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英国 United Kingdom 爱尔兰 Ireland 比利时 Belgium 荷兰 Netherlands 法国 France 西班牙 Spain 葡萄牙 Portugal 意大利 Italy 希腊 Greece 奥地利 Austria 匈牙利 Hungary 德国 Germany 瑞士 Switzerland 罗马尼亚 Romania 俄罗斯 Russia 波兰 Poland 克罗地亚 Croatia (Hrvatska) 捷克 Czech 芬兰 Finland 瑞典 Sweden 挪威 Norway 冰岛 Iceland 土耳其 Turkey 丹麦 Denmark 阿尔巴尼亚 Albania 爱沙尼亚 Republic of Estonia 安道尔 Andorra 白俄罗斯 Belarus 保加利亚 The Republic of Bulgaria 波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那 Bosnia and Herzegovina 梵蒂冈 Vatican City State (Holy See) 黑山 The Republic of Montenegro 拉脱维亚 Latvia 立陶宛 Republic of Lithuania 列支敦士登 Liechtenstein 卢森堡 Luxembourg 马耳他 Republic of Malta 马其顿 The Republic of Macedonia 摩尔多瓦 The Republic of Moldova 摩纳哥 Monaco 塞尔维亚 the Republic of Serbia 斯洛伐克 The Slovak Republic 斯洛文尼亚 the Republic of Slovenia 圣马力诺 San Marino 乌克兰 Ukraine |
| Switzerland Capital:bern Country Code: ch |
 瑞士 瑞士英文:Swiss Confederation 德文：SCHWEIZERISCHE EIDGENOSSENSCHAFT 法文：LA CONFEDERATION SUISSE 意大利文：CONFEDERAZIONE SVIZZERA 拉丁文：Confoedoratio Helvetica，简称CH 面积：41,285平方公里面积 水域面积百分比 3.7％，位于第132位。 国旗:呈正方形。旗地为红色，正中一个白色十字。瑞士国旗图案的来历众说纷纭，其中有代表性的说法就有四种。至１８４８年，瑞士制定了新联邦宪法，正式规定红地白十字旗为瑞士联邦国旗。白色象征和平、公正和光明，红色象征着人民的胜利、幸福和热情；国旗的整组图案象征国家的统一。这面国旗在１８８９曾作过修改，把原来的红地白十字横长方形改为正方形，象征国家在外交上采取的公正和中立的政策。 国徽：为盾徽。图案与颜色与国旗相同。 国花：火绒草 国石：水晶 货币：瑞士货币名称为瑞士法郎，属国际硬通货。1瑞士法郎＝100生丁。瑞士货币有7种面值的纸币：10、20、50、100、200、500、1000瑞士法郎（CHF）及7种面值的硬币：5、10、20、50生丁，1、2、5瑞士法郎。美元对瑞士法郎兑换率2000年为1:1.69，2001年为1:1.69, 2002年为1:1.56。 时差：瑞士的时间，比中国慢7小时，夏季则比中国慢6小时，因每年的3月至9月尾均采用夏令时间。而滑雪季节则是从12月中旬至5月下旬。 与中国关系：1950年9月14日，中国与瑞士建交。 人口：725.88万（2001年），其中瑞士藉人口占79.8%，外藉人口占20.2%；人口密度 176/km2位于第92位； 语言：瑞士应用语言共四种：德语Deutsch、法语、意大利语Italiano及拉丁罗曼语。其中讲德语的人口占63.9%，主要在北部地区；讲法语人口占l9.5%，在西部地区；讲意大利语人口占6.6%，在南部地区；讲拉丁罗曼语人口占0.5%，在东部少数地区；讲其它语言人口占9.5%。前3种语言系官方语言，为联邦的正式文件所采用。英语亦广泛运用。 宗教信仰：瑞士居民主要信仰天主教和基督教，其中天主教徒约占信教人口总数的44.1%，基督教徒占36.6%。另，伊斯兰教徒约占4.5%， 其他3.1%，无宗教者占11.7%。 地理概况：瑞士是位于欧洲中南部的多山内陆国。东界奥地利、列支敦士登，南邻意大利，西接法国，北连德国。其领土东起东经10°29'26"格劳宾登州的沙瓦拉茨峰，西至东经5°57'24"的日内瓦的尚希镇，最南端位于北纬45°49'8"，靠近提契诺州的基亚索，最北面在北纬47°48'35"，系沙夫豪森州的巴尔根。南北长220.1公里，东西长348.4公里。全境分中南部的阿尔卑斯山脉（占总面积的60％）、西北部的汝拉山脉（占10％）、中部高原（占30％）三个自然地形区。平均海拔约1350米，最高点是接近意大利的杜富尔峰（DUFOUR-PEAK,海拔4634米），最低点是位于提契诺州的马祖尔湖（LAKE MAGGIORE，海拔193米）。瑞士是一个山国，山清水秀。其森林面积达12523平方公里，占全国面积的30.3％。如果再加上农业、绿地面积（10166平方公里，占全国面积24.6％），则全国一半以上的土地被绿地所覆盖。瑞士是欧洲大陆三大河流发源地，有“欧洲水塔”之称。主要河流有：莱茵河(在瑞士境内375公里，是瑞士最大的河流)、阿尔河(在瑞士境内295公里，是瑞士最长的内陆河)、罗纳河(在瑞士境内264公里，是瑞士第二大内陆河)。湖泊共有1484个，其中最大的是莱蒙湖（又名日内瓦湖），面积582平方公里，最深处310米，其它有：康斯坦茨湖、纽沙泰尔湖、马乔雷湖、四州湖、苏黎世湖等。瑞士的河湖面积达1726平方公里，占瑞士全国面积的4.2％。瑞士地处北温带，地域虽小，但各地气候差异很大。阿尔卑斯山由东向西伸展，形成了瑞士气候的分界线。阿尔卑斯山以北受温和潮湿的西欧海洋性气候和冬寒夏热的东欧大陆性气候的交替影响，变化较大；阿尔卑斯山以南则属地中海气候，全年气候宜人。瑞士年降雨量为1500毫米,但各地分布不均。年平均气温为8．6摄氏度。在城市中，夏季气温可达华氏86度（摄氏30度），空气湿度适宜；冬季气温经常低于华氏32度（摄氏0度），时有下雪结冰的现象。 各大城市介绍 首都:伯尔尼，市区人口12.25万 伯尔尼市： 伯尔尼市位于瑞士国土中间偏西，1848年联邦宪法定为瑞士首都，又称为“联邦城”, 同时也是伯尔尼州的首府。面积(包括郊区)230多平方公里，市区人口12.4万,海拔550米，位于莱茵河支流阿尔河的一个天然弯曲处，湍急的河水从三面环绕伯尔尼老城而过，形成了一个半岛。传说为给城市取名，当时的统治者扎灵根公爵决定外出打猎，以打到的第一只野兽作为城市名，结果打死一头熊，于是以“熊”字为该城命名。伯尔尼这一名称是从德文“熊”字演绎而来，德语中熊一词的发音是“拜尔”，后渐变为“伯尔尼”。“熊”自然成了伯尔尼的城徽，进而又变为伯尔尼州的标志。伯尔尼市有些古建筑上至今仍留有熊的雕塑。在阿尔河东岸山岗尼德格大桥附近，还辟有熊苑，喂养着一些供游人观赏的熊。 伯尔尼城始建于12世纪，至18世纪建成现在规模，已有800年的历史。伯尔尼老城原来一些木质结构的建筑被中世纪的多次大火烧毁，后来重建时改为石头结构，现仍保持完好：碎石铺成的马车道，街道两旁是彼此相连的漫长拱廓，红瓦白墙相映生辉的古老房屋，各有典故的街心喷泉彩柱，16世纪的钟塔及始建于1421年的晚期哥特式大教堂，使伯尔尼显得古色古香，保留着中世纪时的风貌。现主要街道已被划为步行区，环境十分幽静。伯尔尼老城已被联合国科教文组织列入世界文化名城之列。 瑞士过去在很长时间内没有固定的首都，1848年11月28日，伯尔尼被定为瑞士联邦首都，成为联邦政府所在地和全国政治和外交中心。联邦政府和联邦议会设在阿尔河北岸铜绿色的联邦大厦中，这是一组用花岗石建造的宫殿式的大型建筑群，建于1852年－1857年。大厦左右两翼是联邦各部的办公楼 ，中间圆顶下面是联邦议会两院的会议厅。大厦于1894－1902年进行扩建，1993年再次进行修缮，并添置了电子表决装置。 由于市民反对噪音和地势等原因，伯尔尼未建大型机场，仅有一小飞机场，设有通往西欧主要城市的航线。伯尔尼有通往全国各地的高速公路，也是全国铁路枢纽之一。 二次大战后, 伯尔尼的机械、仪表、电器、制药、纺织、食品、建筑和印刷工业逐年发展，但均系一些中小企业，在瑞士经济中不占重要地位。 伯尔尼主要是行政和银行业中心，同时也是一个文化和旅游城市。市内有古老学府之一的伯尔尼大学，建于1834年，以研究宇宙射线著称。此外，还有历史、自然史、艺术、兵器等不同类型的众多博物馆，伯尔尼还是万国邮政联盟和国际铁路运输总局所在地。 历史上，许多革命活动家都曾在伯尔尼居住过。恩格斯1848年秋曾到伯尔尼指导瑞士的工人运动。列宁从1914年9月到1916年初也曾在伯尔尼附近的齐美瓦尔德和昆塔尔逗留过，并写过不少揭露第二国际机会主义叛徒的文章。著名物理学家爱因斯坦在伯尔尼联邦专利局工作期间，业余钻研物理学，发表了他的惊世之作“相对论”，伯尔尼将此引为骄傲，至今还保留着爱因斯坦的住所（已辟为博物馆）。 瑞士其他主要城市 苏黎世市：苏黎世市是苏黎世州首府，坐落在苏黎世湖畔北岸。1997年底市区人口 33.8万，其中外国人占 27.9％，是瑞士第一大城市，已有两千年的历史，它既是全国最大的金融和商业中心，又是瑞士重要的文化城市，交通和服务业也居全国首位。 苏黎世是重要的国际金融中心和黄金市场之一。这里集中了350余家银行及银行分支机构，其中外国银行近70家。享有盛名的苏黎世交易所建于1876年，其成交额在西欧交易所中居前列，最高峰时有70％的证券交易在此进行。瑞士证券交易所是世界上目前唯一的具有全自动交易和清算系统的交易所，其先进的设备、高素质的人员为投资者提供了优良的服务。苏黎世的黄金市场更是闻名遐迩，近年来其黄金市场的地位有所下降，六十年代曾跃为仅次于伦敦的世界第二大黄金市场。 苏黎世地处交通要道，该市及其周围地区工商业很早就很兴盛，特别是丝绸业发展较快。现主要有机器制造、建筑、纺织、化工、电子、印刷和食品加工。市中心利马河西侧的火车站大街是全城最繁华的商业街，集中了上百家银行和众多的高级商店，珠宝首饰、名表裘皮、高档服装、文物古玩琳琅满目。 苏黎世是瑞士国内与国际交通的枢纽，高速公路四通八达，全国最大的火车站和机场均设在这里，每天进出火车700多列；机场年客运量上千万人次，瑞航和中国民航每周有数次航班往返于苏黎世和北京、上海之间。 苏黎世还是瑞士文化、教育和科研中心之一。苏黎世湖畔的“馥劳”教堂始建于公元853年，为典型的罗马式建筑。教堂不远处全市最美的巴罗克式建筑是昔日的酒业公会。河对岸正对“馥劳”教堂的建筑是苏黎世大教堂，其一对高耸的塔楼建于15世纪，它是苏黎世城的重要标志。市政厅则是一座华丽的意大利文艺复兴风格的建筑。苏黎世市有各类博物馆、美术馆50多处。苏黎世联邦高工、苏黎世大学等院校均是举世闻名的高等学府，我留瑞的近千名学生中约一半在上述两校深造。瑞士国家博物馆和图书馆也设在这里。列宁1916-1917年在该市从事研究工作，完成了著名的《帝国主义是资本主义发展的最高阶段》一书。 1982年苏黎世市与我昆明市结为友好城市。苏黎世对昆明市内公交、污水处理等给予了援助。 1988年我国在苏黎世设立了总领馆。 日内瓦市：日内瓦市是日内瓦州的首府，坐落在风景宜人的莱蒙湖畔。北、西、南三面与法国交界，依山傍水，景色秀丽，夏无酷暑，冬无严寒。最热的七月份平均气温为摄氏19度，最冷的一月份平均气温为摄氏零度左右。1997年底，日内瓦市区人口为17.3万，其中外籍人占 43.8％，为瑞士第二大城市。 日内瓦早在12世纪起已是欧洲的一个重要商业中心,目前是瑞士第二大金融市场，拥有120多家银行。 日内瓦尤以国际组织所在地和国际会议城市著称于世，与纽约、维也纳并称为联合国城。据统计，这里的国际机构共有243个，大致分三类：第一，联合国机构，如联合国贸易与发展会议、联合国开发计划署、世界贸发组织、世界卫生组织等；第二，政府间机构，如欧洲核子研究中心、欧洲自由贸易联盟等；第三，非政府组织，如各国议会联盟、保卫儿童国际联合会、国际红十字会等。著名的万国宫原是国际联盟的所在地，而今是联合国驻欧洲总部，已成为重要的多边外交活动中心之一，有关国际裁军、贸易、劳工、卫生、气象、电讯、人权等涉及世界和平、经济发展和社会进步的许多重大国际会议都在这里举行。近 130个国家在此设有常驻联合国和其它国际组织代表。我国于1954年设立驻日内瓦总领馆，1972年改为常驻联合国日内瓦代表处和其它国际组织代表团。 1954年，周恩来总理曾率代表团参加了关于越南问题的日内瓦会议；1961年，陈毅副总理率代表团参加关于老挝问题的日内瓦会议。 日内瓦是瑞士有名的游览胜地，有许多名胜古迹。法国启蒙思想家卢梭就诞生在老城一座古老的住宅里。英国诗人拜伦1816年曾住在科洛尼区一栋名为迪奥大迪的别墅里。在这别墅不远处，是英国浪漫诗人雪莱的旧居。 日内瓦市内值得一游的有：著名的宗教改革国际纪念碑、圣－皮埃尔大教堂、大剧院、艺术与历史博物馆、日内瓦大学等，在晴朗的日子里泛舟莱蒙湖，更是别有一番情趣。 巴塞尔市：巴塞尔市位于瑞士、法国和德国的三国交界处，面积37平方公里，市区人口 17.l万，系全国第三大城市。因莱茵河之故，中世纪的巴塞尔曾对欧洲贸易起过重要作用，1833年因城乡战争而分裂为北部的巴塞尔(市)和南部的巴塞尔(乡)两个半州。 自19世纪初起，巴塞尔逐渐发展成为一个工业城市。现在的工业主要有化工医药、机械、水泥、纺织、食品、钟表、冶金等。世界著名的诺华、罗氏等化工集团都设在巴塞尔，使它成为瑞士化学工业中心。在这两家集团就业的职工几乎占全市就业人口的一半。 巴塞尔：也是瑞士重要的金融市场之一，是国际清算银行和国际重建与发展银行的所在地，也是避暑的好地方。 巴塞尔既是瑞士的铁路枢纽，也是瑞士唯一通向海洋的河运港口，年货物吞吐量占瑞士全部外贸货运量的一半。 巴塞尔大学是瑞士最古老的大学，已有500多年的历史。哥特式的巴塞尔大教堂建于14世纪，宏伟挺拔，别具一格。圣马丁教堂则是11世纪至14世纪的建筑。巴塞尔市政厅建于16世纪，赭红色的高大门墙上，有瑞士古代著名画家绘制的精美彩画。市内的金星饭店是瑞士全国最古老的饭店，建于1412年，绘有晚期哥特式的彩色图案。巴塞尔美术博物馆在欧洲颇负盛名，馆内陈列有瑞士中世纪著名画家和雕塑家的作品和大批现代画。地处市中心的巴塞尔博览会共有 4个大型展览馆，室内展区面积为14万平方米，露天展区面积为1万平米。每年春季都要举办国际博览会。1984年建成的巴塞尔广播电视塔高达250米，是瑞士目前最高的建筑物。 洛桑市：洛桑是沃州的首府，位于莱蒙湖畔。市区人口12万，主要讲法语，是瑞士第五大城市。 洛桑，一种解释为“水流”，另一解释意为“石头”。中世纪时洛桑已成为这个地区的政治、经济和宗教中心。1803年由沃州议会决定成为沃州的首府。 19世纪末，铁路的出现使洛桑成为瑞士法语区最重要的交通枢纽。洛桑是沃州工业的集中地，主要工业有精密机械、化工、食品、印刷等。 洛桑除有两所大学(洛桑联邦高工和洛桑大学)外，还有高等贸易学校、音乐学院、师范学校等。洛桑酒店管理学校在世界上颇有名气。 洛桑气候温和，依山傍水，风景宜人，是瑞士的游览胜地之一，旅游业是该地收入的重要来源。主要游览地有12世纪的哥特式大教堂?ツ冈骸?3世纪的圣－弗郎索瓦教堂、市政厅、14世纪的圣－梅尔城堡、自然疗养站，19世纪修建的吕密纳尔宫内常年展出大量收藏品。该市西部韦迪区的罗马博物馆收藏着有关古罗马港口卢佐纳的文物。此外还有古城博物馆、沃州历史博物馆、美术博物馆、自然历史博物馆等。 自1874年瑞士联邦宪法规定洛桑为联邦最高司法机构所在地以来，联邦法院就一直设在此地。 洛桑曾是外国流亡者聚集的城市。如法国的玛丽•路易丝皇后、拿破仑的三个兄弟、意大利烧炭党人、还有俄国的革命者和后来的白俄等。许多历史文化名人也曾在此逗留，如密支凯维茨、雪莱、拜伦、狄更斯、大仲马、雨果等。 洛桑是国际奥林匹克委员会总部（IOC）的所在地，并建有奥林匹克博物馆。 卢塞恩市：卢塞恩市是卢塞恩州的首府，位于瑞士中部高原，在卢塞恩湖的西北、苏黎世西南端，罗伊斯河穿城而过。人口约 7万，主要讲德语。卢塞恩原是一个渔村，8世纪建城，l178年建市，1230年圣哥达隧道开通后，成为联接中欧和南欧的重要交通枢纽和莱茵河与伦巴第之间的重要贸易中心，有木材加工、化学、机械和纺织等工业。 卢塞恩自然景色优美，旅游业相当发达，是瑞士的疗养、旅游胜地。河右岸老城与河左岸新城之间有7座桥梁相连，其中两座古代木桥形饰精美。最大的木桥和与其相连的水塔建于 1300年，是欧洲最古老的木桥，以其历史和美学价值成为该市的象征和瑞士人的骄傲，可惜这座木桥于1993年一夜之间被大火焚坏，次年重新修复。老城内有 14世纪的城墙和文艺复兴时期的建筑、老市政厅(1602—1606)、历史博物馆、交通博物馆等。市内的冰川公园里有两万年前冰川的遗迹和关于冰川时期的展览。在希尔斯广场可以寻觅到德国诗人歌德的故居。 瑞士主要名胜和景点 万国宫： 万国宫过去是国际联盟的所在地，而今是联合国驻日内瓦办事处的总部。它是日内瓦作为一个国际城市的象征，也是世界近代史的一个缩影。 万国宫坐落在阿丽亚娜公园内，阿丽亚娜公园地处莱蒙湖右岸的丘陵地带上，占地面积25公顷(约合375亩)。站在园内高处可以俯瞰莱蒙湖，遥望欧洲最高的山峰勃朗峰。这座公园原为勒维利奥家族的私产，居斯塔夫？勒维利奥是这一家族的最后一代，他是一位作家，也是艺术品收藏家，他的母亲叫阿丽亚娜。当他母亲亡故以后，他把园子取名为阿丽亚娜，以表示对母亲的怀念。园中还有一个阿丽亚娜博物馆，是勒维利奥为存放他所收藏的中国和日本的大量瓷器而建造的。1890年，居斯塔夫？勒维利奥在临死前将阿丽亚娜公园和阿丽亚娜博物馆遗赠给日内瓦市。在其遗嘱中有三个规定：一、他死后，陵墓要修建在这个园内，日内瓦市政府必须永远负责保护和维修，不得毁坏；二、阿丽亚娜公园不能为私人所有，必须向公众开放；三、按照勒维利奥家族的传统，在园内要继续饲养孔雀。日内瓦市政府同意并遵守这三条规定。当年享有对阿丽亚娜公园的使用权的“国联”和现在的联合国驻日内瓦办事处也同意恪守这三条规定。 万国宫于1929年由“国联”着手兴建，当时曾有360名设计师参与设计。“国联”挑选了五名最佳建筑师，其中最主要的是意大利人卡洛布？罗奇和法国人雅克？卡吕。历时七年，大厦于1936年落成。 建成后的“国联”大厦——万国宫，占地面积18600平方米，整个建筑面积比著名的凡尔赛宫还要大。 联合国成立以后，将其驻日内瓦办事处设在万国宫。1969年，联合国决定扩建万国宫，由秘书长吴丹奠基，在万国宫北侧动工兴建新翼。为了使新翼能与老楼的建筑风格和阿里亚娜公园的自然环境相协调，同时又能符合实际的需要，由英、法、意三国的建筑师组成的设计委员会仔细选择了设计方案，并采用现代化的建筑材料和技术，历时五年方始建成。1973年，联合国秘书长瓦尔德海姆主持落成典礼。新建的楼翼设计新颖，造型优美，与原来的国联大厦十分和谐地融合在一起，新建的楼翼通过一条空中走廊即“天桥”与老楼相衔接。无论从它的线条、高度或是整个外形来看，它同万国官的老楼都相配得体，可以说是珠联璧合，相得益彰。 扩建后的万国官共有50个门，总长度为575米，占地面积为32600平方米，共有办公室1600个和大小会议室34个，总的空间容量是820，000立方米，楼面面积是32，000平方米。 原万国宫呈双马蹄形，一个对着莱蒙湖，一个对着汝拉山。朝向湖面这一侧马蹄形的三翼建筑结构主要包括： 一、左翼图书馆，这个图书馆是“国联”在建造万国宫时用美国人约翰？ D？洛克菲勤捐赠的二百万美元建立起来的。目前共藏书一百万册，另有各国出版的各种期刊一万种，是世界上最大的国际性图书馆。馆内有宽敞的阅览室，还有一个国际联盟展览馆，展出“国联”的历史文献、图片和实物。此外，图书馆还收藏有世界各国的政界要人与联合国之间往来的亲笔信和各种手稿。这些重要的文献都集中在二楼一个专门的陈列室内。事实上，万国宫之所以坐落在这儿，正是由于这图书馆的缘故。原来计划将万国宫建在“国联”所拥有的一块地面上，即现在的临湖“休憩公园”，当初也没有建造这样一座大型图书馆的计划。 