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Geography, demographics, economy, history, and government
- National Capital City: Bern
- Form of government: Federal republic; President and
bicameral federal assembly consisting of the Council of States
and and the National Council
- Population: 7,318,638 (2003 est.) (60% urban)
- Total area: 39,770 sq. km.
- Languages: German (64%), French (19%), Italian (8%)
- Religions: Roman Catholic (46%), Protestant (40%)
- Per capita GDP: $32,000 (2002 est.)
- Exports: $100.3bn (2002 est.); machinery, chemicals, metals, watches
and precision instruments, agricultural products
- Literacy: 99%
- Life expectancy: 80.0 years (83.0f, 77.1m)
Sources
- CIA World Factbook
| country data - Switzerland
- E-Conflict World Encyclopedia - Switzerland - national anthem, flag, map, people, economy, geography, government, defence,
news and weather
- Nation by Nation | country data - Switzerland - facts, government, geography, history, human rights, people
- World Skip | country data - Switzerland
- Comprehensive Risk Analysis and Management Network (CRN) Country Profile - pertinent information on how Switzerland
officially perceives its security risks and vulnerabilities
- Pictures of Switzerland
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(Click on map to go to surrounding locations)
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Portals, indexes, guides, searchers, phone directories
- AltaVista Schweiz
- Google Schweiz
- Infonautics Directory of Switzerland
- index of Swiss business, companies, hotels and tourism
- Lycos Switzerland
- Search.ch - Swiss search engine
- Sharelook Schweiz
- Yoodle - search index
of Switzerland
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Executive, legislature, judiciary, ministries, departments, agencies, and commissions
- Governments on the WWW - Switzerland - comprehensive database of governmental institutions - parliaments, ministries,
offices, law courts, embassies, etc
- Federal Authorities of the
Swiss Confederation
- www.ch.ch - guide to
Swiss administrative services at the federal level and in the
cantons and communes
- Legislature
- Swiss Parliament
(Schweizer Parlament) - the Federal Assembly
- Ministries & Departments
- Department of Environment,
Transport Energy and Communication (UVEK) (Departement für
Umwelt, Verkehr, Energie und Kommunikation)
- Department of Foreign
Affairs (Departement für auswärtige Angelegenheiten)
- Department of Justice
and Police (Eidgenössisches Justiz- und Polizeidepartement)
- Judiciary
- Federal Supreme Court
(Eidgenössische Gerichte)
- Agencies & Bureaus
- Federal Office
of Energy (FOE) - office responsible for all questions relating
to energy supplies and energy utilisation within the Federal
Department of the Environment, Transport Energy and Communication
(UVEK)
- Federal Office of Topography
(SwissTopo) (Bundesamt für Landestopografie)
- Federal Veterinary Office (BSE/ESB)
(Bundesamt für Veterinärwesen)
- State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
- Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe)
- Swiss Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (HSK)
(Hauptabteilung fur die Sicherheit der Keranlagen)
- Swiss Post Office (La
Poste Suisse)
- MeteoSwiss - national
weather service
- Inter-Government
- Integration Office
Switzerland-Europe (DFA/DEA) (Bern) - responsible for monitoring
the European integration process and analysing and assessing
its likely consequences for Switzerland, co-ordinating matters
concerning integration law and policy and negotiation of treaties
with the EU, negotiatiing EFTA-Third Country Agreements, and
providing iInformation on Switzerland's European policy and
European integration
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Human rights & civil liberties, humanitarian aid, political parties, activism, environment, and labour
- Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) (Geneva) - group of development agencies that focuses on health, education, culture,
rural development, institution-building and the promotion of economic development, primarily in Asia and Africa, without regard to
faith, origin or gender
- Association pour une Taxation des Transactions financières pour l'Aide aux Citoyens (ATTAC Suisse) (Association for the
Taxation of Financial Transactions for the Aid of Citizens)
- Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (Geneva) - international organisation working for the promotion of humanitarian dialogue among
the principal humanitarian actors, stakeholders and aid recipients to enhance understanding of acute and future humanitarian
problems
- Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (Geneva) - committed to economic, social and cultural rights, with particular emphasis
on housing rights for traditionally disadvantaged groups
- Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development (CGECCD) (Geneva) - consortium of agencies, donors, NGOs
and foundations that links with regional-based individuals and organisations involved in programming, research, policy-advocacy,
monitoring and evaluation for young children (up to 8 years) at risk in "South", "developing" or "third world" countries
- Medicus Mundi Schweiz
(Basel) - Swiss network of organizations for international cooperation
in health care
- Paul Grueninger
Foundation (Paul Grüninger Stiftung) (St Gallen) - foundation
that supports human rights causes in memory of Paul Grueninger,
former chief of St Gallen's police who saved many refugees
during World War 2
- Environment
- BirdLife Switzerland
(SVS) (Schweizer Vogelschutz) (Zurich) - nature conservation
group
- Green Cross Switzerland
- facilitates overcoming consequential damages caused by industrial
and military disasters and the clean-up of contaminated sites
from the period of the Cold War
- Greenpeace Switzerland
- Swiss Bicycle Advocacy Association
- Swiss Society of Doctors for the Environment Italy (Ärztinnen und Ärzte für Umweltschutz Schweiz) (Basel) - independent,
non-governmental non-profit environmental organisation which works to defend the environment, both locally and globally, to
prevent numerous illnesses, to ensure the necessary conditions for health, and to improve the quality of life
- United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)
- World Wildlife Fund for Nature
(WWF) Switzerland (Weltweite Stiftung für die Natur)
- Peace & Conflict Resolution
- Service Civil International
(SCI) Switzerland (Schweizer Zweig) (Bern) - works for peace
and the rights of refugees
- Politics
- Green Party of Switzerland
(Grüne Partei der Schweiz)
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Education, health & public safety, religion, women, children & youth, and associations & societies
- Dongari Switzerland
- Swiss Association for Korean adoptees
- community Service Clubs
- Lions Clubs International
Switzerland
- Education
- Gender Campus Switzerland
- information concerning the topics of gender studies and gender
equality
- Swiss Education and Research
Network (SWITCH) (Zurich) - foundation whose mission is to
create, promote and offer the necessary basis for the effective
use of modern methods of telecomputing in teaching and research
in Switzerland, and to be involved in and to support such methods
- Franklin College (Sorengo)
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nonprofit, independent, post-secondary institution
- Geneva’s University hospitals
(HUG) (Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève)
- Glion Hotel School (Centre
International de Glion) - offers degrees in hospitality and
tourism management
- International Institute for Management Development (IMD) (Switzerland)
- IMD International (Lausanne)
- business school offering MBA programs
- The American School in Switzerland
(TASIS) (Lugarno) - international boarding school offering
programs for students aged 12-19
- Leysin American School in Switzerland
(LAS) (Leysin) - coeducational boarding school for
students in grades 9 to 12
- Education - Universities
- Federal Polytechic of Lausanne
(École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne)
- Swiss Federal Institute for
Technology Zurich (ETH Zürich) (Eidgenössische Technische
Hochschule Zürich)
- University of Basel
(Universität Basel)
- University of Bern (Université
de Berne)
- University of Frieburg
(Université de Fribourg)
- University of Geneva
(Université de Genève)
- University of Lausanne
(Université de Lausanne)
- University of Neuchatel
(Université de Neuchâtel)
- University of Italian Switzerland
(Université de la Suisse italienne)
- University of Zurich
(Universität Zürich)
- Health
- Geneva’s University hospitals
(HUG) (Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève)
- Swiss Cancer League
(Krebsliga Schweiz)
- Religions & Beliefs
- Bahai Switzerland (Schweizer
Bahá'i)
