Interesting facts about Switzerland
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Outside Switzerland, clichés and stereotypes are often used to describe the country as "the land of mountains, cheese, chocolate and banks". But these are not the only concepts which are closely linked with the Confederation. For example: Switzerland is a country with a 700 year tradition of democracy. Is it also a cliché or a historical fact? The question is not an easy one. There are also other misconceptions. But first, let's look at the capitals.
Neither Zurich nor Geneva are the capitals of Switzerland. But neither is Bern. After all, Switzerland has never been centrally organised. Since 1848, Bern has been a "federal town" ("Bundesstadt") which is the seat of the federal government and nothing more! Bern is the capital of the canton of the same name.
The army
The Swiss are a rather bellicose nation. Until 2003, the country had the biggest army in Europe. The term of service in the Swiss army is 260 days, but the process lasts for 10 years: the Swiss serve not "from" and "to", but every year they go to a week-long military training camp.
There is a legal way not to serve in the army: 3% of all money earned before the age of thirty must be given to the state. But there are not many people who want to avoid military service. Many office workers look forward to the week-long training camp, which can be actively spent outdoors in the company of men. All the more reason to pay their salaries during this time.
Languages
There are four official languages in this small country. The rarest of them all is Romansh: about 39 thousand people speak it.
Inventions
Switzerland is a land of invention and innovation. Many of today's modern gadgets were invented by the Swiss. The Swiss inventions include cellophane, Velcro, Panthenol for burns, muesli, and electric toothbrushes, to name just a few. Separate mention should be made of the Swiss knives. The versatile folding Swiss Army Knife was first produced in 1891. In addition to the classic blade, these knives are equipped with a can opener, screwdriver, scissors and other tools. The Swiss have won the Nobel Prize several times. Back in 1901, the founder of the Red Cross, Henri Dunant, received the Peace Prize. And in 2019, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star.
700 types of cheese
Soft, ripe, hard and semi-hard, perforated and smooth - more than 700 different types of cheese are produced in Switzerland. They are made in almost every region of the country.
Swiss cheeses are renowned the world over for a reason. They are 100% organic and made from natural Swiss milk, with no artificial additives. One kilogram of cheese takes about 10 litres of fresh milk from specially selected Alpine cows.
The dairy industry is one of the most important industries for the Swiss. About half of a farmer's milk is turned into cheese. On average, the Swiss eat about 21 kilos of cheese a year.
Cheese is not only eaten in its pure form. The national cuisine is full of this dairy product. The Swiss love to gather around a pot of hot cheese, better known as fondue, add cheese to rösti (a potato dish), make casseroles and pastries with cheese. Raclette is no less popular. For it, the eponymous cheese is heated and scraped onto baked potatoes, gherkins and other snacks.
Chocolate
Swiss chocolate is a true symbol of the country. Who hasn't heard of the three-sided mountain-shaped wrapper, Toblerone, or bought a chocolate bar for tea in the famous purple Milka wrapper? Every year, Switzerland produces around 200,000 tonnes of chocolate, of which almost 40 % is consumed locally. What's more, the Swiss are the biggest chocolate consumers in the world. Every Swiss consumes as much as 11 kilos of chocolate a year.
A few more interesting facts
- Switzerland does not have a capital. You may come across information that Bern is the capital. However, this is not exactly true. It is the seat of the Federal Council, its departments and the Federal Chancellery.
- In Switzerland, it is forbidden by law to give certain names to children. Names that may harm the interests of the child or offend a third person are forbidden. Children may not be given names of brands, towns or of negative characters from the Bible.
- The national drink of Switzerland is Rivella. This non-alcoholic, whey-based drink was launched in 1952. This unusual lemonade didn't gain much love outside the country, but the Swiss actively drink it today.
- On Sunday there is a ban on mowing the lawn, washing cars, noisy construction work and even hanging laundry outside. In other words, anything that might in any way disturb the peace of the neighbours. It is not customary to work on Sundays, it is a day of rest.
- Depending on the town, the Swiss speak French, German, Italian and Romansh. All of them are the official state languages.
- Switzerland has the highest life expectancy of any European country. Women live on average 86 years, and men 82.
- Once every 12 years, the Bernese Alps host an unusual festival, Unspunnenfest, based on Swiss culture. It includes stone throwing, 83.5 kilograms, wrestling and yodelling.
- The country's flag is shaped like a square. Apart from Switzerland, only the Vatican can boast such an unusual flag.
- About 30 million watches are produced in Switzerland every year. Since Swiss watches are extremely popular, they are often counterfeited. And the number of fakes exceeds the number of original watches.
- Since Roman times, vineyards have been cultivated in what is now Switzerland. It's not easy to get a taste of authentic Swiss wine, as only 1 per cent is exported.
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