二、右翼理事楼，理事厅是万国官里最漂亮的一个大厅，又名西班牙厅，因为厅内的大型壁画是西班牙名画家约瑟？马利亚？塞尔特的作品。 19341936年间，塞尔特在他巴黎的画室里用了整整两年的时间，才完成这一组不朽的名作。画面呈金色与深褐色，画的主题是：正义、力量、和平、法律与智慧。 理事会议厅不仅是万国官里最漂亮的一个厅，而且也是一个重要的会议厅。按照联合国不成文的规定，凡涉及到国际安全问题的会议，或者比较紧急的会议，均在理事会议厅召开。 1954年，周总理亲自参加的印支会议就是在这个大厅举行的。理事厅能容纳500人，它的特色之一是能够按照每次会议的需要调整会议桌的位置。 三、中间部分是大会堂，大会堂前面的大过道实际上是一间休息厅，十分宽敞高大，是“国联”用各成员国赠送的材料建造的。墙上浅绿色的大理石是瑞典的，深绿色的是意大利的，朱红色的地板大理石是芬兰的，地板上的黑白大理石装饰是比利时的。过厅的墙上悬挂着两幅大型壁画，是万国宫的主要设计者之一雅克？卡吕的夫人绘制的。内容取自《圣经》上的故事，一幅象征着战争，一幅象征着和平。 大会堂与巴黎歌剧院一样大，内有两千个席位，另有同声传译席、记者席和观众席。1962年联合国曾进行扩建和装修。历史上这里曾举行过许多重要会议。现在，联合国的一些大型会议如裁军、海洋法会议等均在此举行；世界卫生组织和国际劳工组织的年会，也都在大会议厅里召开。 大会堂的两侧另有二十二个会议厅，大小不等。最小的有五十个席位，最大的有三百个席位。若留心观察一下这些会议厅，便会发现它们的内部装饰风格迥然不同。原来，这二十二个会议厅由“国联”的部分创始国负责装饰，每个国家负责一个，所以才形成了在风格上的千差万别。 新建的楼翼在建筑上可分两部分： 一是西侧的七层秘书大楼，内有六个小会议厅和七百个办公室，联合国六种工作语言(英文、法文、中文、阿拉伯文、西班牙文和俄文)的翻译科就设在那里。二是东侧的两个巨大的圆柱体建筑，每个圆柱体内有上、下两个会议厅，共四个。上层的会议厅有九百多个席位，下层的有六百多个。其中最大的一个会议厅叫瑞士厅，是作为对瑞士政府为建造新楼而捐赠的四百万瑞士法郎的表彰和纪念。 新楼东侧宽敞的过道上，设有咖啡间和许多座椅，供代表们小憩之用。东边是一堵巨大的玻璃墙，这堵玻璃墙长80米、高14米。每一块玻璃高 13米、宽2.25米，重 1.2吨，镶玻璃的总面积为9,250平方米。从室内就看到莱蒙湖的美丽风光，“荣誉院”也尽收眼底。 荣誉院是万国宫主楼正面的大院子，是阿丽亚娜公园的主要组成部分。这里地势开阔，绿草如茵，环境很美。数棵百年以上的高大古松，生机依然十分旺盛。院中央有一个小小的水池，那是联合国难民事务高级专员公署的募捐池，里边常有不少游人投下的硬币。池子中间有一个巨型浑天仪，上边有代表天体十二宫的雕刻，是美国为纪念威尔逊总统而赠给联合国的。 荣誉院的左边，有一个不太显眼的石棺环绕在一圈苍松翠柏中间，这就是阿丽亚娜公园的前主人居斯塔夫？勒维利奥的陵墓，这是死者生前自己设计的。陵墓东边有苏联赠送的一座征服宇宙纪念碑和一座雕像。纪念碑高28米，外面镶有钛金属制成的薄板，钛是航天飞机用的一种极耐高温的材料。陵墓北侧，有一个题为“家”的雕塑作品，它是丘吉尔孙女桑迪斯夫人为国际儿童节(1979年)而特别制作赠送给儿童基金会的。 联合国驻日内瓦办事处总部就设在万国宫内，它由一位联合国副秘书长兼办事处主任来领导。据统计，目前已有140个国家在日内瓦设有驻联合国日内瓦办事处常设代表团，其中有61个国家有常设裁军代表团，另有8个国家和地区集团有常设观察员。万国宫里有三千多名工作人员，为会议提供各方面的服务工作。1980年，曾在万国宫举行了7,500多次会议，其中4,000次会议用同声传译。联合国每年预算的30％拨给联合国驻日内瓦办事处，另外驻日内瓦办事处还有自己的警察、邮政和通讯系统。著名的联合国集邮博物馆就在万国宫内，它常年展出从第二次世界大战至近期的邮票和文件。 在办事处内，只有事先得到联合国驻日内瓦办事处主任的授权，才可以实施瑞士的刑法和民事法律。在日内瓦市内，这里俨然成了国中之国。 奥林匹克博物馆： 奥林匹克博物馆位于洛桑莱蒙湖畔，1993年建成。博物馆门口排放着希腊艺术立柱，燃烧着奥运之火。展厅约3400平方米，藏有与奥运会有关的各类艺术品、纪念品，其中包括邮票、火炬、奥运会张贴画、纪念币、奖章和绘画等。馆内电影厅放映介绍奥林匹克百年发展史、历届夏季和冬季奥运会盛况的电影片，深受旅游者欢迎。该馆还有一个世界一流的研究中心，设有图书馆、录像部、图片室和资料中心，拥有最先进的声、光、电和多媒体视听设备，经常举办各种展览、报告会、讨论会。 据统计，参观者60％以上来自国外。该馆每年财政预算1000万瑞郎。1995年，所产生的直接经济效益达1亿瑞郎。 西庸古堡: 西庸古堡是瑞士最负盛名的古迹之一，位于日内瓦湖的东端，突出于日内瓦湖上的由巨石组成的小半岛上。在青铜器时代就有人居往，后来罗马人在此安营扎寨，修筑防御工事。西庸半岛在几易主人之后，于十一世纪至十三世纪之间，在 SAVOYEN家族手里经过大规模扩建，基本形成现在人们看到的集军事防御、仓储、牢狱、教堂和贵族宫廷等功能于一体的封闭式的封建古堡。自1536年起，古堡被伯尔尼人所占有，1798年沃州起义后，古堡转入沃州政府名下。古堡所处位置正好一边依山，一边临水，是历史上瑞士各地通往意大利的一条走廊，历代统治者便在此分兵把守，如同扼住咽喉，以控制南来北往，征收捐税。借助于保存完好的十二世纪的建筑图纸，十九世纪末进行的最后一次修缮工作得以顺利进行。 宗教改革国际纪念碑： 在日内瓦大学的后边，沿古城墙的遗址有一堵巨大的墙，名曰宗教改革国际纪念碑，又称宗教改革者墙。 该纪念碑高7米，长1OO多米，是19O9年为纪念宗教改革运动的先躯人物加尔文诞辰四百周年而修建的。为了建造纪念碑，当时曾专门成立了宗教改革国际纪念碑委员会，并在全世界范国内举办设计竞赛。 委员会经过反复评选，最后选定了瑞士洛桑市四名建筑师的联合设计方案，历时八年，于1917年始告建成。 宗教改革国际纪念碑规模宏大，记载的内容十分丰富。墙的上方，从左到右有一行拉丁文大字：“黑暗过去是光明”。墙的正中央，有四个高大的人物雕像并排而立，从左起依次是法海尔、加尔文、拜兹和诺克斯。两边另有六个稍小一点的人物雕像，都是十六世纪在欧洲各地积极鼓吹并致力于宗教改革的著名人物。除了大型的浮雕像外，墙的下部另有八幅小型浮雕图案和文字说明。这堵宗教改革国际纪念碑，再现了十六世纪欧洲宗教改革运动的场面，也记述了日内瓦之所以成为“新教的罗马”的由来与始末。 莱蒙湖： 在瑞士1498个湖泊中，莱蒙湖是最大的一个。它也是西欧最大的湖泊，面积582平方公里，蓄水量达890亿立方米，其中心线的长度为72.3公里，周长167公里；在瑞士一侧的北岸（俗称右岸）长95公里，在法国一侧的南岸 （俗称左岸）长72公里。湖的最宽处为14,000米，最深处为310米。 莱蒙湖是一个冰碛湖。据说在第四纪冰期，发源于阿尔卑斯山的罗纳河在埃克吕泽地区被冰碛物质所阻断，因此汇水成湖。当时，湖面一直上升到海拔425米。后来，罗纳河得到了新的出口，湖水才逐渐下降。目前，莱蒙湖的海拔为372米。 现在，共有41条河、299个冰川的融水注入莱蒙湖，其中最大的河是罗纳河，它以每秒180立方米的流量从湖的最东部流入，又在日内瓦从湖中流出。由于罗纳河发源于阿尔卑斯山，水从山中流出，流势湍急，夹带有不少泥沙，据估计，它每年带入莱蒙湖的泥沙约有400万吨。因此有人说，罗纳河促成了莱蒙湖，但却又在不断地填塞它。 莱蒙湖中，最引人注目的是一个巨大的人工喷泉。那冲天而起的高大水柱，从湖面直射天际，蔚为壮观。这个人工喷泉最初是1891年建成，当时所喷射的高度只有90米。1958年改建后至今。它的动力是两组安装在水下的水泵，总重为16吨，由每分钟达1,500转的500千瓦2,400伏的发动机带动。每个水泵的功率为1,360匹马力，喷泉的流量为每秒500公升，喷口处的水速达每小时200公里，进入喷水管中的水的压力为16个大气压，水柱的高度在无风时可达140米，停留在空中的水量达7吨之多。水从喷嘴喷出达到顶峰再回到水面，每个回合为16秒。 莱蒙湖是美丽的。自古以来，许多名作家、大诗人都赞美、讴歌过它。亨利？詹姆斯称它是“出奇的蓝色的湖”；拜伦则把它比喻成一面晶莹的镜子，“有着沉思所需要的养料和空气”；巴尔扎克则把它说成是“爱情的同义词”。今日，在港湾两边绿树掩映之间建起的一栋栋漂亮的别墅和豪宅，又给莱蒙湖增添了几分秀色。 莱茵瀑布： 莱茵瀑布( Rheinfall)位于瑞士沙夫豪森州和苏黎世州交界处的莱茵河上。瀑布最宽处150米，最大落差21米，水深13米。夏季平均流量每秒700立方米。莱茵瀑布是欧洲最大的瀑布。 莱茵瀑布已有 l万多年历史。2万年前尚无瀑布，后因冰川活动和莱茵河改道，形成了现在的景象。 小城英特拉根： 英特拉根（INTERLAKEN，即“湖间”之意）属伯尔尼州，距离伯尔尼市约50公里，地处图恩湖和布里茵茨湖之间，海拔只有56470米，是瑞士著名的风景区之一。这里群山环抱，绿色草场广阔开敞，瑞士著名的少女峰终年白雪冠顶，倒映绿色湖中，远山近水，湖光潋滟，置身此地，如在画中。 英特拉根只有固定居民13,000人，但每到夏季，便游客云集，餐厅满座，停车场也都十分紧张，必须捷足先步，才能避免向隅。城内最繁华的大街名叫霍赫街，维多利亚风格的饭店、餐馆、商店等都云集这里。霍赫街绿荫夹道，走向笔直，长1公里半，也是一个散步的理想场所。街上还有马拉车辆可供游人兜风，坐在车里遥望少女峰的容姿，真令人流连忘返 。 图恩湖： 英特拉根市西面是图恩湖，东面是布里恩茨湖。两湖都为狭长形，略向北翘，加在一起像一弯中间断开的新月。其中图恩湖面积较大，但湖水不深，游人可乘船畅游，也可驱车或搭火车沿湖观光。玲珑的村庄或高栖坡岗，或依立水边，装点着大自然的妖媚。 湖的北岸有一条公路逶迤向前，有时经过山脚，有时又延伸在湖边。两侧是如画的村庄、宁静的树林。奥伯雷芬村中有一所中世纪的城堡矗立湖畔，已按当年风格重加修葺。从北岸还可隔着粼粼湖波南望阿尔卑斯山，别有一番情趣。 与湖同名的图恩市是一个景物宜人的古城，在图恩湖的西北端。市内有个12世纪末的古堡，那是扎灵根家族一个公爵打败图思当地贵族后建造的。图恩城在阿尔河流出图恩湖不远处，河再下游三四十公里便是瑞士首都伯尔尼。城的总体设计十分别致。老城中心是河中一个狭长的岛屿，是个优美的散步场所。河北岸是城市的主体，最繁华、也最有趣的街道叫郝特伽塞(意为“大马路”)。街分上下两层，旁边都有商店；人在摆着鲜花的上层行走，脚踩的实际是下层商店的屋顶。街上还有一个带顶的梯道，通往坡上的古堡和教堂。这梯道藏在大马路上层55号和57号房屋之间，很不显眼，容易被游人错过。 图恩古堡是一个碉堡建筑群，主体建筑成一座方形塔，四角各有一个角塔。主塔内有三层归历史博物馆(1888年建)使用，展品是古兵器、古挂毯，还有瑞士军服及武器的历代演变。 施皮茨风景区： 施皮茨镇位于伯尔尼东南三十多公里处、图恩湖南岸一水湾边上，海拔628米，属伯尔尼高原。这里碧水如镜，雪峰环抱，空气清新，是瑞士著名的休养和水上运动胜地。 施皮茨古堡始建于1200年；外部建筑风格为中世纪伯尔尼式，内部装饰则溶合了哥特、文艺复兴和巴罗克等艺术形式，质朴典雅，是瑞士不多的古迹之一。古堡曾是伯尔尼执政官的夏宫，故不同于欧洲其他古城池，并无护城御敌之设施，而主要是居住功能。古堡地下也以葡萄酒窖代替了关押俘虏的牢狱。庭院南端是一座建于公元762年的小教堂，兼具早期罗马伯尔尼乡村风格。该古堡自1929年以后属公共所有，由一专门基金会负责管理，并建成博物馆对外开放，馆内展品为城堡历届主人的遗物及古代家具。每年夏季这里还举行古典音乐会，吸引四方宾客。 施皮茨是游艇爱好者的一个基地，又是通往南面某些度假村庄必经之地。公路爬上阿尔卑斯北麓，但见溪壑幽邃，山村点点，木结构的村舍衬托着簇簇鲜花。有一条曲径从施皮茨通往伯尔尼州西南角的格什塔德。它是四个山谷交会之处，所以也是个理想的滑雪中心。 苏黎世证券交易所： 苏黎世证券交易所成立于1873年，到第二次世界大战后逐步发展成为世界最大的证券市场之一。1976年，交易所营业额首次突破1000亿瑞郎。到1991年，交易所营业额已达5000多亿瑞郎，上市证券达3000种。瑞士和外国二十四家银行是苏黎世证券交易所协会成员。此外，瑞在交易所外面，共有234家经纪人(银行)从事证券交易活动。 苏黎世证券交易所是瑞士国民经济体系和银行业的一个组成部分，它在苏黎世州政府的监督下开展业务。进行交易需经州政府批准，且受一系列法规的制约和调节。 苏黎世证券交易所也是瑞士最大的证券交易市场，其业务量占全国证券交易总额的65％。每年约有40,000多人出入于交易所，买卖双方还可通过电话或电视屏幕进行交易。该交易所是世界上目前唯一的具有全自动交易和清算系统的交易所。其先进的设备、高素质的人员为投资者提供了优良的服务。 交易所在苏黎世州政府交易所委员会领导下，设有交易所领导委员会、仲裁法庭、培训委员会等组织，由瑞士各大银行和企业有关人员组成。 该交易所行政管理人员共16人，由经理、两名副经理和一名经理助理主持日常管理工作。 瑞士历史 要了解瑞士的历史，必须先了解其理位置：瑞士的地理位置左右着历史的发展，影响巨大。 我们所知的瑞士最终形成于1848年。在这之前，真正的“瑞士历史”并不存在。准确地说，只存在各个独立地区的历史，而这些独立地区逐渐形成了今日的瑞士。 史前瑞士 现在瑞士国土范围在史前是凯尔特人的活动区域，凯尔特人曾经是欧中中部的土著居民，他们的部落在公元前2世纪曾经扩展到今天的法国、比利时、意大利北部、西班牙以及莱茵河流域的广大范围，在他们的全盛时期还曾经成功地攻占了罗马城。聚居在今天瑞士国土内的是凯尔特人的海尔维的部落。 罗马帝国时期的瑞士 公元前后分布于欧洲北部的日耳曼人不断向凯尔特人居住区域扩张，公元前70年，感受到日耳曼人压力的海尔维的部落决定向西撤离到高卢西南的大西洋沿岸，因而向恺撒统治的罗马帝国借道；考虑到日耳曼人对罗马帝国的潜在威胁，恺撒决定在瑞士建立一个受罗马控制的海尔维的人国家。罗马军队不仅没有同意凯而特人借道通行的请求，反而向他们发起攻击，迫使后者成为罗马帝国的同盟者，获得罗马帝国支持的凯尔特人战败南侵的日耳曼人。 恺撒死后继任者奥古斯都将海尔维的人部落并入帝国行省，今天瑞士的范围正式纳入罗马帝国，当地的凯尔特人开始了罗马化时代。 罗马瑞士时期当地建立了罗马式的行政系统，兴起了一系列城市，修建了通向罗马城的帝国大道。罗马人还为瑞士引入了地中海沿岸的农作物和亚平宁半岛的生活方式，随之而来的还有基督教。 100年－250年是罗马瑞士的黄金时代，这个时代结束于日耳曼人对帝国的入侵。 日耳曼人入侵 259年一支日耳曼人的部落联盟渡过莱茵河，攻克的帝国瑞士的北部边塞，从此罗马瑞士进入了战乱的年代，直到公元401年帝国军队撤出了阿尔卑斯山以北地区。从此日耳曼人统治瑞士的时代开始了。 日耳曼人统治的瑞士大体可以分为东西两个部分，西部由勃艮第部落联盟统治，他们人口数量少，文化落后在占领瑞士之后接受了当地的罗马－凯尔特人语言和文化传统；中部和东部由阿勒曼尼部落联盟统治，他们所占领的是瑞士的山区和罗马化程度较低的区域，在那里日耳曼语言取得了胜利，这种东西分治也是如今瑞士法语区和德语区的雏形 日耳曼人治下的瑞士地区先后产生了很多小的王国，这些王国相互征伐，最终于536年同一于法兰克王国，公元843年，根据瓜分查理大帝的法兰克王国的凡尔登条约，瑞士再度分裂，分属中法兰克王国和东法兰克王国。 1033年，分裂的瑞士再度归于同一的神圣罗马帝国治下，由于神圣罗马帝国皇帝和罗马教皇之间的权力斗争，德意志王权衰落，各地方诸侯势力上升，各路诸侯为了扩展自己的势力，建立了大批城市，在今天瑞士的区域，策林根家族推动建立了众多的城市，形成了瑞士特有的城镇自治体制。为日后瑞士邦联的建立埋下了伏笔。 瑞士邦联 哈布斯堡家族的兴起和瑞士邦联 哈布斯堡家族缘起于瑞士中部，逐渐强盛的哈布斯堡家族控制了瑞士中部阿尔萨斯、阿尔高和瑞士中央区，成为神圣罗马帝国最有影响力的诸侯之一，1273年哈布斯堡家族的鲁道夫一世被选举成为神圣罗马帝国皇帝，结束了从1254年开始的大空位时代，继位后的鲁道夫一世致力于扩大王权和家族势力，瑞士各个自由领的自主性受到严重的威胁，在哈布斯堡王朝的强大压力下，1291年8月，瑞士的三个谷地共同体：乌里、施维茨和翁特瓦尔登签订了三州同盟协定。同盟条约规定了三者须相互帮助对抗一切内外敌人；通过共同的法律来保证地方安定；同盟之间的分歧须以协商方式和平解决；并规定同盟的缔约方均不得接受非本地的或者为了贪图钱财而被任命的执法官员。这份同盟协议是瑞士历史上有案可查的最早的协议，因而今天的瑞士人把1291年8月视为瑞士联邦的诞生日，每年的8月1日被定为瑞士国庆日。但是有学者认为，1291年的同盟协议，从文本上看是更早前另一个协议的重申和加强，在此之前应该还有其他类似协议，那么瑞士联邦的历史应当比现在所知道的更加久远，但至今并未找到更早的同盟协议文本。 瑞士政治 宪法制度 瑞士宪法在瑞士法律编号中位于SR 101，为国家最大法律。 现行瑞士宪法由公民于1999年投票通过，于2000年1月1日正式施行。宪法内容包括瑞士联邦之组成，公民权利与义务，联邦体制与州级制度，国策等。 特点： 瑞士宪法禁止在瑞士实行死刑。 瑞士宪法体验了联邦国家的制度，许多权利移给各州定之。 [编辑]法律制度 瑞士公民属于很严格遵守法律规定的公民。一切触法的行为都可以被举报。 国体 瑞士为委员制国家，最高国家元首为联邦主席，亦称总统 (Bundespräpresident)，但只为形式上领导人。真正的权利原自七席联邦委员会，由国家七个机关的部长（包括现任联邦主席）组织之。 瑞士为联邦国家，允许公民具有双国籍或者多国籍，国家由二十三个州（包括六个半州，总共二十六州）组织之，最新加盟州为Jura州，于1979年经公民投票从伯尔尼州分割而成立。宪法上留给联邦，即中央政府的权利不多，许多权利与政策则移给各州立法并执行之。 瑞士除了国家拥有一部宪法，也允许各州制定州宪法。 制度 瑞士实行民主制度，公民的民主权利很大。公民对重大国事与地方事宜拥有表决、创制与复决权，可以成立请愿，也可以以投票抵制政府的一些政策。十万名瑞士国籍者可以修改宪法，也可以修改国家外交政策。 行政区域 瑞士目前分26个州 阿尔高州 内阿彭策尔州 外阿彭策尔州 巴塞尔城市半州 巴塞尔乡村半州 伯尔尼州 弗里堡州 日内瓦州 格拉鲁斯州 格劳宾登州 汝拉州 卢塞恩州 纳沙泰尔州 下瓦尔登州 上瓦尔登州 沙夫豪森州 施维茨州 索洛图恩州 圣加仑州 图尔高州 提契诺州 乌里州 瓦莱州 沃州 楚格州 苏黎世州 瑞士人自己说：“瑞士之所以成为瑞士，是因为有些德意志人不愿做德国人；有些法兰西人不愿做法国人；有些意大利人不愿做意大利人。”于是这些人一起成了瑞士人。 这也就形成了瑞士的国家政治制度——联邦制。但是由于种族、宗教、语言以及经济发展的不同，组成联邦的各州之间的关系一直十分微妙。由于历史上存在的不平等的创痕，各州之间彼此心存芥蒂，互相防范。而且原本一州的地区，也闹出不少分裂事件。如阿彭策尔州因教派不同，于1597年分为阿彭策尔内罗登和阿彭策尔外罗登；巴塞尔州则因城乡矛盾，于1833年分为巴塞尔城州和巴塞尔乡州。这样，一个州变成了两个“半州”。这是瑞士国体中的一个有趣现象。各州对自己的主权十分重视，尤其是法语区。有的州的名称是“共和国”，州政府叫做“国务院”，州政府官员是“部长”。但即便如此，至今还没有一个州提出脱离联邦。各州享有很大的自主权，如地方法院、学校、教会事务、社会福利等都属各州管理。各州还有自己的警察部门，而且警服不同。如驱车穿越瑞士，可以在公路上看到不同颜色和样式的警服。 联邦政府统一管理全国性的事业，如外交、国防、海关、货币发行、邮电、铁路、度量衡等等，联邦警察主要处理外国人事务。 尽管在外交上一直奉行着中立政策，但瑞士还是在2002年加入了联合国这一目前世界上最大的政治组织。 瑞士气候 瑞士夏季不热，冬天很冷。 但是地理位置与多变的地形又造成当地气候的多样性。阿尔卑斯山区南部属地中海气候，夏季干旱、冬季温暖湿润。 阿尔卑斯山以北地区气候具有明显的过渡性，自西向东， 由温和湿润的温带海洋性气候向冬寒夏热的温带大陆性气候过渡。 全国年平均气温为８.６℃。中部地区１月份平均气温０℃左右，山区以外的地区７月平均气温在２０℃左右。山区气温随海拔增高而递减， 海拔２５００米的森蒂斯７月平均气温仅有５℃。但在山谷地带冬季易形成逆温现象。 