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The Swiss Confederation is also known as the Swiss Confederation. capital
Bern
, located in
Europe
Central, north and
Germany
Border, east
Austria
and
Liechtenstein
, south approach
Italy
, approach the west
France
. Located in the north temperate zone, four distinct seasons, the country's high terrain, lack of mineral resources, rich forest and hydraulic resources, a total area of 41,284 square kilometers, the country is composed of 26 states (of which 6 states are half states). As of 2021, the total population of 8.738 million people, mainly Swiss, of which 26.5% of the foreign population, German, French, Italian and Latin Romance languages are the official languages, the residents are mainly Catholic and Protestant.
[4]
The territory of Switzerland was Celtic territory in prehistoric times. On August 1, 1291, the three cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Lower Walden secretly formed a permanent alliance in the struggle against the Habsburgs, which was the beginning of the creation of Switzerland. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna recognized Switzerland as
A permanent neutral state
. In 1848, a constitution was enacted and a Federation Council established, which became unified
A federal state
. He remained neutral in both World wars.
[4]
In 2022, Switzerland announced that it would participate in the European Union's sanctions program against Russia, breaking with its tradition of political neutrality.
[7]
Switzerland is a highly developed industrial country with a liberal economic policy and is one of the richest countries in the world.
Global innovation index
Ranked first, it is known as the "heart of Europe", "World garden", "watch kingdom", "financial country", "European water tower" and so on. It is the location of the headquarters or offices of many international organizations and the host country of international conferences
The United Nations
,
World Trade Organization
,
World Health Organization (WHO)
,
International Olympic Committee
,
International Red Cross
45 international organizations have set up headquarters or offices in Switzerland. Switzerland is also a member of the United Nations,
European Commission
And other international and regional organizations.
[5]
In 2021, Switzerland's GDP was CHF 731.6 billion, and per capita GDP was CHF 84,055.
[4]
- Chinese name
- Swiss confederation [1]
- Foreign name
- Swiss Confederation
- Abbreviated form
- Switzerland
- continent
- Europe
- capital
- Bern [1]
- National Day
- August 1, 1291
- National song
- " Swiss psalms "
- Country code
- CHE
- currency
- Swiss franc
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Political system
- Delegation system
- National leader
- Alain Belser [14] (Federal President)
- Population number
- 8.738 million [4] (Year 2021)
- Population density
- 220.1 persons/km2 [4] (Year 2021)
- Major nationality
- Swiss
- Major religion
- Catholicism , Protestantism
- Land area
- 41284 km² [1]
- Water area ratio
- 4.2%
- International telephone area code
- 41
- International domain name abbreviation
- .ch
- Road access
- Drive on the right
- National bank
- Swiss National Bank
- Leading institution
- University of Basel , University of Bern Etc.
- Gross domestic product
- Chf731.6 billion [4] (Year 2021)
- Gross domestic product per capita
- 84,055 Swiss francs [4] (Year 2021)
catalogue
- 1Historical evolution
- 2Geographical environment
- ▪Regional location
- ▪landform
- ▪climate
- ▪Natural resources
- 3Administrative division
- ▪Zoning details
- ▪Major city
- 4National symbol
- ▪Country name
- ▪flag
- ▪National emblem
- ▪Army emblem
- ▪National anthem
- 5population
- 6political
- ▪regime
- ▪constitution
- ▪congress
- ▪government
- ▪judiciary
- ▪Political party
- ▪dignitaries
- 7economy
- ▪summarize
- ▪agriculture
- ▪industry
- ▪finance
- ▪currency
- ▪tourism
- ▪foreign trade
- ▪Outward investment
Subject article:
History of Switzerland
The territory of Switzerland was Celtic territory in prehistoric times,
Celts
Once an indigenous people of central Europe, their tribe expanded into what is today France, Belgium, northern Italy, Spain, and much of the Rhine Valley in the second century BC, and in its heyday successfully captured the city of Rome.
In 58 BC, Switzerland was conquered by Caesar's army and ruled by the Roman Empire for 400 years.
Between the 3rd and 7th centuries AD, the Alemanni, a Germanic tribe, invaded and settled eastern and northern Switzerland in what became the German-speaking part of the country. The Burgundians invaded the west, and this was to become the French-speaking part of Switzerland.
In 774, the entire territory of Switzerland was incorporated into the Kingdom of the Franks.
From the 11th century onwards, Burgundy to the east of the Jura Mountains, the Duchy of Alemanni and the region south of the Alps came under the rule of the Holy Roman Empire. Since then, the Swiss territory has been divided into a number of independent and semi-independent earldoms, feudal fiefdoms, and aristocratic republics. The four families of Zellingen, Kiburg, Savoy and Habsburg successively fought for power and gain in Switzerland, and finally the Habsburg family became the largest feudal lords in Switzerland.
On 1 August 1291, the three cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Lower Walden secretly formed a permanent alliance in the struggle against the Habsburgs, which was the beginning of the creation of Switzerland.
In 1648, France and Sweden defeated the forces of the Holy Roman Empire, forcing them to Sue for peace in October of that year, and signed the Peace of Westphalia, and Switzerland became truly independent and became a sovereign country.
In 1798, Napoleon invaded Switzerland and established the Helvety Republic.
In 1803, the Swiss expelled the French army, and Switzerland expanded to 19 cantons, restoring the confederation.
In 1815, the cantons of Valais, Neuchatel and Geneva joined Switzerland. In the same year, Switzerland signed a new federal treaty, which restored sovereignty to the cantons in all aspects except foreign affairs. In the same year, the Congress of Vienna recognized Switzerland as
A permanent neutral state
.
In 1848, Switzerland became a unified federal state with a constitution and a Federal Council. Switzerland remained neutral in both world wars.
[5]
Switzerland's position in Europe
Switzerland is located in central Europe, bordered by Germany to the north, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, Italy to the south and France to the west. Its territory is 10°29 '26 "east longitude
Canton Graubunden
The Chavarac Peak, west to 5°57 '24 "east longitude of Geneva, is located at 45°49' 8" north latitude, near the town of Chanchy
Canton of Ticino
The northernmost part of Chiasso, at 47°48 '35 "N, is Bargen in Schaffhausen. The total area is 41,284 square kilometers, with a length of 220.1 kilometers from north to south and 348.4 kilometers from east to west.
[4]
Switzerland
Topographic map of Switzerland
Switzerland is a country of high terrain, the Jura mountains in the northwest, the central plains and the Alps in the south constitute three natural terrain regions. The main route between north and south Europe runs through Switzerland
Alps
. The lowest point is located in the city of Ascona at 196 m above sea level, while the highest point is Mount Dufour at 4,634 m above sea level.
[5]
Switzerland is located in the northern temperate zone, affected by the alternating oceanic climate and continental climate, with four distinct seasons and great climate change, with an average annual temperature of 9℃. The southern Canton of Ticino has a hot Mediterranean climate, while the rest of the region has a Central European climate, with temperatures ranging from 20 ° C to 25 ° C in summer, from 2 ° C to 6 ° C in winter, and from 7 ° C to 14 ° C in spring and autumn. In addition to temperature differences, there are also differences in rainfall. In Stalden, Valais, the rainfall is only 52 mm per year. The mountain of Monte Rosa, 40 kilometers away from Stalden, receives as much as 400 millimeters of rain a year. In Switzerland, within a few kilometers of the land you can see completely different scenery and climate conditions.
[5]
Switzerland has few mineral resources, only a small amount of salt, coal, iron and manganese ore. Energy and industrial raw materials needed for production and living mainly depend on imports. The forest area is 1.271 million hectares, and the forest coverage rate is 29.3% (2019). The water resources are abundant, and the utilization rate is 95%. Switzerland has 6% of Europe's freshwater resources. Three great rivers of Europe,
Rhine
,
Rhone
and
Yin Chaung
Both originated in Switzerland.
[5]
Subdivisions of Switzerland
Switzerland's administrative regions are divided into three levels: federal, cantonal and commune. The country is made up of 26 states (six of which are semi-states) : Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Upper Walden (half Canton), Lower Walden (half Canton), Glarus, Zug, Fribourg, Solothurn, Basel City (half Canton), Basel Township (half Canton), Schaffhausen, Outer Appenzell (half Canton), Inner Appenzell (half Canton), St. Gallen, Graubunden, Aargau, Tulgau, Ticino, Vaud , Valais, Neuchatel, Geneva, Jura.
[4]
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The capital
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Views of the capital Bern
Bern
It is the capital and administrative center of Switzerland, as well as a cultural and tourist city.
