Switzerland

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Context of Switzerland

 

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.

Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 8.7 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts the largest cities and economic centres, including Zürich, Geneva and Basel.

Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. S...Read more

 

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.

Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's population of 8.7 million are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts the largest cities and economic centres, including Zürich, Geneva and Basel.

Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognised in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the United Nations only in 2002, but pursues an active foreign policy that include frequent involvement in peace-building processes worldwide.

Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross, one of the world's oldest and well-known humanitarian organisations, and hosts the headquarters or offices of most major international institutions, including the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, FIFA, and the United Nations. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or the Eurozone; however, it participates in the European single market and the Schengen Area through bilateral treaties. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern.

It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism. Swiss identity transcends language, ethnicity, and religion, leading to Switzerland being described as a Willensnation ("nation of volition") rather than a nation state.

Due to its linguistic diversity, Switzerland is known by multiple native names: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts] (German); Suisse [sɥis(ə)] audio  (French); Svizzeracode: ita promoted to code: it [ˈzvittsera] (Italian); and Svizracode: roh promoted to code: rm [ˈʒviːtsrɐ, ˈʒviːtsʁɐ] (Romansh). On coins and stamps, the Latin name, Confoederatio Helveticacode: lat promoted to code: la — frequently shortened to "Helvetia" — is used instead of the spoken languages.

Switzerland is one of the world's most developed countries. It has the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Switzerland ranks first in the Human Development Index since 2021 and performs highly also on several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and democratic governance. Cities such as Zürich, Geneva and Basel rank among the highest in terms of quality of life, albeit with some of the highest costs of living.

More about Switzerland

Basic information
  • Currency Swiss franc
  • Calling code +41
  • Internet domain .ch
  • Mains voltage 230V/50Hz
  • Democracy index 8.83
Population, Area & Driving side
  • Population 8902308
  • Area 41285
  • Driving side right
History
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    The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.

    Beginnings

    The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago.[1] The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at Gächlingen, date to around 5300 BC.[1]

    ...Read more
     

    The state of Switzerland took its present form with the adoption of the Swiss Federal Constitution in 1848. Switzerland's precursors established a defensive alliance in 1291, forming a loose confederation that persisted for centuries.

    Beginnings

    The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date to about 150,000 years ago.[1] The oldest known farming settlements in Switzerland, which were found at Gächlingen, date to around 5300 BC.[1]

     
     
    Founded in 44 BC by Lucius Munatius Plancus, Augusta Raurica (near Basel) was the first Roman settlement on the Rhine and is now among the most important archaeological sites in Switzerland.[2]

    The earliest known tribes formed the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures, named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel. La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age from around 450 BC,[1] possibly influenced by Greek and Etruscan civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups was the Helvetii. Steadily harassed by Germanic tribes, in 58 BC, the Helvetii decided to abandon the Swiss Plateau and migrate to western Gallia. Julius Caesar's armies pursued and defeated them at the Battle of Bibracte, in today's eastern France, forcing the tribe to move back to its homeland.[1] In 15 BC, Tiberius (later the second Roman emperor) and his brother Drusus conquered the Alps, integrating them into the Roman Empire. The area occupied by the Helvetii first became part of Rome's Gallia Belgica province and then of its Germania Superior province. The eastern portion of modern Switzerland was integrated into the Roman province of Raetia. Sometime around the start of the Common Era, the Romans maintained a large camp called Vindonissa, now a ruin at the confluence of the Aare and Reuss rivers, near the town of Windisch.[3]

    The first and second century AD was an age of prosperity on the Swiss Plateau. Towns such as Aventicum, Iulia Equestris and Augusta Raurica, reached a remarkable size, while hundreds of agricultural estates (Villae rusticae) were established in the countryside.[citation needed]

    Around 260 AD, the fall of the Agri Decumates territory north of the Rhine transformed today's Switzerland into a frontier land of the Empire. Repeated raids by the Alamanni tribes provoked the ruin of the Roman towns and economy, forcing the population to shelter near Roman fortresses, like the Castrum Rauracense near Augusta Raurica. The Empire built another line of defence at the north border (the so-called Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes). At the end of the fourth century, the increased Germanic pressure forced the Romans to abandon the linear defence concept. The Swiss Plateau was finally open to Germanic tribes.[citation needed]