方位对局部地区的气温也起一定作用，朝南的山坡比谷地和朝北的山坡温度要高。 全所降水量在１０００￣２０００毫米之间， ３／４地区平均年降水量超过１０００毫米。降水也深受地形的影响， 高山峻岭处降水量远远超过中部高原一些地区及河谷地带。 此外， 西风带山谷里的干冷东北风和北阿尔卑斯大横谷中的干热焚风等也造成了局部的气候差异。干冷的东北风来自欧洲大陆的内陆， 给汝拉山区和中部高原地区带来晴朗天气，也使山谷里的气候比无风时更加寒冷。焚风吹起时， 阿尔卑斯山北麓的一些山谷和丘陵会温度骤增，有时早春３月或晚秋１１月的天气会像盛夏一样炎热。 焚风会将雪融化，有利于作物的生长，但也常常造成山崩、雪崩、洪水或火灾， 使生命财产遭受损失。如果这种风来得过早，就可能将雪刮走，从而破坏各种冬季运动， 使旅游业受损。 瑞士交通 瑞士交通系统(Swiss Trave System)以提供旅客方便舒适的旅行为宗旨。瑞士交通系统由火车，汽车，轮船和高山缆车相成，这些旅行工具环环相扣，形成覆盖整个瑞士的交通网，将一个引人入胜的瑞士带到旅客的面前。 瑞士通行票券(Swiss Pass)是一种个人连线票，有4天、8天、15天、1个月为期的车票，持有者在期限内搭乘里数不计，可乘坐火车、邮政列车、船，并可在24个城市内乘坐公共汽车和电车。 在瑞士旅行，最好随身携带瑞士公定的《交通时刻表》(Offizielle Schweizer Kursbuch)，以便查询所有火车、渡船、山区列车的班次及时刻。此表在各旅行社均能提供。 瑞士通道 利用“瑞士通道”，基本用来在购买交通运输票时打折扣用，持卡者只需付半价。游客不仅可以选择瑞士六条具有传奇色彩的旅行线路(瑞士联邦铁路、大多数私营铁路、湖面游船、长途大轿车、市内交通运输系统，以及到山顶的缆车游览)中的任何一条线路游览瑞士，而且可以免费咨询如何到达瑞士境内的火车站、汽车站和轮船站；在30多个瑞士城市中，还可以利用“瑞士通道”了解瑞士市内交通各项情况。 “瑞士通道”的交通工具分为一等和二等。可以连续旅行4天至1个月，您也可以购买“瑞士弗立克西通道”(Swiss Flexf Pass)，在 1个月中旅行 3至 9天。如果携带6至16岁的孩子一起旅行，则可以索取瑞士家庭旅行免费卡(free Swiss Family Card)，这样孩子可以免费使用‘瑞士通道”。如果两个海外旅游者(成年人)一起旅行，第二位旅游者使用‘瑞士通道”可以享受40%的折扣。 飞机： 瑞士航空公司和中国国际航空公司每周都有航班往返于苏黎世和北京。 火车： 瑞士火车的特征是快捷、可靠、舒适和整洁，因而受到游客的欢迎，而且事实上，火车也是瑞士之旅中的重要工具。在苏黎世和日内瓦的入境机场都有主要火车站。瑞士的铁路系统总长达5000公里，可以说这是世界上最密集的铁路交通网。车厢内有餐车或流动饮料车满足客人需要。 瑞士各大城市基本都保证每小时有一班车。 汽车： 瑞士的公路运输线路四通八达，一般车辆的限速为：高速公路为每小时一百二十公里；一般公路为每小时八十公里；城镇为每小时五十公里。高速公路有绿色指示标志识别。除非另有标志，靠右边行驶的司机有优先通行权。靠右边行驶，从左边超车，禁止从右边超车。向所有使用高速公路的车辆和摩托车征收每年道路通行税四十瑞士法郎。“邮政公共汽车”能让旅客舒适方便地到达各个瑞士旅游景点。在瑞士乘车穿越高山关隘可以体验到别处体验不到的旅行感受。 交通工具租赁 在瑞士搭计程车相当贵，车资计算方式各地均有所不同。若有额外服务(行李等)，则有固定加价价格，张贴在计程车内。通常全额车资已包括小费在内。 在瑞士除了可以租汽车外，还能租赁飞机。当然，游客不能成为驾驶员。但被租赁的直升机可以更便捷地帮助游客到达目的地。 瑞士的经济发展 1.自然资源 水力资源丰富,利用率达95%。森林面积120万公顷,覆盖率为全国面积的25%。 2.经济简史 第二次世界大战后,瑞士先后参加欧洲经济合作组织,欧洲自由贸易联盟、经济合作与发展组织等许多国际性或地区性的经济组织。瑞士在2002年加入了联合国这一目前世界上最大的政治组织，其中有些机构就设在瑞士。1992年12月6曰,瑞士公民对欧洲经济区协议进行投票表决,结果公民投票未能通过,从而使瑞士处于欧洲经济区之外。 战后以来,瑞士经济是在通货膨胀率较低的情况下实现较为迅速的增长的。在战后经济发展过程中,既有五六十年代的迅速增长阶段,也有70年代初期以来的停滞阶段；虽然在此期间,瑞士爆发过两次主产过剩 的经济危机,经济增长率有3年绝对下降,其中1975年甚至下降了1.3%,然而从总体上看,战后至今,瑞士经济的增长还是比较迅速的。从1950年到1986年,瑞士的国内生产总值增长2.1倍,每年平均增长3.2％。 1986一1990年,年平均增长率为2.86％。然而,1990年以来,瑞士经济也受西方经济衰退的影响,1991和1992年连续两年出现负增长,1992年国内生产总值比1990年下降了0.8%。失业严重困扰西欧各国,许多国的失业率达到两位数,个别国家甚至超过20%的时候,瑞士的失业率仍长期处于1%以下,80年代以来才略微超过1%。1991年瑞士失业人数为39200人,失业率为1.3%；而上年的失业人数为18100人,失业率为0.6%。 瑞士在抑制通货膨胀方面也是很突出的,虽然在70年代最初几年,消费物价的上涨率较之于五六十年代高,个别年份（1974年）甚至达到9.8%,但总的来看,1987年的消费物价只比1950年上涨2.3倍,平均每年上涨3.3% 。1988年以来,除个别年份外,消费物价上涨率均呈负数。目前瑞士已经成为高度发达的资本主义工业国,据《欧洲管理论坛》的调查,近些年来,瑞士的国际竞争能力仅次于日本,在发达资本主义国家中居第二位,1988年瑞士人均国民生产总值27260美元,超过美国和日本,居世界第一位。 3.经济概况 高度发达的资本主义工业国。实行自由经济政策,政府尽量减少干预,吸收大量外籍工人从事工资较低的劳动。对外主张自由贸易,反对贸易保护主义政策。受世界经济萧条的影响,自1991年开始,瑞士经济已连续6年停滞和衰退,陷入30年来最严重的危机：失业率持续上升,国家财政状况恶化。经济复苏步履维艰。 4.行业概况 （1）农业概况 农业产值约占国内生产总值的4%, 农业就业人数约占全国就业总人数的6.6%。长期以来, 瑞士政府相当重视农业生产的发展。对农业长期实施补贴政策, 诸如发放补助金, 对山区提供特别补助, 对主要农产品提供价格补贴； 限制和减少蔬菜和水果的进口；对农民提供无息贷款；支持农业的机械化和专业化；加强农业科学研究和技术培训； 重视农业知识普及。 因此, 农业生产获得迅速发展, 农业劳动生产率和农产品自给率有了很大提高. 目前肉类基本自给, 奶制品自给有余,谷物能满足国内需求量的1/3以上。瑞士农业以畜牧业为主, 畜牧业的产值占 农业产值的3/4到4/5, 主要饲养牛、猪、羊和马匹。主要农作物有小麦、大麦、马铃薯、甜菜和水果。 农产品产量统计 （2）工业概况 工业是瑞士国民经济的主体, 工业产值约占国内生产总值的50%。瑞士的主要工业部门包括: 钟表、机械、化学、食品等部门。瑞士素有"钟表王国"之称。从1587年日内瓦生产手表迄今的400多年中, 一直保持着在世界钟表业的领先地位。近几年, 瑞士钟表出口量大幅度增加。 机械制造业主要生产纺织机械和发电设备。机床、精密仪器、仪表、运输机械、农业机械、化工机械、食品机械、印刷机械也很重要, 近些年来, 打 字机、计算机、照相机和电影摄像机生产的发展十分迅速。食品工业的产品主要供国内需要, 但奶酪、巧克力、速溶咖啡和浓缩食品在世界也享有盛誉。化学工业也是瑞士工业的重要支柱。目前, 药品约占化学工业产值的2/5, 染料、农药、香脂、香精在国际市场上的地位也很重要。 （3）服务业概况 瑞士旅游业发达, 有望得到进一步发展。瑞士是世界金融中心, 银行业和保险业是最大的部门, 旅游业长期保持稳定和强劲的发展势头, 为旅游相关行业的发展提供了市场。 5.主要经济指标 国内生产总值(1995年)：3620亿瑞朗； 人均国民生产总值(1995年)：51275瑞朗； 国内生产实际增长率(1996年)：-0.7%； 汇率(1998年5月1日)：1美元=1.4916瑞士法朗； 通货膨胀率(1996年)：0.8%； 失业率(1996年)：4.7%； It is bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein and has a long history of neutrality — it has not been at war since 1815 — and hosts many international organizations, including the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization and one of the U.N.'s two European offices. Switzerland is multilingual and has four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. The country's Latin formal name, Confoederatio Helvetica is derived from the Helvetii, an ancient Celtic people in the Alpine region. It is rendered in German as Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, in French as Confédération suisse, in Italian as Confederazione Svizzera and in Romansh as Confederaziun svizra. The establishment of Switzerland is traditionally dated to August 1, 1291; the first of August is the national holiday. The earliest known tribes of the area were members of the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures. The La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450BC, possibly under some influence from the Greek, and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups in the Swiss region was the Helvetii. In 15 BC, Tiberius I, who was destined to be the second Roman Emperor, and his brother, Drusus, conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica Province and then of its Germania Superior Province, while the eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. In the Early Middle Ages, from the 4th Century AD, the western extents of modern day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundiuns. The Alemanni settled the Swiss plateau in the 5th Century AD and the valleys of the Alps in the 8th Century AD, forming Alemannia. Modern Day Switzerland was therefore then divided between the Kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy. The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the 6th Century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians. By 561 AD, the Merovingian King Guntram, Clovis I's grandson, had inherited the Frankish Kingdon of Burgundy, which stretched East nearly as far as the Rhine. East of this, the Alamanni were ruled under a nominal dukedom within Frankia, as the Franks filled the vacuum caused by the declining Western reach of Roman Byzantium. By this time Frankia was beginning to form the tripartite character that would characterise the rest of its history. The territories were subdivided into Neustria in the West (referred to simply as Frankia at the time; the name Neustria did not appear in writing until some 80 years later), Austrasia in the North East and Burgundy. Throughout the rest of the 6th and early 7th Centuries AD the Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony, with the Franks largely occupied with infighting about issues of succession amongst the Frankish sub-kingdoms (whose Kings were close blood relatives). In 632 AD, following the death of Chlothar II, the entire Frankish realm was briefly united under Dagobert, who is described as the last Merovingian king able to exercise real power. Under Dagobert, the Austrasians agitated for self governance as a means of countering the influence of the Neustrians, who dominated royal court. Dagobert was forced by the strong Austrasian aristocracy to appoint his infant son, Sigebert III, as sub-king of Austrasia in 633 AD. The weakness of the realm became clear, and this led to those subjucated by the Franks considering the risks and benefits of rebellion. After Sigebert III suffered a military defeat at the hands of Radulf, King of Thuringia in 640 AD, the Alemanni also revolted against Frankish rule. The period of Allemani independence that followed lasted more or less continuously until the middle of the 8th Century AD. Mayors of the Palace had been appointed by the Frankish Kings as court officials since the early 7th Century AD to act as mediators between the king and the people. However following Dagobert's death in 639 AD, with infants on the throne in both Neustria (Clovis II - a babe in arms in 639 AD) and Austrasia (Sigebert III - about 4 years old in 639 AD), these court appointees assumed greater power, eventually to such an extent that they ended the rule of the Merovingian monarchs, and took over the Frankish throne themselves. The first step was taken by the Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, Grimoald I, who convinced the childless Sigebert III to adopt his own son, Childebert as heir to the throne. Meanwhile in the Neustrian palace, the Mayors of the Palace, Erchinoald, and his successor, Ebroin, were likewise increasing their hold on power behind Clovis II, and his successor Chlothar III. Ebroin reunited the Frankish kingdom by defeating and removing Childebert (and Grimoald) from Austrasia in 661 AD. Chlothar III's younger brother, Childeric II, was then installed as King of the Austrasians, and together they ruled the empire. When Chlothar III died in 673 AD, Childeric II became king of the entire realm, ruling from Austrasia, until he was assassinated two years later by members of the Neustrian elite. After his death, Theuderic III, son of Clovis II, ascended