Everything about Switzerland totally explained
Switzerland (, ), officially the
Swiss Confederation (
Confoederatio Helvetica in
Latin, hence its
ISO country codes
CH and CHE), is a
landlocked country of roughly 7.5 million people in
Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km².
Switzerland is a
federal republic consisting of 26 states. These states are called
cantons.
Berne is the seat of the federation and
de facto capital, while the country's economic centres are its two
global cities,
Geneva and especially
Zürich. Switzerland is one of the
richest countries in the world.
Switzerland is bordered by
Germany,
France,
Italy,
Austria and
Liechtenstein. Switzerland is multilingual and has four national languages:
German,
French,
Italian and
Romansh. Switzerland has a long history of
neutrality — it hasn't been at war since 1815 — and hosts many international organizations, including the
Red Cross, the
World Trade Organization and
one of the U.N.'s two European offices.
The Latin formal name of Switzerland,
Confoederatio Helvetica is derived from the
Helvetii, an ancient
Celtic people in the Alpine region. It is rendered in German as, in French as, in Italian as and in Romansh as . The establishment of Switzerland is traditionally dated to
August 1 1291; the first of August is the national holiday.
History
Early history
15 BC,
Tiberius and Drusus conquered the Alps, integrating them into the
Roman Empire: the
Helvetii area first became part of
Gallia Belgica and then of the
Germania Superior province, and the eastern portion was integrated to the province of
Raetia. In the
Early Middle Ages, the
Alemanni settled the
Swiss plateau and the
valleys of the Alps. The area of Switzerland proper was incorporated to the
Frankish Empire in the 530s, and, when part of the
Holy Roman Empire, was divided between
Alemannia and
Upper Burgundy; by AD 1200, the Swiss plateau comprised the dominions of the houses of
Savoy,
Zähringer,
Habsburg and
Kyburg. When the Kyburg dynasty fell in 1264, the Habsburgs under
King Rudolph I (Emperor in 1273) extended its territory to the eastern Swiss plateau.
Old Swiss Confederacy
valleys facilitating management of common interests (free trade) and ensure peace on the important mountain trade routess. The
Federal Charter of 1291 among the
rural communes of
Uri,
Schwyz, and
Unterwalden traditionally is the confederacy's founding document; like alliances might have existed decades earlier.
By 1353 the three original
cantons had joined with the cantons of
Glarus and
Zug and the
Lucerne,
Zürich and
Berne city states, forming the "Old Confederacy" of eight states that existed most of the 15th century, leading to increased power and wealth for the federation, particularly because of 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.
The
expansion of the federation, and the reputation of being invincible acquired during the earlier wars, suffered a first setback in 1515 with the Swiss defeat in the
Battle of Marignano, which ended the so-called "heroic" epoch of Swiss history. The success of
Zwingli's
Reformation in some cantons led to inter-cantonal wars in 1529 and 1531 (
Kappeler Kriege). Under the
Treaty of Westphalia in 1648,
European countries recognised Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its
neutrality . In
Early Modern Switzerland, the conflict between
Catholic and
Protestant cantons persisted, erupting in further violence at the
battles of Villmergen in 1656 and 1712, and 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.
Napoleonic era
In 1798 the armies of the
French Revolution conquered Switzerland and imposed a new unified constitution. This centralised the government of the country and effectively abolished the cantons. The new
regime, known as the
Helvetic Republic, was highly unpopular. It had been imposed by a foreign invading army and destroyed centuries of tradition, making Switzerland nothing more than a French satellite state. The fierce French suppression of the
Nidwalden Revolt in September of 1798 is an example of the suppressing presence of the French army and the local population's resistance to the occupation.
When war broke out between France and its rivals,
Russian and
Austrian forces invaded Switzerland. In 1803
Napoleon organised a meeting of the leading Swiss politicians from both sides in
Paris. The result was the
Act of Mediation which largely restored Swiss autonomy and introduced a Confederation of 19 cantons. Henceforth much of Swiss politics would concern balancing the cantons' tradition of self-rule with the need for a central government.
In 1815 the
Congress of Vienna fully re-established Swiss independence and the European powers agreed to permanently recognise Swiss neutrality. The treaty marked the last time that Switzerland fought in an international conflict. The treaty also allowed Switzerland to increase its territory, with the admission of the cantons of
Valais,
Neuchâtel and
Geneva – this was also the last time Switzerland's territory expanded.
