Swtz01 - Switzerland

Setting  the  Stage   . .

  For  comparison  ..  Switzerland  is  ..  3 times the size of ..  Los  Angeles 'County'

On  the  European  Map  . .  Switzerland  . .  is  "findably"   ➤   . .  SMALL





Switzerland 
is surrounded    by  countries   that   historically   have  . .  plunged    "devastatingly"

into  . .

Marxism   .   Naziism   .   Socialism   .   Communism   .   Fascism
Monarchy   .   Patriarchy   .   Dictatorships


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➤     So  . .   it's  understandable  . .    ➤   . .   "WHY  ?!"    . .
( for  centuries )
. .  the    Swiss     have  . .  fiercely  defended . .  their    . . 🙏  . .  coveted

" INDEPENDENCE "


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( ↓  . .  shown  below )   26   "self - governed"  Cantons    

( like  "states" )  . .    each   have
  
their  own   . .  Constitution   . .  and   their  own   . .  separate  Laws

and   their  own    . .    School  Systems


A  century  ago    . .
    they  also  had   . . 

their  own   . .   Army      and      their  own   . .   Money


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To   further   avoid    "monopoly"   . .   the   Country   has   a

7 -  Member   Executive   Council
a   "Collective"   Head - of - State
( rather  than  a  "President" )

Each   year   . .   from   those   7   . .    ONE   is   elected   to   serve   12   months
as   . .   "first - among - equals"



 



Switzerland's   WEST  -  side   speaks   . .  French

Its   NORTH  -  speaks   . .  German

Its   SOUTH  -  speaks   . .   Italian

( and  its   S.E.  region  -  speaks  . .  RHAETO  -  ( Romantsch  =  Latin  roots )
From  the  Romantsch    (Latin )  . .   comes  . . 




"Confoederatio   Helvetica"

is  the   "Official"  . .   Name   of  the  Country
    ( CH ) 
 . .    (  to  settle  the  argument  )    . .




 . .  otherwise   known   as :

Confederation   SUISSE   . .   in    . .    French  Cantons

Confederazione   SVIZZERA   . .   in    . .    Italian  Cantons

Eidgenossenschaft  . .  in  . .  German    ( there's   1   in   every   crowd,    isn't   there  ?! )

Confederaziun    SVIZRA  . .  in  . .   Romantsch  areas

Confoederatio    Helvetica   . .  in  . .   ( original  "official" )  Latin



▶︎    ( and  to  make  life  even  more  interesting )  . .   ENGLISH   . .   is  gradually
replacing    "regional"    speech



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Since  the  "web"   was   born   in  Switzerland . .

  "Helvetica"
  
 is  used  as  the  name  of  a  popular   FONT   . .   ▶︎   in  computer  script

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Switzerland   . .    is  a   . .    Federal  Republic


" FEDERAL "
"dual"   =    Authority   and   Control
( governed  by   separate   powers )
. .  both . .  "Central"   . .  and . .   "Regional"   ( State - like  Cantons )


" REPUBLIC "
=    A   nation   state
where  . . " SUPREME  POWER  . .  is  held  . .   by  the . .   PEOPLE "
and    ( from  bottom  UP   ↑  )    "their"  . .    "ELECTED"  . .   "REPRESENTATIVES"



( . .  opposite  of   ..   monarchy   ..   where  "power"  is  ..  "INHERITED"
and    TOP   ⇣   down 
..   with  .. 
 NO   "Representation"   by   the  . .   "PEOPLE " . . ) 


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42 %    of  the  population  is  ..    CATHOLIC
35 %     is  ..    PROTESTANT


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We'll  be  using  the    "SWISS  FRANC"     here   . .   not  the  Euro
( Franc  value  is    + / -    the  U.S.  dollar  in  recent  months  -  We'll  consider  it  . .  a  ' wash ')







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We  might  be  ( autumn )  "picnicking"  and  "dieting" . .  in  this  country.      It's  pricey.
One  bit  of  good  news  is  that  . .  hotel   prices . .   include   . .   free  pass  
on  all   transportation   within  that   (each)   city   . .    
No  Hotel  =  No  Pass
Mountain   lifts  .  Cog  trains  .  Gondolas  .  Funiculars  . Cable cars
  . .   are   not   part  of  the  deal

It's  time  to  get  acquainted  with    Geneva   . .   Let's  Go  !

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