什麼是瑞士

正式名稱瑞士聯邦（Swiss Confederation）

法語作Suisse，德語作Schweiz

義大利語作Svizzera

羅曼什語作Helvetica

歐洲中部的內陸國家。面積41,293平方公里。人口約7,222,000（2001）。首都︰伯恩。人民為德國人、法國人和義大利人。語言︰德語、法語和義大利語（均為官方語）。宗教︰天主教（約佔45%），新教（40%）。貨幣︰瑞士法郎（Sw F）。瑞士地形分成三個部分︰草地覆蓋的侏羅山脈；中部的中央高原，農業富庶及城市化地區；巍峨崎嶇的阿爾卑斯山脈區。該國是世界着名的金融中心之一；經濟主要以國際貿易、銀行業及輕、重工業為基礎。製造業主要生產手錶、精確儀器、機器和化學產品。旅遊業和農業亦重要；農產品有穀物、糖用甜菜、水果和蔬菜、乳製品、巧克力和葡萄酒。除了有不同的種族、語言和宗教外，瑞士還維持了近七百年的民主體制，是世界最古老的民主國家。政府形式是聯邦國家，兩院制。總統是國家元首暨政府首腦。

最初的居民是赫爾維蒂人，西元前1世紀被羅馬人征服。從3～6世紀起日耳曼部落向該地區滲透，10世紀期間穆斯林和馬札兒入侵者也前來冒險。9世紀時由法蘭克人統治，11世紀時屬神聖羅馬帝國。1291年三個州組成反哈布斯堡聯盟，成為瑞士邦聯的核心。它是宗教改革運動的中心，這場運動分裂了邦聯，並導致一段政治和宗教衝突的時期。1798年法國人把瑞士組織成為赫爾維蒂共和國。1815年維也納國會承認瑞士獨立並保證它的中立。1848年組成新的聯邦國家，首都為伯恩。瑞士在兩次世界大戰中都保持中立，並繼續保持這種姿態。歐洲聯盟成立後，它開始努力實現與歐洲經濟區的臨時性聯合。

Switzerland

FrenchSuisseGermanSchweizItalianSvizzeraRomanshHelveticaLandlocked country, central Europe. Area: 15,940 sq mi (41,284 sq km). Population (1997 est.): 7,116,000. Capital: Bern. The population is German, French, and Italian. Languages: German, French, and Italian (all official). Religions: Roman Catholicism (about 45%), Protestantism (40%). Currency: Swiss franc. Switzerland is divided into three regions: the meadow-covered Jura Mtns.; the central Mittelland, a rich agricultural and urbanized area; and the lofty crags of the Alps. It is one of the world's major financial centers; its economy is based largely on international trade and banking, as well as light and heavy industries. Its manufactures include watches, precision instruments, machinery, and chemicals. Tourism and agriculture are also important; products include grains, sugar beets, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, chocolate, and wine. Despite diverse races, religions, and languages, Switzerland has maintained the world's oldest democracy for some 700 years. It is a federal state with two legislative houses; its head of state and government is the president. The original inhabitants were the Helvetians, who were conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC. Germanic tribes penetrated the region from the 3rd-6th century AD, and Muslim and Magyar raiders ventured in during the 10th century. It came under the Franks in the 9th century and the Holy Roman Empire in the 11th. century. In 1291 three cantons formed an anti-Habsburg league that became the nucleus of the Swiss Confederation. It was a center of the Reformation, which divided the confederation and led to a period of political and religious conflict. The French organized Switzerland as the Helvetic Republic in 1798. In 1815 the Congress of Vienna recognized Swiss independence and guaranteed its neutrality. A new federal state was formed in 1848 with Bern as the capital. It remained neutral in both World Wars, and continued to guard this stance. With the formation of the European Union, it began the effort to achieve provisional association with the European economic area.