- International Buddhist Progress
Society of Switzerland (Heidegg-Strasse)
- Pilgermission St Chrischona
- independent Evangelist church belonging to the Federation
of Free Churches and Municipalities (VFG)
- Sahaja Yoga Switzerland
- Societies & Professional Associations
- Mensa
Switzerland - association founded with the aim of promoting
contacts between people with an IQ above 130
- Swiss Academy of Humanities
and Social Sciences (SAHS) (Schweizerische Akademie der
Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften) (Bern)
- Swiss Association for Standardization
(SNV) (Schweizerische Normen-Vereinigung)
- Swiss Homebuilt Aircraft
Association (EAS) - facilitates the construction of
amateur built aircraft in Switzerland by providing technical
and administrative support
- Swiss National Science Foundation
(SNSF) (Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen
Forschung)
- Swiss Federation of Business
and Professional Women (BPW) (Schweizerischer Verband der
Berufs- und Geschäftsfrauen) (Zürich)
- Towns & Cities
- City of Geneva (Ville
de Genève)
- Youth & Children
- Swiss Guide and Scout Movement
(SGSM) - organised in to 23 cantonal associations with about
700 scout groups
- ScoutNet.ch - connects
scouts across Switzerland and the globe
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Ethnicity, language, the arts, history & heritage, performance, costume, and literature
- Swiss National Library (Bern)
- Arts Council of Switzerland
(Pro Helvetia) - responsible for presenting Swiss culture abroad,
promoting cultural dialogue between the various linguistic regions
of the country and fostering supra-regional understanding
- fusions/xculture -
Swiss music and multimedia network and online guide to Swiss
culture
- Architecture
- Vitruvio.ch (Architecture
on the Web) - directory of links to architects and architectural
history
- Art
- ArtNet - gallery of
European contemporary artists, covering a broad range of styles,
media and techniques
- Swissart.net - Swiss
art portal listing artists, galleries, museums, organizations,
netart, editions, etc
- Festivals
- Lucerne Festival
- Art Basel - the world's leading art fair
- Locarno International Film Festival
- History & Heritage
- Flying Museum Altenrhein (Fliegermuseum Altenrhein)
- Historical Dictionary of Switzerland
(HDS) - academic reference work covering topics and
objects of Swiss history from prehistory up to the present,
in alphabetic order
- Museums in Switzerland
- directory of museums in Switzerland (in German, French and
Italian)
- Natural History Museum
of Bern (Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern)
- Swiss Federal Archives
(Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv) (Bern)
- Swiss Historical Society
(SGG) (Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Geschichte) (Bern)
- Music
- Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
- Orchestre Symphonique Genevois (Geneva
Symphony Orchestra)
- F.M.D. KOLO Neuhausen - Balkan and serbian folkdance and folklore group
- Thorgevsky & Wiener (Basel)
- The Official Swiss Charts
and Music Community
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Associations, competitions, leisure, and hobbies
- Athletics
- Swiss Athletics
Association (SLV) (Schweizerischer Leichtathletik-Verband)
- Badminton
- Badminton Switzerland
(Schweizer Badminton)
- Cycling
- Cycling in
Switzerland Foundation - touring, mountain biking, tips,
routes, maps, etc
- Dance Sport
- Swiss Dancesport
(Schweizer Tanzsport)
- Golf
- Swiss Golf Association (ASG)
(Association Suisse de Golf)
- Swiss Golf Network
- Motor Cycling
- Team Switzerland
- endurance motorcycling
- Mountaineering
- Swiss Mountain Associations - homepage for the Swiss Mountain Guides' Association, Swiss Association of the Mountaineering
Schools, Association of Swiss Hut Warders, and the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations
- Rugby
- Swiss Rugby Union (SRV)
(Schweizerischen Rugby Verband)
- Sailing
- Cruising Club of Switzerland
(CCS)
- Skiing
- Ski Switzerland
- Swimming
- Swimming in Switzerland (SSCHV)
Schweizerischer Schwimmverband (Burgdorf)
- Interessengemeinschaft
Stadtzürcher Schwimmsportler (IG Schwimmen) - organisation
for swimming and watersports in Zurich
- Swimming News
(Schwimmverein Limmat Zürich)
- Triathlon
- Swiss Triathlon Federation
(Schweizerischer Triathlon Verband)
- Ironman Switzerland Triathlon
- Züri-Triathlon
