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Compare Cook Islands (2006) - Switzerland (2005)
Compare Cook Islands (2006) z Switzerland (2005)
| Cook Islands (2006) | Switzerland (2005) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none | 26 cantons (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 |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 34.1% (male 2,718/female 2,388)
15-64 years: 59.5% (male 4,531/female 4,395) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 489/female 469) (2001 census) |
0-14 years: 16.6% (male 643,497/female 597,565)
15-64 years: 68% (male 2,570,544/female 2,522,365) 65 years and over: 15.4% (male 472,769/female 682,630) (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | copra, citrus, pineapples, tomatoes, beans, pawpaws, bananas, yams, taro, coffee; pigs, poultry | grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs |
| Airports | 9 (2006) | 65 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006) |
total: 42
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 16 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 23
under 914 m: 23 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total: 236.7 sq km
land: 236.7 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 41,290 sq km
land: 39,770 sq km water: 1,520 sq km |
| Area - comparative | 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey |
| Background | Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965 residents chose self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand and government deficits are continuing problems. | 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. Switzerland's sovreignty 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. |
| Birth rate | 21 births/1,000 population (2001 census) | 9.77 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $70.95 million
expenditures: $69.05 million; including capital expenditures of $5.744 million (FY00/01 est.) |
revenues: $131.5 billion
expenditures: $140.4 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
| Capital | name: Avarua
geographic coordinates: 21 12 S, 159 46 W time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Bern |
| Climate | tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March | temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers |
| Coastline | 120 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Constitution | 4 August 1965 | revision of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal Parliament 18 December 1998, adopted by referendum 18 April 1999, officially entered into force 1 January 2000 |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cook Islands former: Harvey Islands |
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) |
| Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 8.48 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Debt - external | $141 million (1996 est.) | $NA (2000) |
| Dependency status | self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense, in consultation with the Cook Islands | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand) | chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela P. WILLEFORD
embassy: Jubilaumsstrasse 93, CH-3005 Bern mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [41] (031) 357 70 11 FAX: [41] (031) 357 73 44 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand) | chief of mission: Ambassador Christian BLICKENSTORFER
chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900 FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco consulate(s): Boston |
| Disputes - international | none | none |
| Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $1.1 billion (1995) |
| Economic aid - recipient | $13.1 million; note - New Zealand continues to furnish the greater part (1995) | - |
| Economy - overview | Like many other South Pacific island nations, the Cook Islands' economic development is hindered by the isolation of the country from foreign markets, the limited size of domestic markets, lack of natural resources, periodic devastation from natural disasters, and inadequate infrastructure. Agriculture, employing about 70% of the working population, provides the economic base with major exports made up of copra and citrus fruit. Black pearls are the Cook Island's leading export. Manufacturing activities are limited to fruit processing, clothing, and handicrafts. Trade deficits are offset by remittances from emigrants and by foreign aid, overwhelmingly from New Zealand. In the 1980s and 1990s, the country lived beyond its means, maintaining a bloated public service and accumulating a large foreign debt. Subsequent reforms, including the sale of state assets, the strengthening of economic management, the encouragement of tourism, and a debt restructuring agreement, have rekindled investment and growth. | Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP larger than that of the big Western European economies. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safe haven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the anemic economic conditions of Europe, GDP growth dropped in 2001 to about 0.8%, to 0.2% in 2002, and to -0.3% in 2003, with a small rise to 1.8% in 2004. Even so, unemployment has remained at less than half the EU average. |
| Electricity - consumption | 34.46 million kWh (2005 est.) | 54.53 billion kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 32.3 billion kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 27.8 billion kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - production | 28 million kWh (2003) | 63.47 billion kWh (2002) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Te Manga 652 m |
lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning; acid rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Ethnic groups | Cook Island Maori (Polynesian) 87.7%, part Cook Island Maori 5.8%, other 6.5% (2001 census) | German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6% |
