The paper considers three problems for continuous-time nonlinear switched systems. The first result of this paper is a open-loop stabilization strategy based on dwell time computation. The second considers a state switching strategy for global stabilization. The strategy is of closed loop nature (trajectory dependent) and is designed from the solution of what we call nonlinear Lyapunov-Metzler inequalities from which the stability condition is expressed. Finally, results on the stabilization of nonlinear time varying polytopic systems are provided. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.57195103