The ethnic differences of the population of Switzerland are still very clear: each of the four Swiss peoples - the German-Swiss, the French-Swiss, the Italian-Swiss and the Romansh - is a separate ethnic community, distinguished by national identity, language and cultural identity. At the same time, every resident of Switzerland is aware not only of their ethnic and cantonal affiliation, but also of the state community, expressed in a single self-name - and in the general outlines of their culture.

Swiss censuses give the composition of the population by language, taking it as a national identifier. According to the latest census in 1970, from total number Swiss 5,189,707 people (not counting emigrants) 3,864,684 spoke German, 1,045,091 in French, 207,557 in Italian and 49,455 in Romansh dialects.

The languages ​​of the peoples of Switzerland belong to two different language groups: Romance (French, Italian, Romansh) and Germanic (German). Despite the multilingual composition of the population, there are no acute national contradictions in Switzerland. According to the Swiss constitution, all four peoples have equal rights, and their languages ​​are recognized as national ones. State paperwork and laws common to all of Switzerland are published in four languages.

Three peoples - the German-Swiss, the French-Swiss and the Italian-Swiss - live in compact groups in historically established areas. The German-Swiss are settled in 15 cantons in the north, northeast and center of the country; The French-Swiss make up the main population of the three western cantons - Vaud, Geneva and, as well as a significant part of the inhabitants of the cantons, Valais and; The Italian-Swiss live in part of the canton of Tessin and in two neighboring areas of the canton of Grisons. The oldest and smallest population of Switzerland - the Romansh people live in part of the canton of Grisons. The boundaries of all these areas have developed historically. The native language of the inhabitants of each ethnic region is the main spoken language within its borders, as well as the language of the press, school education, radio broadcasts, etc. German-Swiss and Italian-Swiss speak dialects that differ significantly from the corresponding literary languages. A German, for example, does not always understand a German-Swiss. But the German-Swiss and Italian-Swiss write in literary languages. Romansh people speak and write in dialects.

IN lately The intensive development of industry and transport, accompanied by an increase in internal migration and increased contacts between the Swiss, contributed to the spread of bilingualism, mainly among residents of large cities, tourist and resort centers, as well as in border areas.

Features of the historical development of the Swiss state, long time which represented separate independent cantons, led to the fact that belonging to a particular canton even now often manifests itself much stronger than ethnicity. Therefore, the Swiss often call themselves not by nationality, but by their cantonal affiliation - “Bernese”, “Welshians”, etc. Residents of different cantons differ in some features in folk clothing, food, customs, they are characterized by local culture.

The majority of the Swiss belong to two religions - Protestantism (2.9 million people) and Catholicism (2.2 million). Among Protestants, followers of Calvin predominate.

The cantons of Basel, Zurich, Bern, Glarus, Neuchâtel, and Geneva belong to the Protestant Church. Catholicism is spread over a larger area, but in a less populated part of the country. The cantons of Tessin, Friborg, Solothurn, and Zug remained Catholic after the Reformation. In some cantons (Appenzell, Aargau, Grisons) the number of Catholics and Protestants is almost equal. For recent years the number of Catholics has increased markedly, which is explained by the higher birth rate in Catholic families, as well as the naturalization of foreigners, most of whom profess Catholicism.

From 1960 to the end of the 1970s, the population of Switzerland grew by 15%. The cantons of Geneva and Tessin grew especially quickly, where many foreign workers were sent in the 60s and 70s. In the cantons of central and northeastern Switzerland, the increase was minimal, and in Glarus there was even a decrease in population.

Over the past two decades, the birth rate has been declining, but at the same time it has also decreased. Therefore, natural population growth still occurred, although it decreased from 7.9 per 1000 inhabitants in 1960 to 3.0 in 1977.

Along with the Swiss, more than 1 million foreigners live in the country, which is 6 of the total population. In certain cities - Geneva, Basel, Zurich - the share of foreigners among residents increases S5-S3. No other European country does not have such a high proportion of foreigners in its population. These are primarily workers recruited for a long term to work in industry, construction, and the service sector. In 1978, there were 750 thousand foreign workers in Switzerland - mainly Italian, Spanish, but also from Turkey, Greece and Portugal.

In addition to permanent immigration, there is also seasonal immigration. About 200 thousand people come to Switzerland for construction and agricultural work. Almost 100 thousand residents of the border areas of Germany and France go to work in Switzerland every day.

