In the context of our globalisation project, we had to choose a country, present it and show how it deals with this era of globalisation. We chose Switzerland because we thought that it was one of the best examples of globalisation. Effectively, before the phenomenon of globalization as we know nowadays, Switzerland was open to the world, maybe forced by its geographic situation and its small size to find a way of flourishing. Also by the banks, which have attracted money from all over the world. The success of Switzerland is due to the foreign countries with their exportations and the money they put in its banks. Let see how it manages to take the bend of the globalisation in detail.
[...] Other organizations had based their headquarters in Switzerland like World Economic Forum, International Olympic committee (for the Olympic Games) and the World Trade Organization. We found also the second largest UN office in Geneva. In Europe, Swiss confederation was one of the founders of European Free Trade Association, which allows liberalism of trade for the members of the EFTA, independent of the European Union convention. Switzerland has also signed the Schengen Agreement, which removes the systematic border control between the participating countries. [...]
[...] III- Globalisation and political Switzerland and Europe Switzerland voted against membership in the European Economy Area in 1992, but still maintains good relationships with the EU and the European countries through bilateral agreements (Schengen treaty in 1999 and Dublin Convention). In 2001, the Swiss people voted against the start of negotiation to enter the EU. Both, the Swiss people and government members are pro-EU, essentially for international competitiveness; but the conservative SVP party against the EU is supported by conventional opinions. [...]
[...] Historically, Switzerland had soon made trade with the other countries in Europe and more recently, trades worldwide. Positioned at the intersection of many European countries, it has a strategic location. The country has not many raw materials and no access to the sea which could be a handicap, but it has known to pass through these difficulties and has produced high-value goods or services that lead the balance of trade positively, that means Swiss people export more than they import of their income is made because of other countries. [...]
[...] On one hand, Switzerland is one of the best countries which benefits from globalisation and on the other hand, it seems reluctant to see foreign people set up in its territories. Language Historically, Switzerland is multicultural and has four different official languages which represent four different regions: German at the north and the centre, the French in the west, the Italian in the south and the Roman language spoken by a minority of people in the south-east of the country. [...]
[...] II- Crises' impacts on Switzerland In 2007, the Swiss gross domestic product was about 424 billion dollars and its economic growth was higher than the Euro area for the 2004-2007 period and seemed to well resist the worldwide crisis and despite the American subprime mortgage crisis that hardly affected the banking sector. Yet, as its economic system is open to foreign capitals, Switzerland did not escape the financial crisis which struck the country in 2008, as all its European neighbors. [...]
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