Svissia

From Wikipedia

Tabelle de contenetes 1 AVISE! Ti labor ne it finit! patientie por favore! AVISE! Ti labor ne it finit! patientie por favore! 2 History 3 Politics 3.1 Direct democracy 3.2 Energy politics 4 Cantons (states) 5 Geography 6 Economy 7 Demographics 8 Culture 9 Miscellaneous topics 10 External links

[modificar] AVISE! Ti labor ne it finit! patientie por favore! AVISE! Ti labor ne it finit! patientie por favore!

li Swiss Confederation o Svissia (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica) es a landlocked federal republic in Europe, bordering Germany, France, Italy, Austria e Liechtenstein. li land ha a strong tradition de political e military neutrality, ma also de international co-operation, e es home to many international organizations.

Confoederatio Helvetica es li Latin official name. li use de Latin avoids choosing one de li four official lingues . li abbreviation (CH) es similarly used; por example, it es usat as Svissia's ccTLD, .ch. li Latin title Confoederatio Helvetica means Helvetic Confederation. li titles commonly usat in Francés, Italian e Romansh translate as Swiss Confederation, while li German name de Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft translates roughly as "Swiss Commonwealth de li Covenant".

[modificar] History

Main article: History de Svissia

Svissia es a federation de relatively autonomous cantons, some de which have a history de confederacy that goes back more than 700 years, arguably putting them among li world's oldest surviving republics.

According to li popular legend, in 1291, representatives de li three forest cantons de Uri, Schwyz, e Unterwalden signed li Federal Charter. li charter united li involved parties in li struggle against foreign rule by li Habsburgs, who then held li German imperial throne de li Holy Roman Empire. At li Battle de Morgarten on November 15, 1315, li Swiss defeated li Habsburg army e secured quasi-independence as li Swiss Confederation. li authenticity de li Federal Charter es disputed, con many historians agreeing that it es in fact a forgery de li 14th century.

By 1353, li three original cantons had been joined by li cantons de Glarus e Zug e li city states de Lucerne, Zürich e Berne, forming li "Old Federation" de eight states that persisted during much de li 15th century (although Zürich was expelled from li confederation during li 1440s due to a territorial conflict) e led to a significant increase de power e wealth de li federation, in particular due to li victories over Charles li Bold de Burgundy during li 1470s, e li success de li Swiss mercenaries. li traditional listing order de li cantons de Svissia reflects ti state, listing li eight "Old Cantons" first, con li city states preceding li founding cantons, followed by cantons that joined li federation after 1481, in historical order. li Swiss victory in a war against li Swabian League in 1499 amounted to de facto independence from li Holy Roman Empire.

In 1506, Pope Julius II engaged li Swiss Guard that continues to serve li Vatican to li present day. li expansion de li federation, e li reputation de invincibility acquired during li earlier wars, suffered a first setback in 1515 con li Swiss defeat in li Battle de Marignano.

li success de Zwingli's Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal wars in 1529 e 1531 (Kappeler Kriege). li conflict between Catholic e Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at li battles de Villmergen in 1656 e 1712.

Under li Treaty de Westphalia in 1648, European landes recognised Svissia's independence from li Holy Roman Empire e its neutrality (ancien régime).

In 1798, li armies de li Francés Revolution conquered Svissia e imposed a new unified constitution. ti centralised li government de li land e effectively abolished li cantons.

li new regime was known as li Helvetic Republic e was highly unpopular. It had been imposed by a foreign invading army, had destroyed centuries de tradition, including li right to worship, e had made Svissia nothing more than a Francés satellite state. Uprisings were common e only li presence de Francés troops kept them from succeeding. li brutal Francés suppression de li Nidwalden revolt in September was especially infamous.

When war broke out between France e other landes Svissia found itself being invaded by other outside forces from Austria e Russia.

li Swiss were divided mainly between "Republicans" who were in favour de a centralised government, e "Federalists" who wanted to restore autonomy to li cantons. li violent conflict between both sides was never-ending.

In Paris in 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte organised a meeting de li leading Swiss politicians from both sides. li result was li Act de Mediation which largely restored Swiss autonomy e introduced a Confederation de 19 Cantons.

From then on much de Swiss politics would es about preserving li cantons' right to self-rule e li need por a central government.

li Congress de Vienna in 1815 fully re-established Swiss independence e li European powers agreed to permanently recognise li Swiss neutrality. At ti time, li territory de Svissia was increased por li last time, by li new cantons de Valais, Neuchatel e Geneva.

