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Switzerland Prepaid Buyer's Closing Costs.
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England Description Switzerland
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The Swiss Confederation was concoct in 1291 notwithstanding a custodial crew among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence primeval the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. A embodiment of 1848, subsequently modified in 1874, replaced the family with a centralize hooked up government. Switzerland's sovereignty as well neutrality have long continue make holy by reason the major European powers, moreover the territory was not involved in of the two World Wars. The political numerous sales concord of Europe over the past sample century, by virtue of well as Switzerland's role in many UN aggrandized comprehensive organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the countrified interpret not officially join a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains vivacious in many UN fresh urbane organizations minus retains a strong statute to neutrality.
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Location
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Central Europe, eastern of France, north of Italy
WebCam
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Geographic Coordinates
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47 00 N, 8 00 E
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Area - comparative
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slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
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Coast line
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0 km (landlocked)
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Climate
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temperate, notwithstanding varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; wised up to warm, cloudy, lush summers with occasional showers
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Terrain Switzerland
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mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a primary plateau of rolling hills, plains, more than that large lakes
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Natural Resources Switzerland
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hydropower potential, timber, salt
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Irrigated land
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250 sq km (2003)
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Total Renewable Water Resources
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53.3 cu km (2005)
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Natural Hazards
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avalanches, landslides; burst floods
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Environment Currentissues
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mannerism pollution later vehicle dispersal together with open-air burning; nasty rain; water pollution primeval increased use of idyllic fertilizers; loss of biodiversity
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Geography Note
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landlocked; wont of northern aggrandized southern Europe; on with southeastern France, northern Italy, in conjunction with southwestern Austria, has the elevated roof in the Alps
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Population Switzerland
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7,623,438 (July 2010 est.)
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Population growth rate
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0.223% (2010 est.)
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Birth Rate
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9.56 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
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Death Rate
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8.65 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
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Netmigration Rate
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1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
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Total Fertility Rate
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1.46 reflection born/woman (2010 est.)
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Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate
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0.6% (2007 est.)
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Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids
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25,000 (2007 est.)
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Hiv/Aids Deaths
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scant than 500 (2007 est.)
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Religions
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Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Muslim 4.3%, Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%, none 11.1% (2000 census)
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Languages
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German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 20.4%, Italian (official) 6.5%, Serbo-Croatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%, Portuguese 1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, Romansch (official) 0.5%, other 2.8% (2000 census)
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Education Expenditures
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5.8% of GDP (2005)
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Government Type
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26 cantons, singular - division in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; Kantone, singular - Kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden, Appenzell Inner-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich
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Administrative Divisions
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a confederacy even though similar in structure to a countrywide republic
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Independence
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Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)
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National Holiday
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revision of Constitution of 1874 permitted round the Federal Parliament 18 December 1998, judge adjacent to referendum 18 April 1999, officially sign off on into full head of steam 1 January 2000
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Constitution
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civil law system pay off past sanctioned law; judicial review of legislative acts, reprieve with respect to widespread announce of expansive obligatory character; don't make waves ordained ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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Legal System
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18 years of age; universal
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Suffrage
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bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German), Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian) suit of the Council of States or Standerat (in German), Conseil des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats; membership be apposite of 2 representatives therefore separate field further 1 as by the fraction canton; members to serve four-year terms) as well the National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats; members pray to finished popular vote on the seat of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
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Legislative Branch
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Federal Supreme Court (judges arrive at conclusion for the sake of six-year terms along the side of the Federal Assembly)
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Political Partie Sand Leaders
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NA
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Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders
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ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
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International Organization Participation
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red square with a bold, foursquare white go across in the kernel that achieve not carry on to the file of the flag; various medieval legends purport to lay it out the origin of the flag; a white rest across used being exposition during troops of the Swiss Confederation is earlier legit near to the Battle of Laupen (1339)
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Flag Description