Over the years economic crisis In Swiss industry, about 300 thousand jobs were closed, and the number of unemployed in the country is small. In the fact that foreign workers are simply evicted from Switzerland, unemployment occurs.

Foreign workers are especially widely used in the most difficult, hazardous or dirty work. huddle in barracks, not protected from the arbitrariness of entrepreneurs; If foreign workers openly express protest, dissatisfaction with working conditions and life, then they face immediate punishment. In the northern cantons of Switzerland, hostile attacks against foreign workers are not uncommon; At the same time, behind the chauvinist-minded part of the population are bourgeois political groups interested in pitting the Swiss against immigrants.

The authorities are taking measures to limit the influx of foreigners: for naturalization you need to have lived in Switzerland for at least 10 years, have guaranteed work and housing, be “reliable” politically, etc.

The Swiss defends the interests of foreign workers, demands their equal rights with the Swiss and facilitates the granting of Swiss citizenship to them.

At the same time, many Swiss people travel to foreign countries, as a rule, only for temporary residence. These are mainly qualified specialists traveling to foreign countries to work at Swiss enterprises. Some highly qualified personnel are simply lured away to

Population

Dynamics of population growth since mid. 1950s A fairly active increase occurred by 46% (in 1950 - 5 million people). At the same time, the annual increase reaches 2.4‰ (2002). Net influx of immigrants -1.37‰. Fertility 9.84‰

Mortality 8.79‰

Child mortality 4.42 people. per 1000 newborns.

The average life expectancy is 79.86 years, incl. men 76.98 years, women 82.89 years (2002). Age structure of the population: 0--14 years old - 16.8%, 15--64 years old - 67.7%, 65 years old and older - 15.5%. The average ratio of men to women is 0.97, but at the age of 65 years and older women predominate - 0.69.

The educational level of the population is high. Over the age of 15, 99% of the country's population can read and write. Ethnic composition: Germans (65%), French (18%), Italians (10%) and Romansh (1%). Spoken languages: German-Swiss (High German dialect) - 63.7%, Franco-Swiss (Provençal French dialect) - 19.2%, Italian-Swiss (Lombard dialect) Italian language) - 7.6%, Romansh (the Grisons dialect of the Romanized Rhineland tribes) - 0.6%.

Culture

The geographical location of Switzerland also affected its culture. On the territory of this relatively small country there are four official languages. In the western part of the country, French is spoken, and naturally the culture of this region is greatly influenced by the proximity of France. In the north of Switzerland they speak German. Names of cities, streets, folk customs, all this indicates the proximity of Germany. The same thing happens in the south, on the border with Italy. Romansh is spoken by only a small part of the population and it does not greatly influence the overall picture of this culture. mountainous country. The paradox of the Swiss population is that a resident western regions It is easier to understand a resident of Paris than one of his compatriots from the northern or southern cantons. Writing and teaching in schools are conducted in the language spoken in the region. All this is not surprising, since general history Swiss cantons are only two hundred years old. Despite this, there is much in Swiss culture that unites this country.

Material and spiritual culture has many local variations depending on ethnic and geographical conditions.

Popular sports- shooting, alpine skiing. Folk art is developed. The legends about William Tell are famous. Characteristic are various rattles, bells, tambourines, etc. The main occupations are arable farming, mountain cattle breeding, trade in livestock and livestock products. They are used as guides and porters in high mountain expeditions. Crafts - weaving, weaving, wood carving. Types of settlement: winter - stone or wooden two-story houses, summer - made of stone slabs. Small family.

Swiss cuisine

Swiss cuisine is distinguished, on the one hand, by its regional diversity, associated both with different ethnic composition population, and with the influence of neighboring regions of Italy, France, Germany and Austria, and on the other hand - a large number dishes associated with traditional agriculture.

An important component of Swiss cuisine are cheeses and dishes based on them. The most famous Swiss cheeses outside of Switzerland are Gruyère, Emmental and Appenzellern.

Originates from French-speaking Romandie cheese fondue(canton of Vaud) and raclette (canton of Valais), which have become popular throughout Switzerland. The cholera pie, made from potatoes, apples and cheese, also comes from Valais, the recipe for which was developed during the cholera epidemic.

Ticino cuisine has common features with cuisine from neighboring Italian Lombardy. The most famous dishes are polenta and saffron risotto.