    In the Early Middle Ages, from the end of the fourth century, the western extent of modern-day Switzerland was part of the territory of the Kings of the Burgundians. The Alemanni settled the Swiss Plateau in the fifth century and the valleys of the Alps in the eighth century, forming Alemannia. Modern-day Switzerland was then divided between the kingdoms of Alemannia and Burgundy.[1] The entire region became part of the expanding Frankish Empire in the sixth century, following Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at Tolbiac in 504 AD, and later Frankish domination of the Burgundians.[4][5]

    Throughout the rest of the sixth, seventh and eighth centuries, Swiss regions continued under Frankish hegemony (Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties) but after its extension under Charlemagne, the Frankish Empire was divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843.[1] The territories of present-day Switzerland became divided into Middle Francia and East Francia until they were reunified under the Holy Roman Empire around 1000 AD.[1]

    By 1200, the Swiss Plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of Savoy, Zähringer, Habsburg, and Kyburg.[1] Some regions (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, later known as Waldstätten) were accorded the Imperial immediacy to grant the empire direct control over the mountain passes. With the extinction of its male line in 1263, the Kyburg dynasty fell in AD 1264. The Habsburgs under King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) laid claim to the Kyburg lands and annexed them, extending their territory to the eastern Swiss Plateau.[4]

    Old Swiss Confederacy
     
     
    The Old Swiss Confederacy from 1291 (dark green) to the sixteenth century (light green) and its associates (blue). In the other colours shown are the subject territories.
     
     
    The 1291 Bundesbrief (federal charter)

    The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy was governed by nobles and patricians of various cantons who facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the confederacy's founding document, even though similar alliances likely existed decades earlier. The document was agreed among the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden.[6][page needed][7]

    By 1353, the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Bern city-states to form the "Old Confederacy" of eight states that obtained through the end of the 15th century.[7] The expansion led to increased power and wealth for the confederation. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains, and the University of Basel was founded (with a faculty of medicine) establishing a tradition of chemical and medical research. This increased after victories against the Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), over Charles the Bold of Burgundy during the 1470s, and the success of the Swiss mercenaries. The Swiss victory in the Swabian War against the Swabian League of Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 amounted to de facto independence within the Holy Roman Empire.[7] In 1501, Basel[8] and Schaffhausen joined the Old Swiss Confederacy.[9]

    The Confederacy acquired a reputation of invincibility during these earlier wars, but expansion of the confederation suffered a setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the Battle of Marignano. This ended the so-called "heroic" epoch of Swiss history.[7] The success of Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal religious conflicts in 1529 and 1531 (Wars of Kappel). It was not until more than one hundred years after these internal wars that, in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality.[4][5]

    During the Early Modern period of Swiss history, the growing authoritarianism of the patriciate families combined with a financial crisis in the wake of the Thirty Years' War led to the Swiss peasant war of 1653. In the background to this struggle, the conflict between Catholic and Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the First War of Villmergen, in 1656, and the Toggenburg War (or Second War of Villmergen), in 1712.[7]

    Napoleonic era
     
     
    The Act of Mediation was Napoleon's attempt at a compromise between the Ancien Régime and a Republic.

    In 1798, the revolutionary French government invaded Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution.[7] This centralised the government of the country, effectively abolishing the cantons: moreover, Mülhausen left Switzerland and the Valtellina valley became part of the Cisalpine Republic. The new regime, known as the Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. An invading foreign army had imposed and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the Nidwalden Revolt in September 1798 was an example of the oppressive presence of the French Army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.[citation needed]

    When war broke out between France and its rivals, Russian and Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. The Swiss refused to fight alongside the French in the name of the Helvetic Republic. In 1803 Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in Paris. The Act of Mediation was the result, which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons.[7] Henceforth, much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.[citation needed]

    In 1815 the Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence, and the European powers recognised permanent Swiss neutrality.[4][5][7] Swiss troops served foreign governments until 1860 when they fought in the siege of Gaeta. The treaty allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva. Switzerland's borders saw only minor adjustments thereafter.[10]

    Federal state
     
     
    The first Federal Palace in Bern (1857). One of the three cantons presiding over the Tagsatzung (former legislative and executive council), Bern was chosen as the permanent seat of federal legislative and executive institutions in 1848, in part because of its closeness to the French-speaking area.[11]

    The restoration of power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes, such as the Züriputsch of 1839, civil war (the Sonderbundskrieg) broke out in 1847 when some Catholic cantons tried to set up a separate alliance (the Sonderbund).[7] The war lasted less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties, most of which were through friendly fire. The Sonderbundskrieg had a significant impact on the psychology and society of Switzerland.[citation needed][who?]