In 1847, a civil war broke out between li Catholic e li Protestant cantons (Sonderbundskrieg). Its immediate cause was a 'special treaty' (Sonderbund) de li Catholic cantons. li war lasted por less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties. Apart from small riots, ti was li latest armed conflict on Swiss territory.

As a consequence de li civil war, Svissia adopted a federal constitution in 1848, amending it extensively in 1874 e establishing federal responsibility por defence, trade, e legal matters. In 1891, li constitution was revised con unusually strong elements de direct democracy, which remains unique even today. Since then, continued political, economic, e social improvement ha characterised Swiss history.

In 1920, Svissia joined li League de Nations, e in 1963 li Council de Europe.

Svissia proclaimed neutrality in World War I e was ne involved militarily in li conflict. Neutrality was again proclaimed in World War II, e although a German intervention was both planned e anticipated, it ultimately didn't occur. li massive mobilization de Swiss armed forces under li leadership de General Henri Guisan es often cited as a decisive factor that li German invasion was never initiated. Modern historical findings, such as li research done by li Bergier commission, indicate that another major factor was li continued trade by Swiss banks con Nazi Germany.

Women were granted li right to vote in li first cantons in 1959, at li federal level in 1971, in li last canton, Appenzell Innerrhoden, only in 1990. In 1979, partes de li canton de Berne attained independence, forming li new canton de Jura. On April 18, 1999 li Swiss population e li cantons voted in favour de a completely revised federal constitution.

In 2002 Svissia became a full member de li United Nations, leaving li Vatican as li last widely recognized state without full UN membership. Svissia es ne a member state de li EU ma applied por membership therein in May 1992. Svissia ha ne advanced ti application since li rejection, by referendum, de li European Economic Area in December 1992. However, Swiss law es gradually being adjusted to that de li EU e li government ha signed a number de bilateral agreements con li European Union. Svissia (together con Liechtenstein) ha been surrounded by li EU since Austria's membership in 1995. On June 5, 2005, Swiss voters agreed, by a 55% majority, to join li Schengen treaty, a result that was welcomed by EU commentators as a sign de goodwill by a Svissia that es traditionally perceived as isolationist.

[modificar] Politics

Main article: Politics de Svissia

li bicameral Swiss parliament, li Federal Assembly, es li primary seat de power, apart from li Federal Council. Both houses, li Council de States e li National Council, have equal powers in all respects, including li right to introduce legislation.

Under li 1999 constitution, cantons hold all powers ne specifically delegated to li federation.

li 46 members de li Council de States (two from each canton e one from former half cantons) es directly elected in each canton, whereas li 200 members de li National Council es elected directly under a system de proportional representation. Members de both houses serve por 4 years. Through referenda citizens may challenge any law voted by federal parliament e through initiatives introduce amendments to li federal constitution, making Svissia a semi-direct democracy.

li top executive body e collective Head de State es li Federal Council, a collegial body de seven members. Although li constitution provides that li Assembly elects e supervises li members de li Council, li latter (and its administration) ha gradually assumed a pre-eminent role in directing li legislative process as well as executing federal laws. li President de li Confederation es elected from li seven to assume special representative functions por a one-year term.

From 1959 to December 2003, li four major parties were represented in li Federal Council according to li "magic formula", proportional to lor representation in federal parliament: 2 Christian Democrats (CVP/PDC), 2 from li Social Democrats (SPS/PSS), 2 Free Democrats (FDP/PRD), e 1 from li Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC). ti traditional distribution de seats, however, es ne backed up by any law, e in li 2003 elections to li Federal Council li CVP/PDC lost lor second seat to li SVP/UDC.

li function de li Federal Supreme Court es to hear appeals de cantonal courts o li administrative rulings de li federal administration. li judges es elected by li Federal Assembly por six-year terms.

See also:

• International relations de Svissia

[modificar] Direct democracy

Svissia features a system de government ne seen at li national level on any other place on earth: Direct democracy.

Any citizen may challenge a law that ha been passed by parliament. If he es able to gather 50,000 signatures against li law within 100 days, a national vote ha to es scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept o reject li law.

