All Cities in Switzerland. Base Camp in Switzerland :
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Switzerland Description Switzerland
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The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. A constitution of 1848, subsequently modified in 1874, replaced the confederation with a centralized federal government. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.
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Location
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Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy
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Area - comparative
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slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
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Natural resources Switzerland Switzerland
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hydropower potential, timber, salt
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Population Switzerland
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7,623,438 (July 2010 est.)
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Switzerland Religions Switzerland
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Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Muslim 4.3%, Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%, none 11.1% (2000 census)
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Languages
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German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 20.4%, Italian (official) 6.5%, Serbo-Croatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%, Portuguese 1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, Romansch (official) 0.5%, other 2.8% (2000 census)
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Switzerland Education Switzerland expenditures
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5.8% of GDP (2005)
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Government Switzerland type
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26 cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; Kantone, singular - Kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden, Appenzell Inner-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich
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Independence
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Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)
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Switzerland Economy - overview
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-1.5% (2009 est.)
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Investment Switzerland
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3.34% (31 December 2008)
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Industries Switzerland
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49.9 billion kWh (2009 est.)
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Airports Switzerland
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Basel
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