    The war convinced most Swiss of the need for unity and strength. Swiss from all strata of society, whether Catholic or Protestant, from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more from merging their economic and religious interests.[citation needed]

    Thus, while the rest of Europe saw revolutionary uprisings, the Swiss drew up a constitution that provided for a federal layout, much of it inspired by the American example. This constitution provided central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. Giving credit to those who favoured the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided between an upper house (the Council of States, two representatives per canton) and a lower house (the National Council, with representatives elected from across the country). Referendums were made mandatory for any amendments.[5] This new constitution ended the legal power of nobility in Switzerland.[12]

     
     
    Inauguration in 1882 of the Gotthard rail tunnel connecting the southern canton of Ticino, the longest in the world at the time

    A single system of weights and measures was introduced, and in 1850 the Swiss franc became the Swiss single currency, complemented by the WIR franc in 1934.[13] Article 11 of the constitution forbade sending troops to serve abroad, marking the end of foreign service. It came with the expectation of serving the Holy See, and the Swiss were still obliged to serve Francis II of the Two Sicilies with Swiss Guards present at the siege of Gaeta in 1860.[citation needed]

    An important clause of the constitution was that it could be entirely rewritten if necessary, thus enabling it to evolve as a whole rather than being modified one amendment at a time.[14][page needed]

    This need soon proved itself when the rise in population and the Industrial Revolution that followed led to calls to modify the constitution accordingly. The population rejected an early draft in 1872, but modifications led to its acceptance in 1874.[7] It introduced the facultative referendum for laws at the federal level. It also established federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters.

    In 1891, the constitution was revised with unusually strong elements of direct democracy, which remain unique today.[7]

    Modern history
     
     
    General Ulrich Wille, appointed commander-in-chief of the Swiss Army for the duration of World War I

    Switzerland was not invaded during either of the world wars. During World War I, Switzerland was home to the revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (Vladimir Lenin) who remained there until 1917.[15] Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the short-lived Grimm–Hoffmann affair in 1917. In 1920, Switzerland joined the League of Nations, which was based in Geneva, after it was exempted from military requirements.[citation needed]

    During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans,[16] but Switzerland was never attacked.[17] Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, concessions to Germany, and good fortune, as larger events during the war intervened.[5][18] General Henri Guisan, appointed the commander-in-chief for the duration of the war ordered a general mobilisation of the armed forces. The Swiss military strategy changed from static defence at the borders to organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps, known as the Reduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers.[18]

    Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the Allies and the Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to Nazi Germany varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached a peak after a crucial rail link through Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland (together with Liechtenstein) entirely isolated from the wider world by Axis-controlled territory. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees[19] aided by the International Red Cross, based in Geneva. Strict immigration and asylum policies and the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy, only at the end of the 20th century.[20]: 521 

    During the war, the Swiss Air Force engaged aircraft of both sides, shooting down 11 intruding Luftwaffe planes in May and June 1940, then forcing down other intruders after a change of policy following threats from Germany. Over 100 Allied bombers and their crews were interned. Between 1940 and 1945, Switzerland was bombed by the Allies, causing fatalities and property damage.[18] Among the cities and towns bombed were Basel, Brusio, Chiasso, Cornol, Geneva, Koblenz, Niederweningen, Rafz, Renens, Samedan, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Tägerwilen, Thayngen, Vals, and Zürich. Allied forces maintained that the bombings, which violated the 96th Article of War, resulted from navigation errors, equipment failure, weather conditions, and pilot errors. The Swiss expressed fear and concern that the bombings were intended to put pressure on Switzerland to end economic cooperation and neutrality with Nazi Germany.[21] Court-martial proceedings took place in England. The US paid SFR 62,176,433.06 for reparations.[citation needed]