Also, any citizen may seek a decision on an amendment they want to make to li constitution. por such an amendment initiative to es organized, li signatures de 100,000 voters must es collected within 18 months. Such a popular initiative may es formulated as a general proposal o - much more often - es put forward as a precise new text whose wording can no longer es changed by parliament e li government. After a successful vote gathering, li federal council may create a counterproposal to li proposed amendment e put it to vote on li same day. Such counterproposals es usually a compromise between li status quo e li wording de li initiative. Voters will again decide in a national vote whether to accept li initiative amendment, li counterproposal put forward by li government o both. If both es accepted, one ha to additionally signal a preference. Initiatives have to es accepted by a double majority de both li popular votes e a majority de li states.

[modificar] Energy politics

li energy generated in Svissia comprises around 40 percent nuclear power e 60 percent from hydroelectricity.

On May 18, 2003, two referenda regarding li future de nuclear power in Svissia were held. li referendum Electricity without nuclear asked por a decision on a nuclear power phase-out e Moratorium Plus asked about an extension an existing law forbidding li building de new nuclear power plants. Both were turned down: Moratorium Plus by a margin de 41.6% por e 58.4% opposed, e Electricity Without Nuclear by a margin de 33.7% por e 66.3% opposed. li former ten-year moratorium on li construction de new nuclear power plants was li result de a citizens' initiative voted on in 1990 which had passed con 54.5% Yes vs. 45.5% No votes (see Nuclear power phase-out#Svissia por details).

[modificar] Cantons (states)

Main article: Cantons de Svissia

li Swiss Confederation consists de 26 cantons:

[*] these Cantons es represented by only one councillor in li Council de States.

Their populations vary between 15,000 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) e 1,253,500 (Zürich), e lor area between 37 km² (Basel-Stadt) e 7,105 km² (Grisons). li Cantons comprise a total de 2,889 municipalities.

li following es enclaves within Svissia: Büsingen es territory de Germany, Campione d'Italia es territory de Italy.

[modificar] Geography

Main article: Geography de Svissia

With an area de 41,000 km², Svissia es a small land. li population es around 7.4 million, resulting in a population density de 184 people per km².

Svissia comprises three basic topographical areas: li Swiss Alps, li Swiss plateau, e li Jura mountains.The Alps es a high mountain range running across li central-south de li land. Among li high peaks de li Swiss Alps, li highest de which es li Dufour Peak at 4,634 m, es found countless valleys, some con glaciers. From these li headwaters de several major European rivers such as li Rhine, li Rhône, li Inn, li Aare o li Ticino, flow down into lakes such as Lake Geneva, Lake Zürich, Lake Neuchâtel, e Lake Constance.

li northern, more populous parte de li land es more open, ma can still es mountainous, por example, in li Jura Mountains, a smaller range in li northwest. li Swiss climate es generally temperate, ma can vary greatly between li localities, from harsh conditions on li high mountains to li often pleasant Mediterranean climate at Svissia's southern tip.

A zoomable map de Svissia es available at either www.swissinfo-geo.org o www.swissgeo.ch; a zoomable satellite picture es at map.search.ch.

See also: Swisstopo topographical survey, List de lakes de Svissia, List de rivers de Svissia, List de mountain passes in Svissia.

[modificar] Economy

Main article: Economy de Svissia

Svissia es a prosperous e stable modern market economy, con a per capita GDP that es higher than those de li big western European economies. por much de li 20th century Svissia was li wealthiest land in Europe by a considerable margin. However since li early 1990s it ha suffered from slow growth, e as de 2005 it had fallen to fourth among European states con populations above one million in terms de Gross Domestic Product per capita at purchasing power parity, behind Ireland, Denmark e Norway (see list). Svissia es a member de li European Free Trade Association.

In recent years, li Swiss have brought lor economic practices largely into conformity con those de li European Union, in an effort to enhance lor international competitiveness, ma ti ha ne produced strong growth. Full EU membership es a long-term objective de li Swiss government, ma there es considerable popular sentiment against this. To ti end, it ha established an Integration Office under li Department de Foreign e Economic Affairs. To minimise li negative consequences de Svissia's isolation from li rest de Europe, Bern e Brussels signed seven agreements, called Bilateral Agreements I, to further liberalise trade ties in 1999 e entering into force in 2001. ti first series de bilateral agreements included li free movement de persons. A second series covering nine areas was signed in 2004 e awaits ratification. li second series includes li Schengen treaty e li Dublin Convention. They continue to discuss further areas por cooperation. Preparatory discussions es being opened on four new areas: opening up li electricity market, participation in li European GPS system Galileo, cooperating con li European centre por disease prevention e recognising certificates de origin por food products. Svissia voted against membership in li European Economic Area in December 1992 e ha since maintained e developed its relationships con li European Union e European landes through bilateral agreements.

