4. government
Long republican tradition
Modern democratic constitution
dates back to 1848 with a 2 chamber
parliament
Switzerland's national council is
their “house of representatives”
The council of states is like the us
senate
7 head ministers oversee certain
parts of the government
Switzerland has no full time
president
5. Swabian war
Also known as the Swiss war
Started by the Swiss rejection of the diet of worms of 1495
The peace of Basel ended the war and gave Switzerland complete
independence from the holy roman empire
6. Economy
Biggest trading partners are Germany, France, and Italy
80% of trade is with members of the European union
economy is focused around tourism, banking, and railway freight
transport
Major trading in Europe is in the electricity market
9. Contribution to the arts
Paul klee is considered both a german and Swiss painter
Born 1879 in munchenbuchsee, switzerland
Influenced by movements such as expressionism and surrealism.
died in 1940
10. Wild card!!!
Skiing is a favorite past time in switzerland
Also very popular for tourism
Verbier is the premier ski resort for french
speaking swiss
avalanches kill more than a dozen people each
year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SmaV9IT1FA
&feature=related