SWITZERLAND. 



811 



vjilual cantons, which pmren * degree of *ov- 

 eignty equal 1<> that of the American State*, 

 having complete control and legislative power 

 MgUuing penODftl rights. land law-, administra- 

 tion of criminal justice, the cantonal and coin- 

 iiiinial p-.ilicc, organisation of communes, public, 

 works, and cli-n.rniary education. 



Tin- Federal Council for IMHi '!i-. j- compo-ed 

 of the following members: President of the Con- 

 federation for is'.ll. Dr. K. Welti, of Aargau, 

 chief of the Department of Posts and Railroads ; 

 Nice- President for 1801. W. Mauser, of Zurich, 

 chief of the Department of Finance and Cus- 

 toms; Dr. K. Schenk, of Bern, chief of the De- 

 partment of the Interior; L. liuchonnet, of 

 Vaud. chief of the Department of Justice and 

 Police ; Dr. N. Droz, of Neufchatel, chief of the 

 Department of Foreign Affairs; Dr. A. Deucher, 

 of Thurgau, chief of the Department of Industry 

 and Agriculture; Col. K. Frey, of the rural di- 

 vision of Basel, chief of the Department of Mili- 

 tary A tTaiis. Dr. Welti retired from the Bundes- 

 rath in December, 1801, and in his place was 

 chosen Dr. Zemp, of Luzern. the first member of 

 the Conservative Ultramontane party who had 

 ever been President of the National Council and 

 the first to enter the Federal Council. 



Area and Population. The area of Switx- 

 erland is 41,34(5 square kilometres, or l")>'.i'J 

 square miles. The domiciled population, as as- 

 certained by the census of Dec. 31, 1888, was 

 2,917,754. and the population present was 2.933.- 

 334, showing an increase of 0'875 per cent, per 

 annum since the census of 1880. According to 

 the preliminary returns regarding sex there were 

 1.427,057 males and 1,506,277 females. The 

 number of Swiss in the resident population was 

 2,688,104 ; the number of foreigners was 229,650, 

 of whom 112,342 were Germans, 53.627 French, 

 41,881 Italians. 14,181 Austrians and Hungari- 

 ans, 3,577 British, 1,354 Russians, 2.153 from 

 other European countries, 1,011) North Ameri- 

 cans, and 516 from other countries. In religion, 

 1,716,548, or 58*8 per cent, of the population, 

 were Protestants ; 1,183,828, or 40-6 per cent,, 

 were Catholics: 8,069 were Jews : and 9,300 were 

 of other beliefs. In regard to language. 2.<>s:i.- 

 097 spoke German, 634,613 French, 155,130 Ital- 

 ian, 38.357 Romansch, and 6,557 other tongues. 

 The Italian and Romansch languages are losing 

 ground gradually, and the French-speaking 

 population is increasing at the expense of the 

 (icnnan, through the assimilation of the German- 

 Swiss element. The number of marriages in 1890 

 was 20,836; births, 81. IWO : deaths 64.H77 : natu- 

 ral increase of population. 16,743. The trans- 

 marine emigration in 18!)0 was 7.7 1 1 . 1 , of which 

 number 6.917 were destined for North America. 

 752 for South America, and 43 for other parts of 

 the world. The population of the chief cities in 

 1888 was as follows: Zurich, 90.088; Geneva. 

 71,807; Basel, 69,809; Bern, the seat of the 

 Federal Government, 46.009 ; Lausanne, the seat 

 of the Federal Tribunal. :!::.:!<! : St. (mllcn. '-'7.- 

 390; La Chaux-de-Fonds. 25.603. Fducation is 

 compulsory and almost universal in the Prote-t- 

 nt cantons. Only 0-11 por cent, of the recruits 

 for the army were found illiterate in 1888. The 

 students in the universities of Bern, Zllricli. 

 Basel, and Geneva, and the academies of Lau- 

 sanne and Neuf jhatel, numbered 2,412 in 1880, of 



whom 680 were fordo new and 100 were fi 



and at the National Polytechnic School 



id studying in 1888. There were 461.629 

 children and 245.525 adult* receiving n.-r 

 in the elementary whooU in 1 HMO, and 13(t,.V>j 

 pupil* in the work -cln.ol> fur girl-. 



