estant 40%, other 5%, no
religion 8.9% (1990)

Languages: German 63.7%, French 19.2%, Italian 7.6%, Romansch
0.6%, other 8.9%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Swiss Confederation
conventional short form: Switzerland
local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German),
Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)
local short form: Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Svizzera
(Italian)

Data code: SZ

Government type: federal republic

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: President Ruth DREIFUSS (since 1 January 1999); Vice
President Adolf OGI (since 1 January 1999); note--the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ruth DREIFUSS (since 1 January 1999);
Vice President Adolf OGI (since 1 January 1999); note--the president
is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal
(in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal
Assembly from among its own members for a four-year term
elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal
Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year
terms that run concurrently; election last held NA December 1998
(next to be held NA December 1999)
election results: Ruth DREIFUSS elected president; percent of
Federal Assembly vote--Ruth DREIFUSS 75%; Adolf OGI e