    Switzerland's attitude towards refugees was complicated and controversial; over the course of the war, it admitted as many as 300,000 refugees[19] while refusing tens of thousands more,[20]: 107  including Jews persecuted by the Nazis.[20]: 114 

    After the war, the Swiss government exported credits through the charitable fund known as the Schweizerspende and donated to the Marshall Plan to help Europe's recovery, efforts that ultimately benefited the Swiss economy.[20]: 521 

    During the Cold War, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a Swiss nuclear bomb.[22] Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility.[23] In 1988, the Paul Scherrer Institute was founded in his name to explore the therapeutic uses of neutron scattering technologies.[24] Financial problems with the defence budget and ethical considerations prevented the substantial funds from being allocated, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative. Plans for building nuclear weapons were dropped by 1988.[25] Switzerland joined the Council of Europe in 1963.[5]

     
     
    In 2003, by granting the Swiss People's Party a second seat in the governing cabinet, the Parliament altered the coalition that had dominated Swiss politics since 1959.

    Switzerland was the last Western republic (the Principality of Liechtenstein followed in 1984) to grant women the right to vote. Some Swiss cantons approved this in 1959, while at the federal level, it was achieved in 1971[17][26][failed verification] and, after resistance, in the last canton Appenzell Innerrhoden (one of only two remaining Landsgemeinde, along with Glarus) in 1990. After obtaining suffrage at the federal level, women quickly rose in political significance. The first woman on the seven-member Federal Council executive was Elisabeth Kopp, who served from 1984 to 1989,[17] and the first female president was Ruth Dreifuss in 1999.[27]

    In 1979 areas from the canton of Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new canton of Jura. On 18 April 1999, the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised federal constitution.[17]

    In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations, leaving Vatican City as the last widely recognised state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the EFTA but not the European Economic Area (EEA). An application for membership in the European Union was sent in May 1992, but did not advance since rejecting the EEA in December 1992[17] when Switzerland conducted a referendum on the EEA. Several referendums on the EU issue ensued; due to opposition from the citizens, the membership application was withdrawn. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually changing to conform with that of the EU, and the government signed bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with Liechtenstein, has been surrounded by the EU since Austria's entry in 1995. On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the Schengen treaty, a result that EU commentators regarded as a sign of support.[5] In September 2020, a referendum calling for a vote to end the pact that allowed a free movement of people from the European Union was introduced by the Swiss People's Party (SVP).[28] However, voters rejected the attempt to retake control of immigration, defeating the motion by a roughly 63%–37% margin.[29]

    On 9 February 2014, 50.3% of Swiss voters approved a ballot initiative launched by the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) to restrict immigration. This initiative was mostly backed by rural (57.6% approval) and suburban groups (51.2% approval), and isolated towns (51.3% approval) as well as by a strong majority (69.2% approval) in Ticino, while metropolitan centres (58.5% rejection) and the French-speaking part (58.5% rejection) rejected it.[30] In December 2016, a political compromise with the EU was attained that eliminated quotas on EU citizens, but still allowed favourable treatment of Swiss-based job applicants.[31] On 27 September 2020, 62% of Swiss voters rejected the anti-free movement referendum by SVP.[32]

