Infant mortality rate: 5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.77 years
male : 75.59 years
female: 82.11 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.45 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Swiss (singular and plural)
adjective: Swiss

Ethnic groups: total population - German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%,
Romansch 1%, other 6%
note : Swiss nationals - German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch
1%, other 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 46.7%, Protestant 40%, other 5%, no religion
8.3% (1990)

Languages: German 63.7%, French 19.2%, Italian 7.6%, Romansch 0.6%,
other 8.9%
note: figures for Swiss nationals only: German 74%, French 20%,
Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%

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)

Data code: SZ

Government type: federal republic

National 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

National holiday: Anniversary of the 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 Arnold KOLLER (since 1 January 1997); Vice
President Flavio COTTI (since 1 January 1997); note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Arnold KOLLER (since 1 January 1997);
Vice President Flavio COTTI (since 1 January 1997); note - the
president is both the