FlimneeH. The receipt.- of the Federal GOT- 

 eminent for 1890 were 73.1M.HXW frui, 

 which :t 1,258,296 franc* were from ciiMiiif>. 24.- 

 180,020 francs from the po-i-,,nicc. .:)9 f 988 

 francs from telegraphs and telephone*, 8.409,796 

 from the military arvnals, work-hop;., and army- 

 exemption tax, 1.317.KJ7 franc* from lnv< 

 capital, and small sums from other M.urce*. The 

 tout! expenditure WM 72,221,019 franc.. .f which 

 27.111,079 francs were for the army. 21.'." 

 francs for the post-office, 3.266.H34 franc.- for the 

 telegraph service, 6,449,952 franc; for adminis- 

 tering the finances and customs. 7.391.041 franc* 

 for the Interior Department, 2,652.373 franc- for 

 the public debt, and smaller amounts for other 

 purposes. 



The Federal debt on Jan. 1, 1891, amounted 

 to 58.412,452 francs, against which the Govern- 

 ment could show general assets amountingto 92,- 

 625,710 francs and 14,500,667 francs held in spe- 

 cial funds. 



Coniiuerce. The value of the special im- 

 ports in 1890 was 953.395.000 francs, of which 

 295,140,000 francs came from Germany. ^'(i.:'.41.- 

 000 francs from France, 129,015,000 francs from 

 Italy, 102.320.000 francs from Austria-Hungary. 

 .VJ.:;"T 1,000 francs from Great Britain: 88.20&000 

 francs from Russia, 31.838,000 francs from Bel- 

 gium. 28,734,000 francs from the I'nited States. 

 14,946,000 francs from Africa, 8,894,000 franc- 

 from Holland, 15,210.000 francs from other 

 European countries, 7.076,000 francs from other 

 countries of America besides the I'nited States. 

 7,076,000 francs from Asia, and 1.964,000 francs 

 from Australia and Polynesia. The total value 

 of the exports was 703,540,000 francs, of which 

 181,873,000 francs represent the exports ! 

 many. 123,929,000 francs went to France. 106,- 

 489.000 francs to Great Britain. 82.676.000 francs 

 to the I'nited States. 50,370.000 francs to Italy. 

 39,259,000 francs to Austria-Hungary, 13,686,000 

 franc- to Russia in Europe and A.-ia. r,'.:'.4H,000 

 francs to Belgium, 4,834.000 francs to Holland. 

 The total imports of grain and flour were 101,- 

 014,000 francs in value; spun silk. 73.54)9,000 

 francs: raw silk, 53.779.COO francs: animals. 

 61,006.000 francs; cotton. 4:5.5r-J.oOO francs; 

 woolen thread and cloth. 48.081.000 francs; 

 wine, 34.5U5.000 franc-: coal. 34/..MO.OOO f- 

 cottons. J7..V,'ii.(MH) francs; apparel. 27.(5<>.(MH 

 franc-: iron. -Jti.418.000 francs; machinery and 

 OMrriaffes.80i482.000 franc- : chemicals. V" 

 000 francs; sugar. 19.653.(MNi francs: cuff. e. 

 lil.^'.'.UMK) francs; iron nd steel goods. Ki.- 

 617.000 fran-s: silk manufactures. 18,958.000 

 francs; raw wool. 13.S5 1.000 francs; timlwr, 

 12,899,000 francs; leather. 11.414.000 francs: 

 manufactures of leather. 10.1H7.000 franc*. 

 The chief export- in IS'.MI wen '"tton gocds 

 of the value of i:5.-..7C,.-).tK)0 francs: .-ilk, man- 

 ufacture-. i-ji.o:;i.(HHi franc-: walchea, 104,- 

 (M17.IKH) franc-: silk thread. 65.948,000 franc*; 

 .-h.-e-e ::vJn7.(MH) f niics ; machinery and car- 

 riag. - 'K francs; cotton, 



franc-: animal-. 16,286,000 francs ; raw silk, la.- 



