SWITZERLAND

COUNTRY PROFILE


LOCATION:

Switzerland is located  in Western and Central Europe where it is bordered by Germany to the north, france to the west, Itaky to the south and Austria to the east. The capital of Switzerland is Bern.

POPULATION AND CURRENCY:

There are 7.9 million of people with 190 people  per square kilometre , the south half of the country is far more sparsely populated than the north half.

The oficial currency in switzerland is the swiss  franc  1 swiss franc is 2.100 colombian pesos.

€ EUR US $ GB £ AUS $ ¥ Yen 1 CHF =  0.80 1.11 0.69 1.03 85

LANDSCAPE AND WEATHER:

The Alps are a high mountain range running across the central-south of the country, comprising about 60% of the country's total area.About a hundred of switzerland´s mountains are higher than 4.000 meters.  Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes, and contains 6% of Europe's stock of fresh water. Lakes and glaciers cover about 6% of the national territory, switzerland. The weather in switzerland is températe but it change between the locaties.

ROSE MOUNT.

LAKE LUCERNE.

GOVERMENT:

Switzerland's government is a team consisting of seven members with equal rights. Each member of the government acts as head of a department of the federal administration, but all major government decisions are taken in weekly government conferences either by consensus or by majority voting of all seven members. The members of Switzerland's federal goverment are usually (re-)elected every four years in December after the parliamentary elections by both chambers of the federal parliament meeting together as the Federal Assembly. There is no legal limit to the total term of office, some federal councillors have been in office for over 20 years.  There are three main governing bodies on the federal level: the bicameral parliament (legislative), the Federal Council (executive) and the Federal Court(judicial). Switzerland does not have a full-time president; the representational functions of a president are taken over by one (or all) of the government members. Every year another member of the government team is elected federal president in turn so that every government member assumes this role once in seven years. The president is primus inter pares [first among equals] with very limited special powers: he/she sets the agenda of the weekly conferences and leads the discussion, addresses the population on 1st of January.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:

When the naturalists, poets and painters of the 18th century began to see the alps in a new light and curiosity replaced fear, tourism was born in Switzerland. The picturesque lakeside towns of Interlaken, Lucerne, Lausanne, Montreux and Vevey were the starting points for trips to the alpine scenery.

CITIES AND TOWNS:

• Lucerne: Chapel Bridge with Water Tower; (around 1300), most ancient preserved wooden bridge in Europe.

• Picasso museum :

• Geneva:  UNESCO / UNICEF headquarters.

• Bern:

• Zurich: Largest Swiss city; Grossmünster (Romanesque cathedral)

• Zermatt: Matterhorn, Switzerland's most famous mountain

FOOD:

The cuisine of Switzerland is multi-faceted. While some dishes such as fondue, raclette or rösti are omnipresent through the country, each region developed its own gastronomy according to the differences of climate and languages. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses such as Gruyère or Emmental, produced in the valleys of Gruyères and Emmental. The number of fine-dining establishments is high, particularly in western Switzerland.

Rösti or Raclette.

Gruyère or Emmental.

Chocolate had been made in Switzerland since the 18th century but it gained its reputation at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering which enabled its production on a high quality level. Also a breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest consumers of chocolate.

The most popular alcoholic drink in Switzerland is wine. Switzerland is notable for the variety of grapes grown because of the large variations in terroirs, with their specific mixes of soil, air, altitude and light. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though certain traces can be found of a more ancient origin. The most widespread varieties are the Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) and Pinot noir. The Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.

MUSIC:

Though Switzerland's rich tradition of folklore music is probably best known abroad, there is definitely more to say about music in Switzerland and "heard with the ears of the local population" pop and rock music do play a far more important rôle. But there are also significant Swiss contributions to European classical music.

Old swiss music:

• Notker Balbulus [the stammerer], a monk from the famous monastery of St. Gallen, composed a series of new hymns (also called "Sequences") around 860 - they became the most popular form of singing in the Middle Ages.
• Minnesingers (also called troubadours) like Johannes Hadlaub represent worldly medieval music.
• Ludwig Senfl (born Basel around 1486; died Munich 1542 or 1543), served at the courts of German emperor Maximilian and, from 1523, of Bavarian duke William IV. Senfl was the most prominent composer of polyphonic works in German language in the early 16th century. Apart from profane German songs he also composed motets and masses in Latin.
• Heinrich Loris (born Mollis, canton Glarus, June 1488, hence called Henricus Glareanus; died March 27/28, 1563, Freiburg im Breisgau, southern Germany). Swiss Humanist, poet, and music theorist, remembered for his treatise Dodecachordon (1547) on tuning modes

folklore music in Switzerland

The area of traditional or folklore music in Switzerland encomprises alpine herdsmen's and rural traditions (alphorn, yodeling, alpsegen, ländlermusik [rural dance music]) as well as music based on military traditions (brass bands). There are some regional preferences as well as a couple of instruments used only in particular regions.

