00 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 150 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Swiss (singular and plural)

adjective: Swiss

Ethnic groups: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%,
other 6%

Religions: Roman Catholic 46.1%, Protestant 40%, other 5%, none 8.9%
(1990)

Languages: German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 19.2%, Italian
(official) 7.6%, Romansch 0.6%, other 8.9%

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99% (1980 est.)

male: NA%

female: NA%

Switzerland Government

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)

Government 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 (Founding of the Swiss Confederation)

National holiday: Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August
(1291)

Constitution: 29 May 1874

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Moritz LEUENBERGER
(since 1 January 2001); Vice President Kaspar VILLIGER (since 1
January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government

head of government: President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January
2001); Vice President Kaspar VILLIGER (since 1 January 2001); 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 from among its own members for a four-year term

elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal
Assembly from among the