Switzerland - the country

Switzerland is a relatively small country in the heart of Europe. It is perhaps most famous for its snow-covered Alps and breath-taking scenery. Switzerland is equally well known as home to the United Nations Human Rights Commission, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and many other important international organizations. Also noteworthy are the Swiss banks (UBS, Credit Suisse) headquartered in Zürich, the watch industry in the Jura, and the large chemical and pharmaceutical firms (Ciba, Hoffman LaRoche, Novartis) located in Basel. The country is bordered by France to the west, Germany to the north, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, and Italy to the south.

Switzerland is one of the most multilingual countries in Europe. Many Swiss, particularly those who work with visitors, speak several languages including English. Bordered by four European countries, the Swiss have adopted their languages. German, spoken in both Germany and Austria, is spoken by 65% of the population, while French accounts for 18% of the population and Italian 10%. A mere 1% of the population speaks Romansch as their mother tongue. Declared the fourth national language in 1938, Romansch is a combination of Roman Latin and the Tuscan dialect of the Rhaeti (a branch of the Etruscans who resisted the Romans in 58 BC). Various languages account for the remaining 6% of the population.

About 48% of the population is Roman Catholic, 45% Protestant, and 0.3% Jewish.

> Government & Politics

About thirty countries in the world are based on a federal system of government. Switzerland is one of the smallest and - in view of the relative autonomy of its 26 miniature states or cantons - one of the most complex as well. Switzerland has been a direct democracy since 1848. The country’s basic political structure rests on a three-tiered system of government in combination with the principles of subsidiarity and federalism.

The political organization of Switzerland is divided into three stages: the commune, the canton and the Confederation, each of which is largely autonomous. In case of uncertainty, final decisions rest with the canton or the commune. Thus, even the smallest political unit, the commune, possesses considerable autonomy. The responsibilities it cannot handle alone are assumed by the canton, while the canton’s authority is complemented by that of the Confederation. This spirit of coordination and support, known as subsidiarity, serves to keep the central power in check and, in many areas, grants the Confederation only an ancillary role.

The Swiss legislative body, the Federal Assembly, consists - like its model, the USA - of two chambers. The 200 delegates of the National Council are elected to office for four years, the seats being divided among the parties in proportion to the votes cast. The second chamber, the Council of States, reflects the federalist aspect of Switzerland since each canton has equal representation, namely two delegates who are elected according to the rules of each canton (half-cantons send one representative each).

The rights, duties and jurisdiction of both councils are identical. Every year, the members of parliament, who perform their duties on a part-time basis (the militia system), generally convene in four sessions of three weeks each.

The seven-member Federal Council was established in 1848 and forms the national executive body.

A significant characteristic of political instruments in Switzerland is that they are rooted in the voting population. Voters can actively intervene in the work of parliament on both federal and cantonal levels not only by participating in elections but also by making use of two instruments: the referendum and the initiative.

Political parties and numerous associations also play an important role since they participate in decision-making processes by means of the consultation process.

The mainstays of foreign policy are the principles of solidarity, universality, availability and neutrality. At the end of the cold war and in view of changing European and global patterns, these principles are undergoing profound reappraisal. The country’s position within Europe and the world has become a key issue in Switzerland today.

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> Nature & Environment

The landscape of Switzerland is divided into three physiographic regions: the central plateau or the Mittelland, the Alps and the Jura Mountains. Covering more than half of the country’s area (9650 sq mi/25,000 sq km), the Alps form a remarkable ecosystem. Many fundamental phenomena of nature spring from or are substantially influenced by the Alps: climate, vegetation, and the continental divide. The mountain range is the source of three rivers: the Rhine, the Rhône and the Ticino.

Water is Switzerland’s richest resource: 42,000 streams and rivers and over 1500 lakes contain a total of 262 km3 of water - 6 % of the fresh water reserves in Europe.

Forests or underbrush cover 30% of Switzerland’s territory, with the greatest concentration of wooded areas in the Jura region and Ticino. The many kinds of soil, types of landscape and climatic conditions have contributed to a great diversity of trees.

Due to its geographical location, Switzerland is influenced by all the major climates of Europe. The Alps form the European weather divide. The region north of the Alps is influenced by the Atlantic, while the south is characterized by a milder Mediterranean climate with less precipitation.

