Global Administrative Areas

• SALB (ADM-2, formally approved by countries, high quality, but only for selected countries)
• ADM-1 data, all countries, intended for use with Epi Info™/Epi Map

--- Related data ---

• Global oceans, seas and other big water.
• Exclusive economic zones for the Pacific
• Global built up areas (digital chart of the world)

--- General sources of administrative boundary data ----

• Statoids
• the country entries in Wikipedia
• More info about names and changes of administrative boundaries: Geonames
• some theory and more

Switzerland
Generalized admin-areas: http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/dienstleistungen/geostat/dat...
there are 3 different generalizations available. There is also a non-generalized dataset available:
http://www.toposhop.admin.ch/en/shop/products/landscape/swissBoundaries3D_1
It is free but you have to order it.