to the throne, ruling from Neustria. He and his Mayor of the Palace, Berthar, declared war on Austrasia, which was ruled by Dagobert II, son of Sigebert III, and Pepin of Heristal (Pepin II), the Arnulfing Mayor of Austrasia. Theuderic and Berthar were defeated by Peppin at the Battle of Tertry in 687 AD, whereafter Peppin was appointed the sole Mayor of all Frankia, nominating himself as Duke and Prince of all the Franks. Peppin was the product of the marriage of two very powerful houses; that of the Pippinids and the Arnulfings. His success at Tertry was to mark the end of Merovingian power. Peppin again tasted military success in his campaign to bring the Frisians, of Europe's north coast, back under Frankish control. Between 709 AD and 712 AD he fought a similar campaign against the Alemanni, including those within the borders of present day Switzerland, and succeeded in re-imposing Frankish rule, the first since the Alemannian revolt of 640 AD. However Frankish control of this and other outlying areas was again lost when a Frankish civil war of succession followed Peppin's death in 714 AD. The war was a continuation of the ageless Neustrian/Austrasian rivalry. Peppin's illegitimate son, Charles Martel (who was the son of Peppin's mistress Alpaida), had been proclaimed Mayor of Austrasia by the Austraian nobility in defiance of Peppin's widow, Plectrude, who preferred that her 8 year old grandson, Theudoald, be appointed. Neustria invaded Austrasia under Chilperic II who had been appointed by the Neustrians without the agreement of the rest of the Frankish peoples. The turning point of the war came at the Battle of Ambleve, when Charles Martel, using brilliant and unconventional tactics, defeated combined Neustrian and Frisian forces under Chilperic II and Mayor Ragenfrid. Charles struck when The Neustrians were marching home after triumphing at Cologne over Plectrude and the child Theudoald. By 717 AD, Charles had confirmed his supremacy, with victory over the Neustians at the Battle of Vincy, thereby marking the beginning of Carolingian rule over the Frankish empire. After 718 AD, Charles, who was a brilliant commander, embarked upon a series of wars to strenthen Frankish dominion over Western Europe. This included bringing the Alemannians back under Frankish hegemony, and even, in the 720's AD, forcing some Alemannian elements to participate in his wars against their Eastern neigbours, the Bavarians. Alemannia, however, remained restless, with Duke Lantfrid in the late 720's AD, expressing independence by issuing revisions of the laws of the Alemans. Charles invaded again in 730 AD and subjugated the Alemannis by force. Charles is perhaps best known for stopping the Arab advance into Western Europe at the Battle of Tours in 732 AD, in a military stand that arguably halted Islamist expansionism into the European homeland. When Charles died in 741 AD, the dominion over Frankia was divided between his two sons from his first marriage; namely Peppin the Short and Carloman. Carloman was given Austrasia, Alemannia and Thuringen, while Peppen took control of Neustria, Provence and Burgundy (including present day Western Switzerland). By 743 AD, Carloman was vowing to impose a greater degree of control over Alemannia, and this resulted ultimately in the arrst, trial and execution of several thousand Alemanni nobleman at the Blood court at Cannstatt in 746 AD. Carloman retired to a monastery in 747 AD, leaving Peppin to assume the Frankish crown (after a vote of nobles) in 751 AD. Peppen further strengthened his position by forming an alliance, in 754 AD, with Pope Stephen II, who then came all the way to Paris to anoint him King in a ceremony at St Denis's Basilica. In return Peppin subdued the Lombards and donated the Exarchate of Ravenna and captured territry around Rome to the church. This was a turning point in the history of the Roman Catholic Church and Western Europe, as it foreshadowed later events under Charlemagne leading to the formation of the Holy Roman Empire. It is claimed that Pope Stephen II tabled the forged Donation of Constantine during his negotiations with Peppin. The Donation is a falsified imperial order purported to have been issued by Constantine to gift to Pope Sylvester I and all his successors dominion over not only the Western Roman empire, but also all of Judea, Greece, Asia, Thrace and Rome. Upon Peppen's death in 768 AD, the Frankish empire was passed to his sons Charles and Carloman I. Carloman withdrew to a monastery and died shortly afterwards, leaving Charles, later known as the legendary Charlemagne, the sole ruler of the Franks. Charles expanded Frankish sovereignty to include the Saxons, Bavarians, and the Lombards in Northern Italy and he expanded the empire into today's Austria and parts of Croatia. He offered the Papacy the promise of enduring Frankish protection, and he patronised monastic centres of learning. Charles therefore emerged as the leader of Western Christendom By 1200 AD, the Swiss plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg and Kyburg. When the Kyburg dynasty fell in 1264 AD, the Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Emperor in 1273) extended its territory to the eastern Swiss plateau. The house dominions that existed around AD 1200: Savoy Zähringer Habsburg Kyburg Old Swiss Confederacy Further information: Growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy, Reformation in Switzerland, and Early Modern Switzerland The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy facilitated management of common interests (free trade) and ensured peace on the important mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 agreed between the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden is considered the confederacy's founding document; even though similar alliances are likely to have existed decades earlier. A view of Zug in 1548.By 1353 the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Berne city states to form the "Old Confederacy" of eight states that existed until the end of the 15th century. The expansion lead to increased power and wealth for the federation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains. particularly after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire. Federal charter of 1291The Old Swiss Confederacy had acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the federation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called "heroic" epoch of Swiss history. The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal wars in 1529 and 1531 (Kappeler Kriege). It wasn't until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Treaty of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality (ancien régime). During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the battles of Villmergen in 1656 and 1712. Napoleonic era This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. The Act of Mediation was Napoleon's attempt at a compromise between the Ancien Régime and a Republic.In 1798 the armies of the French Revolution conquered Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country and effectively abolished the cantons. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. It had been imposed by a foreign invading army and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September of 1798 is an example of the suppressing presence of the French army and the local population's resistance to the occupation. When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The result was the Act of Mediation which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government. In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence and the European powers agreed to permanently recognise Swiss neutrality. The treaty marked the last time that Switzerland fought in an international conflict. The treaty also allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva – this was also the last time Switzerland's territory expanded. Federal state This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. The restoration of the power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war broke out between some of the Catholic and most of the other cantons in 1847 (the Sonderbundskrieg). The war lasted for less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties; most of which were through friendly fire. However minor the Sonderbundskrieg seems to be when compared with other European riots and wars in the 19th century, it nevertheless had a major impact on both the psychology and the society of the Swiss and of Switzerland. The war made all Swiss understand