Population 144,400 (Source: official website of the city of Bern)
[1]
[15]
The Swiss Federal Government, Parliament and the Swiss National Bank, embassies and a number of international institutions are gathered here. The city of Bern has the largest shopping district with medieval characteristics in Europe, and the Old Town, as one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe, is recognized by UNESCO as one of the first World Cultural Heritage sites.
The city of Bern was founded in the 12th century, to the 18th century to build the current scale, the old town of Bern, some of the original wooden structure of the building was destroyed by several fires in the Middle Ages, later rebuilt into a stone structure, is still intact. The stone paved carriage road, the street is lined with long arches, the old houses with red tiles and white walls reflect each other, the colorful columns of the fountain in the street, the clock tower of the 16th century and the late Gothic cathedral built in 1421, make Bern look ancient and retain the style of the Middle Ages.
Views of Zurich
Zurich
It is the largest city in Switzerland, the economic capital of Switzerland, the center of industry and commerce, science and culture, and because it is the headquarters of more than 120 banks in the world, more than half of which are foreign banks, it is also known as the "billionaire city of Europe".
Union Bank of Switzerland
,
Credit Suisse
,
Zurich Financial Services Group
And many European private banks are headquartered in Zurich. The Swiss banking industry is highly efficient and highly confidential, making Zurich a major offshore banking center in the world, with financial account flows accounting for about a quarter of the city's economic activity. The Swiss Stock Exchange is headquartered in Zurich,
The Zurich Stock Exchange is the largest exchange in Western Europe in terms of trading volume. Zurich is also one of the world's largest gold trading markets and an important financial center in Western Europe.
Zurich is an important transportation hub in Switzerland,
Zurich International Airport
It is the largest international airport in Switzerland and one of the most important aviation hubs in Europe.
Zurich Main train Station
It is the largest railway station in Switzerland. Zurich is also one of the centers of culture, education and research in Switzerland,
Eth Zurich
,
University of Zurich
It is a world-renowned institution of higher learning.
Views of Geneva
Geneva
It is the second largest city in Switzerland, the watch capital of the world, and an important world commodity trading center. It is one of the most important international cooperation centers in the world. The city of Geneva is home to the headquarters of 39 international organizations, more than 4,700 heads of state and Government, ministers and other senior officials attend conferences every year, and Geneva hosts more than 3,400 conferences and 182,000 delegates from all over the world. In addition, nearly 750 non-governmental organizations are based in Geneva.
Geneva is especially known as the seat of international organizations and international conference city, and is called the United Nations City with New York and Vienna. There are three types of international institutions in Geneva: first, United Nations agencies, such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Development Program, the World Trade Organization, and the World Health Organization; Second, intergovernmental institutions such as CERN and the European Free Trade Association; Thirdly, non-governmental organizations, such as the International Olympic Committee, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the International Federation for the Defence of Children, the International Committee of the Red Cross, etc. The famous Palais des Nations, formerly the seat of the League of Nations and now the headquarters of the United Nations in Europe, has become one of the important centers of multilateral diplomatic activities, and many major international conferences on international disarmament, trade, labor, health, meteorology, telecommunications, human rights and other issues related to world peace, economic development and social progress have been held here. Nearly 130 countries have permanent representatives to the United Nations and other international organizations. In 1954, China established its Consulate-General in Geneva, which was converted into a permanent mission to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva in 1972.
Sights of Basel
Basel
It is the center of the Swiss chemical and pharmaceutical industry, especially for world-renowned pharmaceutical companies
Novartis
And Hoffman
Roche Group
Led by Switzerland's largest pharmaceutical companies are headquartered in Basel.
The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development are in Basel. The famous World watch and jewelry exhibition and the International Medical Exhibition are held in Basel every year.
Lausanne scenery
Lausanne
It is Switzerland's fifth largest city and the capital of the Canton of Vaud. The economic and political center of western Switzerland after Geneva, and the cultural center of French-speaking Switzerland. Lausanne is
International Olympic Committee
The headquarters and the location of the Olympic Museum is known as the "Olympic Capital", the Swiss Federal Court, the International School of Management in Lausanne, the University of Lausanne, the Federal Institute of Technology, the World Hotel Training Center and other various liberal arts colleges, organizations and art schools are located here.
A view of Lucerne
Lucerne
It is one of the largest summer resorts in Switzerland and is the economic and cultural center of central Switzerland. The most important economic base of Lucerne is tourism and various service industries such as transport, healthcare and business consulting. Lucerne is also a museum city.
[5]
Switzerland (English: Switzerland; French: Suisse) Switzer is from
The Alemannic language
Middle finger
Schwitz
"Schwiizer" is the name given to the surrounding territory, which was one of the original three cantons of the Old Swiss Confederation. Switzer is derived from a foreign word and refers to the region as a whole of the Confederacy. Swiss since 1499
The Swabian War
Later, he referred to himself as Schwyzer, which is also often used in conjunction with "Confederation" (Eidgenossen).
Swiss to
New Latin
The full name of the Confederatio Helvetica was adopted after it became a federal state in 1848.
Napoleon
The Confederatio Helvetica was established in 1879 under the name Helvetica
coin
It can also be seen in the Federal Palace, inaugurated in 1902, and has been engraved on the Swiss official seal since 1948. Helvetica is derived from
Roman Empire
Formerly inhabited on the Swiss plateau
The Helvetians
(Helvetii). The name Helvetia first appeared in the name of Johann Caspar Weisse.
Flag of Switzerland
The flag was changed in 1889 from a white cross on a red background to a square, symbolizing the country's policy of impartiality and neutrality in foreign affairs.
[2]
Coat of arms of Switzerland
The Swiss military coat of Arms is a variant of the Swiss national coat of arms, which was introduced in 1858 and is still in use today. The Swiss military emblem is used in the Navy, army, Air Force and Marine Corps. The uniforms of soldiers and officers bear the Swiss military emblem.
And the Swiss Army knife and soldier's knife are printed with the Swiss army emblem, but the current Swiss soldiers and officers do not use soldiers' knives but officers' knives, and different units use different types of officers' knives. All military units, cadets, and military departments have Swiss military insignia on their insignia.
Swiss psalms
It is the Swiss national anthem, originally written in French by Lenhard Wiedermeyer, and set to music by the monk Alberic Zvizich, who only found a suitable tune from his 1835 mass in B Major, which was first performed at the Zurich Music Festival on 22 November 1841 and became the national anthem in 1961.
The motherland, please call, we will be dedicated to the body! Switzerland lives forever, its children grow up, like the battle of St. James.
Switzerland
The population is 8.738 million, of which 26.5% are foreigners. German, French, Italian and Latin Romance are all official languages, with 62% of the population speaking German, 23% French, 8% Italian, 0.5% Latin Romance and 23% other languages. 33% of the residents are Catholic, 21% Protestant, 14% other religious, and 32% non-religious. (Source: Swiss Federal Statistics Office website).
[4]
[16]
Switzerland is a multi-ethnic group consisting of Swiss Germanic, Swiss French, Swiss Italian, and a small number of descendants of the Leto Romans who speak several Reto-Roman dialects. The complexity of the Swiss nation is closely related to the history of population movements, wars, and the composition of the federation.
[5]
Swiss practice
Parliamentary democracy
. Switzerland is a member state, the highest head of state is the Federal President, also known as the President, but only a formal leader. Real power comes from the seven Federal Councils, which are composed of the ministers of the seven organs of state (including the current federal president). All members of the Federation Council act collectively as the head of State. The Federal President is elected by the seven members of the Federal Council and represents Switzerland externally for a term of one year.
[4]
The Swiss Constitution was adopted in 1848 and has been amended several times since 1874. Switzerland practices direct democracy in the form of "referendums" and "citizen initiatives". Any amendment to the provisions of the Constitution, the signing of an international treaty with a term of more than 15 years, or the accession to an important international organization shall enter into force only after a referendum and approval by the cantons. In 1999, Swiss citizens adopted a new constitution, which clearly states that Switzerland is a federal country, and each state has its own constitution. The federal government has jurisdiction over foreign affairs, finance, finance, federal taxes, currency, defense, customs, railways, post and telecommunications, energy, television, radio, and social security, while other matters are under the jurisdiction of the states. The states must comply with federal national regulations and accept federal oversight. The new Constitution also establishes the principle of the primacy of international law over domestic law.
[4]
The Federal Parliament is the highest legislative body, consisting of the National Council and the Council of States with equal powers. A law or resolution can take effect only if it is unanimously approved by both houses. The National Council has 200 members elected by popular vote for four-year terms; The Rajya Sabha has 46 members elected by each state for terms of up to four years, which vary from state to state. The term of office of the Speaker of both houses is one year. 2023/2024 President of the National Council EricNussbaumer (SPD), President of the Federal Council EvaHerzog (SPD).