Switzerland has been fully explored since the 18th century; there are no untouched areas left, except for a few spots in the Jura Mountains and in the Alps.

Today, over 6% of the total surface area of the country is urbanized. This figure is particularly significant since the built-up regions are concentrated in the Mittelland and the foothills of the Alps, i.e. in less than a third of the country as a whole.

Parallel to economic expansion, environmental issues have been addressed as well. Ecological concerns have become a constituent of all building projects and, in many cases, have led to a new ethical approach.

> See what the weather is like in Fribourg

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> Social Structure

One of the special features of Switzerland includes its more or less uninterrupted political and economic evolution. Even at the end of the twentieth century, many valleys and communes have preserved their local structures and still enjoy an active community life with distinctive ethnic, cultural and linguistic characteristics.

Virtually unaffected by the industrial revolution and urbanization, a sense of shared heritage still characterizes life in villages and small towns, thus encouraging conformity to basic values. These often consist of opposing forces such as a love of freedom and coziness, of innovation and tradition. Values such as diligence, punctuality, orderliness and cleanliness encourage the preservation and stabilization of the status quo and the consolidation of one’s own status.

> Economy

Switzerland has no major raw material. Even so, the country has one of the highest rates of productivity in the world. The domestic market has always been too small for mass production, requiring Switzerland to rely on the international market. The Swiss economy has thus developed without any mining or heavy industry. Water, the only raw material in adequate supply, has encouraged theconstruction of a variety of production plants.

An international orientation was and is an essential feature of the Swiss economy. Its origins can be traced back to the export of mercenaries in the 15th century and widespread forced emigration on grounds of poverty in the 19th century.

Capital, an innovative spirit, and links with the business world abroad have enabled Swiss enterprises to develop a strategy suited to the domestic situation: securing market niches through the creation of high-quality products.

The Swiss workforce amounts to 3.78 million people. Businesses in Switzerland are small as a rule: 98% have fewer than 50 employees. Switzerland ranks among the countries with the longest working hours. The working population yields about 1,800 working hours per capita per year (averaging 41.9 hours a week). Absenteeism at the workplace is very low.

Additional factors, such as the system of social partnership, the regional equalization system between the cantons, and the limited intervention of the state, contribute to the high degree of stability in the domestic economy and to credibility abroad.

About 3% of the gross domestic product goes into research and development, making Switzerland one of the leading investors in this field. Close to two-thirds of these expenditures are carried by private industry. The chemical, machine and tool, and metal industries, as well as electro-technology account for 70% of expenditures. However, Swiss enterprises invest almost 50% more in research and development abroad than at home.

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> Education and Training

The Swiss educational system is strongly decentralized. Each of the 26 cantons has its own educational system and is basically autonomous in defining its school curriculum. There is no federal ministry of education. The EDK ("Swiss Conference of Cantonal Boards of Education") is responsible for coordination where necessary.

Reduced to a simplified common denominator, the school system basically consists of voluntary pre-school education (1-2 years), compulsory basic education (9 years), vocational training or further education (2-4 years), and advanced training or university studies (2-6 years). Basic education is followed up by a broad range of vocational and general programs and institutions.

The vocational system of education in Switzerland is very similar to the German and Austrian systems. Vocational training combines on-the-job training as an apprentice with schooling. About two-thirds of young people in Switzerland choose a professional educational program.

Switzerland has 10 cantonal universities (Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchâtel, Lugano, Basle, Bern, Lucerne, St. Gall, Zurich). Only two universities are run by the federal government: The Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, founded in 1855, and the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne, founded in 1969.

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> Culture

The small state of Switzerland is the consequence of the pragmatic, historical insight that coexistence with other cantons is the best guarantee of the continued existence of one’s own. Thus, a new federal state was formed. Since it was not possible to base nationality on language or heritage, a source of cohesion was found in history and myth. Not until 1848, when the confederation of states was established, did Switzerland begin to see itself as a political and cultural unit.

Diversity in Switzerland means that its narrow confines necessarily embody a broader view. Being so small and multilingual, Switzerland must rely on exchange with neighboring countries. This orientation abroad makes the country international in character and prevents the rise of a marked nationalism in comparison with other countries. Although the German language is statistically dominant, Switzerland is characterized by linguistic variety. Linguistic policy is defined by the cantons and the communes. Apart from the national languages English is increasingly becoming important.

