Brief portraits of the host countries
AUSTRIA| Surface area | 83,871 square kilometres |
| Population | 8,217,201 – a population density of 98 inhabitants per square kilometre (as at 1 April 2005) |
| Capital city | Vienna |
| Largest cities by population size | Vienna 1.5 million, Graz 226,000, Linz 183,000, Salzburg 142,000, Innsbruck 114,000, Klagenfurt 91,000 (as at 1 April 2005) |
| Languages | German, regional (minority) languages: Croatian, Hungarian,Slovenian |
| Main religions | 73.6% Catholic, 4.7% Protestant |
| State and government structure | Parliamentary democratic federal republic since 1918.The Parliament has 183 members (elected every four years), the Bundesrat (Federal Council) as the parliament of the Länder has a total of 62 members. |
| Head of State | President Heinz Fischer (Social Democratic Party/SPÖ), since 8 July 2004. The President serves a six-year term and may be re-elected. |
| Head of Government | Wolfgang Schüssel (People’s Party/ÖVP), since 4 February 2000. The Federal Government is responsible for running the Federation. Its members include the Federal Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and other ministers (number of members: 10, as at 1 May 2006). |
| National holiday | 26 October (adoption of the 1955 Neutrality Act) |
| Currency | 1 Euro (EUR) = CHF 1.56 (as at 1 May 2006) |
| Gross national product per inhabitant | EUR 19,660 (CHF 30,670, as at 1 May 2006) |
Switzerland
| Surface area | 41,285 square kilometres |
| Population | 7,415,102 – a population density of 179 inhabitants per square kilometre (as at 1 January 2005) |
| Capital city | Berne |
| Largest cities by population size | Zurich approx. 360,000 (agglomeration 1,080,000), Geneva 185,000, Basle 166,000, Berne 127,000 (2005 figures) |
| Languages | German 63.7%, French 20.4%, Italian 6.5%, Romansch 0.5%, others 9.0% |
| Main religions | 41.8% Catholic, 35.3% protestant |
| State and government structure | The Swiss Confederation has been a federal state since 1848. Switzerland has a federal structure, with semi-direct democracy. The Swiss Parliament has two chambers, which together are known as the Bundesversammlung (Federal Assembly) and share legislative authority. The 200-member Nationalrat (National Council) represents the people, while the Ständerat (Council of States) represents the 26 cantons. Both are directly elected by the people. The Swiss Government comprises the seven members of the Bundesrat (Federal Council), who are elected by the Bundesversammlung for a four-year term. |
| Federal President | Elected for one year, during which time he acts as Primus inter pares, i.e. first among equals. He chairs meetings of the Bundesrat and fulfils certain official duties. |
| National holiday | 1 August (in remembrance of the oath taken on the Rütli by the founders of the Swiss Confederation in 1291) |
| Currency | 1 Swiss franc (CHF) = 0.64 EUR (as at 1 May 2006) |
| Gross national product per inhabitant | CHF 46,492 (EUR 29,803, as at 1 May 2006) |
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