[20]
The current parliament begins in October 2023.
[17]
[20]
|
National assembly
|
Council
|
|
|
Swiss People's Party
|
67
|
7
|
|
Social Democratic Party
|
41
|
9
|
|
Christian Democratic People's Party/Protestant People's Party/Civic Democratic Party (center group)
|
31
|
15
|
|
Green Party
|
23
|
3
|
|
Liberal Democratic Party
|
28
|
11
|
|
Liberal Green Party
|
10
|
1
|
|
Reference materials:
[20]
|
||
The Federal Council is the highest administrative body of the state, consisting of seven members, who are divided into seven ministers and exercise collective leadership for a four-year term. There shall be a Chairman and a vice Chairman, who shall be appointed by the Federal Council members in rotation for a term of one year and shall not be re-elected. The composition of the Federal Council for 2024 is as follows:
Federal President and Minister of Defence, Civil Defence and Sport ViolaAmherd (female, Centre Party), Federal Vice President and Minister of Finance KarinKeller-Sutter (female, FDP), Federal Councilor and Minister of Economy, Education and Research GuyParmelin (People's Party), Federal Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs IgnazioCassis (Liberal Democratic Party), Federal Councilor and Minister of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications AlbertRosti (People's Party), Federal Councillor and Minister of the Interior ElisabethBaume-Schneider (female, SPD), Federal Councillor and Minister of Justice and Police Beate Jans (SPD).
[20]
The Federal Court is the highest judicial body in Switzerland. The court consists of civil, criminal, public and social law courts, and currently has 38 federal judges, all of whom are elected by Parliament, and the president and vice president are reelected every two years. The current President of the Federal Court is Yves Donzallaz and the Vice president is Francois Chaix.
In addition, Switzerland also has the Federal Administrative Court and the Federal Criminal Court, which are responsible for hearing administrative complaints or appeals, malfeasance cases and special criminal cases such as terrorist attacks, leaks, treason, money laundering.
[5]
[15]
There are more than 30 political parties in Switzerland, the main political parties are:
|
Political party
|
introduce
|
Chairman/General Secretary
|
|
People's Party (SVP)
|
The Centre Democratic Union was formed in 1971 by a merger of the Peasants' Party and the Democratic Party
|
Current President Marco Chiesa
|
|
Free Democratic Party (FDP)
|
The French-speaking Radical Democratic Party was founded in 1894
|
President Thierry Burkart
|
|
Social Democratic Party (SP)
|
The French-speaking Socialist Party was founded in 1888
|
Co-chairs Mattea Meyer and Cedric Wermuth
|
|
Centre Party (Die Mitte)
|
It was formed in January 2021 by the merger of the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP) and the Civic Democratic Party (BDP)
|
Chairman Gerhard Pfister
|
|
Green Party (GPS)
|
Built in 1983
|
Chairman Balthasar Glattli
|
|
Liberal Green Party (GLP)
|
Founded in 2004, it has been running nationwide since 2007
|
Chairman Jurg Grossen
|
|
Protestant People's Party (EVP)
|
Built in 1919
|
President Lilian Studer
|
|
Communist Party of Switzerland
|
General secretary Ayi
|
|
|
Reference material
[4]
[8]
|
||
Ignazio Cassis
Switzerland is a highly developed industrial country. Implement a liberal economic policy, minimize government intervention, and advocate free trade.
Key economic figures for Switzerland are as follows:
|
Gross domestic product
|
CHF 731.4 billion (2022)
|
|
Gross domestic product per capita
|
CHF 88717 (2022)
|
|
GDP growth rate
|
5.1% (2022)
|
|
Currency name
|
The Swiss franc (Swiss Franc for short), 1 Swiss franc = 100 centimes
|
|
Inflation rate
|
1.7% (September 2023)
[17]
|
|
Unemployment rate
|
1.9% (June 2023)
|
|
(Source: Swiss Federal Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Swiss National Statistics Office)
[20]
|
|
As of July 23, 2021, the international rating agency Moody's has rated Switzerland's sovereign credit rating AAA/AAA with a stable outlook. International rating agency Fitch has rated Switzerland's sovereign credit at AAA with a stable outlook. Switzerland's sovereign credit rating is rated AAA by Standard & Poor's, an international rating agency.
[5]
A third of the world's money is stored in Switzerland.
[11]
Switzerland's main crops are wheat, oats, potatoes and sugar beets. We are basically self-sufficient in meat and dairy products. The Swiss government attaches importance to the development of agricultural production. Long-term agricultural subsidy policies, such as subsidies, special subsidies for mountainous areas, and price subsidies for major agricultural products; Restricting and reducing the import of vegetables and fruits; Provide to farmers
Interest-free loan
; Support mechanization and specialization of agriculture; Strengthening agricultural scientific research and technical training; Popularize and attach importance to agricultural knowledge.
[4]
Industry is the backbone of Switzerland,
Machinery manufacturing, chemicals, medicine, high-end watches, food processing are the main pillar industries in Switzerland. Advanced industrial technology, excellent product quality, in the international market has a strong competitiveness. In addition to ABB, Nestle, Novartis, Sulzer and other famous large companies, the vast majority of small and medium-sized enterprises.
[15]
Machinery, electronics and metals
The mechanical, electronic and metal industry is one of the main industrial sectors in Switzerland, including metallurgy, mechanical engineering, vehicle manufacturing, electronics industry and precision parts processing. Its output value accounts for about 7% of GDP and its employment population accounts for 8%. The industry is Switzerland's second largest export sector, exporting around 80% of its production. In 2020, affected by the epidemic, the industry's annual sales fell 9.8%, exports of 60.7 billion Swiss francs, a contraction of 11.2% from the previous year, accounting for 27% of Switzerland's total exports, exports mainly include machinery, precision instruments, metals, electrical and electronic and transportation.
Pharmaceutical chemical industry
The output value of pharmaceutical and chemical industry accounts for more than 5% of Switzerland's GDP, leading the field of pharmaceutical and chemical industry in the world. There are more than 30,000 kinds of products, of which special chemical products account for more than 90%, which is the lifeblood of the Swiss pharmaceutical and chemical industry and the main source of export earnings. The main product categories include pharmaceutical and diagnostic technology, fine chemical products, vitamins, flavors, plant protection products, veterinary drugs, industrial special chemical products, dyes and coatings, etc. The sector is Switzerland's largest export sector, with exports of CHF116.4 billion in 2020, up 1.6% and accounting for 51.7% of total exports.
Watch industry
The watch industry is Switzerland's third largest export industry. As one of the world's largest watch producers, Switzerland has many world-renowned watch brands, such as
Swatch
,
Rolex
,
Patek Philippe
,
Tissot
,
longines
Etc., the products are mainly watches, and there are clocks and pendulum clocks. More than 95% of the watches produced in Switzerland each year are exported. In 2020, the watch industry exports 16.98 billion Swiss francs, accounting for 7.5% of the total exports.
Food processing
The food processing industry is one of the earliest pillar industries in Switzerland, with a high international reputation in dairy, coffee, chocolate and other fields, and nearly 60,000 employees. Products are mainly used for domestic consumption. In 2020, Swiss food and indulgence exports amounted to CHF 8.69 billion, accounting for 3.9% of total exports. Nestle, the world's largest food company, is headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland.
[5]
The financial sector is one of the most important economic sectors in Switzerland. Thanks to its sound banking system and advanced asset management, Switzerland is known as the world's largest offshore financial center and a leader in international asset management.
The financial sector is well developed, with a total of 239 banks in 2021. Zurich, the largest city, is one of the international financial centers and the world's second largest gold trading market after London.
[5]
[15]
Central bank
The central bank of Switzerland is the Swiss National Bank, which has greater autonomy than the federal government and is responsible for implementing the country's monetary policy. Its main policy purpose is to ensure price stability while taking into account economic development.
Commercial bank
The Swiss banking industry includes large banks, landesbanken, credit cooperative banks, foreign banks, private banks, etc. Among them, there are four "systemically important large banks" defined by the Swiss Financial Supervisory Authority, respectively
Union Bank of Switzerland
(UBS Group for short, UBS, Credit Suisse, Raiffeisen Schweiz and Landesbank Zurich ZurcherKantonalbank's four big banks account for nearly half of the Swiss banking industry's balance sheet, more than 40% of Swiss domestic credit and nearly 40% of property mortgages. The main business scope of big banks is: asset management, stock management, foreign exchange trading, precious metals trading, letters of credit, guarantees and financial derivatives trading, and its branches and service networks are all over the world.