Federal state
The
restoration of the power to the patriciate was only temporary. After a period of unrest with repeated violent clashes such as the
Züriputsch of 1839, civil war broke out between some of the Catholic and most of the other cantons in 1847 (the
Sonderbundskrieg). The war lasted for less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties; most of which were through friendly fire. However minor the Sonderbundskrieg seems to be when compared with other European riots and wars in the 19th century, it nevertheless had a major impact on both the psychology and the society of the Swiss and of Switzerland. The war made all Swiss understand the need for unity and strength towards its European neighbours. Swiss people from all strata of society, whether Catholic, Protestant, or from the liberal or conservative current, realised that the cantons would profit more if their economic and religious interest were merged. Credit to those who favored the power of the cantons (the Sonderbund Kantone), the national assembly was divided among an
upper house (the
Swiss Council of States) and a
lower house (the
National Council of Switzerland). Thus, the interests of the Federationalists were accounted for. Switzerland adopted a
federal constitution and the use of
referenda (mandatory for any amendment of this constitution) in 1848. This constitution provided for a central authority while leaving the cantons the right to self-government on local issues. In 1850 the
Swiss franc became the Swiss
single currency. The constitution was amended extensively in 1874 in order to take into account the rise in population and the
Industrial Revolution. 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 even today. Since then, continued political, economic, and social improvement has characterised Swiss history.
Modern history
Switzerland wasn't invaded during either of the World Wars. During
World War I, Switzerland was home to Vladimir Illych Ulyanov (
Lenin) and he remained there until 1917.. Swiss neutrality was seriously questioned by the
Grimm-Hoffmann Affair in 1917, but it was short-lived. In 1920, Switzerland joined the
League of Nations, and in 1963 the
Council of Europe.
During World War II, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the Germans, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, economic concessions to Germany, and good fortune as larger events during the war delayed an invasion. Attempts by Switzerland's small Nazi party to cause an
Anschluss with Germany failed miserably. The Swiss press vigorously criticised the
Third Reich, often infuriating its leadership. Under General
Henri Guisan, a massive mobilisation of militia forces was ordered. The Swiss military strategy was changed from one of static defence at the borders to protect the economic heartland, to a strategy of organised long-term attrition and withdrawal to strong, well-stockpiled positions high in the Alps known as the
Réduit. Switzerland was an important base for espionage by both sides in the conflict and often mediated communications between the Axis and Allied powers.
Switzerland's trade was blockaded by both the
Allies and by the
Axis. Economic cooperation and extension of credit to the Third Reich varied according to the perceived likelihood of invasion, and the availability of other trading partners. Concessions reached an apex after a crucial rail link through
Vichy France was severed in 1942, leaving Switzerland completely surrounded by the Axis. Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned over 300,000 refugees, 104,000 of which were foreign troops, interned according to the
Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers outlined in the
Hague Conventions. 60,000 of the refugees were civilians escaping persecution by the Nazis. Of these, 26,000 to 27,000 were Jews. However, strict immigration and asylum policies as well as the financial relationships with Nazi Germany raised controversy.
Women were granted the right to vote in the first Swiss cantons in 1959, at the federal level in 1971, and after resistance, in the last canton
Appenzell Innerrhoden in 1990. After suffrage at the federal level women quickly rose in political significance, with the first woman on the seven member high council being
Elisabeth Kopp from 1984–1989. The first female president was
Ruth Dreifuss, elected in 1998 to become president during 1999.
(The Swiss president is elected every year from those among the seven member high council). The second female president is
Micheline Calmy-Rey who held the 2007 Swiss high office. She is originally from the French-speaking western area of canton
Valais (Wallis in German). She is presently joined on the seven member cabinet/high council by two other women,
Doris Leuthard, from the canton of
Aargau and
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, from the canton of
Graubünden.
In 1979 areas from inside the previous borders in the canton of
Bern attained independence from the Bernese, forming the new
canton of Jura. On
April 18,
1999 the Swiss population and the cantons voted in favour of a completely revised
federal constitution.