    ^ a b c d e f g h "History". swissworld.org. Archived from the original on 27 June 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2009. ^ "Switzerland's Roman heritage comes to life". swissinfo.ch. 11 September 2005. ^ Trumm, Judith. "Vindonissa". Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (in German). Retrieved 3 May 2022. ^ a b c d "Switzerland history". Nations Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2009. ^ a b c d e f g "Brief History of Switzerland". Nations Online. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2009. ^ Greanias, Thomas (2004). Geschichte der Schweiz und der Schweizer. Basel: Schwabe. ISBN 978-3-7965-2067-9. OCLC 255970548. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "A Brief Survey of Swiss History". Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009. ^ "Der Basler Bundesbrief vom 9. Juni 1501" (PDF). ^ E.Hofer, Roland. "Schaffhausen (Kanton)". Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (in German). Retrieved 3 May 2022. ^ Swiss border ("Les principales rectifications postérieures à 1815 concernent la vallée des Dappes en 1862 (frontière Vaud-France, env. 7,5 km2), la valle di Lei en 1952 (Grisons-Italie, 0,45 km2), l'Ellhorn en 1955 (colline revendiquée par la Suisse pour des raisons militaires, Grisons-Liechtenstein) et l'enclave allemande du Verenahof dans le canton de Schaffhouse en 1967.") in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.. It should be noticed that in valle di Lei, Italy got in exchange a territory of the same area. See here Archived 21 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine ^ Cite error: The named reference Bundesstadt was invoked but never defined (see the help page). ^ "Noblesse en Suisse". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2015. ^ "The WIR, the supplementary Swiss currency since 1934". The Economy Journal. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021. ^ Ducrest, Jean Pierre; Dorand, Michel (1987). Histoire de la Suisse. Editions Fragnière. OCLC 702317703. ^ "Lenin and the Swiss non-revolution". SWI swissinfo.ch. 19 May 2006. Retrieved 8 February 2023. ^ Urner, Klaus (2002). "Let's Swallow Switzerland": Hitler's Plans against the Swiss Confederation. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books. pp. 4, 7. ISBN 978-0-7391-0255-8. OCLC 46472272. ^ a b c d e "A Brief Survey of Swiss History". admin.ch. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009. ^ a b c "Book Review: Halbrook, Stephen P. Target Switzerland: Swiss Armed Neutrality in World War II. Rockville Centre, NY: Sarpedon, 1998". Stone & Stone. Archived from the original on 1 December 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2009. ^ a b Asylum in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. ^ a b c d Final Report of the Independent Commission of Experts Switzerland (PDF). Zürich: Pendo Verlag. 2002. ISBN 978-3-85842-603-1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 May 2009. ^ Helmreich, JE. "Diplomacy of Apology". Archived from the original on 5 May 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2007. ^ "States Formerly Possessing or Pursuing Nuclear Weapons". Archived from the original on 26 January 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2014. ^ Fischer, Patrick (8 April 2019). "Als die Schweiz eine Atombombe wollte". Swiss National Museum (in German). Retrieved 3 May 2022. ^ Vuilleumier, Marie (15 October 2018). "Paul Scherrer Institut seit 30 Jahren im Dienst der Wissenschaft". Swissinfo (in German). Retrieved 3 May 2022. ^ Westberg, Gunnar (9 October 2010). "Swiss Nuclear Bomb". International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014. ^ "Country Profile: Switzerland". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 19 October 2012. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2023. ^ "Parlamentsgeschichte". www.parlament.ch. Retrieved 3 May 2022. ^ Henley, Jon (25 September 2020). "Swiss to vote on whether to end free movement deal with EU". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020. ^ Chazan, David (27 September 2020). "Large majority of Swiss reject bid to rein in immigration from EU, says exit poll". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2020. ^ "Abstimmungen – Indikatoren, Abstimmung vom 9. Februar 2014: Initiative 'Gegen Masseneinwanderung'" (in German and French). Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Neuchâtel 2014. 9 February 2014. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014. ^ Maurice, Eric (22 December 2016). "EU and Switzerland agree on free movement". EUobserver. Retrieved 8 February 2023. ^ "Switzerland referendum: Voters reject end to free movement with EU". BBC News. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
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Stay safe
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    Stay safe

    Switzerland is one of the safest countries in the world as far as crime goes, but anywhere that attracts Rolex-wearing bankers and crowds of distracted tourists will also bring out a few pickpockets. Obviously, keep an eye on belongings, especially in the midst of summer crowds. Generally, you are safe anywhere at any time. If, for any reason, you feel threatened, seek a nearby restaurant or telephone booth. The emergency phone number in Switzerland is 112, and operators are generally English-speaking.

    Quite a few Swiss establishments will print your entire credit card number onto the receipt, thus raising identity theft concerns when shopping with a credit card in Switzerland. Therefore, visitors using credit cards should carefully review the information printed on all receipts before discarding them. This happens, for instance, in some book and clothing stores and even at the ubiquitous K-Kiosk. This list is obviously not exhaustive; therefore, the visitor must beware whenever using a credit card.

    Women traveling alone should have no problems. The younger Swiss tend to be very open with public displays of affection - sometimes too open, and some women may find people getting too friendly especially in the wee hours of the club & bar scene. Usually the international language of brush-offs or just walking away is enough.