Ubs and Credit Suisse work closely with Chinese banks. Ubs Group has branches in Beijing and Shanghai, and offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, mainly engaged in securities, investment and financing services. Credit Suisse has a branch in Shanghai and a representative office in Beijing.
State bank
There are 24 landesbankes in Switzerland, 21 of which are guaranteed unlimited by the government. In terms of organizational form, with the exception of the Cantonal banks of Vaud, Zug, Jura, Valais and Geneva, which are mixed shares, the other 19 cantonal banks are official institutions with independent legal status, their own capital comes from the cantonal, and a portion of the profits must also be handed over to the cantonal government. State banks are integrated banks, and their strengths are in savings and real estate mortgage business, while providing asset management, securities and foreign exchange management, microfinance, export credit and leasing services for state enterprises. Some state banks are state-owned and can provide government guarantees. The largest landesbanken include the Landesbanken Zurich, the Landesbanken Vaud, the Landesbanken Basel, the Landesbanken Lucerne, the Landesbanken St Gallen and the Landesbanken Bern.
Foreign bank
Foreign banks are those in which foreigners own more than half of the equity and voting rights, mainly from EU countries (more than 50%) and Japan (about 20%). The business scope is mainly foreign business and asset management business. According to Handelsblatt, there were 98 foreign banks in Switzerland in 2017, with the top three banks in terms of balance sheets being EFG Bank AG, Societe Generale and Bank J. Safra Sarasin AG. In 2019, there were 71 foreign-owned banks and 23 branches of foreign banks in Switzerland.
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Insurance company
Switzerland has a well-developed insurance industry. In 2019, 198 insurance companies were regulated by BAFIN, including 19 life insurance companies, 118 property insurance companies, 11 supplementary health insurance companies, 25 reinsurance companies and 25 captive insurance companies. Of these, 149 are Swiss insurance companies and the remaining 49 are foreign insurance companies. Calculated from the premium amount, the main subjects of insurance include personal life, medical treatment, accidents and motor vehicles. Major companies include Zurich Financial Services Group, Swiss Re, Swiss Life Insurance Company and AXA Fontaine. In 2018, the assets of Swiss insurance companies amounted to 582 billion francs.
Zurich Financial Services Group, founded in 1872. In 1997, it merged with the Financial and Insurance division (BASF) of BAT, the UK's largest tobacco group, to form Zurich Financial Services Group, headquartered in Zurich. The new group is the world's second largest insurance company with about 54,000 employees. It earned $5.3 billion in 2019.
Securities market
The Swiss Stock Exchange is located in Zurich, Switzerland's main stock, bond and options derivatives exchange, one of the most important stock trading markets in Europe, is one of the world's most technologically advanced stock exchanges. It was formed in 1995 by the merger of the three century-old stock exchanges of Zurich, Basel and Geneva. In addition, Switzerland also has the Bern Exchange, which mainly provides financing for small and medium-sized enterprises. The Swiss Stock Exchange is part of the SIX Group, which provides global services in securities trading and settlement, financial information and payment transactions.
Thanks to its self-regulatory capabilities, the Swiss Stock Exchange provides a friendly market framework for the listing and trading of domestic and international stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exchange-traded products (ETPs), funds and structured products. At present, a total of 251 companies including Nestle, ABB, Novartis, Roche and other well-known enterprises are listed on the Swiss Stock exchange. In 2020, the Swiss Stock Exchange recorded turnover of CHF 1.75 trillion and operating income of CHF 1.4 billion. An important feature of the Swiss Stock Exchange is the collection of many life science companies, and more than one-third of the market capital of the life science industry on the large European exchange market is traded on the Swiss Stock Exchange market.
Credit card use
Credit cards are widely used in Switzerland. Visa and Master cards are easy to use and are accepted in most stores. Since 2011, SIX-Multipay, Switzerland's largest acquisition agency, has cooperated with UnionPay, allowing UnionPay cards to be used in major shops in tourist cities. Switzerland's SIX Group has launched cooperation with Alipay and wechat Pay, and is expected to use domestic mobile payment methods at transportation hubs and major shops in the future.
[5]
China-switzerland financial cooperation
There are six Swiss banks (Swiss Bank Limited, Credit Suisse Bank AG, Canton Bank Zurich, Eurofinance Banking Group Switzerland Limited, HSBC Private Bank (Switzerland) Limited, Swiss Bank Winfield Bank Limited) and three insurance companies (Fontai Insurance Company, Swiss Insurance Company and Swiss Re Company) in China It has set up 8 representative offices and 5 business branches.
In May 2013, the two countries signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Financial Dialogue between the People's Bank of China and the Swiss Federal Ministry of Finance, announcing the establishment of a China-Switzerland financial dialogue mechanism. In October 2015, China Construction Bank Zurich Branch obtained the business license issued by the Swiss side and was authorized by the People's Bank of China to act as a clearing bank for RMB business in Switzerland. In November, the People's Bank of China announced the launch of direct trading between the RMB and the Swiss franc in the interbank foreign exchange market, making the Swiss franc the seventh major currency to be traded directly with the RMB. In January 2016, CCB Zurich Branch was officially opened for business. In June 2018, ICBC Zurich branch opened. In October 2021, the Bank of China opened its Geneva branch.
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The local currency of Switzerland is
Swiss franc
(Swiss Franc for short), 1 Swiss franc =100 centadimes, freely convertible. Since the financial crisis, the Swiss franc has appreciated rapidly and greatly. In September 2011, the Swiss National Bank set the lower limit of the exchange rate between euro and Swiss franc to 1.2 in order to curb the appreciation of the Swiss franc. On January 15, 2015, the Swiss National Bank announced the abolition of the exchange rate floor, and the Swiss franc gradually fell after a sharp appreciation in the short term. Since the global outbreak of the new coronavirus, the Swiss franc has been sought after as a safe haven currency and faced appreciation pressure. On March 31, 2021, the exchange rate was 1 USD =0.9434 CHF and 1 euro =1.1064 CHF.
RMB and Swiss franc can be settled directly. In November 2015, the RMB and the Swiss franc were directly traded in the interbank foreign exchange market. On July 4, 2022, the exchange rate between RMB and Swiss franc was 1 CHF to 6.9869 RMB.
[5]
Switzerland's largest service export industry is also an important source of foreign exchange earnings for the country, contributing about 6% to GDP. The industry covers tourism related industries such as catering, accommodation and transportation.
Tourism is very developed, is the third largest foreign exchange earning industry after machinery manufacturing and chemical medicine. In 2022, Switzerland received 55.64 million overnight visitors, an increase of 60% over the same period last year.
[5]
[12]
[15]
Switzerland joined the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) on January 1, 1960 and was a full member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) when it was created on January 1, 1995. The WTO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Switzerland applies most-favored-nation treatment to all WTO members and countries that have signed multilateral, bilateral and technology trade agreements with Switzerland, and provides GSP to developing countries, including China. The Swiss GSP scheme covers a wide range of products, has no tariff quotas or quotas, and does not care about the restrictions of the "graduation system". In 2021, Swiss imports amounted to CHF 296.5 billion and exports amounted to CHF 347.7 billion.
Foreign trade plays an important role in the Swiss economy. 95% of raw materials and energy and 60% of consumer goods are imported. 70-90% of industrial products are exported, and exports of goods and services account for 40% of GDP.
Switzerland's main exports are machinery and equipment, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, precision instruments, watches and foodstuffs, while its main imports are raw materials, semi-finished products and consumer durables. Major trading partners are the European Union, the United States and China.
[4-5]
[17]
In 2021, Switzerland's foreign direct investment decreased by 111 billion Swiss francs, and the stock of overseas investment was about 1.4 trillion Swiss francs. (Credit: SNB website)
[4]
[12]
[15]
Switzerland is the largest non-EU investor in China. According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, in 2020, China approved 81 new Swiss investment projects in China, with actual use of Swiss capital of 650 million US dollars, an increase of 1.4 percent. Swiss investment in China is mainly concentrated in the fields of chemical fiber, food processing, electrical tools, medical supplies, auto parts, building materials, textiles and clothing, and trade. Several large Swiss companies, including ABB, Nestle and Roche, have set up investment companies in China. In 1980, Schindler Elevator Company participated in the establishment of the first domestic industrial foreign-funded enterprises after the reform and opening up. Ubs (investment banking) and Jurong Corporation (pharmaceutical distribution) were the first foreign companies to enter the Chinese market in the process of opening up the service sector. By the end of 2020, Switzerland's non-financial direct investment in China had totaled 8.83 billion US dollars.