| Exchange rates | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001) | Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003), 1.5586 (2002), 1.6876 (2001), 1.6888 (2000) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Frederick GOODWIN (since 9 February 2001); New Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since 6 September 2005), representative of New Zealand
head of government: Prime Minister Jim MARURAI (since 14 December 2004); Deputy Prime Minister Terepai MAOATE (since 9 August 2005) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister; collectively responsible to Parliament elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the UK representative is appointed by the monarch; the New Zealand high commissioner is appointed by the New Zealand Government; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually becomes prime minister |
chief of state: President Samuel SCHMID (since 1 January 2005); Vice President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Samuel SCHMID (since 1 January 2005); Vice President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2005); 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 usually 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 8 December 2004 (next to be held December 2005) election results: Samuel SCHMID elected president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - 70.7%; Moritz LEUENBERGER elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 64.8% |
| Exports | NA bbl/day | 10,420 bbl/day (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | copra, papayas, fresh and canned citrus fruit, coffee; fish; pearls and pearl shells; clothing | machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products |
| Exports - partners | Australia 34%, Japan 27%, New Zealand 25%, US 8% (2004) | Germany 20.2%, US 10.5%, France 8.7%, Italy 8.3%, UK 5.1%, Spain 4% (2004) |
| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
| Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island) centered in the outer half of the flag | red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 15.1%
industry: 9.6% services: 75.3% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 34% services: 64.5% (2003 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $33,800 (2004 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 0.1% (2005 est.) | 1.8% (2004 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 21 14 S, 159 46 W | 47 00 N, 8 00 E |
| Geography - note | the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km | landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps |
| Heliports | - | 2 (2004 est.) |
| Highways | - | total: 71,212 km
paved: 71,212 km (including 1,706 of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (2002) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 25.2% (1992) |
| Illicit drugs | - | a major international financial center vulnerable to the layering and integration stages of money laundering; despite significant legislation and reporting requirements, secrecy rules persist and nonresidents are permitted to conduct business through offshore entities and various intermediaries; transit country for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin |
| Imports | NA bbl/day | 289,500 bbl/day (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber, capital goods | machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles |
| Imports - partners | New Zealand 61%, Fiji 19%, US 9%, Australia 6%, Japan 2% (2004) | Germany 32.8%, Italy 11.3%, France 9.9%, US 5.2%, Netherlands 5%, Austria 4.3% (2004) |
| Independence | none (became self-governing in free association with New Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move to full independence by unilateral action) | 1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 1% (2002) | 4.7% (2004 est.) |
| Industries | fruit processing, tourism, fishing, clothing, handicrafts | machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments |
| Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.1% (2005 est.) | 0.9% (2004 est.) |
| International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, FAO, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IOC, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO | ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC |
| Irrigated land | NA | 250 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | High Court | Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly) |
| Labor force | 6,820 (2001) | 3.77 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 29%
industry: 15% services: 56% (1995) |
agriculture 4.6%, industry 26.3%, services 69.1% (1998) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 1,852 km
border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km |
| Land use | arable land: 16.67%
permanent crops: 8.33% other: 75% (2005) |
arable land: 10.42%
permanent crops: 0.61% other: 88.97% (2001) |
| Languages | English (official), Maori | 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 0.5%, other 2.8% (2000 census)
note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all national languages, but only the first three are official languages |
| Legal system | based on New Zealand law and English common law | 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 |
| Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consisting of a lower house or Legislative Assembly with 25 seats (24 seats representing districts of the Cook Islands and one seat representing Cook Islanders living overseas; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and an upper house or House of Ariki made up of traditional leaders
elections: last held 26 September 2006 (next to be held by 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - Demo 51.9%, CIP 45.5%, independent 2.7%; seats by party - Demo 15, CIP 8, independent 1 note: the House of Ariki advises on traditional matters and maintains considerable influence, but has no legislative powers |