    Swiss police take on a relatively unobtrusive air; they prefer to remain behind the scenes as they consider their presence potentially threatening to the overall environment. Unlike some more highly policed countries, officers will rarely approach civilians to ask if they need help or merely mark their presence by patrolling. However, police are indeed serious about traffic violations. Jaywalking or crossing a red pedestrian light, for example, will be fined on the spot. The upside to stringent traffic rules is that car drivers are generally very well-disciplined, readily stopping for pedestrians at crossings. Football games are the only notable exception to the above rule. Due to the potential threat of hooligan violence, these games (especially in Basel or Zurich) are generally followed by a large contingent of police officers with riot gear, rubber bullets and tear gas, in case of any major unrest.

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    Stay safe

    Switzerland is one of the safest countries in the world as far as crime goes, but anywhere that attracts Rolex-wearing bankers and crowds of distracted tourists will also bring out a few pickpockets. Obviously, keep an eye on belongings, especially in the midst of summer crowds. Generally, you are safe anywhere at any time. If, for any reason, you feel threatened, seek a nearby restaurant or telephone booth. The emergency phone number in Switzerland is 112, and operators are generally English-speaking.

    Quite a few Swiss establishments will print your entire credit card number onto the receipt, thus raising identity theft concerns when shopping with a credit card in Switzerland. Therefore, visitors using credit cards should carefully review the information printed on all receipts before discarding them. This happens, for instance, in some book and clothing stores and even at the ubiquitous K-Kiosk. This list is obviously not exhaustive; therefore, the visitor must beware whenever using a credit card.

    Women traveling alone should have no problems. The younger Swiss tend to be very open with public displays of affection - sometimes too open, and some women may find people getting too friendly especially in the wee hours of the club & bar scene. Usually the international language of brush-offs or just walking away is enough.

    Swiss police take on a relatively unobtrusive air; they prefer to remain behind the scenes as they consider their presence potentially threatening to the overall environment. Unlike some more highly policed countries, officers will rarely approach civilians to ask if they need help or merely mark their presence by patrolling. However, police are indeed serious about traffic violations. Jaywalking or crossing a red pedestrian light, for example, will be fined on the spot. The upside to stringent traffic rules is that car drivers are generally very well-disciplined, readily stopping for pedestrians at crossings. Football games are the only notable exception to the above rule. Due to the potential threat of hooligan violence, these games (especially in Basel or Zurich) are generally followed by a large contingent of police officers with riot gear, rubber bullets and tear gas, in case of any major unrest.

    Switzerland has very strong Good Samaritan laws, making it a civic duty to help someone in need, although without unduly endangering oneself. People are therefore very willing and ready to help you if you appear to be in an emergency situation. The same applies to you if you witness anyone in danger. The refusal to help to a person in need can be punishable by law as "Verweigerung der Hilfeleistung", i.e. refusal of aid. The general reservation of Americans to avoid entanglement with strangers due to possible future civil liability does not apply in Switzerland, for it would be practically impossible to wage a civil suit against anyone providing aid.

    The drinking age for beer, wine and cider is 16, except in Ticino where the age is 18, while the age for any other alcohol (e.g. spirits, "alcopops", etc.) is 18. The public consumption of alcohol in Switzerland is legal, so do not be alarmed if you see a group of teenagers drinking a six-pack on public property or on public transport; this is by no means out of the ordinary and should not be interpreted as threatening.

    Switzerland is not a country of ridiculous civil lawsuits and damage claims; consequently, if you see a sign or disclaimer telling you not to do something, obey it! An example: in many Alpine areas, charming little mountain streams may be flanked by signs with the message "No Swimming". To the uninitiated, this may seem a bit over the top, but these signs are a consequence of the presence of hydroelectric power plants further upstream that may discharge large amounts of water without warning.

    In mountain areas, be sure to inquire about weather conditions at the tourist information office or local train station as you head out in the morning. They should be well informed about severe weather conditions and will advise you about possible avalanche areas.

    There have been problems with police assuming that any Black, East European or Arab person without an ID card or passport is an illegal immigrant, and treating them accordingly. That could be a considerable problem if you are travelling alone. So keep your ID card or passport on you, even though you are legally not obliged to. However, police have the legal right to ask you for your identification on any occasion, and, if you cannot show an ID card or passport, they are allowed to take you to the police station for identification purposes. So do as every Swiss does: have your ID card (or passport) with you.

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