[5]
In 2021, foreign direct investment in Switzerland decreased by 143 billion Swiss francs, and the investment stock was about 1 trillion Swiss francs. (Credit: SNB website)
[4]
[12]
[15]
Switzerland regards the restoration of peace, economic development and poverty eradication in war-torn countries as the main objectives of its development assistance, which is implemented bilaterally and multilaterally. The target of assistance is mainly poor small and medium-sized developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. In 2022, Switzerland spent CHF4.27 billion on foreign aid.
[4]
[15]
Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Latin Romance. About 62.8% of the population speak German, 22.9% French, 8.2% Italian, 0.5% Latin Romance and 5.6% other languages.
The most widely spoken language in Switzerland is German. Seventeen of the 26 states are German-speaking. The western region is predominantly French-speaking, with four Francophone cantons: Geneva, Jura, Neuchatel and Vaud. There are three German-French cantons: Bern, Fribourg and Valais. Italian is spoken mainly in Ticino, but also in four valleys in the south of Graubunden. Romance languages are spoken in Graubunden, as well as German and Italian. The large number of foreign residents has brought a variety of languages to Switzerland.
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The population of Switzerland is 37.2% Catholic, 25% Protestant, 7.4% other religious and 24% non-religious. The Swiss Catholic rite has survived to this day. On festival days, people wear national costumes, sing, dance and pray. Children's Day festival, also known as the crazy festival, participants wear a mask, the bag with green peas tied to their pants, and chase each other. At this time, even priests put on masks and participated in the ceremony with the people. In the mountainous areas, villagers wear gorgeous costumes and play music with orchestras. After the ceremony, the priest also goes to the residents' homes to pray and bless the prosperity of people and livestock.
[5]
The Swiss taboo "13" and "Friday", which will bring misfortune or disaster to people. It is taboo to inquire about their age, salary and family status, which is considered to be a private matter. When eating in a restaurant, do not want to hear the collision of utensils and the sound of chewing food.
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The Swiss do not like to touch other people's bodies at random, and once they touch someone's body, they will immediately say sorry. There is a habit of comity to women and the elderly, even if they are both men, they will make way for those who are in a hurry. Like quiet, walking in the room always try to avoid making too much noise.
The Swiss traditionally shake hands with their eyes fixed on each other. When friends and relatives meet, they sometimes give hugs, and women give kisses. For strangers, always be polite and helpful, whether you are asking for directions or looking for people, there are people to guide you enthusiastically.
For business meetings in Switzerland, it is best to arrange in advance and stick to the appointment time. When invited to a Swiss home, the usual gift is flowers, chocolate or wine, but not red roses. In Schwyz, the birthplace of Switzerland, men typically wear trousers through the knee, shirts with wide sleeves and short jackets; Women wear silk blouses, long skirts, velvet vests.
A misleading or overlooked custom
(1) Strong sense of time. Make it a habit to be on time for appointments. If you are more than ten minutes late, you must call. If you arrive early, usually take a short drive or walk around the neighborhood in order to keep the appointment.
(2) If you receive an invitation, reply if you can attend. If there is a change in the course of the appointment, to inform the host as soon as possible, so that they can make other arrangements. It is extremely impolite not to show up or forget to show up.
(3) Don't schedule dates during your vacation in July and August.
(4) Do not want to show off their wealth, but also ashamed to reveal their embarrassment, think that showing off wealth is impolite, so generally avoid talking about money.
(5) Good topics to talk about are: sports, perceptions of Switzerland, tourism. Topics about weight loss and dieting (especially at mealtimes) and questions about one's age, career, family or private life should be avoided.
(6) Love to clean, not only the personal living room is clean and tidy, but also pay great attention to maintaining the health of public places, whether urban or rural, there is very little litter phenomenon.
(7) Do not want to see clothes in public places (apartments, balconies, restaurants, etc.), think that doing so is not elegant.
(8) Attach importance to environmental protection. Household garbage must be sorted into bags and placed in designated places on designated days; Waste bottles must be put into recycling appliances on the street, but also according to white, brown, mixed three colors from each designated opening.
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Switzerland has a five-day work week, with Saturday and Sunday being closed. All Swiss cantons are responsible for declaring public holidays. According to Swiss federal law, August 1 is a National Day every year, and all parts of Switzerland are closed as a Sunday. National public holidays are: New Year (1 January); Bertot Day (2 January); Good Friday; The Monday after Easter; Ascension Day *; Halloween * (November 1); The Feast of the Immaculate Spirit *; Christmas Day (December 25); Boxing Day (December 26) (Note: * Only applicable to states or territories with large Catholic populations).
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Swiss
Bandari
The orchestra is a very popular lyrical group in the region, since the release of the first album in 1990, that is to create a sensation in the local, its unconventional arrangement, simplified instrument configuration, so that each piece of music presents a fresh natural atmosphere.
Bandari Music is a division of Audio Video Communications AG, a Swiss music company
New age music
Group. His works are characterized by
Ambient music
Mainly, there are also some adaptations of European and American country music, and a considerable number of re-performances of famous songs.
An Alpine trombone
An Alpine trombone
It was originally a tool for Alpine herdsmen to summon their herds and transmit information, and has a written history of more than 500 years. The wooden horn, which is 3 to 4 meters long and weighs 4 kilograms, has become a representative of Swiss mountain culture.
Yearly in Switzerland
Valais
The town of Nanda hosts an international Alpine trombone festival and competition. The town of Nanda in the Canton of Valais is located in southwest Switzerland, in the heart of the Alps, and the annual music festival is an important local cultural event, which has also made the town famous abroad. At the festival, most of the contestants wear traditional clothes
National costume
Some soloists, some ensembles, and some families played together, playing the music with the unique sound of the Alpine trombone.
Swiss army knife
The Swiss Army knife looks like a fruit knife from the appearance, but its perfect design, exquisite processing, and dozens of functions, people love it, and its reputation is spread around the world. Most Swiss believe that the Swiss Army knife is a more appropriate symbol of Switzerland. The Swiss Army knife contains a ballpoint pen, toothpick, scissors, flat knife, can opener, screw driver, tweezers and other tools. Convenient and light.
Swiss watch
Swiss watches account for 40% of the world's total production, and seven out of every 10 worldwide exports come from Switzerland. Famous watch brands are
Swatch
,
Rolex
,
Tissot
,
longines
,
Patek Philippe
,
Vacheron Constantin
,
Audeppi
,
Breguet
,
Count
,
Parmigiani
,
Blancpain
,
Frank Muller
,
Jaeger-Lecoultre
Let's wait.
cheese
Swiss cheese is divided into three types, namely Emontal cheese, Gruyere cheese, Appenzell cheese and monk's head cheese, the annual production of about 130,000 tons. Although the production of cheese does not contribute significantly to the country's economic development, because it is made in a traditional way, Swiss cheese is known worldwide for its high quality and special flavor.
Switzerland
It has a militia system with an active military strength of 140,000 and two branches, the army and the Air Force. Military service is mandatory for all able-bodied male citizens between the ages of 20 and 34, with a total of 280 days of military training during a service member's lifetime. During and after service, the weapons and equipment of individual soldiers shall be kept by the individual. In 1995, Switzerland enacted the first Civil Service Act, which allows citizens to freely choose between military and civilian service since 1997. The Federation Council has supreme command and directs the armed forces through the Ministry of Defense. The overall guiding ideology of operations is defensive warfare. Defense spending in 2022 is about CHF 5.87 billion, or about 0.76% of total fiscal spending.
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In 2023, Switzerland has a total length of 84,868 km, of which 1,544 km are motorways. In 2020, there are about 6.6 million motor vehicles in the country, of which about 4.7 million are automobiles.
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Switzerland has the densest motorway network in the world and currently the longest road tunnel in the world - the Gotthard Tunnel, 17 km in length, connecting Germany and Italy, which is of vital importance to Europe.
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The total railway length of 5,317 km (2020), all electrified, the density of the world's highest, a total of 1,672 railway stations in the country.
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The Swiss rail network has the highest capacity in Europe and its trains are very punctual. The Swiss take the train frequently, known as the "railway champion", the average person takes the train more than 70 times a year. Switzerland's small size and mountainous terrain mean there is not much demand for high-speed rail, with the exception of the 200 km/h train on the Mattstetten-Rothrist (between Bern and Olten), a short route.
