Tag Archives: Study in Switzerland

Switzerland is a country in Central Europe, Bern is officially not the capital, but the »federal city«. Switzerland is one of the smaller European countries. Large parts of the country are characterized by mountains. On the north side of the Alps there is a Central European climate, on the south side it is influenced by the Mediterranean Sea. According to COUNTRYAAH, Switzerland is a nation in Western Europe, the capital city of which is Bern. The latest population of Switzerland is 8,654,633. MYSTERYAROUND: Lists and descriptions of main religions and beliefs in Switzerland, including religion demographics and statistics on Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc.

German, French, Italian and Romansh are the official languages. In German-speaking Switzerland, the difference between the written standard German and the spoken Swiss-German dialects is striking. A quarter of the population are foreigners, most of them come from EU countries. The immigration quota, which has been high for 50 years, is being discussed and restrictions should regulate them. 85% of the population lives in cities.

Switzerland has a long republican and democratic history. Since the Middle Ages, the Swiss have gradually succeeded in gaining their national independence. There has been no participation in interstate wars since the first half of the 19th century.

In contrast to other countries, there is no head of state, but a government with seven members with equal rights, who each also take on the primarily representative office of Federal President for one year. In referendums, those entitled to vote at the federal, cantonal and municipal level can have a say in many issues.

Switzerland is an important financial center. Their currency, the Swiss franc, is one of the most important in the world. More than three quarters of employees work in the service sector. However, Switzerland is also an industrialized country. It has a strong chemical and pharmaceutical industry (Roche, Novartis) and a traditional watch production (well-known brands such as Swatch, Rolex, Tissot, Omega) as well as a successful machine and rail vehicle construction.

Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, but has been a member of the UN since 2002. Other international organizations are also based here.
Economy
Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world. High incomes, low taxes and social security make them attractive to many workers from abroad. The international economic crises of the last few decades had less of an impact. Since the 19th century, industrialization and success in the financial sector have brought prosperity to the farming country without any significant mineral resources.

Agriculture accounts for a good 3% of employment and generates less than 1% of national value added (GDP). However, it still partly shapes the image of Switzerland today. In the manufacturing industry, 21% of the workforce generate 25% of GDP. More than three quarters of all employees work in the service sector. Since the discovery of the Alps as a travel destination at the end of the 18th century, tourism has also become an important economic factor. In terms of exports, chemical-pharmaceutical products (Roche, Novartis) come first, followed by watches (Omega, Rolex, Swatch) and machines. The world’s largest food company, Nestlé, is headquartered in Switzerland. By far the largest trading partner is Germany, ahead of the USA, Italy and France.

Switzerland has a dense road and rail network as well as well-developed and reliable public transport. The largest airport and an important European hub is Zurich. Thanks to its location in the Alps, Switzerland can cover more than half of its electricity needs with hydropower. In the long term, nuclear energy will be phased out.