ale); elections last held 20 October 1995
(next to be held NA October 1999); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (200 total) PRD 45, PSS 54, PDC 34, UDC 30, GPS 8,
LPS 7, FPS 6, LdU 6, SD 3, EVP 3, PdA 2, Ticino League 2

Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court, judges elected for
six-year terms by the Federal Assembly

Political parties and leaders: Radical Free Democratic Party
(PRD), Franz STEINEGGER, president; Social Democratic Party (PSS),
Peter BODENMANN, president; Christian Democratic People's Party
(PDC), Anton COTTIER, president; Swiss People's Party (UDC), Hans
UHLMANN, president; Green Party (GPS), Verena DIENER, president;
Freedom Party (FPS), Roland BORER; Liberal Party (LPS), Christoph
EYMANN, president; Alliance of Independents' Party (LdU), Monica
WEBER, president; Ticino League, Giuliano BIGNASCA, president; and
other minor parties including Swiss Democratic Party (SD), Workers'
Party (PdA), and the Evangelical People's Party (EVP); note - see
elections

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer),
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA,
FAO, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
OSCE, PCA, UN (observer), UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNITAR, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Carlo JAGMETTI
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, Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
embassy: Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [41] (31) 357 70 11
FAX: [41] (31) 357 73 44
consulate(s) general: Zurich

Flag: red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the
center that does not extend to the edges of the flag

Economy
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Economic overview: Switzerland, a fundamentally prosperous and
stable modern economy with a per capita GDP roughly 10% above that
of the big West European economies, is experiencing short-term
diffic