Swiss National BankThe Swiss National Bank (SNB) is the central bank of Switzerland. It is responsible for setting the monetary policy for the country and for issuing Swiss franc banknotes. The majority of shares of the SNB (approximately 55%) are owned by public institutions. The remaining shares are traded on the stock market. They are mostly owned by private individuals. The SNB is also responsible for managing the official gold reserves of Switzerland which is currently valued at over 30 billion Swiss francs (CHF). The gold was said to be stored in large vaults beneath the Federal Square north of the Federal Parliament building in Berne. In spite of the SNB's efforts to keep the location of the gold reserves secret, its whereabouts was confirmed by the Bernese newspaper, Der Bund, in 2008. It published a photograph of the gold that was taken by a Keystone photographer at the SNB site in Berne. The Swiss franc is the fifth most heavily traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the US dollar, the euro, the Japanese yen and the British pound sterling. Additional information about the SNB and the Swiss franc can be found at the bank's homepage. Click on the link below:
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