A famous dish is “Alpine Pasta” - this is a somewhat unusual combination of pasta and potatoes, seasoned with sour cream and grated cheese, and topped with crispy fried onions.

Swiss wines, amazing in their diversity, offer a rich palette of tastes and fresh aromas.

Traditional occupations are: dairy farming, cheese production, weaving production.

At the beginning of 2011, the population of Switzerland was 7 million 870 thousand 100 people.

Historically and geographically, there has never been a single ethnic community in Switzerland. Each of the four nationalities of the country (Italian-Swiss, French-Swiss, German-Swiss and Romansh) is separate, long-formed ethnic community. These nationalities differ significantly from each other, both in national identity, cultural identity and even language. But at the same time, every resident of Switzerland devotes special attention not only ethnic and cantonal affiliation, but also recognizes the state community with other nationalities.

The Swiss Confederation was historically created in such a way that different linguistic, cultural and religious groups coexisted on its territory. At that moment, almost ninety-four percent of the country's population were Swiss, but they did not have common language. The largest linguistic group was the German-Swiss, followed by the French-Swiss, followed by the Italian-Swiss. Also, about one percent of the population of the Swiss Confederation were Ladins and Romans - Romansh. National and official languages During this period there were German, Italian, French and Romansh languages.

One of the most important factors In the development of the history of the country, the relationship between the “German” and “French” parts of Switzerland began. It should be noted that they were never perfect. From the beginning of the nineteenth century, after the annexation of densely populated French-speaking areas to the Swiss lands, until the present day, conflicts often arise between the main nationalities of the country. It got to the point that an imaginary “Rosti-graben” border was drawn between the German-speaking and French-speaking cultural communities.

In fact, the languages ​​of the peoples inhabiting Switzerland belong to two completely different language groups - Germanic and Romance (Romansh, Italian and French languages). But, despite this fact, there are no acute contradictions on ethnic grounds in the country. According to the Swiss constitution, all four peoples are considered equal, and their languages ​​are national. The state publishes the country's records management, all the most important laws and similar papers in four languages.

German-Swiss, Italian-Swiss and French-Swiss live in fairly compact groups in historically established territories. The German-Swiss occupy fifteen cantons in the northern, as well as eastern and central parts of the country. The French-Swiss are the main population of the three cantons in the west (Neuchâtel, Geneva and Vaud), as well as the majority of the population of Bern, Valais and Fribourg. The Italian-Swiss people live mostly in the canton of Tesin and two provinces of the canton of Grisons. The Romansh people have also lived in Graubünden for a long time. All these areas with their borders have developed historically. The native languages ​​of residents within the regions became not only spoken, but also the languages ​​of the press, radio broadcasts and school education.

Thanks to the modern development of transport and industry, which is accompanied by a large number internal migrations and expanding connections between different ethnic groups Swiss, contributes well to the spread of bilingualism. For the most part, this applies to residents of large cities, resort and industrial centers and border areas.

Due to the peculiarities of the historical development of Switzerland, which for a long time represented a union of independent cantons, the consciousness of belonging to a certain territorial region is still often manifested much stronger than ethnicity. Therefore, the Swiss often call themselves not derivatives of their nationality, but names depending on their cantonal affiliation - “Wallists”, “Bernese” and so on. Residents of the cantons may also differ in their customs, traditional cuisine and even elements of folk clothing.

Most of the population of Switzerland belongs to two religions - Catholicism and Protestantism, among whose supporters the majority are followers of Calvin.

About half of the amateur population of Switzerland (45.6%) is employed in industry and crafts, 16.4% in agriculture, 19.8% in transport, trade and tourist services.

The rapid development of industry began in Switzerland with late XIX V. At this time, intensive railway construction was taking place. The construction of St. Gotthard was of great importance railway, which established a direct connection between Germany and Northern Italy via Switzerland. To receive electrical energy Waterfalls and mountain rivers were widely used.

In industry, factory production was replacing the small producer. However, crafts and home industry still continue to play a certain role in the country's economy. Unevenness economic development in certain parts of the country remains to this day. The main industrial enterprises are located in the northern part of the country and in Geneva, Bern, Zurich, Basel. Highland livestock-raising areas still lag far behind in industrial terms. The revitalization of the economy of these areas was facilitated by the development of the “hotel business” (service to foreigners) in Switzerland. From the second half of the 19th century V. The "hotel industry" has taken an important place in the Swiss economy.

