Compare Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003) - Switzerland (2007)

Compare Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003) z Switzerland (2007)

	Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003)	Switzerland (2007)

Administrative divisions	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)	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: NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA%	0-14 years: 16.1% (male 630,341/female 584,167) 15-64 years: 68.2% (male 2,596,996/female 2,553,108) 65 years and over: 15.8% (male 489,895/female 700,154) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products	grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs
Airports	5 (2002)	65 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)	total: 42 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 16 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2002)	total: 23 under 914 m: 23 (2007)
Area	total: 12,173 sq km land: 12,173 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands	total: 41,290 sq km land: 39,770 sq km water: 1,520 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Connecticut	slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Background	Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982.	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 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.
Birth rate	NA births/1,000 population	9.66 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $66.2 million expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.)	revenues: $143 billion expenditures: $142.1 billion (2006 est.)
Capital	Stanley	name: Bern geographic coordinates: 46 57 N, 7 26 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate	cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate	temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
Coastline	1,288 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998	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: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)	conventional long form: Swiss Confederation conventional short form: Switzerland local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German); Confederation Suisse (French); Confederazione Svizzera (Italian); Confederaziun Svizra (Romansh) local short form: Schweiz (German); Suisse (French); Svizzera (Italian); Svizra (Romansh)
Currency	Falkland pound (FKP)	-
Death rate	NA deaths/1,000 population	8.51 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$NA	$1.077 trillion (30 June 2006)
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)	chief of mission: Ambassador Peter R. CONEWAY 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 (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)	chief of mission: Ambassador Urs ZISWILER 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, San Francisco consulate(s): Boston
Disputes - international	claimed by Argentina whose forces briefly occupied it in 1982, but now declares it will no longer seek settlement by force	none
Economic aid - donor	-	ODA, $1.1 billion (1995)
Economic aid - recipient	none	-
Economy - overview	The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falklands exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which goes to support the island's health, education, and welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day; to date no exploitable site has been identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000 visitors in 2001. Another large source of income is interest paid on money the government has in the bank. The British military presence also provides a sizeable economic boost.	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 safehaven 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 stagnated during the 2001-03 period, improved during 2004-05 to 1.8% annually and to 2.9% in 2006. Even so, unemployment has remained at less than half the EU average.
Electricity - consumption	15.19 million kWh (2001)	58.26 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	32 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	38.35 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	16.33 million kWh (2001)	56.1 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m	lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m
Environment - current issues	overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the Chornobyl disaster	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: 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	British	German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%
Exchange rates	Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.67 (2002), 0.69 (2001), 0.66 (2000), 0.62 (1999), 0.6 (1998); note - the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound	Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2539 (2006), 1.2452 (2005), 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003), 1.5586 (2002)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor Howard PEARCE (since 3 December 2002); Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since NA March 2003); Financial Secretary Derek F. HOWATT (since NA) cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch	chief of state: President Micheline CALMY-REY (since 1 January 2007); Vice President Pascal COUCHEPIN (since 1 January 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Micheline CALMY-REY (since 1 January 2007); Vice President Pascal COUCHEPIN (since 1 January 2007) cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal Assembly usually from among its 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 a one-year term (they may not serve consecutive terms); election last held on 13 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2007) election results: Micheline CALMY-REY elected president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - 76.5%; Pascal COUCHEPIN elected vice president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - 86.5%
Exports	NA (2001)	11,360 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	wool, hides, meat	machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products
Exports - partners	Spain 76.2%, UK 9.2%, US 7.1% (2002)	Germany 19.7%, US 11.1%, Italy 8.8%, France 8.6%, UK 4.8% (2006)
Fiscal year	1 April - 31 March	calendar year
Flag description	blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising is the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT	red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag
GDP	purchasing power parity - $75 million (2002 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%	agriculture: 1.5% industry: 34% services: 64.5% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2002 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	NA%	2.7% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates	51 45 S, 59 00 W	47 00 N, 8 00 E
Geography - note	deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season	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 (2007)
