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Compare Switzerland (2006) - West Bank (2003)

Compare Switzerland (2006) z West Bank (2003)

 Switzerland (2006)West Bank (2003)
 SwitzerlandWest Bank
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 -
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: 44.1% (male 505,880; female 481,369)


15-64 years: 52.4% (male 598,992; female 572,511)


65 years and over: 3.5% (male 33,688; female 44,754) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Airports 65 (2006) 3 (2002)
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: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 23


under 914 m: 23 (2006)
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Area total: 41,290 sq km


land: 39,770 sq km


water: 1,520 sq km
total: 5,860 sq km


land: 5,640 sq km


water: 220 sq km


note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
Area - comparative slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey slightly smaller than Delaware
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. The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external security and for internal security and public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank had begun in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but have been derailed by a second intifadah that broke out in September 2000. The resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel's military response, and instability within the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine progress toward a permanent agreement.
Birth rate 9.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 34.07 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $138.1 billion


expenditures: $143.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $930 million


expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $15 million


note: includes Gaza Strip (2000 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
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Climate temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 0 km (landlocked)
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 -
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: West Bank
Currency - new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD)
Death rate 8.49 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 4.16 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $856 billion (30 June 2005) $108 million (includes Gaza Strip) (1997 est.)
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
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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
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Disputes - international none West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation
Economic aid - donor ODA, $1.1 billion (1995) -
Economic aid - recipient - $800 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 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. Real per capita GDP for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) declined by about one-third between 1992 and 1996 due to the combined effect of falling aggregate incomes and rapid population growth. The downturn in economic activity was largely the result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS. The most serious social effect of this downturn was rising unemployment; unemployment in the WBGS during the 1980s was generally under 5%; by 1995 it had risen to over 20%. Israel's use of comprehensive closures during the next five years decreased and, in 1998, Israel implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor. These changes fueled an almost three-year-long economic recovery in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; real GDP grew by 5% in 1998 and 6% in 1999. Recovery was upended in the last quarter of 2000 with the outbreak of violence, which triggered tight Israeli closures of Palestinian self-rule areas and severely disrupted trade and labor movements. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in Palestinian Authority areas have resulted in the destruction of much capital plant and administrative structure, widespread business closures, and a sharp drop in GDP. Another major loss has been the decline in earnings of Palestinian workers in Israel. International aid of $2 billion in 2001-02 to the West Bank and Gaza Strip have prevented the complete collapse of the economy.
Electricity - consumption 55.86 billion kWh (2003) NA kWh
Electricity - exports 33.2 billion kWh (2003) -
Electricity - imports 30.1 billion kWh (2003) NA kWh
Electricity - production 63.4 billion kWh (2003) NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0%
Elevation extremes lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m


highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 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 adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment
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
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Ethnic groups German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6% Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%
Exchange rates Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2452 (2005), 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003), 1.5586 (2002), 1.6876 (2001) new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999), 3.8001 (1998), 3.4494 (1997); Jordanian dinars per US dollar - fixed rate of 0.7090 (from 1996)
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
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Exports 10,420 bbl/day (2001) $603 million f.o.b., includes Gaza Strip
Exports - commodities machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
Exports - partners Germany 19.4%, US 10.9%, Italy 9.1%, France 8.7%, UK 5.4%, Spain 4.1% (2005) Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year (since 1 January 1992)
Flag description 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 - $1.7 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1.5%


industry: 34%


services: 64.5% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 9%


industry: 28%


services: 63%


note: includes Gaza Strip (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $800 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.9% (2005 est.) -22% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 47 00 N, 8 00 E 32 00 N, 35 15 E
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 landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.)
Heliports 2 (2006) -
Highways - total: 4,500 km


paved: 2,700 km


unpaved: 1,800 km


note: Israelis have developed many highways to service Jewish settlements (1997 est.)
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) $1.9 billion c.i.f., includes Gaza Strip
Imports - commodities machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles food, consumer goods, construction materials
Imports - partners Germany 31.6%, Italy 10.5%, France 10%, US 5.6%, Netherlands 4.8%, Austria 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2005) Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000)
Independence 1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation) -
Industrial production growth rate 3% (2005 est.) NA%
Industries machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers
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: 20.68 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 22.86 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 18.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.2% (2005 est.) 2.2% (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 est.)
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 -
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 8 (1999)
Irrigated land 250 sq km (2003) NA sq km
Judicial branch Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly) -
Labor force 3.8 million (2005 est.) NA
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 4.6%


industry: 26.3%


services: 69.1% (1998)
services 66%, industry 21%, agriculture 13% (1996)
Land boundaries total: 1,852 km


border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km
total: 404 km


border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Land use arable land: 9.91%


permanent crops: 0.58%


other: 89.51% (2005)
arable land: NEGL%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
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
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
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 -
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
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Life expectancy at birth total population: 80.51 years


male: 77.69 years


female: 83.48 years (2006 est.)
total population: 72.68 years


male: 70.95 years


female: 74.51 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99%


male: 99%


female: 99% (2003 est.)
definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy Middle East, west of Jordan
Map references Europe Middle East
Maritime claims none (landlocked) none (landlocked)
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)
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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) -
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) -
Nationality noun: Swiss (singular and plural)


adjective: Swiss
noun: NA


adjective: NA
Natural hazards avalanches, landslides, flash floods droughts
Natural resources hydropower potential, timber, salt arable land
Net migration rate 3.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 3.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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 -
Political pressure groups and leaders NA -
Population 7,523,934 (July 2006 est.) 2,237,194 (July 2002 est.)


note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.) (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 60% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate 0.43% (2006 est.) 3.3% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors - none
Radio broadcast stations AM 4, FM 113 (plus many low power stations), shortwave 2 (1998) AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0


note: the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts from an AM station in Ramallah on 675 kHz; numerous local, private stations are reported to be in operation (2000)
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)
0 km
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) Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%
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.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 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: NA


international: NA


note: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for communication services in the West Bank
Telephones - main lines in use 5.123 million (2005) 95,729 (total for West Bank and Gaza Strip) (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 6.847 million (2005) NA
Television broadcast stations 115 (plus 1,919 repeaters) (1995) NA
Terrain mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east
Total fertility rate 1.43 children born/woman (2006 est.) 4.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 3.8% (2005 est.) 50% (includes Gaza Strip) (2002 est.)
Waterways 65 km (Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee) (2003) none
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