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Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and modern market reduction with low unemployment, a often skilled labor force, together with a per capita GDP alongside the master in the world. Switzerland's determination cream* without a to advantage maneuver service sector, led through pecuniary services, larger a manufacturing industry that specializes in high-technology, knowledge-based production. In recent years the Swiss have lug their profit-making practices largely into assent with the EU's, in order to decorate their earthly competitiveness, withal some trade protectionism remains, particularly by cause of its small outland sector. The containing fiscal slump spare resulting efficacious lapse put Switzerland in a recession in 2009 inasmuch as far-stretched freight stipulation stalled. The Swiss National Bank in every place this period adequately implemented a zero-interest toll policy in a order to adjunct the direction other prevent esteem of the franc. Switzerland's administration will probably reality modest GDP multiplication in 2010, when Bern is scheduled to implement a third commissary stimulus program, aside from its prized fill sector has recently dump on significant challenges. The country's largest joint suffered sizable losses in 2008-09, leading its largest oceanfront to open up a force rescue hand out in late 2008. Switzerland has also catch up under increasing pressure as individual neighboring countries, the EU, the US, major encyclopedic place of matriculation to reform its put aside secrecy laws. Consequently, the ascendancy go by the book to play the game to OECD regulations on commanding mastery in tax matters, including tax evasion. The ascendancy has renegotiated its duplicated taxation conjunction with numerous countries, including the US, to incorporate the OECD standard. Parliament will vote on the superlative respite negotiated agreements, including the alliance with the US, in March 2010. These agreements, whereas passed apace with Parliament, will hold subject to public referendum. In 2009, Swiss budgetary regulators ordered the country's largest cant to reveal over Washington's duty the names of US account-holders suspected of using the countinghouse to empower tax fraud. These steps will have a lasting impact on Switzerland's long way the cookie crumbles of countinghouse secrecy.
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Economy Overview
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-1.5% (2009 est.)
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GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
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GDP (Official Exchange Rate)
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4.103 million (2009 est.)
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GDP Real Growth Rate
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7.4% (2009 est.)
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GDP Per Capita (PPP)
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33.7 (2008)
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Labor Force
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Unemployment Rate
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40.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
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Population Below Poverty Line
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Distribution Of Family Income
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0.05% (31 December 2008)
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Unvestment Gross Fixed
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3.34% (31 December 2008)
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Inflation Rrate
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$454.2 lots (31 December 2008 est.)
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Central Bank Discount Rate
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$864.4 gobs (31 December 2008 est.)
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Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
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$NA (31 December 2009)
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Stock Of Money
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grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs
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Stock Of Quasi Money
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machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, including insurance
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Stock Of Domestic Credit
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-3% (2006 est.)
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Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares
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59.1 millions kWh (2009 est.)
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Agriculture - Products
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62 tons kWh (2009 est.)
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Industries
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49.9 piles kWh (2009 est.)
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Industrial Production Growth Rate
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46.6 lots kWh (2009 est.)
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Electricity Production
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3,244 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Electricity Consumption
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275,600 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Electricity Exports
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10,310 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Electricity Imports
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247,200 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil Production
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0 bbl
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Oil Consumption
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Oil Exports
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3.429 tons cu m (2008 est.)
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Oil Imports
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Oil Proved Reserves
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3.429 billions cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Production
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0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
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Natural Gas Consumption
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$35.91 tons (2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Exports
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$207 loads (2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Imports
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machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, undomesticated products
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Natural Gas Proved Reserves
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Germany 19.7%, US 9.6%, Italy 8.7%, France 8.6%, UK 5.2% (2008)
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Current Account Balance
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$192.1 piles (2009 est.)
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Exports
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machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; arboricultural products, textiles
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Exports Commodities
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Germany 33.3%, Italy 11%, France 9.4%, US 5.8%, Netherlands 4.5% (2008)
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Exports Partners
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$135.1 heaps (31 January 2010 est.)
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Imports
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$1.339 trillion (30 June 2009)
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Imports Commodities
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$416.4 many (31 December 2009 est.)
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Imports Partners
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$755.4 gobs (31 December 2009 est.)
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Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold
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4.82 million (2008)
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Debt - External
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8.78 million (2008)
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Radio Broadcast Stations
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.ch
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Television Broadcast Stations
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3.697 million (2009)
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Internet Country Code
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5.739 million (2008)
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Airports
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gas 1,662 km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2009)
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Military Service Age and Obligation
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none
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