ABSTRACT
Switzerland geographically lies in the middle of Europe. It is not a member of the European Union, but is connected to it by several bilateral treaties. The model of the republican federal state forms the basis of the Swiss Constitution. Besides the federal government, the 26 constituent states, the cantons, also have considerable duties and competences. Out of the 7.8 million inhabitants of Switzerland, 21.6 percent are foreigners. The majority of the population belongs to a Christian denomination: 42 percent of the inhabitants are members of the Roman Catholic Church; 33 percent are members of the Protestant church; 4.2 percent belong to a Muslim community; 0.25 percent belong to a Jewish community; and 11 percent of the population is unaffiliated. The rest of the population belongs to different religions.2