- Volleyball
- Schweizerischer Volleyball-Verband (Fédération Suisse de Volleyball) (Swiss Volleyball Federation)
- LEISURE & INTERESTS
- American Railroadfans
in Switzerland - Swiss enthusiasts of American railroads
- Association of Swiss
Square Dance Clubs and Callers (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Schweizer
Square Dance Clubs und Callers)
- Scotch Malt Whisky Society
(SMWS) - association of and for lovers of single malt
scotch whisky
- Swiss Goldprospectors
AssociatioN (SVG) (Schweizerische Goldwäschervereinigung)
- recreational prospecting for gold
- Tractions in Switzerland
- organisation for Swiss fans of the Citroën Traction Avant
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Guides & advice, accommodation, attractions, transport, agents, and organisers
- Guides
- All Travel Switzerland
- maps, accommodation, information, car rentals, vacations
- Switzerland Tourism
- national marketing and sales organization for Switzerland
- Switzerland.com
- information, travel and business (maintained by Switzerland
Tourism)
- Tourismus.ch
- Information about Switzerland
- LucerneGuide -
guided city walks and excursions to the most important monuments
of Lucerne
- Swissworld.org
- information on Switzerland, including its political system,
its literature, and its languages and dialects
- Micheloud &
Co (Lausanne) - financial and immigration services
- Accommodation
- Bed and Breakfast Switzerland
- over 350 B&Bs across the country
- Bed and Breakfast
in Switzerland
- Camping and Caravaning
in Switzerland
- Hotels of Switzerland
- HotelsSwitzerland.com
- Swiss Backpacker News
- lowcost travel guide for travel through Switzerland
- Swiss Youth Hostels
(SJH)
- Attractions
- Davos - the largest
mountain resort in Europe
- Wengen - holiday resort
at the foot of the Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau mountain range in the
heart of the Bernese Oberland
- Routes of St James
(Jakobswege) - route through Switzerland that starts by Lake
Constance, continues to Einsiedeln and Flüeli-Ranft and then
to the Bernese Alps, alongside the lakes Brienz and Thun,
on to Frieburg and finally via Romont- Lausanne to Geneva
- Transport - Airlines
- Air Engiadina - Swiss-based regional airline
- Balair Charter Leisure AG - Africa, and South and Central America
- Crossair Ltd (Basel) - regional European air transport
- Swissair - international carrier
- Transport - Rail
- Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)
(Schweizerische Bundesbahnen) - timetable, tickets, information
- Rail-Info Switzerland
- information for passengers and enthusiasts on the extensive
narrow gauge systems of Switzerland
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Statistics, government, economy, geography, demography, and society
- Statistik Schweiz (national statistics office)
- Alliance Global Sustainability - brings together research teams from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Tokyo, and Chalmers University of Technology to study large-scale,
multidisciplinary environmental problems that are faced by the world's ecosystems, economies, and societies
- Geneva’s University hospitals
(HUG) (Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève)
- International Institute for Management Development (IMD) (Switzerland)
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer
Research (LICR) (Zurich) - not-for-profit global research
organization of more than 850 scientists and support staff
who conduct basic and clinical research focusing on genetics,
tumor immunology, and cell biology and signaling
- Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)
(Baden) - publically funded organisation that undertakes research
in elementary particle physics, life sciences, solid-state physics,
material sciences, energy
- Swiss Biodiversity
Forum (Bern) - long term project of the Swiss Academy of
Sciences (SANW) that serves as a platform for biodiversity researchers
of all disciplines and an interface between science and practitioners,
federal institutions, policy and the public
- Swiss Federal Institute for
Environmental Science and Technology (EAWAG) (Eidgenössische
Anstalt für Wasserversorgung, Abwasserreinigung und Gewässerschutz)
- national research center for water pollution control whose
task is to ensure that concepts and technologies pertaining
to the use of natural waters are continuously improved, and
ecological, economical and social water interests are brought