the need for unity and strength towards its European neighbours. Swiss people from all strata of society, whether Catholic, Protestant, or from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more if their economic and religious interest were merged. Credit to those who favored the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided among an upper house (the Swiss Council of States) and a lower house (the National Council of Switzerland). Thus, the interests of the Federationalists were accounted for. Switzerland adopted a federal constitution and the use of referenda (mandatory for any amendment of this constitution) in 1848. This constitution provided for a central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. In 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency. The constitution was amended extensively in 1874 in order to take into account the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution. It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters. In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique even today. Since then, continued political, economic, and social improvement has characterised Swiss history. Modern history The Zmutt Valley and the Mischabelhörner (or Mischabel) mountains in the canton of Valais. The image is from a photochrom postcard (circa 1890).Switzerland was not invaded during either of the World Wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Lenin) and he remained there until 1917. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the Grimm-Hoffmann Affair in 1917, but it was short-lived. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, and in 1963 the Council of Europe. During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, economic concessions to Germany, and good fortune as larger events during the war delayed an invasion. Attempts by Switzerland's small Nazi party to cause an Anschluss with Germany failed miserably. The Swiss press vigorously criticised the Third Reich, often infuriating its leadership. Under General Henri Guisan, a massive mobilisation of militia forces was ordered. The Swiss military strategy was changed from one of static defence at the borders to protect the economic heartland, to a strategy of organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps known as the Réduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides in the conflict and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers. Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and by the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to the Third Reich varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion, and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached an apex after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland completely surrounded by the Axis. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees, 104,000 of which were foreign troops, interned according to the Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers outlined in the Hague Conventions. 60,000 of the refugees were civilians escaping persecution by the Nazis. Of these, 26,000 to 27,000 were Jews. However, strict immigration and asylum policies as well as the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy. The Grossmünster cathedral and waterfront in modern day Zürich.Women were granted the right to vote in the first Swiss cantons in 1959, at the federal level in 1971, and after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden in 1990. After suffrage at the federal level women quickly rose in political significance, with the first woman on the seven member high council being Elisabeth Kopp from 1984–1989. The first female president was Ruth Dreifuss, elected in 1998 to become president during 1999. (The Swiss president is elected every year from those among the seven member high council). The second female president is Micheline Calmy-Rey who held the 2007 Swiss high office. She is originally from the French-speaking western area of canton Valais (Wallis in German). She is presently joined on the seven member cabinet/high council by two other women, Doris Leuthard, from the canton of Aargau and Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, from the canton of Graubünden. In 1979 areas from inside the previous borders in the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On April 18, 1999 the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution. In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving the Vatican as the last widely recognized state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA, but is not a member of the European Economic Area. An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but not advanced since the EEA was rejected in December 1992 when Switzerland was the only country to launch a referendum on the EEA. There have since been several referenda on the EU issue, with a mixed reaction to these from the population, the membership application has been frozen. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually being adjusted to conform with that of the EU and the government has signed a number of bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been completely surrounded by the EU since Austria's membership in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that was regarded by EU commentators as a sign of support by Switzerland, a country that is traditionally perceived as independent, neutral, or isolationist. Politics The Federal Palace in the canton of Berne is the name of the building in which the Federal Assembly of Switzerland (federal parliament) and the Swiss Federal Council (executive) are housed.The Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of the modern federal state. A new Constitution was adopted in 1999, but did not introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines basic and political rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, and divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdictions and authorities. There are three main governing bodies on the federal level: the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court (judicial). The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of proportional representation, depending on the population of each canton. Members of both houses serve for 4 years. When both houses are in joint session, they are known collectively as the Federal Assembly. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and through initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, making Switzerland a direct democracy. The Swiss Federal Council in 2008. The current members of the council are (from left to right): Widmer-Schlumpf, Leuenberger, Calmy-Rey, Couchepin, Schmid, Leuthard, Merz. The Federal Chancellor of Switzerland, Casanova, is also pictured.The Federal Council constitutes the federal government, directs the federal administration and serves as collective Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year mandate by the Federal Assembly which also exercises oversight over the Council. The President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation, for a one-year term, in order to chair the government and assume representative functions. However, the president is a primus inter pares with no additional powers, and remains the head of a department of the administration. The Swiss government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of electorate and representation in the federal parliament: currently there are 1 Christian Democrat (CVP/PDC), 2 Social Democrats (SPS/PSS), 2 Liberal Democrats (FDP/PRD), and 2 representatives of the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) in the government. This traditional distribution of seats is called the "magic formula", and is not backed up by any law. The original distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC lasted from 1959 to 2003, until the CVP/PDC lost their second seat to the SVP/UDC, which had become the strongest party in Switzerland's legislative following the 2003 parliamentary elections. The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms. Direct democracy Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the commune, canton and federal levels. The 1848 federal constitution defines a system of direct democracy (sometimes called half-direct democracy since it is added by the more commonplace institutions of a parliamentary democracy). The instruments of Swiss direct democracy at the federal level, known as civil rights (Volksrechte, droits civiques), include the right to submit a constitutional initiative and a referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions. By calling a federal referendum a group of citizens may challenge a law that has been passed by Parliament, if they can gather 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Eight cantons together can also call a referendum on a federal law. Similarly, the federal constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote, if they can get 100,000 voters to sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. Parliament can supplement the proposed amendment with a counter-proposal, with voters having to indicate a preference on the ballot in case both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in Parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of both the national popular vote and a majority of the cantonal popular votes. Cantons The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons: Aargau Appenzell Innerrhoden* Appenzell Ausserrhoden* Basel-Stadt* Basel-Landschaft* Bern Fribourg Genève Glarus Graubünden Jura Lucerne Neuchâtel Nidwalden* Obwalden* Schaffhausen Schwyz Solothurn St. Gallen Thurgau Ticino Uri Valais Vaud Zug Zürich *These cantons, called half-cantons, are represented by one councillor (instead of two) in the Council of States and only count half (instead of one) in national votes on constitutional amendments. Their populations vary between 15,000 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,253,500 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km² (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km² (Graubünden). The Cantons comprise a total of 2,889 municipalities. Within Switzerland there are two enclaves: Büsingen belongs to Germany, Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. In a referendum held in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg on 11 May 1919 over 80% of those voting supported a proposal that the state should join the Swiss Confederation. However, this was prevented by the opposition of the Austrian Government, the Allies, Swiss liberals, the Swiss-Italians (persons of Swiss nationality who live in Italian Switzerland – see map) and the Romands (Swiss nationals living in the French-speaking regions of Switzerland – see map). International institutions in Switzerland An unusual number of international institutions have their seats in Switzerland, in part due to its policy of neutrality. The Red Cross was founded there in 1863 and still has its institutional centre in the country. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people rejected membership in a referendum in the early 1990s. Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to have joined the United Nations, in 2002, even though Geneva is the second biggest centre for the United Nations after New York, and Switzerland was a founding member of the League of Nations. Geography A winter view of Sent in the canton of Graubünden. The Matterhorn (or Cervino) near the Swiss village of Zermatt in the canton of Valais.With an area of 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi), Switzerland is a relatively small country. The population is about 7.5 million, resulting in an average population density of 182 people per square kilometer (472/sq mi). However, the more mountainous southern half of the country is far more sparsely populated than this average, while the northern half has a somewhat greater density, as it comprises more hospitable hilly terrain, partly forested and partly cleared, as well as several large lakes. Switzerland comprises three basic topographical areas: the Swiss Alps, the Swiss plateau or "middleland", and the Jura mountains along the northwestern border with France. The Alps are a high mountain range running across the central-south of the country, comprising about 60 % of the country's total area. Among the high peaks of the Swiss Alps, the highest of which is the Dufourspitze at 4,634 metres (15,203 ft), countless valleys are found, many with waterfalls and glaciers. From these the headwaters of several major European rivers such as the Rhine, Rhône, Inn, Aare, and Ticino flow finally into the largest Swiss lakes such as Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), Lake Zürich, Lake Neuchâtel, and Lake Constance. The most famous mountain is the Matterhorn (4,478 m) in Valais and Pennine Alps bordering Italy. The highest mountain, the Dufourspitze (4,634 m) of Monte Rosa, is close to the Matterhorn. The section of the Bernese Alps above the deep glacial Lauterbrunnen Valley containing 72 waterfalls is also well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m), Mönch, Eiger group of peaks, and the many picturesque valleys in the region. In the southeast the long Engadin Valley, encompassing the St Moritz area in canton Graubünden, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring Bernina Alps is Piz Bernina (4,049 m). Morcote in the warmer southern canton of Ticino. The canton of Schwyz in the center of Switzerland.The more populous northern part of the country, comprising about 30 % of the country's total area, is called the Middle Land. It has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds, or vegetables and fruit fields, but it is still hilly. There are large lakes found here and the biggest Swiss cities are in this area of the country. This region, particularly the west, is also referred to as the "Seeland" (the land of lakes) and the largest lake is Lake Geneva (also called Lac Léman), in the West of Switzerland. The Rhone River is the main tributary to Lac Léman. The Swiss National Park in the canton of Graubünden. A sunset in the Swiss Alps. View from Bettmeralp, Valais.The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly between the localities, from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the often pleasant Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall so they are ideal for pastures and grazing. The winters in the mountains alternate with sun and snow, while the lower lands tend to be more cloudy and foggy in winter. A weather phenomenon known as the Föhn can occur at all times of the year, even in winter, and is characterized by a wind with warm Mediterranean air crossing the Alps from Italy. The driest conditions persist in the southern valleys of the Wallis/Valais above which valuable saffron is harvested and many wine grapes are grown, Graubünden also tends to be drier in climate and slightly colder, yet with plentiful snow in winter. The wettest conditions persist in the high Alps and in the Ticino canton which has much sun yet heavy bursts of rain from time to time. The east tends to be colder than the west of Switzerland, yet anywhere up high in the mountains can experience a cold spell at any time of the year. Precipitation tends to be spread moderately throughout the year, with minor variations across the seasons depending on locale. Autumn frequently tends to be the driest season, yet the weather patterns in Switzerland can be highly variable from year to year, and difficult to predict. Switzerland's eco-systems can be particularly vulnerable, due to the many delicate valleys separated by high mountains, often forming unique ecologies. The mountainous regions themselves are also vulnerable, with a rich range of plants not found at other altitudes, and experience some pressure from visitors and grazing. The tree line in the mountains of Switzerland has advanced down 1000 ft over the years, largely due to the increasing absence of herding and grazing pressures. Economy Tourism is important in the Engadin valley. St. Moritz, pictured above, is in the canton of Graubünden.Switzerland has a stable, modern, and some of the most capitalist economies in the world, having the 2nd highest European rating (after Ireland) in the Index of Economic Freedom 2008 edition. Public sector has always been minimal and overall taxation amounted to just 29.2% of GDP in 2007, about the same as United States, Ireland, or Estonia. The nominal per capita GDP that is higher than those of the larger western European economies, Japan ranking 6th behind Luxembourg, Norway, Qatar, Iceland and Ireland. If adjusted for purchasing power parity it ranks 15th. The World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report currently ranks Switzerland's economy as the second most competitive in the world. For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin. In 2005 the median household income in Switzerland was an estimated 95,000 CHF, the equivalent of roughly 55,000 USD in purchasing power parity, which is similar to wealthy American states like California and Vermont. Cheese making and dairying is a famous and extraordinary Swiss industry, which was liberalized in 2007.Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. Notable among these are Nestlé, UBS AG, Zurich Financial Services, Credit Suisse, Novartis, Roche, ABB, Swiss Re, and The Swatch Group. Switzerland is ranked as one of the most powerful economies in the world. Chemicals, health and pharmaceuticals, instruments, real estate, banking and insurance, and tourism are important industries in Switzerland. The manufacturing of precision instruments for engineering is important, as is watch-making, and the biological sciences industries all enjoy a high place in the Swiss economy. The many international organizations in Switzerland contribute to the Swiss economy and labour market. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods or 62 billion USD in 2006), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%). Pharmaceuticals are the largest high-technology export category at around 30 billion USD in 2006, followed by instruments at around 20 billion USD. Exported services amount to a third of exported goods. Switzerland has relatively free labor market compared to neighboring countries. Switzerland's unemployment rate increased from a low of 1.7% in June 2000 to a peak of 3.9% in September 2004. Partly due to the economic upturn which started in mid-2003, the unemployment rate is currently 2.8% as of February 2008. Average household size is a typical 2.2 persons. Net immigration is quite high at 0.52% of population in 2004, compared to 0.76% in Austria, 0.34% in UK and 0.1% in Germany. 21.8% of residents were foreigners in 2004, higher than any major Western country. According to Credit Suisse, only about 37 percent of residents own their own homes. Ownership rates are among the lowest in Europe. Housing and food price levels were 171% and 145% of the EU-25 index in 2007, compared to 113% and 104% in Germany. Food prices are particularly affected by agricultural protectionism, which keeps more competitive imports outside and swallows comparatively a lot resources. Switzerland is relatively easy place to do business, ranking 16th in the Ease of Doing Business Index. Among others, Switzerland has relatively low taxation and relatively free job market. However, OECD argues that the product market reform is still lagging behind most OECD countries. The slow growth Switzerland experienced in the 1990s and the early 2000s has brought greater support for liberalization and harmonization with the European Union. In 2004, the government launched a “growth package”, including a series of measures aimed at boosting productivity, and legislative changes are slowly taking place. Science, technology, and education Education in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system to the cantons. There are both public and private schools, including many private international schools. The minimum age for primary school is about six years in all cantons. Typically children choose their school depending on whether they want to speak French, German or Italian. Primary school continues until grade four or five, depending on the school. At the end of primary school (or at the beginning of secondary school), pupils are separated according to their capacities in several (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. The first university in Switzerland was founded in 1460 in Basel, with a faculty of medicine. This place has a long tradition of chemical and medical research in Switzerland. Other large universities are the ETHZ in Zürich and the EPFL in Lausanne. There are 14 Universities in Switzerland, 10 of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer a range of non-technical subjects. Switzerland has the second highest rate of foreign students in tertiary education, after Australia. Many Nobel prizes were awarded to Swiss scientists, for example to the world-famous physicist Albert Einstein or more recently to Heinrich Rohrer also in the field of physics. Geneva host the world's largest particle physics laboratory, the CERN. An other important research center is the Paul Scherrer Institute which belongs to the ETHZ. Switzerland and the European Union In recent years, the Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the European Union in many ways, in an effort to enhance their international competitiveness. The economy has been growing most recently at around 3% per year. Full EU membership is a long-term objective of some in the Swiss government, but there is considerable popular sentiment against this supported by the conservative SVP party. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU. The government has established an Integration Office under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. To minimise the negative consequences of Switzerland's isolation from the rest of Europe, Bern and Brussels signed seven bilateral agreements to further liberalise trade ties. These agreements were signed in 1999 and took effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series covering nine areas was signed in 2004 and has since been ratified. The second series includes the Schengen treaty and the Dublin Convention. They continue to discuss further areas for cooperation. Switzerland most recently (2006) approved a billion francs supportive investment in the poorer eastern European countries in support of cooperation and positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission. The Swiss have also been under EU and sometimes international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and to raise tax rates to parity with the European Union. Preparatory discussions are being opened in four new areas: opening up the electricity market, participation in the European GNSS project Galileo, cooperating with the European centre for disease prevention and recognising certificates of origin for food products. Switzerland voted against membership in the European Economic Area in December 1992 and has since maintained and developed its relationships with the European Union and European countries through bilateral agreements. In March 2001, the Swiss people refused in a popular vote to start accession negotiations with the EU. Infrastructure and environment The Leibstadt Nuclear Power Plant is located in the canton of Aargau.See also: Transport in Switzerland, Nuclear power in Switzerland, and Waste management in Switzerland Electricity generated in Switzerland is 53% from hydroelectricity and 42% from nuclear power, with 5% of the electricity generated from conventional power sources (thermal etc.) resulting in a nearly CO2-free electricity-generating network. On 18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear initiatives were turned down: Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants (41.6% supported and 58.4% opposed), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported and 66.3% opposed). The former ten-year moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants was the result of a citizens' initiative voted on in 1990 which had passed with 54.5% Yes vs. 45.5% No votes. A new nuclear plant in the Canton of Bern is presently planned. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is the office responsible for all questions relating to energy supply and energy use within the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency is supporting the 2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by the year 2050. See also SwissEnergy. Swiss private-public managed road network is funded by road tolls and vehicle taxes. