Capital: Bern

Administrative divisions: 26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in
French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular -
kanton in German); Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft,
Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Inner-Rhoden,
Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen,
Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud,
Zug, Zurich

Independence: 1 August 1291

National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss
Confederation, 1 August (1291)

Constitution: 29 May 1874

Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial
review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of
general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Kaspar VILLIGER (1995
calendar year; presidency rotates annually); Vice President
Jean-Pascal DELAMURAZ (term runs concurrently with that of president)
cabinet: Federal Council (German - Bundesrat, French - Censeil
Federal, Italian - Consiglio Federale); elected by the Federal
Assembly from own members

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (German -
Bundesversammlung, French - Assemblee Federale, Italian - Assemblea
Federale)
Council of States: German - Standerat, French - Conseil des Etats,
Italian - Consiglio degli Stati; elections last held throughout 1991
(next to be held NA 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (46 total) FDP 18, CVP 16, SVP 4, SPS 3, LPS 3, LdU 1, Ticino
League 1
National Council: German - Nationalrat, French - Conseil National,
Italian - Consiglio Nazionale; elections last held 20 October 1991
(next to be held NA October 1995); results - percent of vote by party
NA; seats - (200 total) FDP 44, SPS 42, CVP 37, SVP 25, GPS 14, LPS
10, AP 8, LdU 6, SD 5, EVP 3, PdA 2, Ticino League 2, other 2

Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Free Democratic Party (FDP), Franz
STEINEGGER, president; Social Democratic Party (SPS), Peter BODENMANN,
president; Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP), Anton COTTIER,
president; Swiss People's Party (SVP), Hans UHLMANN, president; Green
Party (GPS), Verena DIENER, president; Freedom Party (FPS), Roland
BORER, president; Liberal Party (LPS), Christoph EYMANN, presi