Although today Switzerland is a rich country, life has not always been easy, and until World War II there were more emigrants than immigrants. Most of those who left were seeking relief from poverty; some of these had marketable skills. Some left only temporarily, while others made a new life abroad for themselves and their families.
For about 450 years Switzerland's best known exported skill was soldiering. It has been estimated that between 1400 and 1848 more than two million Swiss mercenaries were employed by foreign powers.
Starting in the 16th century, some Swiss emigrated to escape religious persecution. As oppression of the radical Protestant Anabaptists spread, followers - who came from several European countries - migrated ever further. They are best known today as the Mennonite and Amish communities in the USA.
In all some 400,000 Swiss emigrated between 1850 and 1914. In some places in North and South America they founded Swiss colonies, often naming them after their place of origin. Bern alone has 26 towns and villages named after it in the US, Lucerne has 16.
•The chocolate manufacter Milton Hershey (1857-1945) was the descendent of Swiss Mennonites. His ancestry is not entirely clear, but his roots were probably in Appenzell, from where several members of the Herschey family fled to Pennsylvania in the early 1700s.
•The founder of the Amish community was the Swiss Jacob Ammann, who broke away from the Mennonites in 1693, because he believed they did not interpret the Bible strictly enough. He and his followers took refuge in the Swiss mountains before moving to America
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Religious landscape
Membership of Christian churches has shrunk in recent years. In a wideranging poll of Swiss attitudes taken in 2000, only 16% of Swiss people said religion was "very important" to them, far below their families, their jobs, sport or culture. Another survey published the same year showed the number of regular church goers had dropped by 10% in 10 years. Among Catholics, 38.5% said they did not go to church, while among Protestants the figure was 50.7%. Only 71% of the total of those asked said they believed in God at all. The demand for church baptisms, weddings and funerals has fallen sharply in the last 30 years. The 2000 census showed that the Roman Catholic and the mainstream Protestant church (the Reformed-Evangelical) had lost in both absolute terms (the number of members) and in relative terms (their share of the total population.)
On the other hand, the smaller offshoots of these two churches were proportionately the same as before. The free evangelical churches accounted for 2.2% of the population; the Christian Catholic church made up 0.2%.
The Jewish community also remained more or less unchanged. Recent immigration has brought members of other faiths to Switzerland, in particular Islam and Orthodox Christianity.
Even if the churches are no longer relevant in many people's lives, both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism have played a key role in shaping modern Switzerland and the way in which Swiss people see themselves.
On the other hand, the smaller offshoots of these two churches were proportionately the same as before. The free evangelical churches accounted for 2.2% of the population; the Christian Catholic church made up 0.2%.
The Jewish community also remained more or less unchanged. Recent immigration has brought members of other faiths to Switzerland, in particular Islam and Orthodox Christianity.
Even if the churches are no longer relevant in many people's lives, both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism have played a key role in shaping modern Switzerland and the way in which Swiss people see themselves.
Language distribution
Switzerland has four national languages, but they vary greatly in the number of speakers.
German
German is by far the most widely spoken language in Switzerland: 17 of the 26 cantons are monolingual in German.
French
French is spoken in the western part of the country, the "Suisse Romande." Four cantons are French-speaking: Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel and Vaud. Three cantons are bilingual: in Bern, Fribourg and Valais both French and German are spoken.
Italian
Italian is spoken in Ticino and four southern valleys of Canton Graubünden.
Rhaeto-Rumantsch (Rumantsch)
Rumantsch is spoken in the only trilingual canton, Graubünden. The other two languages spoken there are German and Italian. Rumantsch, like Italian and French, is a language with Latin roots. It is spoken by just 0.5% of the total Swiss population.
Other languages
The many foreigners resident in Switzerland have brought with them their own languages, which taken as a whole now outnumber both Rumantsch and Italian. The 2000 census showed that speakers of Serbian/Croatian were the largest foreign language group, with 1.4% of the population. English was the main language for 1%
German
German is by far the most widely spoken language in Switzerland: 17 of the 26 cantons are monolingual in German.
French
French is spoken in the western part of the country, the "Suisse Romande." Four cantons are French-speaking: Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel and Vaud. Three cantons are bilingual: in Bern, Fribourg and Valais both French and German are spoken.
Italian
Italian is spoken in Ticino and four southern valleys of Canton Graubünden.
Rhaeto-Rumantsch (Rumantsch)
Rumantsch is spoken in the only trilingual canton, Graubünden. The other two languages spoken there are German and Italian. Rumantsch, like Italian and French, is a language with Latin roots. It is spoken by just 0.5% of the total Swiss population.