In 2002 Switzerland became a full member of the
United Nations, leaving the
Vatican as the last widely recognized state without full UN membership. Switzerland is a founding member of the
EFTA, but isn't a member of the
European Economic Area. An application for membership in the
European Union was sent in May 1992, but not advanced since the EEA was rejected in December 1992 when Switzerland was the only country to launch a referendum on the EEA. There have since been several referenda on the EU issue, with a mixed reaction to these from the population, the membership application has been frozen. Nonetheless, Swiss law is gradually being adjusted to conform with that of the EU and the government has signed a number of
bilateral agreements with the European Union. Switzerland, together with
Liechtenstein, has been completely surrounded by the EU since
Austria's membership in 1995. On
5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed by a 55% majority to join the
Schengen treaty, a result that was regarded by EU commentators as a sign of support by Switzerland, a country that's traditionally perceived as independent, neutral, or
isolationist.
Politics
The
Federal Constitution adopted in 1848 is the legal foundation of the modern federal state. A new Constitution was adopted in 1999, but didn't introduce notable changes to the federal structure. It outlines basic and political rights of individuals and citizen participation in public affairs, and divides the powers between the Confederation and the cantons and defines federal jurisdictions and authorities. There are three main governing bodies on the federal level: the
bicameral parliament (legislative), the
Federal Council (executive) and the
Federal Court (judicial).
The Swiss Parliament consists of two houses: the
Council of States which has 46 representatives (two from each canton and one from each half-canton) who are elected under a system determined by each canton, and the
National Council, which consists of 200 members who are elected under a system of
proportional representation, depending on the population of each canton. Members of both houses serve for 4 years. When both houses are in joint session, they're known collectively as the
Federal Assembly. Through
referendums, citizens may challenge any law passed by parliament and through
initiatives, introduce amendments to the federal constitution, making Switzerland a
direct democracy.
The
Federal Council constitutes the federal
government, directs the
federal administration and serves as collective
Head of State. It is a collegial body of seven members, elected for a four-year mandate by the Federal Assembly which also exercises
oversight over the Council. The
President of the Confederation is elected by the Assembly from among the seven members, traditionally in rotation, for a one-year term, in order to chair the government and assume representative functions. However, the president is a
primus inter pares with no additional powers, and remains the head of a department of the administration.
The Swiss government has been a coalition of the four major political parties since 1959, each party having a number of seats that roughly reflects its share of electorate and representation in the federal parliament: currently there are 1
Christian Democrat (CVP/PDC), 2
Social Democrats (SPS/PSS), 2
Liberal Democrats (FDP/PRD), and 2 representatives of the
Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) in the government. This traditional distribution of seats is called the "magic formula", and isn't backed up by any law. The original distribution of 2 CVP/PDC, 2 SPS/PSS, 2 FDP/PRD and 1 SVP/UDC lasted from 1959 to 2003, until the CVP/PDC lost their second seat to the SVP/UDC, which had become the strongest party in Switzerland's legislative following the 2003 parliamentary elections.
The function of the
Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals against rulings of cantonal or federal courts. The judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.
Direct democracy
Swiss citizens are subject to three legal jurisdictions: the commune, canton and federal levels. The 1848 federal constitution defines a system of
direct democracy (sometimes called
half-direct democracy since it's added by the more commonplace institutions of a
parliamentary democracy). The instruments of Swiss direct democracy at the federal level, known as civil rights (
Volksrechte,
droits civiques), include the right to submit a
constitutional initiative and a
referendum, both of which may overturn parliamentary decisions.
By calling a federal
referendum a group of citizens may challenge a law that has been passed by Parliament, if they can gather 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If so, a national vote is scheduled where voters decide by a
simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Eight cantons together can also call a referendum on a federal law.
Similarly, the federal
constitutional initiative allows citizens to put a
constitutional amendment to a national vote, if they can get 100,000 voters to sign the proposed amendment within 18 months. Parliament can supplement the proposed amendment with a counter-proposal, with voters having to indicate a preference on the ballot in case both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in Parliament, must be accepted by a
double majority of both the national popular vote and a majority of the cantonal popular votes.
Cantons
The Swiss Confederation consists of 26
cantons:
*These cantons, called half-cantons, are represented by one councillor (instead of two) in the Council of States and only count half (instead of one) in national votes on constitutional amendments.
