HILL Country Report Switzerland
30.11.2009: Everyone can agree on one thing – Switzerland is something special. Almost no other country can offer so much diversity on such a small space. The country in and about the Alps and its inhabitants are perhaps sometimes enigmatic for outsiders, but maybe attractive for exactly that reason. The Swiss confederation consists of 26 cantons. It is densely inhabited, with an area of 41,285 km2 and about 7.7 million inhabitants, and lies in the heart of Western Europe between the Alps and Jura, surrounded by neighbours – Italy, France, Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein. Due to its location, Switzerland is one of the most important transit countries in the region, especially for European North-South traffic, and is a favourite tourist spot for visitors worldwide, especially in the winter season.
The history of Switzerland is considerably different to that of the surrounding countries: it existed as a loose confederation of states for more than 700 years, but there was never a single ruling monarch. This background explains somewhat the often referred to competitiveness between the cantons. Up to today, the greatest possible autonomy of individual cantons was emphasized and each possesses cantonal legislative possibilities with extensive competences. As well as the strongly emphasized federalism, the Swiss political system is also distinguished by concordance and its especially direct form of referendum democracy. The capital Bern, the second largest city after Zurich, is the seat of the Swiss government, at the head of which stand the seven members of the Federal Council. Each of them head one of the seven federal executive departments (ministries).
Switzerland is among the strongest European economies and enjoys worldwide success with products and services of the highest quality. Read more >>
Few locations are as highly developed and simultaneously as diverse as Switzerland. International ratings confirm the high standard of the Swiss infrastructure. Read more >>
Labour market, personnel and education
A well trained workforce is the most important capital in a country with few raw materials. The education system in Switzerland is modular and offers everyone the chance of appropriate training. Read more >>
The HILL International office in Zurich Kloten was founded in 2005. The responsible Country Manager and director Gerhard Wittmann and his team provide consulting for medium sized companies and multinational enterprises from the most varied branches.
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