During the era of imperialism, Switzerland, not having its own colonies, began to practice the export of capital. Bank capital plays a big role in the country's economy. The largest banks - Schweizerischer Bankfersen and Schweizerische Creditanstalt - have extensive international connections. Banks and large monopolies control the entire economic life of the country. The financial oligarchy is headed by several families - the Zullers, von Muraltas, Ballys, etc. A significant layer is represented by rentiers. Many Swiss companies have their branches abroad, but at the same time Swiss plays an important role in the country's economy. foreign capital, especially American and West German.

The Swiss proletariat makes up about two-thirds of the population. The leading cadres of the working class are metal workers at machine-building enterprises in Zurich and Geneva. Some workers in small and medium-sized industries located in the suburbs and in rural areas, as well as those working in the domestic and handicraft industries, maintain a connection with agriculture.

The social structure of the country is characterized by a fairly large stratum of middle and petty bourgeoisie; These are small traders, owners of small enterprises, artisans and some employees.

In the textile and clothing industry, in the “hotel business”, female labor predominates. Many women are employed in various domestic industries.

The labor of foreigners is widely used in Swiss industry, especially in industries that do not require qualifications, in hard and hazardous work. By depriving hundreds of thousands of foreign workers living in Switzerland for a long time of basic political rights, the Swiss bourgeoisie has the opportunity to profit from their exploitation.

The main industries are mechanical engineering (machine tool building, electrical engineering, transport engineering, precision mechanics) and metalworking. Has grown greatly in recent years chemical industry(pharmaceutical, production of aniline dyes, etc.).

The Swiss industry, which has a very limited raw material base of its own, is dependent on the import of raw materials from abroad.

This is partly due to its specialization in the manufacture of labor-intensive, expensive products.

Aluminum production, based on imported raw materials, plays a major role. In the 1920s, Switzerland became one of the largest producers aluminum in Europe.

The so-called old industries continue to play a prominent role - food, textiles, clothing, watchmaking. The oldest industry is textile. The production of cotton, wool and linen products developed back in the 16th century. Currently, most textile enterprises are concentrated in the northeast of the country, especially in the cantons of Glarus and Appenzell. Silk production center - Basel; Along with factories, handicraft production is preserved here, in particular the production of silk ribbons. Lace making is widespread in the cantons of St. Gallen and Appenzell and in the Bernese Oberland. To this day, embroidery has commercial significance (in St. Gallen, Appenzell, Thurgau), in which ancient traditions have been preserved.

Watch production occupied one of the main places in the country's economy in the past. And now it is second only to the metalworking and engineering industries in terms of the number of employed workers. 75% of watch enterprises are small craft-type establishments with no more than 50 workers. The watch industry is concentrated in the old centers of its development (the cantons of Geneva, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Bern, Solothurn). Swiss food industry engaged in the production of chocolate, cheese, canned food, and food concentrates.

Most of the production is concentrated in the hands of concerns and companies. Thus, two-thirds of aluminum production is in the hands of the Aluminum Industry company; the watch industry is controlled by the Swiss Federation of Watch Industry Associations Ebosch AG. Almost the entire milk processing industry is controlled by the Nestlé concern, etc.

Agriculture

In the Swiss economy, agriculture plays a subordinate role to industry. Overall it reached high level, however, does not satisfy all the needs of the population. The number of people engaged in agriculture is steadily declining, especially in the mountainous part of the country. In Vallis and Ticino this process leads to the depopulation of some areas.

Natural geographical conditions have long contributed to the development of livestock farming - an ancient branch of the country's economy. Currently, it provides about 80% of all gross agricultural output. The main focus is cattle breeding and dairy farming. Local breeds of cattle - Simmental and Schwyz - have gained worldwide fame. From the XV-XVI centuries. trade in livestock abroad began. Pedigree cattle are still exported today. The establishment of control, the introduction of stud books, etc. led to the selection of livestock and the improvement of their breeds. Over the last hundred years the number of livestock has increased greatly; in 1866 in Switzerland there were 993 thousand heads, and in 1958 - 1 million 663 thousand heads of cattle. Pig farming is developed. Sheep and goats are raised in the mountains. Recently, goat herds have decreased greatly.