Their populations vary between 15,000 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,253,500 (Zürich), and their area between 37 km² (Basel-Stadt) and 7,105 km² (Graubünden). The Cantons comprise a total of 2,889
municipalities. Within Switzerland there are two
enclaves:
Büsingen belongs to
Germany,
Campione d'Italia belongs to
Italy.
In a referendum held in the
Austrian state of
Vorarlberg on
11 May 1919 over 80% of those voting supported a proposal that the state should join the Swiss Confederation. However, this was prevented by the opposition of the
Austrian Government, the
Allies,
Swiss liberals, the Swiss-Italians (persons of Swiss nationality who live in
Italian Switzerland – see map) and the
Romands (Swiss nationals living in the French-speaking regions of Switzerland – see map).
International institutions in Switzerland
An unusual number of international institutions have their seats in Switzerland, in part due to its policy of neutrality. The
Red Cross was founded there in 1863 and still has its institutional centre in the country. Switzerland isn't a member of the
European Union; the Swiss people rejected membership in a referendum in the early 1990s. Switzerland is one of the most recent countries to have joined the
United Nations, in 2002, even though
Geneva is the second biggest centre for the
United Nations after
New York, and Switzerland was a founding member of the
League of Nations.
Geography
.
With an area of 41,285
square kilometres (15,940
sq mi), Switzerland is a relatively small country. The population is about 7.5 million, resulting in an average
population density of 182 people per square kilometer (472/sq mi). However, the more mountainous southern half of the country is far more sparsely populated than this average, while the northern half has a somewhat greater density, as it comprises more hospitable hilly terrain, partly forested and partly cleared, as well as several large lakes.
Switzerland comprises three basic topographical areas: the
Swiss Alps, the
Swiss plateau or "middleland", and the
Jura mountains along the northwestern border with France. The
Alps are a high mountain range running across the central-south of the country, comprising about 60 % of the country's total area. Among the high peaks of the
Swiss Alps, the highest of which is the
Dufourspitze at 4,634 metres (15,203
ft), countless valleys are found, many with waterfalls and
glaciers. From these the headwaters of several major European rivers such as the
Rhine,
Rhône,
Inn,
Aare, and
Ticino flow finally into the largest Swiss lakes such as
Lake Geneva (Lac Léman),
Lake Zürich,
Lake Neuchâtel, and
Lake Constance.
The most famous mountain is the
Matterhorn (4,478 m) in
Valais and
Pennine Alps bordering Italy. The highest mountain, the
Dufourspitze (4,634 m) of
Monte Rosa, is close to the Matterhorn. The section of the
Bernese Alps above the deep glacial
Lauterbrunnen Valley containing 72 waterfalls is also well known for the Jungfrau (4,158 m), Mönch, Eiger group of peaks, and the many picturesque valleys in the region. In the southeast the long
Engadin Valley, encompassing the St Moritz area in canton
Graubünden, is also well known; the highest peak in the neighbouring
Bernina Alps is
Piz Bernina (4,049 m).
The more populous northern part of the country, comprising about 30 % of the country's total area, is called the Middle Land. It has greater open and hilly landscapes, partly forested, partly open pastures, usually with grazing herds, or vegetables and fruit fields, but it's still hilly. There are large lakes found here and the biggest Swiss cities are in this area of the country. The World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report currently ranks Switzerland's economy as the second most competitive in the world. For much of the 20th century, Switzerland was the wealthiest country in Europe by a considerable margin. In 2005 the
median household income in Switzerland was an estimated 95,000
CHF, the equivalent of roughly 55,000 USD in
purchasing power parity, which is similar to wealthy American states like California
(External Link
).
Switzerland is home to several large multinational corporations. Notable among these are
Nestlé,
UBS AG,
Zurich Financial Services,
Credit Suisse,
Novartis,
Roche,
ABB,
Swiss Re, and
The Swatch Group. Switzerland is ranked as one of the most powerful economies in the world.
OECD puts the Swiss standardized unemployment rate at 3.6% for 2007 down from 4.5% two years earlier.
According to
Credit Suisse, only about 37 percent of the Swiss own their own homes. Ownership rates are among the lowest in Europe.
Switzerland and the European Union
In recent years, the Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with those of the European Union in many ways, in an effort to enhance their international competitiveness. The economy has been growing most recently at around 3% per year. Full EU membership is a long-term objective of some in the Swiss government, but there's considerable popular sentiment against this supported by the conservative SVP party. The western French-speaking areas and the urban regions of the rest of the country tend to be more pro-EU.
