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CULTURAL ANALYSIS Originally inhabited by the Helvetians the territory comprising modern Switzerland was conquered by Julius Caesar during the Gallic wars and made part of the Roman Empire. It remained a Roman province until the 4th century AD. Under Roman influence, the population reached a high level of civilization and enjoyed a flourishing commerce. Important cities, such as Geneva, Basel, and Zurich, were linked by military roads that also served as trade arteries between Rome and the northern tribes. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Switzerland was invaded by Germanic tribes from the north and west. Some tribes, such as the Alemanni in central and northeastern Switzerland, and the Burgundians, who ruled western Switzerland, settled there. In 800, the country became part of Charlemagne's empire. It later passed under the dominion of the German emperors in the form of small ecclesiastic and temporal holdings subject to imperial sovereignty. Switzerland adopted a federal constitution in 1848, modeled in part on the U.S. Constitution. The Swiss amended their constitution extensively in 1874, establishing federal responsibility for defense, trade, and legal matters. Since then, continued political, economic, and social improvement has characterized Swiss history. The Swiss did not participate in either world war (www.brittanica.com). From a climate point of view, Switzerland is located in a transition zone. In the west, there is a strong influence of the Atlantic Ocean. Winds bring a lot of moisture into Switzerland and cause rainfall. In the east, there is an almost continental climate, with lower temperatures and less precipitation. On the other hand, the Alps - which run from east to west - act as a climatic divide. South of the Alps, there is an almost Mediterranean climate, with significantly higher temperatures but also a lot of precipitation. Generally speaking, spring is wet and cool, April is well known for fast and often changing weather conditions. Summer is supposed to be warm and dry, while fall is usually dry, but cool. The temperature will drop significantly in September or October. Winter is supposed to be cold and dry. In the Alps, they usually get a lot of snow, but even at lower elevations, there is a good chance that they will get a foot of snow every now and then (www.cia.gov). INSTITUTIONAL Family People marry relatively late. They concentrate on their training and career before they start a family. The majority of couples have only one or two children. Surveys have shown that parents put financial difficulties as the main reason for restricting family size. Large flats are expensive, and there is a shortage of affordable child care. Women complain of the difficulty of combining motherhood with a career, and as a result, many give up work. Women still tend to look after the house and children while the man is normally the main breadwinner. The number of women continuing to work after starting a family increased dramatically during the 1990s, but most of them do so part time.
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