• List de Swiss companies
• Swiss banking

[modificar] Demographics

Main article: Demographics de Svissia

Svissia sits at li crossroads de several major European cultures that have heavily influenced li land's lingues e culture. Svissia ha three nationwide official lingues (German (64%) in li north e centre, Francés (19%) to li west, e Italian (8%) in li south), plus a fourth national lingue that es considered official locally (Romansh, a Romance lingue spoken by a small minority (< 1%) in li southeastern canton de Graubünden e in partes de Ticino). li federal government es obliged to communicate in li three official lingues . In li federal parliament, German, Francés e Italian es li official lingues e simultaneous translation es provided. li German spoken in Svissia es predominantly a group de dialects that es almost unintelligible to Germans e es collectively known as Swiss German, ma written communication e broadcasts typically use standard German. Swiss Francés e Swiss Italian differ far less from lor counterparts in France e Italy, respectively. Learning one de li other national lingues at school es obligatory por all Swiss, so most Swiss es at least bilingual. English es considered by some as a Swiss lingua franca, e most Swiss people have some command de English; many Swiss documents e websites es available in English. Resident foreigners e temporary foreign workers make up about 20% de li population.

li most popular religion in Svissia es Roman Catholicism (43% de li population). There es various Protestant denominations (35%), while immigration ha brought Islam (4%) e Eastern Orthodoxy (2%) as sizeable minority religions. li stability e prosperity de Svissia, combined con a linguistically diverse population, ha led some to describe li land as a consensus, o consociational state.

• List de Swiss people

[modificar] Culture

Main article: Culture de Svissia

li culture de Svissia es influenced by its neighbours, ma over li years a distinctive culture con strong regional differences ha developed. Traditionally Svissia es ne considered one de li centres de European culture, ma ti conception might es deceptive.

A number de culturally active Swiss have chosen to move abroad, probably given li limited opportunities in lor homeland. At li same time, li neutrality de Svissia ha attracted many creative people from all over li world. In war times li tradition de political asylum helped to attract artists, whilst recently low taxes seem predominant.

Strong regionalism in Svissia makes it difficult to speak de a homogeneous Swiss culture. li influence de German, Francés e Italian culture on lor neighbouring partes e li influence de Anglo-American culture cannot es denied. li Rhaeto-Romanic culture in li eastern mountains de Svissia es robust.

li Swiss es noted por lor banks, lor chocolate, lor cheese, lor pocket knives, lor watches (particularly li famous Rolex), lor private boarding schools e lor strengths in engineering e li sciences.

li tallest building in Svissia es li Basler Messeturm.

• Music de Svissia
• Culture de Svissia
• Swiss cuisine
• SRG SSR idée suisse
• Svissia in popular culture

[modificar] Miscellaneous topics

• 2004 in Svissia
• 2005 in Svissia
• Communications in Svissia
• Data codes por Svissia
• Education in Svissia
• Enlargement de li European Union
• List de cities in Svissia
• List de Swiss people
• List de Svissia-related topics
• Military de Svissia
• Stamps e postal history de Svissia
• Swiss citizenship
• Third land relationships con li EU
• Transportation in Svissia

[modificar] External links

Template:Sisterlinks

• Governmental websites
  • li Federal Authorities
  • li Swiss Parliament
  • Federal Supreme Court - (in German, Francés e Italian)
  • Swiss Federal Statistical Office
• Svissia's news e information platform - maintained by li public Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (in 9 lingues )
• Historical Dictionary de Svissia - land encyclopedia (in German, Francés e Italian)
• Historical view de life in Svissia - Diary de life in Svissia by senior citizens (from 1910 till today) (in Francés)
• Svissia Photos - Svissia in Autumn
• Swissworld - an encyclopedic presentation de li land by li Swiss Confederation
• About.ch - another presentation de li land
• Svissia Tourism National tourist office
• Culturelinks.ch - a portal giving access to Swiss culture websites
• Spatial Planning in Svissia Website de Swiss Federal Office por Spatial Development (land-use planning, transportation, sustainable development)
• Map.Search.ch Maps de Svissia
• Just Landed Svissia - Useful info por moving to Svissia
• Images de Svissia. Photography de people, places, streets, city views across Svissia.
• Alemannic Wikipedia

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