into line
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
(SIB) (Basel) - academic not-for-profit foundation whose
mission is to promote research, the development of databanks
and computer technologies, teaching, and service activities
in the field of bioinformatics in Switzerland with international
collaborations
- Swiss Institute for Experimental
Cancer Research (ISREC) (Epalinges) - private, non-profit
foundation whose research programs are oriented towards
the molecular biology of morphogenesis
- SWITCH foundation - promotes modern methods of data transmission and administers an academic and research network to
serve education and research in Switzerland
- Science in Switzerland
- gateway to science and innovation in Switzerland published
by Science Com Ltd
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Newspapers & magazines, journals, television & radio, publishing, and entertainment
- Newspapers
from Switzerland
- Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ)
- Switzerland Today (EIN News Services)
- Tages Anzeiger
- Magazines
- Das Magazin
- FACTS magazine
- Radio & Television
- ISOC.TV
- SwissInfo - news and
information platform provided by Swiss Radio International
- Télévision Suisse Romande
- Journals
- Bioworld - news from
the biotechnology research and industries of Switzerland
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Resourcing, manufacturing, distribution, trade, and regulation of goods and services
- Yellow Pages
- Industry Associations
- Chambers of Commerce and
Industry of Switzerland (SIHK) (Schweizerischen Industrie-
und Handelskammern)
- OSEC Business Network Switzerland - official
trade promotion organization of Switzerland
- Presence Switzerland
(Präsenz Schweiz) - organization sponsored by the Swiss
government to promote Switzerland abroad
- Switzerland
Cheese Marketing AG - promotion of the Swiss cheese industry
- Swiss American Chamber of
Commerce (Zurich)
- Swiss Federal Institute of
Intellectual Property (Eidgenössisches Institut für Geistiges
Eigentum)
- Italian Chamber of Commerce for Switzerland (Camera di Commercio Italiana per la Svizzera)
- Watches of Switzerland
- directory of the watch industry in Switzerland
- Corporates
- Lindt Chocolatiers -
maker of fine Swiss chocolates
- Pilatus - manufacturer of high-performance
civil and military single-engine turboprop aircraft
- Science Com Ltd - communication
consultants and publishers of target group-specific publications
in the fields of higher education, science, technology and innovation
- Simtec Engineering - developer of aviation software
- Swisscom Group - Swiss
telecommunications provider
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Banking, investment, insurance, stockmarkets, and market regulation
- Holocaust Victim Assets Litigation
- official information website for a class action lawsuit against
private Swiss Banks and other Swiss Entities for their alleged
conduct related to World War II and the Holocaust
- Industry Associations
- Association of Foreign
Banks in Switzerland (Verband der Auslandsbanken in der
Schweiz) (Zürich) - association of banks and branches of foreign
banks, securities dealers, managers and agents of investment
funds, and observers
- Swiss Bankers Association
(SBVg) (Schweizerische Bankiervereinigung) (Basel) - professional
organisation of the Swiss financial centre whose main purpose
is to maintain and promote the best possible framework conditions
for the Swiss financial centre both at home and abroad
- Banks
- Swiss National
Bank (Schweizerische Nationalbank) - central bank
- Swiss Banking
Secrecy Rules - the obligations under Swiss law for
bankers to keep any and all information about their clients
strictly confidential
- Arab Bank Switzerland
- Credit Suisse Group
- United Bank of Switzerland
(UBS) - global financial
services firm offering wealth management, asset management and
investment banking services to individual, corporate and institutional
investors
- Stock Markets
- Swiss Exchange (SWX) (Zurich)
- securities exchange
- Financial Services
- ECOFIN Research and Consulting
(Zürich) - independent group active in banking and finance,
investment consulting and financial planning for private investors,
combining expertise in finance, computer science and actuarial
science with knowledge of institutional operations
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