Highways	total: 440 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 390 km (2002)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 25.9% (2000)
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, Southwest Asian heroin, and Western European synthetics; domestic cannabis cultivation and limited ecstasy production
Imports	NA (2001)	267,000 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing	machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles
Imports - partners	UK 57.9%, Spain 19.8%, Italy 16.7% (2002)	Germany 31.7%, Italy 10.6%, France 10%, US 6.2%, Netherlands 4.7%, Austria 4.3% (2006)
Independence	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)	1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	6.5% (2006 est.)
Industries	fish and wool processing; tourism	machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, and insurance
Infant mortality rate	total: NA% male: NA% female: NA%	total: 4.28 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.77 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3.6% (1998)	1.1% (2006 est.)
International organization participation	ICFTU	ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	2 (2000)	-
Irrigated land	NA sq km	250 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction	Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly)
Labor force	1,100 (est.)	3.8 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing)	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: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (1998 est.)	arable land: 9.91% permanent crops: 0.58% other: 89.51% (2005)
Languages	English	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) note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all national and official languages
Legal system	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	unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - 2 ex officio, 8 elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor elections: last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 8; note - 71% voter turnout	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; membership consists of 2 representatives from each canton and 1 from each half canton; to 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 on 19 October 2003 (each canton determines when the next election will be held); National Council - last held on 21 October 2007 (next to be held in October 2011) 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 29%, SPS 19.5%, FDP 15.6%, CVP 14.6%, Greens 9.6%, other 11.7%; seats by party - SVP 62, SPS 43, FDP 31, CVP 31, Green Party 20, other small parties 13
Life expectancy at birth	total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years	total population: 80.62 years male: 77.8 years female: 83.59 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)
Location	Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina	Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy
Map references	South America	Europe
Maritime claims	continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	none (2002 est.)	total: 32 ships (1000 GRT or over) 577,765 GRT/918,974 DWT by type: bulk carrier 13, cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, container 6, specialized tanker 1 registered in other countries: 121 (Antigua and Barbuda 5, Bahamas 2, Cyprus 3, France 3, Indonesia 3, Italy 5, Liberia 11, Malta 22, Marshall Islands 14, Panama 26, Paraguay 1, Portugal 2, Russia 6, Singapore 2, St Vincent and The Grenadines 12, Tonga 1, UK 1, Vanuatu 2) (2007)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK	-
Military branches	British Forces Falkland Islands no regular indigenous military forces; (includes Army, Royal Air Force, and Royal Navy), Police Force	Swiss Armed Forces: Land Forces, Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe); Switzerland has no navy, but maintains a fleet of military patrol boats to patrol Swiss borders (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$NA	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA%	1% (2005 est.)
National holiday	Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)	Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)
Nationality	noun: Falkland Islander(s) adjective: Falkland Island	noun: Swiss (singular and plural) adjective: Swiss
Natural hazards	strong winds persist throughout the year	avalanches, landslides, flash floods
Natural resources	fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss	hydropower potential, timber, salt
Net migration rate	NA migrant(s)/1,000 population	2.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	-	gas 1,831 km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders	none; all independents	Green Party (Gruene 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) [Christophe DARBELLAY]; Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Fulvio PELLI]; 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]; 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]; and other minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders	none	NA
Population	2,967 (July 2003 est.)	7,554,661 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	2.44% (2003 est.)	0.381% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Stanley note: the primary port is located in Stanley Harbour and known locally as FIPASS (Falkland Interim Port and Storage System); the facility consists of seven permanently moored barges providing 300 meters of berthing space; it was installed by the military after 1982 and handed over to the Falkland Islands Government in 1988	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 4, FM 113 (plus many low-power stations), shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways	0 km	total: 4,839 km standard gauge: 3,561 km 1.435-m gauge (3,195 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,268 km 1.000-m gauge (1,274 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2006)
Religions	primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist	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)
Sex ratio	-	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.079 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.017 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.969 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries	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	NA	5.04 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	NA	7.418 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations	2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service) note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002)	115 (plus 1,919 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain	rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains	mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
Total fertility rate	NA children born/woman	1.44 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	full employment; labor shortage	3.3% (2006 est.)
Waterways	none	65 km (Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee) (2003)

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