Language: total population—65% German, 18% French, 12% Italian, 1%
Romansch, 4% other; Swiss nationals—74% German, 20% French, 4% Italian, 1%
Romansch, 1% other
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 3,220,000; 841,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian; 42% services, 39% industry and crafts, 11% government, 7% agriculture and forestry, 1% other (1988)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force
- Government
Long-form name: Swiss Confederation
Type: federal republic
Capital: Bern
Administrative divisions: 26 cantons (cantons, singular—canton in French;
cantoni, singular—cantone in Italian; kantone, singular—kanton in German);
Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve,
Glarus, Graubunden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden,
Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri,
Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich
Independence: 1 August 1291
Constitution: 29 May 1874