The government has established an Integration Office under the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Economic Affairs. To minimise the negative consequences of Switzerland's isolation from the rest of Europe, Bern and
Brussels signed seven bilateral agreements to further liberalise trade ties. These agreements were signed in 1999 and took effect in 2001. This first series of bilateral agreements included the free movement of persons. A second series covering nine areas was signed in 2004 and has since been ratified. The second series includes the
Schengen treaty and the
Dublin Convention. They continue to discuss further areas for cooperation. Switzerland most recently (2006) approved a billion francs supportive investment in the poorer eastern European countries in support of cooperation and positive ties to the EU as a whole. A further referendum will be needed to approve 300 million francs to support Romania and Bulgaria and their recent admission. The Swiss have also been under EU and sometimes international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and to raise tax rates to parity with the European Union. Preparatory discussions are being opened in four new areas: opening up the electricity market, participation in the European GNSS project
Galileo, cooperating with the European centre for disease prevention and recognising certificates of origin for food products. Switzerland voted against membership in the
European Economic Area in December 1992 and has since maintained and developed its relationships with the European Union and European countries through bilateral agreements. In March 2001, the Swiss people refused in a popular vote to start accession negotiations with the EU. Both Switzerland and Norway have consistently voted against EU membership, although the votes have been close.
Energy
Electricity generated in Switzerland is 42% from
nuclear and 53% from
hydroelectricity with 5% of the electricity generated from conventional power sources (thermal etc.) resulting in a nearly CO
2-free electricity-generating network.
On
18 May 2003, two anti-nuclear initiatives were turned down:
Moratorium Plus, aimed at forbidding the building of new
nuclear power plants (41.6% supported and 58.4% opposed), and Electricity Without Nuclear (33.7% supported and 66.3% opposed). The former ten-year moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants was the result of a
citizens' initiative voted on in 1990 which had passed with 54.5% Yes vs. 45.5% No votes. A new nuclear plant in the
Canton of Bern is presently planned.
The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is the office responsible for all questions relating to energy supply and energy use within the
Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). The agency is supporting the
2000-watt society initiative to cut the nation's energy use by more than half by the year
2050. See also
SwissEnergy.
Switzerland is heavily active in recycling and anti-littering regulations and is one of the top recyclers in the world with 66% to 96% of the different recyclable materials being recycled. In many places in Switzerland, household rubbish disposal is charged for. Garbage (except dangerous items, batteries etc.) will only be collected if it's in bags which either have a payment sticker attached, or in official bags with the surcharge paid when the bags are purchased. This gives a financial incentive to recycle as much as possible, since recycling is free. Swiss health officials and police often open up garbage for which the disposal charge hasn't been paid. They search for evidence such as old bills which connect the bag to the household/person they originated from. Fines for not paying the disposal fee range from 200–500 Francs ($165–$410 at April 2007 exchange rates).
Demographics
official languages:
German (63.7% total population share, with foreign residents; 72.5% of residents with Swiss citizenship, in 2000) in the north, east and centre of the country;
French (20.4%; 21.0%) to the west;
Italian (6.5%; 4.3%) in the south. from French), from similar term in another language (Italian
azione used not as
act but as
discount from German
Aktion). Learning one of the other national languages at school is obligatory for all Swiss, so most Swiss are supposed to be at least
bilingual.
Resident foreigners and temporary foreign workers make up about 21% of the population. Most of these are from European Union and
EFTA countries.
Italians are the largest single group of foreigners with 18% of total foreign population, while people from the various nations of former
Yugoslavia make up 21%, there are also many ethnic
Albanians. Immigrants from
Sri Lanka, most of them former Tamil refugees, are the largest group among people of Asian origin.
Religion
Switzerland has no official
state religion, though most of the
cantons (except
Geneva and
Neuchâtel) recognise official churches, in all cases including the
Catholic Church and the
Swiss Reformed Church. These churches, and in some cantons also the
Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations, are financed by official taxation of adherents.