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There are 14 civil airports in Switzerland, including 3 international airports and 11 regional airports. The three major international airports are Zurich Airport, Geneva Airport and Basel Airport (located in France). Zurich Airport is one of the most important hubs in Europe, and Geneva International Airport and Basel Euroairport also have a large number of flights connecting major European business centers with tourist destinations, as well as many direct routes to foreign destinations. Both Geneva Airport and Basel Airport are located in the border area, just a stone's walk from neighbouring countries, which makes it extremely convenient for neighbouring countries to conduct international trade with the rest of the EU via Switzerland.
In 2019, 1.39 million flights took off and landed in Switzerland. Due to the impact of the epidemic, the number of passengers transported by air will drop by 72% to only 16.5 million in 2020. The volume of cargo transported fell by 40% to 275,000 tons, of which 13,600 tons were posted.
In March 2005, Swissair was acquired by Lufthansa and renamed Swiss International Air Lines. In terms of passenger transport, it currently has more than 100 routes to 45 countries, with 91 aircraft. It also has more than 130 cargo routes connecting more than 80 countries. Due to the impact of COVID-19, Swiss Air announced in its quarterly results published in April 2021 that it would reduce its fleet by 15% of aircraft.
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Shipping not only plays an important role in Switzerland's tourism industry, it is also an important part of international trade. Switzerland is a landlocked country,
Waterway route length of 514 km (2020). In 2022, there will be 98,000 private vessels in China. The main inland port is Basel.
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The Rhine, which originates in Switzerland, is one of the busiest waterways in the world. Basel Inland Port is an important import and export hub for Switzerland, through which goods are transported to other European countries such as Germany and France.
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There are about 200 kilometers of oil pipelines and about 2300 kilometers of natural gas pipelines.
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Switzerland has a large number of universities, colleges and technical schools, and its education and research are among the best in the world. Education is highly valued in Switzerland and the Swiss education system is divided into four stages: pre-school, primary, secondary, higher education and adult education.
Educational undertakings are administered by the states, which raise their own funds and compile their own textbooks. The nine-year compulsory education system is practiced nationwide, with more than 10,000 schools of various types. There are more than 30 institutions of higher learning, of which ETH Zurich and ETH Lausanne are directly under the Federation. About 988,000 students will be enrolled in compulsory education in 2021/2022. The number of students in institutions of higher learning in 2022/2023 was 275,000.
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There is no federal Ministry of Education in Switzerland, and each Canton has its own Minister of Education, composed of the cantonal Education Council of Switzerland (EDK). Although states retain autonomy, EDK still plays an important role in discussing and coordinating education policy.
There are 11,000 schools of all kinds in Switzerland. There are 12 public universities, including two directly under the Swiss Confederation
Eth Zurich
(Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) and
Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
10 state universities. In addition, there are 8 colleges of applied sciences and 20 teaching universities, which make up the Swiss public higher education system.
[5]
Switzerland has one of the most developed public health care systems in the world, with highly qualified medical experts and clinics and medical institutions employing the most advanced medical technology. A well-developed hospital system provides health care for everyone. The Swiss public health system is mainly divided into two parts: one is the federal and state health departments, and the other is the various medical institutions. Health insurance is required by law for all Swiss residents. Medical insurance covers medical and living expenses in the event of sickness, childbirth and accidents, and is divided into two parts: basic and additional insurance. As far as the share is concerned, part of the medical expenses are borne by the insured individual.
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Switzerland is located in the center of Europe, located in Germany, France, Italy and other major countries between the country's talent, capital and advanced technology,
In 2019, R&D investment accounted for 3.15% of gross domestic product (GDP) and R&D expenditure reached 22.9 billion Swiss francs, most of which was funded by private enterprises (68%). Internationally, Switzerland is one of the countries that invests the highest proportion of its GDP in research and development.
In accordance with the Law on the Promotion of Research and Innovation, the Federation funds research and innovation through the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and Innosuisse, the Swiss Agency for the Promotion of Innovation. Switzerland has the world's unique research and development advantages and a number of patents in the fields of vitamins, pesticides, textile printing and dyeing, food, antiviral vaccines and drugs, watches, precision instruments and so on. According to the European Patent Office's (EPO) ranking of patent applications in 2020, Switzerland ranks first with 965.9 patents filed per million inhabitants. The total number of patent applications registered in Switzerland was 8,112, down 1.9% from the previous year; ABB filed 678 patent applications in 2020, more than any other Swiss company.
According to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2020 published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Switzerland has ranked first for the tenth consecutive year. Among them, innovation indicators such as innovation output sub-index and knowledge and technology output rank first, while indicators such as institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market maturity, business maturity and creative output are world leaders.
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In 2020, Switzerland's total electricity consumption was 59.9 billion KWH, and if transmission and distribution losses are deducted, its domestic consumption was 55.7 billion KWH, down 2.6% year-on-year. Domestic electricity production totaled 65.5 billion KWH. Of this, 58.1% came from hydropower plants, 32.9% from nuclear power plants, and 9% from conventional thermal power plants and renewable energy sources. In 2020, Switzerland imported 27 billion KWH of electricity and exported 32.6 billion KWH, with an export surplus of 5.6 billion KWH (compared to 6.3 billion KWH in 2019).
Under the new energy law, which came into force in January 2018, Switzerland will ban the construction of new nuclear power plants, and existing nuclear power plants will not be in operation for more than 60 years, until they are completely out of operation by the 2030s. On December 20, 2019, one of Switzerland's first nuclear power plants, the Muhleberg nuclear power plant in Aargau, officially ceased operations. After the withdrawal of nuclear power, the power supply gap will be filled through hydropower, renewable energy, combined heat and power, natural gas hybrid generation and imports. To this end, Switzerland will expand large, new small and medium-sized hydropower stations, hydropower stations will occupy a major position in the Swiss power infrastructure.
Switzerland uses 41 cross-border grids to connect and trade electricity with neighbouring countries such as Germany, France, Italy and Austria. Switzerland is speeding up negotiations on the electricity agreement with the EU on the basis of expanding the opening of the electricity market in order to integrate into the EU electricity market.
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There is no special agency for the news media in Switzerland, which is managed by a private company, and the main agency is the semi-official news agency, the Swiss Radio and Television Public Service Group (SRG).
【 Newspaper and Media 】
There is one news agency: the Swiss Press Agency. There are about 80 newspapers in the country, the most influential of which are the German-language papers Neue Zurcher Zeitung, Dagbladet and Gazeta. Founded in 1883, RingierAG is Switzerland's largest integrated media group, headquartered in Zurich, with more than 7,000 employees worldwide.
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[Radio and Television media] Each speaking region in Switzerland has its own language radio and television. The Swiss Public Radio and Television Corporation (SRG), based in Bern, has been operating since 1997 with a federal broadcasting concession to produce and transmit radio and television programmes in the four official languages. Swiss Radio International produces programmes in the official languages as well as in English, Spanish and Arabic and transmits them abroad via shortwave radio and satellite.
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In 2018, there were 43 telecom service providers in Switzerland. Swisscom is the largest telecommunications provider, with Sunrise and Salt as the other major telecommunications providers, accounting for 96.5% of the Swiss telecommunications market. In 2019, there were 4.03 million broadband users in Switzerland, 2.03 million broadband DSL ports, 850,000 fiber optic ports, 1.14 million cable TV ports, and 10.83 million mobile phone users. In February 2019, the federal government issued licenses for the use of 5G mobile radio frequencies to three Swiss telecom operators (Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt).
The construction of 5G network infrastructure is facing strong resistance in Switzerland, where the public believes that there is not enough research on the health risks posed by 5G technology. As a result, 5G construction is progressing slowly. According to the Swiss Federal Communications Authority (Bakom), there are about 4,800 5G base stations across Switzerland as of February 2021. Switzerland's two major telecom operators, Sunrise and Swisscom, claim that their 5G services can already cover 90% of the Swiss population. However, in fact, the current 5G service provided by Swiss telecom operators for the Swiss people can only be called Light Version 5G (light-version), the difference between it and 4G can not be observed, and it is far from achieving high-speed information transmission.
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There are no anti-government armed groups in Switzerland. In 1997, Switzerland introduced the Firearms Act, which imposes strict restrictions on the purchase, possession, transfer and operation of firearms and ammunition. In May 2019, the Swiss national referendum passed an amendment to the gun control law, which made the purchase of semi-automatic weapons mandatory, but assault rifles can still be purchased directly after completing military service. The new law guarantees continued cooperation with the Schengen countries and the Dublin Allies.
