Long-form name: Swiss Confederation

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

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

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

Executive branch: president, vice president, Federal Council (German--Bundesrat, French--Conseil Federal)

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (German--Bundesversammlung, French--Assemblee Federale) consists of an upper council or Council of States (German--Standerat, French--Conseil des Etats) and and a lower council or National Council (German--Nationalrat, French--Conseil National)

Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court

Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Arnold KOLLER (1990 calendar year; presidency rotates annually); Vice President Flavio COTTI (term runs concurrently with that of president)

Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (SPS), Helmut Hubacher, chairman; Radical Democratic Party (FDP), Bruno Hunziker, president; Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP), Eva Segmuller-Weber, president; Swiss People's Party (SVP), Hans Uhlmann, president; Workers' Party (PdA), Armand Magnin, secretary general; National Action Party (NA), Hans Zwicky, chairman; Independents' Party (LdU), Dr. Franz Jaeger, president; Republican Movement (Rep), Dr. James Schworzenboch, Franz Baumgartner, leaders; Liberal Party (LPS), Gilbert Coutau, president; Evangelical People's Party (EVP), Max Dunki, president; Progressive Organizations of Switzerland (POCH), Georg Degen, secretary; Federation of Ecology Parties (GP), Laurent Rebeaud, president; Autonomous Socialist Party (PSA), Werner Carobbio, secretary

Suffrage: universal at age 20

Elections: Council of State--last held throughout 1987 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(46 total) CVP 19, FDP 14, SPS 5, SVP 4, others 4; National Council--last held 18 October 1987 (next to be held October 1991); results--FDP 22.9%, CVP 20.0%, SPS 18.4%, SVP 11.0%, GP 4.8%, others 22.9%; seats--(200 total) FDP 51, CVP 42, SPS 41, SVP 25, GP 9, others 32

Communists: 4,500 members (est.)

Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, ILO, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO; permanent observer status at the UN

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Edouard BRUNNER; Chancery at 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-7900; there are Swiss Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Joseph B. GUILDENHORN; Embassy at Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern; telephone p41o (31) 437011; there is a Branch Office of the Embassy in Geneva and a Consulate General in Zurich

Flag: red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag

NOTE: The information regarding Switzerland on this page is re-published from the 1990 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Switzerland Government 1990 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Switzerland Government 1990 should be addressed to the CIA.