Livestock farming in the mountain paxiOHax is carried out on the basis of extensive meadow and pasture farming. Intensive transhumance livestock farming is developed in the mountain valleys and plateaus.

Mountain pastures are privately and collectively owned (communities and various cooperatives). Their use can also be individual and collective. For individual use, pastures are divided into plots. Each peasant puts his hut there. For collective use, shepherds are usually hired (their number depends on the size of the pasture); this hiring produces Alpvogt, managing community property. Responsibilities among the shepherds are strictly distributed. Their pay and living conditions are different. The most privileged position is occupied by zenns ( Zenn), preparing cheese and butter. These relationships are most typical for the northeastern regions and especially Appenzell and Unterwalden. The duties of shepherds are performed by men; female shepherds are found only in some areas of Vallis and Ticino. The lowest social strata of the village include goatherds and hay cutters. Their work is full of dangers, as it involves working high in the mountains.

Pastures are divided into zones according to height: the lower zone is “May pastures” ( MaiensdBe, cuolm mises acid). They are located in the foothills; Here they graze cattle in the spring and autumn, and in the summer they prepare hay for the winter. Above are the “cow” pastures (Kuhalpen) with thick and lush grass, intended exclusively for grazing in summer. Goats graze on the highest pastures. Some pastures are regularly sown with grass. A peasant can only drive to the communal pasture the livestock that he has fed throughout the winter.

Thanks to geographical features in a number of areas a special type of economy with a semi-nomadic way of life developed. Thus, in Val d'Anniviers, agricultural lands (meadows, arable lands, vineyards) were scattered over a vertical distance of 2300 m, and residents periodically moved from place to place, and children attended various schools throughout the year. Due to improved communications, this way of life is now a thing of the past in most areas.

The main agricultural region is the Swiss plateau of Mittellaid. Two-thirds of the arable land here is occupied by cereal crops, mainly wheat; In addition, rye, barley, and oats are sown. Large area occupied by fields of potatoes, sugar beets, and in the south - corn.

Small and medium-sized farms predominate numerically. About half of all farms have land plots ranging in size from 0.5 to 5 hectares. Most farms are characterized by fragmentation of plots; in Ticino and Vallis this is a real disaster - one peasant is often the owner of 12-15 plots, scattered at a great distance from one another. In mountainous areas, communication between them often presents greater difficulties.

Landownership did not develop in Switzerland, but in the process social stratification villages, a strong group of wealthy peasants emerged. About half of the land and livestock is concentrated in large capitalist farms. Agricultural workers (800 thousand people, according to 1960 data) constitute the lowest paid stratum of workers in Switzerland.

A multi-field system dominates in agriculture; an improved three-field-fallow cl1 is used and occupied by clover crops or root crops. In areas with intensive livestock farming, there has been a transition to grass-based crop rotation. In the mountains with extensive pasture livestock farming, the two-field system spread, which made it possible to increase the area under fodder due to grain crops.

In the 19th century The main tools for tillage were the plow, hoe and harrow. To plow the novi they used the so-called Vorpflug, cutting the turf; after it they applied Nachpflug. In mountainous areas, the main tool was a hoe. Known various types harrows - knotted, frame, triangular and trapezoidal. Harvesting of grain was done with a sickle and a scythe. In a number of areas, bread was dried in the sun and wind, for which purpose the sheaves were strengthened on a high vertical ladder ( Histen, Rase ale). In mountainous areas, small plot sizes and rocky soil still hinder wide application improved weapons. On the plateau, mechanization has reached a high level in medium and large farms.

The ancient occupation of the inhabitants of the cantons of Geneva, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Wallis, Lucerne, Zurich, Thurgau, Ticino and others is viticulture. Gardening is widespread, especially in the south (citrus fruits - lemons, oranges, as well as peaches, apples, pears, etc.). Tobacco growing is developed in a number of areas. Residents of Ticino grow chestnuts. One tree has about six to eight owners (its annual harvest is approximately 100 kg). The fruits are used both for food and as livestock feed. Some of the fruits are sold. The Tichinese sellers of roasted chestnuts have become famous outside of Switzerland. Recently, this activity has declined due to tree disease.

In a number of areas, especially Wallis, Graubünden and Ticino, great value has otkhodnichestvo. Their residents work in the construction of roads, artificial irrigation, and as masons.