The public security situation in Switzerland is generally good and the society is stable. Some 95,000 adults were convicted in Switzerland in 2020, a drop of 11% compared to 2019. Since 2012, when the number of burglaries in Switzerland hit a record of 73,700, the number has been on a downward trend and has since fallen by more than half. In 2020, police recorded 32,819 thefts, down 9.9% from the previous year. For the first time, the police reported 24,398 cases of digital crimes in 2020, including 16,395 cases of online fraud.
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Price of goods
Switzerland is one of the countries with the highest price level in Europe, due to the protection of agricultural products and the concentration of the retail industry, the price of food and living goods in Switzerland is about one-third higher than that of neighboring Germany and France.
Water price
In Bern, for example, industrial and domestic water prices are basically the same. The base charge is CHF 159 /50 m3. Thereafter, according to the amount of charges, 50-500 cubic meters of volume, the price is 2.6 CHF/cubic meter, 500-5000 cubic meters of volume, the price is 1.9 CHF/cubic meter, the unit price is decreasing step by step. (Source: ewb, Bern Water and Electricity Supply Company).
electrovalence
Swiss electricity prices include electricity supply, access fees and surcharges, the actual connection cost of the installed energy and usage-based prices. Electricity prices vary from state to state, with the lowest in Lucerne, where the average cost of electricity is 13.55 μg/h, while in Bern, Jura and Baseltown, the average cost of electricity is more than 24 μg/h.
In Bern, for example, in 2021, the electricity bill for standard power supply products for ordinary households (H4 electricity consumption level: annual household electricity consumption of about 4500 KWH for 5 rooms) will be 8.82 STG/h, the connection fee will be 12.25 STG/h, the surcharge will be 1.50 STG/h, and the average price will be 24.62 STG/h. (Source: Elcom, Swiss Federal Electricity Commission).
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payroll
According to salary data compiled by the Salary Yearbook, compiled by the Zurich Office of Economics and Labour, Swiss diplomats are not only the most popular job, but also the highest paid, with an average monthly salary of CHF13,555; Second on the list are non-commissioned officers with a monthly salary of CHF8,192; Third is a primary school teacher with a monthly salary of CHF6,981. Among other occupations, a journalist with three years of experience in journalism earns 6,440 CHF a month, a nurse earns 6,189 CHF a month, a well-trained construction worker with more than four years of experience earns 5,553 CHF a month, a preschool teacher earns 4,977 CHF a month, a woodworker earns 4,435 CHF a month, and a librarian earns 4,000 CHF a month. Taxi drivers earn 3,200 Swiss francs a month. According to the Federal Statistics Office, the median monthly salary for full-time employees in Switzerland was CHF 6,538 in 2018, one of the highest in the world.
There is no national minimum wage in Switzerland, which can be set by collective agreement in the industry, and about 60% of employees are not covered by the minimum wage. In addition, the state, with the consent of the people of the state, may set a minimum wage. In 2012, the Swiss Confederation of Trade Unions (SGB) proposed the introduction of a nationwide minimum wage of CHF 22 / hour, setting the minimum wage at CHF 4,000 / month (42 hours), but this was rejected in a referendum on 18 May 2014. Currently, three Swiss cantons have a minimum wage. The cantons of Neuchatel and Jura set the minimum wage at CHF 20 per hour; The Canton of Geneva passed a referendum in September 2020 to set the minimum wage at CHF 23 per hour.
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Social security
The Swiss social insurance system is based on three pillars: the state, the employer and the individual social security scheme. The first pillar: Government-supported old-age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and long-term disability insurance or incapacity benefits (DI) meet the most basic needs of the insured or beneficiary. Both are compulsory and are funded through a combination of employer and employee contributions (based on a percentage of wages) and taxes. The second pillar, the Occupational Pension Scheme (BVG), complements Pillar 1 and enables retirees to maintain a consistent standard of living after retirement. All persons working in Switzerland must be covered by this insurance. Occupational pension insurance is paid by both the employer and the employee (based on a percentage of the salary). The third pillar: individual voluntary pension schemes for employees or self-employed persons, which cover additional individual needs, mainly in the form of bank and insured deposits.
Labour force
Switzerland has a highly qualified workforce, but the proportion of people in the workforce (aged 20 to 64) as a percentage of the total population has declined in recent years, while the proportion of older people has increased. The number of employed people in the fourth quarter of 2020 was 5.13 million, of which 2.78 million were men and 2.35 million were women. It is at full employment among European countries. Since March 2020, the unemployment rate in Switzerland has increased compared to previous years due to the impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic. In April 2021, there were 151,279 registered unemployed people in Switzerland, 2,134 fewer than in the same period in 2020, with an unemployment rate of 3.3%. Switzerland's employment rate and female employment rate are among the highest in Europe, and the proportion of "part-time" workers in the Swiss job market is higher than in most European countries.
In 2020, the Swiss labor force will be 3.49 million and the foreign labor force will be 1.64 million, with foreign labor accounting for nearly 32% of the total Swiss labor force, 78.6% of foreign labor from the EU and EFTA member states, among which the EU workers mainly come from Germany (25%), Italy (21%) and Portugal (21%).
[5]
Land and house prices
Since the outbreak of the world economic and financial crisis in 2007, although Switzerland has successfully controlled the spread of the crisis and maintained economic growth, due to the long-term implementation of low interest rate policy, the cost of housing purchase has been reduced, and the real estate market has been unprecedentedly prosperous, and there was once a risk of overheating of the real estate market.
There are very few free land sales in Switzerland, such as the purchase of a detached property, including land ownership, but if the purchase of a multi-family apartment on the first floor, the rules on land ownership are different. Due to the many restrictions on the preservation of cultural relics in the old towns of various cities, it is very difficult to buy property in the old towns. Around Zurich, prices for a detached property range from CHF 1 million to CHF 3.5 million, with Bern slightly cheaper, ranging from CHF 750,000 to CHF 2 million.
Switzerland has strict controls on the purchase of residential property by foreigners, and citizens who are not members of the EU or EFTA can only buy a home for their own use if they have obtained residence status (Category B), and there are no restrictions on obtaining long-term residence (category C). In order to protect the natural environment and prevent overdevelopment, Switzerland introduced a law on second homes, restricting the construction of holiday villas in the mountains, which came into force in 2016.
Construction cost
Downtown housing cost: The construction cost of a house needs to consider many factors, such as the city, location, traffic location, land price, geology and the final decoration quality and results of the house. Without taking into account the land price, the cost of a house in the center of a large Swiss city is 4000-8000 CHF/m2.
Main building materials price: Cement 7.5 CHF/bag (25 kg pack); Transport Oil 95 gasoline 1.667 CHF/L (April 2021 price, which has fluctuated between CHF 1.70-1.33 / l in the last three years); Heating oil approx. CHF 0.82 / l (April 2021 average price, decreasing price depending on the quantity purchased at one time).
[5]
Switzerland is a permanently neutral country and has pursued a policy of neutrality since 1815. Since joining the United Nations in September 2002, Switzerland's foreign policy has given more prominence to human rights and humanism, vigorously carried out mediation diplomacy, and sought to play a unique role in international affairs and expand its international influence. Switzerland's foreign policy for 2020-2024 focuses on maintaining peace and security, promoting national prosperity, promoting sustainable development and consolidating digital governance. Switzerland was elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2023/2024 in June 2022.
[20]
In 2002, Switzerland joined the United Nations, and since then, Switzerland has had to implement
The United Nations
Sanctions decisions. Switzerland is currently running for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Critics say Switzerland's candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council puts its image as a neutral country at risk.
In March 2021, Pascale Baeriswyl, head of the Swiss mission to the United Nations in New York, spoke on the issue of "neutrality", saying that Switzerland cannot always shy away from speaking out when it comes to difficult foreign policy issues, "Switzerland is not neutral when it comes to violations of international law."
[7]
On February 28, 2022 local time, Switzerland announced that it will participate in the European Union
Russia
A package of sanctions freezes the assets of Russian individuals and institutions in Switzerland, a move that breaks with its long tradition of political neutrality. Switzerland has come under increasing pressure from its European Allies to take action against Russia, even though doing so violates the country's long-standing and politically almost sacrosanct commitment to international neutrality. The Swiss Information Network article pointed out that many previously neutral European countries such as
Belgium
,
Luxembourg
,
Denmark
or
Norse
Both are members of the NATO military defense alliance. Under traditional central legislation, this would actually be a violation. Switzerland is also gradually moving away from its traditional neutrality principles and joining the national community.
[7]
On January 3, 2023, Switzerland officially became a member of the Security Council for a two-year term from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024.
[9-10]
Relations with China
Switzerland recognized the People's Republic of China on January 17, 1950, and China and Switzerland formally established diplomatic relations on September 14, 1950. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than 70 years ago, bilateral relations have grown steadily on the whole. In recent years, China and Switzerland have enjoyed frequent high-level exchanges.