Like their colleagues in U.S. style country & western music, Swiss bands playing folklore music have also adopted popular new instruments and elements of style from mainstream pop and rock music, namely synthesizers allowing one-man-bands to play several instruments at a time and/or new rhythm patterns. Nevertheless, bands and followers of folklore music can be distinguished from those playing/listening to "globalized" pop and rock music.

Best Singer :

• Peter sue:

• Quentin Mosimman:

SPORTS:

SUMMERS SPORTS

Hiking:

Switzerland maintains a large network of hiking paths with small yellow signposts and markings. There are three categories:

• easy-to-go (flat regions) - no special equipment needed (but not suitable with high-heels)
  pure yellow signposts and markings
• alpine/mountain trails - use special hiking shoes covering your ankles to prevent luxation in case your foot bends on bumpy sections of a trail.
  yellow signposts with white-red-white marking, white-red-white markings on rocks etc.
• climbing routes - for experienced climbers only (or with a professional guide)
  blue signs/markings

Most alpine resorts do offer some easy-to-go routes near the village or starting from the top station of a gondola. The majority of hiking trails in the alps will be of the alpine trail category, however. To suggest any particular destination here would be quite unfair to the others as they all invest heavily in maintenance of trails and markings.

Climbing:

Climbing is a strong experience - but also a sport with a death toll of about two dozen people every year in Switzerland. Therefore instructions by a qualified guide are an absolute must for beginners. Of course you also need proper equipment (may be rented or is supplied by the guide). For beginners, there are hundreds of indoor and outdoor training facilities all over the country.

Some resorts offer fixed-rope-routes for climbers where you may concentrate on climbing instead of finding the right place to set a clamp. Among these are: Aletsch (Wallis), Andermatt (Uri), Baltschieder (Wallis), Braunwald (Glarus), Engelberg (Obwalden, 3 routes), Evolène (Valais), Grindelwald/Wengen (Bernese Oberland), Kandersteg (Bernese Oberland), Les Diablerets (Vaud), Leukerbad (Wallis). 

Biking and Inline Skating:

There are 9 national bike routes and some 100 regional routes for bikers with quite good markings (small dark red signs). Dedicated maps are available at local tourist offices and bookstores. While some routes crossing the alps offer a real challenge to your fitness, there are some regions very suitable even for families with school children. Best suited in the easy-to-go category both for biking and inline skating is the Seeland region around Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Biel and Lake Murtenwith Murten, Kerzers, Ins or any small village in the region as a starting point.

Mountain Biking (MTB):

Those seeking a challenge may go for mountain bike tours in almost any alpine resort. State of the art mountain bikes are for rental at these places, in some hotels bike rental is even included in the arrangement. Local mountain biking routes often start on paved side-roads but you might soon come to small trails (narrower than 1m / 1 yard) and have to share it with hikers. At some points mountain bikers are expected to carry their bike over a fence or a small brook - so this is definitely a sport for tough people. Of course you may rent a mountain bike and stay on paved roads, if you prefer, but in this case you should read the section above for suitable resorts.

Paragliding:

Easy to reach mountain tops provide ideal premises for paragliding. In major resorts you can find schools for paragliding

WINTER SPORTS

Downhill Skiing:

Any Swiss alpine resort above some 1500 m [5000 ft] can offer a choice of ski runs at different degrees of difficulty and corresponding transportation (gondolas and ski-lifts). There are some really demanding ski runs, like the famous Lauberhorn descent (Wengen) for those seeking a challenge.

Cross Country Skiing:

The Engadin region, a long and relatively flat valley with some 50 km [35 miles] of cross country ski-runs from one end to the other with possibilities to get back to your starting point from a dozen of train stations is an ideal place for cross country skiing.

Quite similiar is the Goms region, the upper part of the Rhône valley (canton Wallis/Valais).

