Compare Switzerland (2006) - Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2006)

Compare Switzerland (2006) z Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2006)

	Switzerland (2006)	Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2006)

Administrative divisions	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	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Age structure	0-14 years: 16.3% (male 637,585/female 591,297) 15-64 years: 68.1% (male 2,585,062/female 2,539,345) 65 years and over: 15.6% (male 480,198/female 690,447) (2006 est.)	0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs	fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products
Airports	65 (2006)	5 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 42 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 16 (2006)	total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 23 under 914 m: 23 (2006)	total: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2006)
Area	total: 41,290 sq km land: 39,770 sq km water: 1,520 sq km	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
Area - comparative	slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey	slightly smaller than Connecticut
Background	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.	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.
Birth rate	9.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)	NA births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $138.1 billion expenditures: $143.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)	revenues: $66.2 million expenditures: $67.9 million; including capital expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.)
Capital	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	name: Stanley geographic coordinates: 51 42 S, 57 41 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends third Sunday in April
Climate	temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers	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
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	1,288 km
Constitution	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	3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998
Country name	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)	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Death rate	8.49 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)	NA deaths/1,000 population
Debt - external	$856 billion (30 June 2005)	$NA
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina
Diplomatic representation from the US	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	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Diplomatic representation in the US	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	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Disputes - international	none	Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks
Economic aid - donor	ODA, $1.1 billion (1995)	-
Economic aid - recipient	-	$0 (1997 est.)
Economy - overview	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 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 2004-05. Even so, unemployment has remained at less than half the EU average.	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 Falkland Islands' 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.
Electricity - consumption	55.86 billion kWh (2003)	20.68 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	33.2 billion kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	30.1 billion kWh (2003)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	63.4 billion kWh (2003)	22.23 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m
Environment - current issues	air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning; acid rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity	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
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	German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%	British
Exchange rates	Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2452 (2005), 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003), 1.5586 (2002), 1.6876 (2001)	Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001) note: the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound
Executive branch	chief of state: President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 8 January 2006); Vice President Micheline CALMY-REY (since 8 January 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 8 January 2006); Vice President Micheline CALMY-REY (since 8 January 2006) 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 a one-year term (they may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 7 December 2005 (next to be held December 2006) election results: Moritz LUENBERGER elected president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - NA; Micheline CALMY-REY elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - NA	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor Alan HUCKLE (since 25 August 2006); Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since 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
Exports	10,420 bbl/day (2001)	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products	wool, hides, meat
Exports - partners	Germany 19.4%, US 10.9%, Italy 9.1%, France 8.7%, UK 5.4%, Spain 4.1% (2005)	Spain 81.9%, US 6%, UK 4.5% (2005)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 April - 31 March
Flag description	red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag	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 was once 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
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 1.5% industry: 34% services: 64.5% (2003 est.)	agriculture: 95% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - real growth rate	1.9% (2005 est.)	NA%
Geographic coordinates	47 00 N, 8 00 E	51 45 S, 59 00 W
Geography - note	landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps	deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season
Heliports	2 (2006)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 25.2% (1992)	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
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	289,500 bbl/day (2001)	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles	fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing
Imports - partners	Germany 31.6%, Italy 10.5%, France 10%, US 5.6%, Netherlands 4.8%, Austria 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2005)	UK 72.5%, US 15.1%, Netherlands 8.5% (2005)
Independence	1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Industrial production growth rate	3% (2005 est.)	NA%
Industries	machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments	fish and wool processing; tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.84 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)	total: NA male: NA female: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.2% (2005 est.)	3.6% (1998)
International organization participation	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, IPU, ISO, ITU, 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, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC	ICFTU, UPU
Irrigated land	250 sq km (2003)	NA
Judicial branch	Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly)	Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Labor force	3.8 million (2005 est.)	1,724 (est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 4.6% industry: 26.3% services: 69.1% (1998)	agriculture: 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing) industry and services: 5%
Land boundaries	total: 1,852 km border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 9.91% permanent crops: 0.58% other: 89.51% (2005)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2005)
Languages	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	English
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	English common law
Legislative branch	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 - consists of two representatives from each canton and one from each half canton; 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	unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - two ex officio, eight elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor elections: last held 17 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 8
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 80.51 years male: 77.69 years female: 83.48 years (2006 est.)	total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)	NA
Location	Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy	Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina
Map references	Europe	South America
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 27 ships (1000 GRT or over) 492,434 GRT/810,559 DWT by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 10, chemical tanker 3, container 4, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 2 (Monaco 2) registered in other countries: 320 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Bahamas 2, Belize 1, Bermuda 2, Cyprus 4, France 2, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 1, Germany 1, Indonesia 3, Liberia 7, Malta 21, Marshall Islands 13, Mauritius 2, Morocco 1, Panama 226, Portugal 3, Russia 7, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13, Tonga 1, Turkey 1, UK 3, Vanuatu 2) (2006)	-
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	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)	no regular military forces
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$2.548 billion (FY01)	NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1% (FY01)	NA
National holiday	Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)	Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)
Nationality	noun: Swiss (singular and plural) adjective: Swiss	noun: Falkland Islander(s) adjective: Falkland Island
Natural hazards	avalanches, landslides, flash floods	strong winds persist throughout the year
Natural resources	hydropower potential, timber, salt	fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss
Net migration rate	3.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)	NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines	gas 1,831 km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2006)	-
Political parties and leaders	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	none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	none
Population	7,523,934 (July 2006 est.)	2,967 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	0.43% (2006 est.)	2.44% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 4, FM 113 (plus many low power stations), shortwave 2 (1998)	AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 (FM) and Radio 2 (AM) service (2006)
Railways	total: 4,583 km standard gauge: 3,234 km 1.435-m gauge (3,223 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,339 km 1.000-m gauge (1,338 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2005)	-
Religions	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)	primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist
Sex ratio	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: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)	-
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	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)	general assessment: NA domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands international: country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries
Telephones - main lines in use	5.123 million (2005)	2,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	6.847 million (2005)	0 (2001)
Television broadcast stations	115 (plus 1,919 repeaters) (1995)	2 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to members of UK Forces as well as islanders) note: cable television is available in Stanley (2006)
Terrain	mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes	rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains
Total fertility rate	1.43 children born/woman (2006 est.)	NA children born/woman
Unemployment rate	3.8% (2005 est.)	full employment; labor shortage (2001)
Waterways	65 km (Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee) (2003)	-

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