Christianity is the predominant religion of Switzerland, divided between various
Protestant denominations (42.5% of the population) and the
Catholic Church (41%). Immigration has brought
Islam (4.3%, predominantly
Albanians mostly from
Kosovo) and
Eastern Orthodoxy (1.8%) as sizeable minority religions. The 2005 Eurobarometer poll found 48% to be
theist, 39% expressing belief in "a spirit or life force", 9%
atheist and 4%
agnostic.
The country is historically about evenly balanced between Catholic and Protestant, with a complex patchwork of majorities over most of the country. One canton, Appenzell, was officially divided into Catholic and Protestant sections in 1597. The larger cities (Bern, Zürich and Basel) are predominantly Protestant. Central Switzerland, as well as the Ticino, is traditionally Catholic. The
Swiss constitution of 1848, under the recent impression of the clashes of Catholic vs. Protestant cantons that culminated in the
Sonderbundskrieg, consciously defines a
consociational state, allowing the peaceful co-existence of Catholics and Protestants. A 1980 initiative calling for the complete
separation of church and state was clearly rejected, with only 21.1% voting in support.
Culture
The culture of Switzerland is influenced by its neighbours and its international sentiment, but over the years a distinctive culture with some regional differences and an independent streak has developed. In particular, French-speaking regions have tended to orient themselves slightly more on French culture and tend to be more pro
EU. In general, the Swiss are known for their long standing
humanitarian tradition as Switzerland is the birth place of the
Red Cross Movement and hosts the
United Nations Human Rights Council.
Swiss German speaking areas may perhaps be seen more oriented on German culture, although German-speaking Swiss people identify strictly as Swiss because of the difference between High German, and the Swiss German dialects. Italian-speaking areas can have more of an Italian culture. A region may be in some ways strongly culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language. The linguistically isolated
Rhaeto-Romanic culture in the eastern mountains of Switzerland is also robust and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition. Switzerland's entry to the
Eurovision Song Contest of 1989 was in
Romansh.
Many mountain areas have a strong highly energetic ski town culture in winter, and a hiking/wandering culture in summer. Some areas throughout the year have a recreational culture that caters to tourism, yet the quieter seasons are spring and autumn when there are fewer visitors and a higher ratio of Swiss. A traditional farmer and herder culture also predominates in many areas, and this connection to the land and agriculture is a strong glue holding all the Swiss together. Even though most no longer actually farm themselves, the small farms are omnipresent outside the cities, and as well many Swiss at least have a small garden plot or many window boxes with
geraniums and other flowers.
Sport
Like many European nations the Swiss are big fans of
football and the national team or '
Nati' is widely supported. Swiss wrestling or "
Schwingen" is an old tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport.
Hornussen is another indigenous
Swiss sport, which is like a cross between
baseball and
golf.
Steinstossen is the
Swiss variant of
stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practiced among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it's recorded to have taken place in
Basel in the 13th century. It is also central to the
Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 kg
Unspunnenstein.
Floorball is a new sport in Switzerland that grows every year in popularity. A main factor is the professional league called Nationalliga A that draws many famous players from other countries.
Over the last few years several Swiss
tennis players, like
Roger Federer and
Martina Hingis, have been multiple Grand Slam singles champions. One of the world's best current ice skaters is Swiss
Stéphane Lambiel. Many Swiss also follow
hockey and support one of the 12 clubs in the league A. Two clubs are from the French speaking part, and two other from the Italian part. The canton
Graubünden has
HC Davos as its own club which won the 2006–2007 Swiss championship. The German speaking part of Switzerland has 7 clubs. The most known Swiss club is SCBerne. Switzerland is also the home of the successful sailing team
Alinghi. Other sports where the Swiss have been successful include fencing (
Marcel Fischer), whitewater slalom (Ronnie Dürrenmatt – canoe, Mathias Röthenmund – kayak), ice hockey (Swiss National League), beach volleyball (
Sascha Heyer,
Markus Egger,
Paul and
Martin Laciga), and skiing (Bernhard Russi,
Pirmin Zurbriggen,
Didier Cuche).
Motorsport racecourses were banned in Switzerland following the
1955 Le Mans disaster, however the country has produced successful racers such as
Clay Regazzoni and
Jo Siffert, and leading drivers such as
Michael Schumacher,
Kimi Räikkönen,
Fernando Alonso and now
Lewis Hamilton all live there
(External Link). Switzerland is also the joint venue following Austria in the
Euro 2008 football tournament.
Further Information
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