The diversity of cultures is also reflected in the fields of music, theater, art and literature - all of which play an important role in local and regional recreational activities. In addition, a lively exchange is cultivated with cultural life abroad. Not only are there many internationally renowned representatives of the fine arts but there are also a number of major events in Switzerland: the annual contemporary art fair in Basle, the international book and press fair in Geneva, the music festival in Lucerne, the jazz festival in Montreux, and the film festivals in Locarno and Nyon.

In addition to this, the winter carnival festivities in the cities of Basle and Lucerne are the most popular in the country. These events attract many tourists from within Switzerland and its neighboring countries.

Over 850 museums, more than 150 permanent theaters, 6,000 libraries open to the public, a publishing industry that produces over 10,000 books a year all bear witness to the dynamic cultural diversity of Switzerland and its local and regional roots. The majority of the funding is provided by the towns and cities.

And finally, the four linguistic regions publish a total of 213 newspapers with a total circulation of 2.6 million.

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Fribourg - the city

> New video about Fribourg-Freiburg [video Youtube]

> Gallery of photos (new)

> Gallery of photos (antique postcards)

> See what the weather is like in Fribourg

		Founded in 1157 by the Duke of Zaehringen the city of Fribourg is well known for its old city and its medieval fortifications. Fribourg is located where the Germanic and Romanesque cultures meet, thus the city is bilingual, with French and German being the official languages. The city is comprised of just over 35,000 inhabitants with approximately double that number if one includes the immediate surrounding suburbs. Fribourg has few truly (if any) "urban problems", yet has some of the conveniences such as efficient public transportation and cultural offerings. The city experienced a kind of economic and cultural boom in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when it was joined to the major cities of Europe by means of a new highway. The Golden Tulip Hotel and the Post Office attest to this boom, and although they are not considered the most aesthetic of structures, nobody doubts their historic value. Of course, the centerpiece and one of the most remarkable landmarks in Fribourg is the Cathedral of St. Nicholas. Other attractions include the Pont de Berne, one of the oldest covered wooden bridges of Switzerland, the Gorges du Gotteron, a small and idyllic valley extending from the magnificent vielle-ville/Altstadt, and its great number of houses dating back to the middle-ages. Fribourg also has different museums (Museum of Art and History, Museum of Natural History, Swiss Museum of the Beer and Swiss Museum of the Sewing Machine), theatres (Marionettes Theatre of Fribourg, Theatre of the City, etc.) and public and private art galleries (Art and Tradition, Gallery of the Cathedral, etc.).

Fribourg is conveniently located on the Intercity train line and therefore has express service to the major cities in Switzerland. Bern: 20 min., Lausanne: 45 min., Geneva: 75 min., Zürich: 90 min., Luzern: 90 min., Basel: 90 min., and Lugano: 330 min. Students can easily take advantage of the cultural opportunities offered in these nearby cities. Day trips are very common and easy to do. There is a direct bullet train from Bern or Lausanne to Paris, taking only four and a half hours. Milan is five hours away.

The city of Fribourg is also home to Europe’s only truly bilingual French-German university with a student body of about 10,000 students, which also provides for many cultural diversions.

Perhaps the most interesting cultural aspect of Fribourg is its bilingual character. The region is situated on the Sarine River, the linguistic frontier of Switzerland (affectionately called the "Rösti Graben".) This geographic barrier more or less separates French-speaking Switzerland from German-speaking Switzerland. The population of Fribourg is approximately 60% French-speaking and 40% German-speaking. Though most inhabitants speak both languages with ease, having a basic knowledge of French is helpful.

Many people enjoy Switzerland for its famous mountains - the Alps and the Jura. In the summer and autumn there is hiking or mountain biking from the Fribourg region up into the Alps. In addition, the nearby lakes provide great swimming and windsurfing possibilities.

Of course, in winter there is skiing considered to be some of the best in the world. By automobile, Fribourg is close to some well-known ski resorts such as Gstaad, 50 min.; Verbier, 75 min.; Grindelwald, 75 min.; and Crans-Montana, 90 min.

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