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Switzerland Facts

Switzerland Facts
The country of Switzerland is officially named the Swiss Confederation. Switzerland is a small, landlocked and mountainous European country located north of Italy, west of Austria and Liechtenstein, south of Germany, and east of France. Switzerland's earliest cultural tribes were the Hallstatt and La Tenes from about 450 BC but farming settlements have been discovered dating back to 5300 BC. Switzerland (known as Helvetia in ancient times) became part of the Swiss Confederation in 1291. In 1815 Switzerland was established as a neutral and independent country under the Congress of Vienna. In 1848 the country became a federal state.
Interesting Switzerland Facts:
Switzerland has not been at war since 1815. It was briefly occupied by France between 1798 and 1803.
The climate in Switzerland is never too hot or too cold. Depending on the region it may be a moderate, mild or warm.
Switzerland's capital city is Bern.
The largest city in Switzerland is Zurich.
Switzerland's population is estimated to be approximately 8 million.
Switzerland has more than 1500 lakes. It accounts for approximately 6% of the fresh water in Europe.
Switzerland's largest lakes are Lake Geneva, Lake Maggiore, and Lake Constance.
Switzerland's cities of Bern, Geneva and Zurich are commonly ranked as the top 10 most livable cities worldwide.
Switzerland's monetary unit is the Swiss franc.
Switzerland encompasses an area of 15,940 square miles.
Approximately 6% of Switzerland is made up of glaciers and lakes.
There are four official languages in Switzerland including Swiss German, French, Italian, and Romansh.
Part of the Alps that run through Europe are within Switzerland's borders (known as the Swiss Alps).
Switzerland has three main topographical regions including the Swiss Alps, the Swiss plateau, and the Jura Mountains.
Switzerland's highest mountain is Monte Rosa, sitting at 4,634 meters tall.
Switzerland is famous for manufacturing many luxury items including watches. They make half of the luxury watches in the world.
The oldest watchmaker in the world with an uninterrupted history, Vacheron Constantin, was founded in Switzerland in 1755.
Other famous Swiss items include cheese and chocolate. Citizens of Switzerland consume more chocolate per year, per person, than citizens of any other country in the world.
Popular sports in Switzerland include mountaineering, skiing, and snowboarding.
The Vatican in Vatican City is protected by the Swiss Guards. They are the only citizens of Switzerland allowed to serve in foreign militaries.
Traditional Swiss wrestling is called Schwingen.
Hornussen is a traditional sport in Switzerland. It is a cross between golf and baseball.
In 1863 the International Committee of the Red Cross was founded in Geneva, Switzerland. This remains the ICRC's home base.
Switzerland did not join the United Nations until 2002.
Switzerland's country code is CH, which stands for Confoederatio Helvetica, which is Latin for Swiss Confederation.
Switzerland has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.
Of all industrialized countries, Switzerland has one of the lowest crime rates, even with fairly liberal gun laws.
Women in Switzerland were not given the right to vote federally until 1971.


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