In December 1974, China and Switzerland signed the Sino-Swiss Trade Agreement and established the Sino-Swiss Trade Mixed Committee. In 1979, the Swiss government granted China GSP treatment. In July 2013, the two countries signed the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement, which is the first bilateral free trade agreement between China and a country in continental Europe and the world's top 20 economies. On July 1, 2014, the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement came into effect.
[13]
In January 2024, China will grant Switzerland unilateral visa-free treatment, and Switzerland will also provide more visa facilities for Chinese citizens and Chinese enterprises investing in Switzerland
Benefit.
[19]
Starting from March 14, 2024, in order to further promote personnel exchanges between China and foreign countries, China has decided to expand the scope of visa-free countries and implement a trial visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from Switzerland.
[22-23]
Bilateral trade: Switzerland is China's sixth largest trading partner in Europe, and China is Switzerland's largest trading partner in Asia. In 2022, China-Switzerland trade volume reached 57.33 billion US dollars (+ 30.0%), of which 7.62 billion US dollars (+ 22.2%) was exported to Switzerland and 49.71 billion US dollars (+ 31.2%) was imported from Switzerland. From January to November 2023, the trade volume between China and Switzerland was 53.44 billion US dollars, up 6.3% year on year. China's imports are mainly mechanical and electrical products, chemical and pharmaceutical products, optical instruments, medical equipment and clocks; Exports include textiles, mechanical and electrical products, chemical raw materials, toys, sports equipment and leather products.
[21]
Investment and technical cooperation: Switzerland began to invest in China in 1982, and the Sino-Swiss joint venture Schindler Elevator Co., Ltd. was the first Sino-foreign industrial joint venture approved by China. By November 2023, China had approved 2,378 Swiss investment projects in China, with the Swiss side actually investing US $10.39 billion. Switzerland is an important source of technology introduction for China in Europe. As of November 2023, China has imported technology from Switzerland with a cumulative value of 14.4 billion US dollars and 2,654 projects.
Financial cooperation: At present, Swiss banks such as Swiss Bank Limited, Swiss Cantstadt Bank Zurich, European Financial Banking Group Switzerland Limited, HSBC Private Bank (Switzerland) Limited, Swiss Bank Winfield Bank Limited, and Swiss insurance companies such as Fontai Insurance Company, Zurich Insurance Company and Swiss Re company have many representative offices or business branches in China. In May 2013, the two countries signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Financial Dialogue between the People's Bank of China and the Swiss Federal Ministry of Finance, announcing the establishment of a China-Switzerland financial dialogue mechanism. In July 2014, the People's Bank of China and the Swiss National Bank signed a bilateral currency swap agreement worth 150 billion yuan / 21 billion Swiss francs. In October, the Zurich branch of China Construction Bank obtained the business license issued by the Swiss side and was authorized by the People's Bank of China to act as a clearing bank for RMB business in Switzerland. In November, the People's Bank of China announced the launch of direct trading between the RMB and the Swiss franc in the interbank foreign exchange market, making the Swiss franc the seventh major currency to be traded directly with the RMB. In January 2016, CCB Zurich Branch was officially opened for business. In June 2018, ICBC Zurich branch opened. In November 2018, CCB Zurich Branch and Vontobel Bank of Switzerland jointly developed the "Belt and Road" financial product, which is the first financial product jointly developed by banks of China and Europe with the investment theme of "Belt and Road". During President Maurer's visit to China in April 2019, the two sides signed relevant cooperation documents with securities exchange institutions, insurance groups and fintech companies. In October 2021, the Bank of China opened its Geneva branch. In July 2022, the China-Switzerland Stock Market Connect depositary Receipt service (GDR) was officially launched.
[21]
Culture: In recent years, cultural exchanges between China and Switzerland have been expanding, and cultural performance groups of the two countries, such as ballet companies, symphony orchestras and drama troupes, have conducted mutual visits and performances. The two sides also held exchange exhibitions on tourism, painting, film and art. In addition, exchanges between non-governmental friendly organizations and academic groups have become increasingly active. In 2019, "Meet China" and a large-scale cultural event celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China were successfully held in Switzerland.
Education: China has been sending students to Switzerland since 1978. By the end of 2020, there were about 3,922 Chinese students studying in Switzerland. A total of 12 Swiss universities and nine universities of applied science and technology have close exchanges and cooperation with China. In 2012, the two sides signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Higher Education and held four education policy dialogues in 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019 respectively. In 2017, the two sides signed the first vocational education and training agreement, and Switzerland opened the first Swiss school in Beijing. At present, China has one Confucius Institute in Geneva.
Science and technology: In February 1989, the governments of China and Switzerland signed the "Sino-Swiss Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement", which officially established the scientific and technological cooperation relations between the two governments. In the field of non-governmental science and technology cooperation and exchanges, the relevant counterpart departments of the two countries have signed a series of cooperation agreements and carried out various cooperation activities. In October 2019, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the Federal Ministry of Economy, Education and Scientific Research of Switzerland signed two joint Statements on Strengthening Cooperation in Science and Technology Innovation. In July 2020, the Ministry of Science and Technology supported and promoted the China Science and Technology Exchange Center and the Swiss startup incubator to jointly hold the first China-Switzerland "Cloud Docking" event for precision cooperation in science and technology innovation. In June 2021, China and Switzerland held the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding on Innovation and Entrepreneurship Cooperation between the Torch High-tech Industry Development Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Coordinating Agency of the Swiss Federal Innovation Park by video.
Tourism: In May 1998, China National Tourism Administration set up a tourism office in Zurich, Switzerland. In March 1999, the Swiss National Tourism Office was established in Beijing, followed by two offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong. In June 2004, China and Switzerland signed a tourism destination agreement. In 2017, the two sides jointly held the "China-Switzerland Year of Tourism". According to Swiss statistics, the number of tourists from the Chinese mainland to Switzerland reached 1.01 million in 2019, down 1.7 percent year on year. According to statistics from the Data center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 70,500 Swiss tourists visited China in 2019, down 4.68% year-on-year. In January 2023, Switzerland became the first pilot country for domestic travel agencies to operate outbound group Tours for Chinese citizens.
Provincial and state exchanges: The two sides have established 20 pairs of sister provincial and state (city) relations, which are: Kunming and Zurich, Changsha and Fribourg, Beihai and Lugano, Shanghai and Basel, Huangshan and Interlaken, Gansu and Solothurn, Jiangsu and Lucerne, Shangri-La and Arosa, Hangzhou and Lugano, Shandong and Argau, Chongqing and Zurich, Guangdong and Zurich, Ordos and Clay En-montana City, Guizhou Province and Upper Walden Prefecture, Shenzhen City and Bern Prefecture, Heilongjiang Province and Solothurn Prefecture, Jiangsu Province and Vaud Prefecture, Lijiang City and Zermatt City, Hunan Province and Schaffhausen Prefecture, South Tongzhou District and Sinenveld City. In addition, China's Lijiang Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Matterhorn, Huangshan and Jungfrau, Mount Emei and Regis have become sister peaks.
[21]
Relations with the European Union
Switzerland regards the European Union as its most important political and economic partner, and although Switzerland is not a member of the EU, the relationship is very close, with a number of bilateral agreements. Since Switzerland joined the free movement of persons agreement of the European Union, a large number of people from the European Union, especially from southern European countries, have poured into Switzerland, and the number of foreign people in Switzerland has increased rapidly, which has caused the resistance of the Swiss people. On February 9, 2014, the Swiss referendum approved the "anti-EU mass immigration Initiative", casting a shadow over EU-EU relations.
Relations with Belarus
On April 8th, 2022,
Belarus
The government adopted a resolution approving a list of countries that have taken unfriendly actions against Minsk. That includes Switzerland.
[3]
Scenery of Switzerland
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Heheimat Square
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Verbier ski Resort in Switzerland
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St. Gallen Cathedral
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Spitz Scenic Area
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As of 2008, there are 7 World Heritage sites in Switzerland, as follows:
|
Serial number
|
name
|
type
|
location
|
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1
|
World cultural heritage
|
||
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2
|
World cultural heritage
|
||
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3
|
Jungfrau
Aletch Peak, Beech Peak
|
World natural Heritage
|
Canton of Bern,
Valais
|
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4
|
World cultural heritage
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||
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5
|
World cultural heritage
|
||
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6
|
World natural Heritage
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Canton of Ticino
|
|
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7
|
World cultural heritage
|