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German), Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian) consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in German), Conseil des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats - members serve four-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats - members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Council of States - last held in most cantons 19 October 2003 (each canton determines when the next election will be held); National Council - last held 19 October 2003 (next to be held October 2007) election results: Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CVP 15, FDP 14, SVP 8, SPS 6, other 3; National Council - percent of vote by party - SVP 26.6%, SPS 23.3%, FDP 17.3%, CVP 14.4%, Greens 7.4%, other small parties all under 5%; seats by party - SVP 55, SPS 54, FDP 36, CVP 28, Green Party 13, other small parties 14 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: 80.39 years
male: 77.58 years female: 83.36 years (2005 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: NA
total population: 95% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
| Location | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand | Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy |
| Map references | Oceania | Europe |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
none (landlocked) |
| Merchant marine | total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 48,422 GRT/51,900 DWT
by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3 foreign-owned: 5 (Norway 1, NZ 1, Sweden 3) (2006) |
total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 604,843 GRT/1,050,914 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 6, chemical tanker 2, container 3 foreign-owned: 6 (United Kingdom 6) registered in other countries: 291 (2005) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request | - |
| Military branches | no regular military forces; Ministry of Police and Disaster Management (2005) | Land Forces, Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $2.548 billion (FY01) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1% (FY01) |
| National holiday | Constitution Day, first Monday in August (1965) | Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291) |
| Nationality | noun: Cook Islander(s)
adjective: Cook Islander |
noun: Swiss (singular and plural)
adjective: Swiss |
| Natural hazards | typhoons (November to March) | avalanches, landslides, flash floods |
| Natural resources | NEGL | hydropower potential, timber, salt |
| Net migration rate | - | 3.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| People - note | 2001 census counted a resident population of 15,017 | - |
| Pipelines | - | gas 1,831 km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2004) |
| Political parties and leaders | Cook Islands Party or CIP [Henry PUNA]; Democratic Party or Demo [Dr. Terepai MAOATE] | Green Party (Grune Partei der Schweiz or Grune, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruth GENNER]; Christian Democratic People's Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Doris LEUTHARD, president]; Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Marianne KLEINER-SCHLAEPFER, president]; Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Hans-Juerg FEHR, president]; Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER, president]; and other minor parties |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
| Population | 21,388 (July 2006 est.) | 7,489,370 (July 2005 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
| Population growth rate | -1.2% between 1996-2001 (2001 census) | 0.49% (2005 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Basel |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 4, FM 113 (plus many low power stations), shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Railways | - | total: 4,527 km
standard gauge: 3,232 km 1.435-m gauge (3,211 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,285 km 1.000-m gauge (1,273 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2004) |
| Religions | Cook Islands Christian Church 55.9%, Roman Catholic 16.8%, Seventh-Day Adventists 7.9%, Church of Latter Day Saints 3.8%, other Protestant 5.8%, other 4.2%, unspecified 2.6%, none 3% (2001 census) | Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, Muslim 4.3%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%, none 11.1% (2000 census) |
| Sex ratio | 107 male(s)/female (2001 census) | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
| Suffrage | NA years of age; universal adult | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: Telecom Cook Islands offers international direct dialing, Internet, email, fax, and Telex
domestic: the individual islands are connected by a combination of satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF radiotelephone; within the islands, service is provided by small exchanges connected to subscribers by open-wire, cable, and fiber-optic cable international: country code - 682; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: excellent domestic and international services
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks international: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 6,200 (2002) | 5.419 million (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,500 (2002) | 6.172 million (2003) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (outer islands receive satellite broadcasts) (2004) | 115 (plus 1,919 repeaters) (1995) |
| Terrain | low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south | mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes |
| Total fertility rate | 3.1 children born/woman (2001 census) | 1.42 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 13.1% (2005) | 3.4% (2004 est.) |
| Waterways | - | 65 km
note: Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee, some canals, and 12 navigable lakes (2003) |
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