Other languages
The many foreigners resident in Switzerland have brought with them their own languages, which taken as a whole now outnumber both Rumantsch and Italian. The 2000 census showed that speakers of Serbian/Croatian were the largest foreign language group, with 1.4% of the population. English was the main language for 1%
Tobacco
Tobacco consumption is widespread in Switzerland. In 2003 the Federal Office of Health put the number of smokers at about one third of the population aged between 15 and 65. The World Health Organisation's figures for 2002 showed that the Swiss smoked between 6 and 8 cigarettes a day. In Western Europe only the Irish smoked the same, and only the Dutch and Spanish smoked more.
However, the long-term trend in tobacco consumption is downwards. Annual per capita consumption among Swiss aged 16 and over fell from 2644 in 1996 to 2036 in 2005.
Health experts attribute the fall to growing awareness of the health risk and a rise in prices.
Anti-smoking campaigns are gaining ground. The Swiss Federal Railways banned smoking in all their trains in December 2005, and in March 2006 Ticino became the first canton to ban smoking in public places.
The issue was so widely discussed in 2006 that the word Rauchverbot, "smoking ban", was declared word of the year in German speaking Switzerland. It was selected by a jury of journalists from more than 2000 suggestions submitted by the public.
Young people are also smoking less. A survey published in 2007 showed that about 15 per cent of 15-year olds smoked at least once a week, down from 23 per cent in 2002.
Over half of all smokers say they would like to give up.
However, the long-term trend in tobacco consumption is downwards. Annual per capita consumption among Swiss aged 16 and over fell from 2644 in 1996 to 2036 in 2005.
Health experts attribute the fall to growing awareness of the health risk and a rise in prices.
Anti-smoking campaigns are gaining ground. The Swiss Federal Railways banned smoking in all their trains in December 2005, and in March 2006 Ticino became the first canton to ban smoking in public places.
The issue was so widely discussed in 2006 that the word Rauchverbot, "smoking ban", was declared word of the year in German speaking Switzerland. It was selected by a jury of journalists from more than 2000 suggestions submitted by the public.
Young people are also smoking less. A survey published in 2007 showed that about 15 per cent of 15-year olds smoked at least once a week, down from 23 per cent in 2002.
Over half of all smokers say they would like to give up.
Family life
People marry relatively late; they concentrate on their training and career before they start a family. Swiss women are among the oldest in Europe at the birth of their first child.
The majority of couples have only 1 or 2 children. In 2004 the average number of children per woman was 1.42, less than the EU average of 1.5. The world average is 2.65.
Surveys have shown that parents put financial difficulties as the main reason for restricting family size. Large flats are expensive, and there is a shortage of affordable child care.
The majority of couples have only 1 or 2 children. In 2004 the average number of children per woman was 1.42, less than the EU average of 1.5. The world average is 2.65.
Surveys have shown that parents put financial difficulties as the main reason for restricting family size. Large flats are expensive, and there is a shortage of affordable child care.
Equality
Switzerland has had a law establishing equality between men and women since 1981. The Federal Office for the Equality of Women and Men was established in 1988 and a law banning any form of discrimination, including at the workplace, has been in force since 1996.
However, Switzerland lags behind most Western European countries in many aspects of sex equality.
The "Gender Gap Index", a survey of 115 countries worldwide published by the World Economic Forum in 2006, put Switzerland in 25th position.
The top four places in the index were taken by Nordic countries; the UK was 9th and the US 22nd.
However, Switzerland lags behind most Western European countries in many aspects of sex equality.
The "Gender Gap Index", a survey of 115 countries worldwide published by the World Economic Forum in 2006, put Switzerland in 25th position.
The top four places in the index were taken by Nordic countries; the UK was 9th and the US 22nd.
The people of Switzerland
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The people of Switzerland
Switzerland has a population of about 7.6 million. Foreigners account for around 21% of the resident population. The average age is increasing, as people live longer and have fewer children. Lifestyles are changing as the Swiss adapt to new demands.
Religious belief has declined in recent years, but the religious landscape has diversified.
Switzerland has four unevenly distributed languages and a wealth of dialects.
The people of Switzerland
Switzerland has a population of about 7.6 million. Foreigners account for around 21% of the resident population. The average age is increasing, as people live longer and have fewer children. Lifestyles are changing as the Swiss adapt to new demands.
Religious belief has declined in recent years, but the religious landscape has diversified.
Switzerland has four unevenly distributed languages and a wealth of dialects.
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