Question: Which basic topographical area is in western Switzerland?
Answer: Jura mountains

Question: How much of Switzerland's total area do the Alps comprise?
Answer: 60%

Question: What is the largest lake in Switzerland?
Answer: Lake Geneva

Question: What is the highest mountain in Switzerland?
Answer: Monte Rosa

Question: What is often regarded as the most famous mountain in Switzerland?
Answer: Matterhorn

Question: How many of Switzerland's mountains are at least 4000 meters above sea level?
Answer: 48

Question: Where are both Monte Rosa and Matterhorn located?
Answer: Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais

Question: Where are Switzerland's glacial conditions located?
Answer: mountaintops

Question: What is typical weather in Switzerland during the summer months?
Answer: warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall

Question: What can the lower lands, suffering from inversion, sometimes lack for weeks?
Answer: sun

Question: What is the climate on Switzerland's southern tip?
Answer: Mediterranean

Question: What is the weather phenomena characterized by an unexpected warm wind bringing low reletive humidity to the northern Alps during rainfall in the southern Alps?
Answer: föhn

Question: At what time of year can the fohn occur?
Answer: all times

Question: Where do clouds lose most of their content before getting to the inner alpine valleys?
Answer: crossing the mountains

Question: What type of grapes are grown in the valley of Valais?
Answer: wine

Question: During the fohn, from which direction is the blowing wind more efficient?
Answer: the south

Question: What rank was Switzerland in safeguarding the environment according to the 2014 Environmental Performance Index?
Answer: first among 132 nations

Question: What do mountainous regions have that make their ecosystems particularly fragile?
Answer: plants not found at other altitudes

Question: What is the ecosystem in the alpine region particularly sensitive to?
Answer: climate change

Question: What sources of energy does Switzerland heavily rely on?
Answer: renewable

Question: When was Switzerland's Federal Constitution adopted?
Answer: 1848

Question: When was a new Constitution adopted in Switzerland?
Answer: 1999

Question: How many main governing bodies are on the federal level in Switzerland?
Answer: three

Question: What is the legislative body of the Swiss government called?
Answer: bicameral parliament

Question: What is the executive body of the Swiss government called?
Answer: Federal Council

Question: How many members are on the National Council?
Answer: 200

Question: How long do members of both houses of the Swiss Parliament serve?
Answer: 4 years

Question: What are both houses of the Swiss Parliament collectively known as when both are in joint session?
Answer: Federal Assembly

Question: What can citizens use to challenge any law passed by Parliament?
Answer: referendums

Question: What can citizens use to introduce amendments to the federal constitution?
Answer: initiatives

Question: What serves as the collective Head of State?
Answer: The Federal Council

Question: How many members are in the Federal Council?
Answer: seven

Question: Who elects the members of the Federal Council?
Answer: Federal Assembly

Question: What is the traditional term for the President of the Confederation?
Answer: one-year

Question: Who elects the President of the Confederation from its 7 members?
Answer: the Assembly

Question: How many legal jurisdictions are Swiss citizens subject to?
Answer: three

Question: What are the legal jurisdictions that Swiss citizens are subject to?
Answer: commune, canton and federal levels

Question: What type of democracy was defined in the 1848 federal constitution?
Answer: direct

Question: What two things do citizens have the right to submit to overturn parliamentary decisions?
Answer: a constitutional initiative and a referendum

Question: What are the two hallmarks of the Swiss political system?
Answer: Direct democracy and federalism

Question: How many voters are needed to put a constitutional amendment to a national vote?
Answer: 100,000

Question: How long do citizens have to collect enough votes for a national vote on a constitutional amendment?
Answer: 18 months

Question: What can Parliament supplement the amendment proposed by the citizens with?
Answer: a counter-proposal

Question: What must voters do on the ballot when Parliament adds a supplement?
Answer: indicate a preference

Question: How much of the national popular vote and the cantonal popular vote is needed to pass a constitutional amendment?
Answer: a double majority

Question: According to the Federal Constitution, how many cantons are equal in status?
Answer: all 26

Question: What are the two major differences between cantons?
Answer: population and geographical area

Question: What is the population of the largest canton?
Answer: 1,253,500 (Zürich)

Question: What is the population of the smallest canton?
Answer: 15,000 (Appenzell Innerrhoden)

Question: How large is the smallest canton?
Answer: 37 km2 (14 sq mi) (Basel-Stadt)

Question: When was Switzerland's policy of neutrality internationally recognized?
Answer: Congress of Vienna in 1815

Question: What was Switzerland the first state to join the U.N. by?
Answer: referendum

Question: What have the Swiss people continually rejected membership in since the 1990's?
Answer: European Union

Question: How long has Switzerland traditionally been neutral?
Answer: since the end of its expansion in 1515

Question: How does Switzerland treat alliances that might entail military or political action?
Answer: avoids

Question: How long has Switzerland hosted the United Nations Human Rights Council?
Answer: since 2006

Question: What is the second biggest centre for the U.N.?
Answer: Palace of Nations in Geneva

Question: Where did the Red Crescent Movement begin?
Answer: Geneva

Question: Where is the League of Nations located?
Answer: Switzerland

Question: Besides the U.N. Headquarters, who hosts many U.N. agencies?
Answer: Swiss Confederation

Question: What does the ILO stand for?
Answer: International Labour Organization

Question: What is disucussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos?
Answer: important issues facing the world, including health and the environment

Question: What does BIS stand for?
Answer: Bank for International Settlements

Question: What does UNHCR stand for?
Answer: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Question: Where do Swiss militia keep their Army issued equipment?
Answer: at home

Question: Who has compulsory military service in Switzerland?
Answer: all male Swiss citizens

Question: Who can serve in the Swiss military voluntarily?
Answer: women

Question: What replaced Army 95 in 2003?
Answer: Army XXI

Question: In Army XXI, how many are active in periodic army training?
Answer: 120,000

Question: How does the Swiss economy rank worldwide by nominal GDP?
Answer: nineteenth largest

Question: How does the Swiss economy rank worldwide by purchasing power parity?
Answer: thirty-sixth largest

Question: What ranking does Switzerland hold in terms of GDP per capita, adjusting for purchasing power, according to the World Bank?
Answer: 8th in the world

Question: Which rating was assigned to Switzerland by the Index of Economic Freedom of 2010?
Answer: highest European rating

Question: What did the World Economic Forum's Global Competetiveness Report Rank Switzerland's economy as?
Answer: the most competitive in the world

Question: What was the gross median estimate of household income in Switzerland in 2007?
Answer: 137,094 USD at Purchasing power parity

Question: What was Switzerland's median income in 2007?
Answer: 95,824 USD

Question: How did the European Union rank Switzerland's economy?
Answer: Europe's most innovative country

Question: What is Switzerland's most important economic sector?
Answer: manufacturing