Stupid question - why is the 2-digit abbreviation for Switzerland, CH ?

Confederato Helvetica <BR> <BR>the official name of the confederation of Kanton's that make up Switzerland-sort of like the United States of Switzerland.

Slight correction to the spelling: <BR> <BR>Confoederatio Helvetica <BR> <BR>A Latin name, as you may recognize, which translates as as Helvetic Confederation. The Swiss form of government arose as a confederation of independent states. <BR> <BR>These are now Kantons, and the actual form of government today is federal, quite similar to the US. The US constitution is the model upon which the modern Swiss constitution is based, although there are a number of significant differences. The most notable differences perhaps are the form of the presidency and petitions and referenda. <BR> <BR>The Helvetii were one of the native tribes in the area of Switzeraland in Roman times, and Helvetica a Roman province. <BR> <BR>Switzerland has four official languages, French, Italian, German and Romantsch. Hard to have a single, unique abbreviation for the country which is meaningful in four, even two, of the languages ... hence the choice of a Latin construct. <BR> <BR>Ed

<BR> <BR> I don't really know the constitution of Switzerland, but I'm quite surprised to read that it has been modeled upon the US constitution. Are you sure of that? I believed it was more a parlementarian system that a presidential system?

Clair: <BR> <BR>Indeed the 'executive' in Switzerland is a creature of the legislature, and is not a 'strong executive'. Nonetheless the constitution of 1848 was developed with the US constitution as a model ... which is not the same as mimicry. One similarity, for example, is that the President is both the head of government and the head of state ... a direct copy from the US form, and a poor choice in this case. <BR> <BR>There are lots of differences, but even more similarity at heart. Bear in mind, as well, there were at the time few truly democratic constitutions avaialable for use as a model at the time! <BR> <BR>Ed

Indeed Ed is quite right: the Swiss constitution was modelled on the consitution of the U.S: parliament consists of two chambers, one with delegates from the cantons apportioned according to the number of inhabitants and a second with two members from each canton. <BR> <BR>Instead of a president elected by popular vote, Switzerland has a committee of seven "federal councillors", each of them heading a department of the executive. As the authors of the consitution didn't trust the voters entirely with the selection of the executive branch (and wanted all parts of the country represented in the executive council), parliament selects those seven people in joint session during the first session after each national election. Contrary to a real parliamentary system, members of the Swiss government cannot be ousted by a simple vote of non-confidence. <BR> <BR>The other most important difference to the U.S. constitution is the right of the people to referenda (vote on laws passed by parliament) and initiative (proposition of amendments to the consitution). <BR> <BR>And by the way: Swiss supreme court justices are elected in joint session of parliament. As no party has nearly enaough seats to dominate the Swiss parliament, multi-partisanship cannot be avoided... <BR> <BR>Phil.