HELLO FROM Switzerland

BACKGROUND INFO  The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons.  The Swiss Confederation fortified its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in  A constitution of 1848 was modified in 1874, replaced the confederation with a centralized federal government.  Officially become a UN member in 2002, but retains a strong commitment to neutrality by not being involved in wars between other countries.

GOVERNMENT & MILITARY GUIDELINES  Switzerland is govern by Democracy and has four government parties of seven members which make up their Federal Council  years of age for male compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service;  Every male must serve at least 260 days in the armed forces, and receive 18 weeks of mandatory training.  males from 16-49: 1,493,509 females from 16-49: 1,459,450 make up their military manpower  Government has taken steps to cut immigration from eastern Europe, and in 2014 a proposal to limit immigration.

INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY  Infrastructure for telecommunications is excellent with Swisscom for domestic and international services and ranks among leading countries with good service.  Million internet users and million internet hosts are available  The constitution provides for freedom of speech and a free press, and the government upholds these laws.

CUSTOMS & COURTESIES  Being a few minutes late for a meeting is considered rude and inconsiderate.  First names are reserved for very close friends and family when greeting someone  Switzerland is made up of 26 areas, and what is acceptable in one area may not be acceptable in another.  It is considered to rude to stand too close during conversation unless you’re a close friend or family member.  Proper greeting are consider by using full names such as Mr. or Mrs. Followed by their last name  Public restrooms normally cost 1 Franc. Department stores restrooms are normally free. Almost train station restrooms are equipped with showers. They are divided by male and female.

CURRENCY  The Swiss Franc is the currency used.  Currently 1 Swiss Franc is equaled to 1 dollar  ATMs are called "Bancomats“  There is a service charge in all hotels, restaurants and business establishments. Tips are not required

CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT  Natural Disasters: Avalanches, landslides; flash floods  Temperate climate has no extreme temperatures changes throughout the year.  Temperatures can reach as high as 24c in the height of summer and drop to -2 to -3 in January.

EDUCATION  Education and training are highly valued since there are few natural resources.  The emphasis has traditionally been on vocational training through a system of apprenticeship. The most popular areas are the clerical professions (24 percent of the apprentices) and professions in the machine industry (23 percent).  Apprenticeship are popular in the German-speaking region than in the French and Italian-speaking regions.  For the most part men earn a higher income then women with the same educational background.  Switzerland has a very good public school system and the children of foreign nationals are able to attend. Some schools even offer special integration programs for children who do not speak the language spoken in the school.  Children are guided according to their academic ability and the majority of students in Switzerland opt for vocational courses which are encouraged by the government

LANGUAGE  German language goes back to the early Middle Ages, when the Alamans invaded lands where Romance languages were developing.  German language in Switzerland has been diminished by the bilingualism of the German-speaking region, where either standard German and Swiss German dialects are used.  Dialects are highly social prestige among Swiss Germans regardless of education level or social class because they distinguish Swiss Germans from Germans.  Swiss Germans do not feel comfortable speaking German because they prefer to speak French while interacting with French-speaking minority.

TRANSPORTATION  Due to geographical position, Switzerland is an international railway center, with traffic moving from France, Germany, Austria, and northern Europe.  There are 65 airports (43 paved runways and one heliport), which transported 14.7 million passengers in 2009 according to the World Bank. Swissair is owned by the federal and local governments, and is the main airlines for Switzerland.  Inland waterway traffic is an important component of Swiss transportation. There are 12 navigable lakes. During World War II, the Swiss organized merchant marines to transport Swiss imports and exports on the seas.  They have the longest road tunnel in the world, that opened in September 1980.

HOUSING  Housing standards are comparatively high, there are shortages in certain areas.  In the mid-1990s, less than 40,000 new dwellings per year were constructed in communities of 2,000 or more inhabitants, down from 44,228 in  About 30% of all residential buildings were designed for two or more households.  The housing market has steady decrease in unoccupied dwellings. In June of 2009, around 34,760 dwellings (0.90%) of housing were dormant.

WORK CITED  Ember, Melvin, and Carol R. Ember. Countries and Their Cultures. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, Internet resource.  "Relocating to Switzerland - Guide for Expats." Relocating to Switzerland. Kwintessential, Web. 05 Dec  Culture and Social Etiquette in Switzerland." Culture and Social Etiquette in Switzerland. Expatica Communications BV, Web. 05 Dec  "Switzerland Travel Advice." Switzerland Travel Advice. Fida Wild, Web. 05 Dec  "Switzerland." Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations. Ed. Timothy L. Gall and Derek M. Gleason. 13th ed. Vol. 5: Europe. Detroit: Gale, Web. 6 Dec