe. From the name of the Helvetian tribe, another name for the country came - Helvetia. Under pressure from the Germanic tribes, the Helvetians tried to migrate to the southeast of Gaul, but were defeated by Roman troops in 58 BC and returned to their previously occupied lands as allies dependent on Rome. Subsequently, the Helvetians were completely subordinated to Rome (the same fate befell the Retes).

On the new lands, the Romans founded a number of new settlements or expanded the old ones (for example, this is how the city of Augusta Raurica appeared - the modern city of Ogst in the vicinity of Basel). The Celts were assimilated by Rome and lived peacefully within the empire. Thanks to the activities of the Romans, the judicial system based on Roman law developed, and the first educational institutions were formed.

In the III century, German raids began on Helvetia. The territory of present-day Switzerland from a prosperous province of the Roman Empire at first turns into a poor border zone, constantly subjected to raids, and by the 5th century finally falls under the control of the Germanic tribes.

In the VI century Helvetia became part of the kingdom of the Franks, and then the empire of Charlemagne. In the 9th century, the region split into two parts: the eastern part went to the emerging German-speaking Holy Roman Empire, and the western part to Burgundy. Thus, by the 10th century, parts of the future Switzerland were part of different European political entities that differed in language and independent political identities.

In the 11th-12th centuries, the cities of Geneva, Zurich, Bern and others played a special role in European trade and politics. They formed the so-called "belt of cities". In cities that established active ties with other regions of Europe, a new type of political culture arose, closely linked to the Catholic social architecture of the country, which attached great importance to contractual relations (based on the principle of covenant - an agreement between people and God, and then between people in the face of God). ). In the XII-XIII centuries, favorable conditions were formed in these territories for the conclusion of such agreements: the Holy Roman Empire, which Helvetia entered in 1032, was a “loose” entity and could not effectively control its territories. As a result, some cities received the status of "free", and the mountainous and remote lands were de facto autonomous. In general, the geographical position of Switzerland had a great influence on the formation of its political traditions: due to isolation, the economically active part of the population had ample opportunities for the development of various initiatives.

This state of affairs persisted until the power in the empire passed to the Habsburgs, who headed for the centralization of their possessions. This caused dissatisfaction in many areas of Helvetia and led to the fact that the three forest communities (cantons) located around Lake Lucerne (German: Firwaldstet Lake) decided at the end of the 12th century to unite on the basis of a treaty in order to defend special rights within the empire. Habsburgs. In fact, the emergence of a factor of external challenge common to all lands became an integrative imperative for the initial unification of the cantons into a single political structure. The cantons of Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden announced on August 1, 1291 the creation of an "eternal union", which marked the beginning of the existence of Switzerland (the name of the country comes from the name of the canton of Schwyz) as an independent state.

In 1315, the Habsburgs made another attempt to subjugate these lands, but were defeated at the Battle of Morgarten, which prompted other cantons to join the new alliance. They were attracted by the high degree of independence gained in this case from the empire. The Swiss Union won several victories over the troops of the Habsburgs: on June 9, 1386, the Swiss infantry defeated the army of Leopold III of Habsburg near the city of Sempach, and in 1388 the troops of the empire were defeated at Nefels. In 1388, the Habsburgs were forced to make peace with the Swiss Union, which at that time consisted of 8 cantons: Schwyz, Uri, Unterwalden, Lucerne, Zurich, Zug, Glarus and Bern.