Après Ski:

Other aspects than available sports facilities might be more important for an individual choice: Are you interested in extensive night-life after skiing? Then you might prefer stylish St. Moritz or Davos (the only town with more than 10,000 permanent residents among the alpine resorts). But if you prefer quietness, a smaller resort, maybe even a car-free one might be a better choice (Mürren, Wengen in Bernese Oberland; Bettmeralp, Riederalp, Saas Fee, Zermatt in Wallis).

Some resorts offer thermal spas - this might be a nice recreation after a day of sports activities. Leukerbad is among the classical Swiss thermal spas and can offer all kinds of winter sports in an breathtaking alpine scenery as well, St. Moritz and Scuol (Engadin) spas are fun for those just seeking wellness.

Sledge Runs / Tobogganing:

More than 150 sledge runs with lengths between 1 and 15 km [0.6 .. 9 miles]. Most starting points may be reached by gondolas, but for a few you'll have to walk uphill. Traditional wooden toboggans may be rented at the gondola stations.

FESTIVALS:

• Lucerne Festival
• Zürcher Festspiele
• Les Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Menuhin Festival Gstaad

• Verbier Festival

• Independence day

ART AND RELIGION:

• ART:
• Sculpture
• Painting

• RELIGIONS:

• Catholic Migration to Protestant Urban Areas: Switzerland's early industrialisation in the 19th century lead to a considerable internal migration from the catholic rural areas to the industrialised cities (mainly Zurich, Basel, Winterthur, Lausanne, Geneva). Massive immigration from catholic Southern Europe (Italy, Spain, Portugal) due to the economic boom after World War II amplified this tendency so that the formerly exclusively protestant urban areas of northern and western Switzerland do have a mixed population now with almost equal numbers of protestants and catholics.

• Protestant Migration to Catholic Rural Areas: On the other hand, the 20th century trend to live in suburbs resulted in a migration of (mostly protestant) middle class families from urban areas in northern Switzerland to rural areas in (traditionally catholic) central Switzerland, so that reformed churches have been established there as well.

• The Jewish Community: The Jewish community belongs to the religions that have been present in Switzerland for almost 2000 years, but the Jewish minority was always small. During all these centuries severe restrictions concerning professions and residence have been imposed on Jews (as in most other European countries). Only in 1866 Jewish citizens were granted full rights to settle anywhere in Switzerland and to practise any profession.

• Other Religions in Switzerland:

• Buddhism in Switzerland: Buddhism came to Switzerland with refugees from Tibet in 1959, Switzerland was the only European country to grant asylum to 1000 Tibetian refugees. The Buddhist Tibetians have kept up their religious traditions, the community has grown to about 2000 people over the years and nowadays there is even a buddhist monastery in Switzerland. There are only very few native Swiss people confessing to be Buddhists, however. The number of Buddhist refugees is quite small and they practise their religion in their private homes. So for most Swiss people Buddhism still belongs to the religions they know very little of.

• Islam: Muslims in Switzerland: Until the 1970's there were hardly any Muslims in Switzerland. But since then, immigration from Turkey, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo and Northern Africa has increased substantially and today there is a noticeable Islamic community in the country. Muslims have become the third largest religion and have surpassed three of the five traditional religions (dissident Protestants and Catholics as well as Jews).

• Orthodox and other Christians in Switzerland: The new focus of immigration since the 1970's has also resulted in a significant increase in the number of Orthodox Christians. There are only few Orthodox church buildings, however. Often the various Orthodox denominations (Serbian, Russian, Greek) may use Protestant or Catholic churches. So do other small minorities like the Anglicans (mostly British and American immigrants).

• Hinduism in Switzerland: Finally, Hinduism came with Tamil refugees in the late 1970's and 1980's. On sundays, many Tamil refugees can be seen at places like Einsiedeln and Mariastein. Maybe the special atmosphere of these classical pilgrim churches reminds them of Hindu temples in their native country. One might take this as a sign of peaceful coexistence between religions in Switzerland.

HISTORY:

Switzerland was formed in 1291 as a union of three states and became an independent country in 1815. The constitution, adopted in 1848, does not allow for troops to be sent to serve in foreign wars. The country has remained neutral in conflicts around the world, including both world wars. 

Switzerland did not become a member of the United Nations until 2002, and is not a member of the European Union.