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute system requires the purchase of a vignette (toll sticker) - which costs 40 Swiss francs - for one calendar year in order to use its roadways, for both passenger cars and trucks. The Swiss autobahn/autoroute network has a total length of 1,638 km (as of 2000) and has, by an area of 41,290 km², also the one of the highest motorway densities in the world. Zürich Airport, managed by Unique Airport, is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway, which handled 20.7 million passengers in 2007. The second largest Geneva Cointrin International Airport handled 10.8 million passengers and the third largest EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg 4.3 million passengers, both airports being shared with France. Switzerland is heavily active in recycling and anti-littering regulations and is one of the top recyclers in the world with 66% to 96% of the different recyclable materials being recycled. In many places in Switzerland, household rubbish disposal is charged for. Garbage (except dangerous items, batteries etc.) will only be collected if it is in bags which either have a payment sticker attached, or in official bags with the surcharge paid when the bags are purchased. This gives a financial incentive to recycle as much as possible, since recycling is free. Swiss health officials and police often open up garbage for which the disposal charge has not been paid. They search for evidence such as old bills which connect the bag to the household/person they originated from. Fines for not paying the disposal fee range from CHF 200–500. Demographics Official languages in Switzerland: Swiss German (62.7%; 72.5%) French (20.4%; 21.0%) Italian (6.5%; 4.3%) Romansh (0.5%; 0,6% ) Switzerland lies at the crossroads of several major European cultures that have heavily influenced the country's languages and culture. Switzerland has four official languages: German (63.7% total population share, with foreign residents; 72.5% of residents with Swiss citizenship, in 2000) in the north, east and centre of the country; French (20.4%; 21.0%) to the west; Italian (6.5%; 4.3%) in the south. Romansh, a Romance language spoken locally by a small minority (0.5%; 0.6%) in the southeastern canton of Graubünden, is designated by the Federal Constitution as a national language along with German, French and Italian (Article 4 of the Constitution), and as official language if the authorities communicate with persons of Romansh language (Article 70), but federal laws and other official acts do not need to be decreed in this language. The federal government is obliged to communicate in the official languages, and in the federal parliament simultaneous translation is provided from and into German, French and Italian. The German spoken in Switzerland is predominantly a group of Alemannic dialects collectively known as Swiss German, but written communication typically use Swiss Standard German, whilst a the majority of radio and TV broadcast is (nowadays) in Swiss German as well. Similarly, there are some dialects of Franco-Provençal in rural communities in the French speaking part, known as "Suisse romande", called Vaudois, Gruérien, Jurassien, Empro, Fribourgeois, Neuchâtelois, and in the Italian speaking area, Ticinese (a dialect of Lombard). Also the official languages (German, French and Italian) borrow some terms not understood outside of Switzerland, i.e. terms from other languages (German Billette from French), from similar term in another language (Italian azione used not as act but as discount from German Aktion). Learning one of the other national languages at school is obligatory for all Swiss, so most Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual. Resident foreigners and temporary foreign workers make up about 21% of the population. Most of these are from European Union and EFTA countries. Italians are the largest single group of foreigners with 18,9% of total foreign population, while people from the various nations of former Yugoslavia make up 21%, there are also many ethnic Albanians[citation needed]. Immigrants from Sri Lanka, most of them former Tamil refugees, are the largest group among people of Asian origin. Religion Cathedral Notre-Dame de Lausanne in the canton of Vaud.Switzerland has no official state religion, though most of the cantons (except Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, in all cases including the Catholic Church and the Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons also the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of adherents. Christianity is the predominant religion of Switzerland, divided between various Protestant denominations (42.5% of the population) and the Catholic Church (41%). Immigration has brought Islam (4.3%, predominantly Albanians mostly from Kosovo) and Eastern Orthodoxy (1.8%) as sizeable minority religions. The 2005 Eurobarometer poll found 48% to be theist, 39% expressing belief in "a spirit or life force", 9% atheist and 4% agnostic. Notre Dame de Valère in the canton of Valais.The country is historically about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, with a complex patchwork of majorities over most of the country. One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities (Bern, Zürich and Basel) are predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, as well as the Ticino, is traditionally Catholic. The Swiss constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs. Protestant cantons that culminated in the Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete separation of church and state was clearly rejected, with only 21.1% voting in support. Culture This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. The culture of Switzerland is influenced by its neighbours and its international sentiment, but over the years a distinctive culture with some regional differences and an independent streak has developed. In particular, French-speaking regions have tended to orient themselves slightly more on French culture and tend to be more pro EU. In general, the Swiss are known for their long standing humanitarian tradition as Switzerland is the birth place of the Red Cross Movement and hosts the United Nations Human Rights Council. Swiss German speaking areas may perhaps be seen more oriented on German culture, although German-speaking Swiss people identify strictly as Swiss because of the difference between High German, and the Swiss German dialects. Italian-speaking areas can have more of an Italian culture. A region may be in some ways strongly culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language. The linguistically isolated Rhaeto-Romanic culture in the eastern mountains of Switzerland is also robust and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition. Switzerland's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest of 1989 was in Romansh. Many mountain areas have a strong highly energetic ski town culture in winter, and a hiking/wandering culture in summer. Some areas throughout the year have a recreational culture that caters to tourism, yet the quieter seasons are spring and autumn when there are fewer visitors and a higher ratio of Swiss. A traditional farmer and herder culture also predominates in many areas, and this connection to the land and agriculture is a strong glue holding all the Swiss together. Even though most no longer actually farm themselves, the small farms are omnipresent outside the cities, and as well many Swiss at least have a small garden plot or many window boxes with geraniums and other flowers. Sport A game of Hornussen.Like many European nations the Swiss are big fans of football and the national team or 'Nati' is widely supported. Switzerland's most well known football clubs include Grasshoppers Zurich, Neuchatel Xamax and Basle. Swiss wrestling or "Schwingen" is an old tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practiced among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is also central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 kg Unspunnenstein. Floorball is a new sport in Switzerland that grows every year in popularity. A main factor is the professional league called Nationalliga A that draws many famous players from other countries. Over the last few years several Swiss tennis players, like Roger Federer and Martina Hingis, have been multiple Grand Slam singles champions. One of the world's best current ice skaters is Swiss Stéphane Lambiel. Many Swiss also follow hockey and support one of the 12 clubs in the league A. Two clubs are from the French speaking part, and two other from the Italian part. The canton Graubünden has HC Davos as its own club which won the 2006–2007 Swiss championship. The German speaking part of Switzerland has 7 clubs. The most known Swiss club is SCBerne. Switzerland is also the home of the successful sailing team Alinghi. Other sports where the Swiss have been successful include fencing (Marcel Fischer), whitewater slalom (Ronnie Dürrenmatt – canoe, Mathias Röthenmund – kayak), ice hockey (Swiss National League), beach volleyball (Sascha Heyer, Markus Egger, Paul and Martin Laciga), and skiing (Bernhard Russi, Pirmin Zurbriggen, Didier Cuche). Motorsport racecourses were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster, however the country has produced successful racers such as Clay Regazzoni and Jo Siffert, and leading drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso and now Lewis Hamilton all live there. Switzerland is also the joint venue following Austria in the Euro 2008 football tournament. |
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