Schwyz
Encyclopedia
The town of is the capital of the canton of Schwyz
in Switzerland
.
The Federal Charter of 1291
or Bundesbrief, the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the Bundesbriefmuseum.
The name Schwyz is first attested in 972 as the village Suittes and is perhaps related to Old High German suedan "to burn", referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build. The name was extended to the area dominated by Schwyz (the Canton of Schwyz
), and later to the entire Old Swiss Confederacy
. Other cantons tended to resent this in the 15th century, but after 1499 the term Schwyzer was widely self-adopted, out of spite so to speak, since it had been employed as a term of abuse by the Swabian side during the Swabian War
. Eidgenossenschaft
and Schwytzerland could be used interchangeably as country names in the 16th century. Today, Swiss-German people use the name "Schwiiz", derived from Schwyz as the Swiss name of the country. Most famous is the sentence "Hop Schwiiz", which most Swiss people yell in an international football game.
the gender distribution of the population was 49.9% male and 50.1% female. The age distribution, , in Schwyz is; 3,537 people or 25.6% of the population is between 0 and 19. 4,144 people or 30.0% are 20 to 39, and 4,172 people or 30.2% are 40 to 64. The senior population distribution is 1,073 people or 7.8% are 65 to 74. There are 633 people or 4.6% who are 70 to 79 and 243 people or 1.76% of the population who are over 80. There are 3 people who are over 100 years old in Schwyz.
there are 5,338 households, of which 1,582 households (or about 29.6%) contain only a single individual. 391 or about 7.3% are large households, with at least five members.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 39.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(26.1%), the SPS
(17.1%) and the FDP
(12.7%).
In Schwyz about 66.4% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Schwyz has an unemployment rate of 1.15%. , there were 510 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 183 businesses involved in this sector. 2,838 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 190 businesses in this sector. 6,394 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 692 businesses in this sector.
From the , 11,269 or 81.6% are Roman Catholic, while 751 or 5.4% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
. Of the rest of the population, there are 7 individuals (or about 0.05% of the population) who belong to the Christian Catholic
faith, there are 423 individuals (or about 3.06% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are less than 5 individuals who belong to another Christian church. There are 5 individuals (or about 0.04% of the population) who are Jewish
, and 502 (or about 3.64% of the population) who are Islam
ic. There are 80 individuals (or about 0.58% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 377 (or about 2.73% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 385 individuals (or about 2.79% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
. The wettest month is August during which time Schwyz receives an average of 199 mm (7.8 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 13.9 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is June, with an average of 14.8, but with only 182 mm (7.2 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 99 mm (3.9 in) of precipitation over 13.9 days.
Canton of Schwyz
Schwyz is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne in the east and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz....
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
The Federal Charter of 1291
Federal Charter of 1291
The Federal Charter or Letter of Alliance documents the Eternal Alliance or League Of The Three Forest Cantons , the union of three cantons in what is now central Switzerland. It is dated in early August, 1291 and initiates the current August 1 national Swiss holiday. This agreement cites a...
or Bundesbrief, the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the Bundesbriefmuseum.
History of the toponym
Canton of Schwyz
Schwyz is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne in the east and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz....
), and later to the entire Old Swiss Confederacy
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
. Other cantons tended to resent this in the 15th century, but after 1499 the term Schwyzer was widely self-adopted, out of spite so to speak, since it had been employed as a term of abuse by the Swabian side during the Swabian War
Swabian War
The Swabian War of 1499 was the last major armed conflict between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the House of Habsburg...
. Eidgenossenschaft
Eidgenossenschaft
Eidgenossenschaft is a German word meaning confederation. The term literally translates as "oath fellowship". An Eidgenossenschaft is a confederacy of equal partners, which can be individuals or groups such as states, formed by a pact sealed by a solemn oath. Such an alliance could be either...
and Schwytzerland could be used interchangeably as country names in the 16th century. Today, Swiss-German people use the name "Schwiiz", derived from Schwyz as the Swiss name of the country. Most famous is the sentence "Hop Schwiiz", which most Swiss people yell in an international football game.
Geography
Schwyz has an area, , of 53.2 square kilometres (20.5 sq mi). Of this area, 46.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 39.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 8.7% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (5.8%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).Demographics
Schwyz has a population (as of ) of . , 15.6% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 4.2%. Most of the population speaks German (90.1%), with Serbo-Croatian being second most common (2.7%) and Italian being third (2.0%).the gender distribution of the population was 49.9% male and 50.1% female. The age distribution, , in Schwyz is; 3,537 people or 25.6% of the population is between 0 and 19. 4,144 people or 30.0% are 20 to 39, and 4,172 people or 30.2% are 40 to 64. The senior population distribution is 1,073 people or 7.8% are 65 to 74. There are 633 people or 4.6% who are 70 to 79 and 243 people or 1.76% of the population who are over 80. There are 3 people who are over 100 years old in Schwyz.
there are 5,338 households, of which 1,582 households (or about 29.6%) contain only a single individual. 391 or about 7.3% are large households, with at least five members.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
which received 39.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(26.1%), the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(17.1%) and the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(12.7%).
In Schwyz about 66.4% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
).
Schwyz has an unemployment rate of 1.15%. , there were 510 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 183 businesses involved in this sector. 2,838 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 190 businesses in this sector. 6,394 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 692 businesses in this sector.
From the , 11,269 or 81.6% are Roman Catholic, while 751 or 5.4% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
Swiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. Of the rest of the population, there are 7 individuals (or about 0.05% of the population) who belong to the Christian Catholic
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is the Swiss member church of the Union of Utrecht, also known as Old Catholic Church, originally founded by the jansenists, with a later influx of discontented Catholics following their disappointment with the First Vatican Council. It has 14,000...
faith, there are 423 individuals (or about 3.06% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are less than 5 individuals who belong to another Christian church. There are 5 individuals (or about 0.04% of the population) who are Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 502 (or about 3.64% of the population) who are Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There are 80 individuals (or about 0.58% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 377 (or about 2.73% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 385 individuals (or about 2.79% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 10,259 |
| 1960 | 11,007 |
| 1970 | 12,194 |
| 1980 | 12,236 |
| 1985 | 12,378 |
| 1990 | 12,723 |
| 2000 | 13,825 |
| 2005 | 14,302 |
| 2007 | 14,186 |
Weather
Schwyz has an average of 149.2 days of rain per year and on average receives 1629 mm (64.1 in) of precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
. The wettest month is August during which time Schwyz receives an average of 199 mm (7.8 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 13.9 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is June, with an average of 14.8, but with only 182 mm (7.2 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 99 mm (3.9 in) of precipitation over 13.9 days.