National features of Switzerland

the History of Switzerland is calculated from 12th millenary B.C. Then the terrain covered with perpetually snow, under the impact of global warming of a climate began to be freed from ice. Has gradually replaced a white overlying strata has turned in green, and the revived land has found the first inhabitants from a human race.

In an antiquity Switzerland has been occupied by the Celtic nations gelvetov, from here its ancient name - Gelvetsija. Approximately in I century B.C. after marchings Julia Caesar, the country has been won by Romans and has acquired world popularity. In V century of our era, during an epoch of Great movement of the people, it have captureed alemanny, burgundy and ostgoty; in VI century - francs. In XI century Switzerland was a part of Sacred Roman empire of the German nation.

Initially Swisses not were the uniform nation, Switzerland represented the union of the communities (cantons) aimed to self-management. In the beginning of August, 1291 peasants of wood cantons Shvits, Uriah and Untervalden, living on shores of Firvaldshtetsky loch, have concluded among themselves the union and have sworn to help one another with struggle against sovereignty of dynasty Gabsburgov; in persistent struggle they have settled the independence. Swisses celebrate this joyful event and to the present day: 1 August - the National feast of Switzerland - salutes and fireworks light up the Swiss root in memory of events more than seven-secular prescription.

Within two centuries the Swiss troops gained victories over feudal armies of dukes, kings and Kaisers. Provinces began to be affiliated to the pristine union and cities. The merged allies were aimed to expel Gabsburgov, gradually dilating the boundary lines. In 1499, after victory over Kaiser Maksimilianom I Gabsburgom, Switzerland was freed from empire domination. In 1513 in the union 13 cantons numbered already. Each canton was absolutely sovereign - was not neither the general army, nor the general constitution, neither capital, nor the central government.

In XVI century in Switzerland there has stepped heavy crisis. As the cause to that was served by split in the Christian church. Geneva and Zurich became the centres of activity of Protestant reformers of Calvin and TSvingli. In 1529 in Switzerland religious war has begun. Only the serious danger proceeding from the outside, has prevented complete disintegration of the state. In 1798 Frenchmen have intruded in Switzerland and have converted it to unitary Gelvetichesky republic. Fifteen years the country was under their authority. The rule has variated only in 1815 when Swisses have injected own constitution with equal rights for 22 sovereign cantons. The same year the Viennese congress of the world recognised a constant neutrality of Switzerland and has defined its boundary lines which are firm till now. However the unity of the union of cantons has not been reliably supplied by the organisation enough strong central authority. Only under the constitution of 1948 the fragile union has turned to the uniform state - federal Switzerland.

Switzerland is today a glomeration from 26 cantons (23 complete and 3 semicantons) with the different historical past which population belongs to a miscellaneous ethnic obshchnostjam, speaks in different tongues and has different outlook. Each canton has the rights of a sovereign state with the government, laws and court. The inscription in the Swiss certificate states: the Swiss Confederation. However the rights of cantons are restricted by the federal constitution. The maximum federal government body - two-chamber Federal meeting. The head of the state and the governments - the president.

In that sense in what it is, for example, Paris, Switzerland has no Capital. Official capital, or as it is accepted to name in Switzerland, a federal city, is Bern. However not it is the most well-known city of the country. The superiority palm tree belongs to other city - to Geneva. It is well-known for the whole world as one of the largest cities - the centres of the international diplomatic activity.

Main principle of a policy of Switzerland since 1815 - a neutrality. The country does not interfere with conflicts of other states. Each Swiss is free in the outlook, in the political views. To each are supplied a right of conscience and confessions, a free trade and a trade, excepting exhaustion of bank notes. In Switzerland there is no state censorship, the freedom of the press here is secured.

Only one thousand the population of our planet is necessary on a share of Switzerland. The aggregate number of its population compounds 7,2 million persons, 84 % of the population - Swisses. The state refers to to the countries with a low natural increase (to 10 persons on 1000 inhabitants in a year); differs an urbanization high level: more than 75 % of the population live in cities.

Switzerland - the advanced country with intensive agriculture. It is the largest the exporter of the capital, the financial centre of the capitalist world. The Swiss jars - the most reliable. Perhaps, this results from the fact that the country never bordered on to any blocks. It was and remains the stable country of Europe.

In Switzerland speak and write in four tongues: in German (on diverse aboriginal dialects of shvejtsaro-German and on literary verhnenemetskom speak 65 % of the population), in French (18 %), in Italian (in the core on one of lombardskih dialects, 12 %), and on-retoromanski (on five different dialects). Having possibility at school to study all languages of the country, each Swiss, as a rule, perceives them though it is not always capable on all to express.

Swisses are rather religious: on census of 1980, nearby 50 % shrived Protestant belief, 44 % - roman catholic, 6 % adhere to other confessions or of atheism.

Travelling across Switzerland, it is necessary to notice world famous virtue of Swisses - love to purity and an order. They clean streets the vacuum sweeper! James Joyce has noticed once, that here it is possible to eat soup without plates, is direct from a roadway.

In Switzerland it is impossible to pass by the Swiss watch which has become by an embodiment of accuracy, elegance, the original world standard. For this small country hours became the most prestigious and significant aspect of export.