30 Fun Facts about Switzerland: Any European traveller must have heard of Switzerland, a European mini state that is globally famous for its beautiful valleys, Classes Cheese, chocolates and beautifully crafted watches. However, Switzerland offers way more than that. Below are thirty rather interesting things to know when it comes to this truly interesting country.
Interesting Facts about Switzerland Europe
1. Four Official Languages
Switzerland is unique for having four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. The primary language used by majority of the speakers is German at a 63% rate. Among the non- Germanic languages French is spoken by 23%, Italian – 8%, and Romansh of less than 1%. English is also used much of the time, especially with the younger generation and in the nation’s cities.
2. World’s Longest Tunnel
The Gotthard Base Tunnel, finally completed in 2016, is a 57-kilometer base tunnel running through the Alps of Switzerland. This esteemed piece of architecture was completed in 2016 after construction took 17 years. They cut down travel time between northern and southern part of Switzerland and most importantly between Zurich and Milan.
3. Switzerland’s Many Lakes
Switzerland boasts of a population of more than one thousand, five hundred lakes, and these lakes make up about 6% of the country’s geographical area. The greater body of water we find here are the lakes which are as follows, Lake Geneva, Lake Zurich, Lake Constance and Lake Lugano. It is of note that all these lakes besides bringing aesthetic value in the country’s landscape plays a vital role in provision of drinking water, as well as hydro electrical power and offers recreational activities including swimming, sailing and fishing.
4. Swiss Chocolate
Chocolate in Switzerland is as popular as TEXAS in US, which is home for Toblerone, the chocolate milkarde created in 1908 by Theodor Tobler. Currently, the Swiss people consumes an average of roughly 10 kg (22 lbs) of chocolate annually, or approximately 111 chocolate bars per head. Switzerland is also the birthplace of milk chocolate something that was invented by Daniel Peter in 1875.
5. High Wealth Per Person
Switzerland has one of the highest average per capital growth rates in the world. For 2020, the level of average wealth per adult in the United States was $ 564,653 and this figure considerably exceeds such an indicator as the global level of $ 76,984. To this forth, the adult persons in Switzerland millionaire group about comprised 14% meaning that the country is economically stable and rich.
6. Nobel Prize Winners
Finally, Switzerland has produced 32 Nobel Prize winners in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace. Switzerland has produced such prominent writers: Albert Einstein during the time in Switzerland worked out his theory of relativity, and Henry Dunant founded the International Committee of the Red Cross.
7. The Iconic Matterhorn
The Matterhorn is the emblem of Switzerland and the highest peak that rises at 4,478 meters or 14,692 feet in the Alps. The pyramid shape of the mountain has been recognized easily from any of the world’s books, films, Toblerone chocolate, and so on.
8. Healthy Lifestyle and Low Obesity
Switzerland has one of the low rates of obesity for any country in Europe, with the rate being at only 10 percent while for Europe the mean prevalence rate of obesity is at 23 percent. This is partly because of proper diet, consumption of leafy green fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, and low fat dairy products and also due to an active outdoor life.
9. The World’s Oldest Democracy
The Swiss people have been enjoying their freedom and democracy for 700 years with history dating back to 1291. It is divided into 26 cantons all of which have their own constitution, government, and legislation. Through referendums and initiatives the citizens have a direct say in political decisions regarding both federal and canton levels.
10. Coffee Culture
Switzerland loves its coffee! The population drinks approximately 7.9 kilogram of coffee per capita annually, equivalent to threes cups per day in Switzerland. Swiss people are known for their love of coffee, and you will find a cafe offering espresso, cappuccino, latte, or any other type of coffee in any part of the country.
Historical 30 Fun facts about Switzerland
11. Zurich’s High Living Costs
Zurich which is the largest city in Switzerland typically features in tops global leaders when it comes to the cost of living index. Food, transportation, entertainment and other things of necessity, or at lest things that people use frequently, costs a lot of money in this city. But, it is also characterized by a very good standard of living and therefore attracting learners and employees from all over the world.
12. An Impressive Railway System
Communication in Switzerland is well developed and the country has one of the best railway networks, with approximately 5132 kilometer (3188 miles) of the track. The Glacier Express is one of the most beautiful rail tours, with spectacular alpine scenery; it links Zermatt with St Moritz.
13. Recycling and Environmental Care
Switzerland has one of the highest recycling rates in the world thus around 53% of municipal waste is recycled. The government supports this by putting in place a levy on garbage bags, using special receptacles and drop-off points for sundry waste. The Swiss also know how to compost and what to do to lessen the amount of waste they produce.
14. Long Life Expectancy
Currently, Switzerland is among the global heaviest countries with life expectancy of 2019 estimated to be 83.6. Some of the reasons that made them to live long are; they have good health care, hygiene, balanced diet and little terrorism or crime rate.
15. Cheese Heaven
The cheese lovers in Switzerland eat approximately 21.6 kilos (47.6 pounds) of cheese per capita per year. Cheese is popular in Switzerland and about 450 kinds of this dairy product are manufactured in this country, however, Emmental, Gruyère, and Appenzeller are known all over the world. Cheese in general and particularly Swiss cheese, is an essential part of Swiss dishes such as, fondues and raclettes.
16. Leading in Innovation and Patents
The country overall is an innovation powerhouse; in 2019, it filed approximately 988 patent application per million inhabitants, a figure that is three times higher than the worldwide rate. It also emerged top on the 2020 Global Innovation Index which points to the significant importance that the country places on innovation.
17. Diverse Population
Modern Switzerland is a multiethnic country; about a quarter of the population was born in another country. Currently, variation in the population show that several people of Switzerland origin are born in Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Kosovo. Close to forty thousand citizens are naturalized in Switzerland per year.
18. World-Class Ski Resorts
Switzerland is a perfect destination for tourists who like winter activities. It currently boasts of having an approximately total of 338 ski resorts and 7107 kilometers of ski slopes and this is perhaps the main reason it hosts visitors from all over the world. Zermatt, St Moritz, Davos and Verbier are few of the most famous skiing resorts among all in the country.
19. Michelin-Starred Cuisine
Gourmets pay attention to Switzerland where 122 restaurants that serve meals are rated by Michelin. Switzerland food consists of foods from the four languages as the official languages of Switzerland and foods from neighboring countries like France, Germany, Italy among others. Some Swiss foods are cheese fondues, rostis and bircher mueslis.
20. Abundant Museums
There are as many as 1,111 museums in Switzerland, their focuses range from art and history, through science and sports. Some of the renowned museums are Street Museums, Swiss National Museums, Art Gallery Museums which include; Kunsthaus Zurich and Olympic Museum and Einstein House.
21. A Leader in Organic Farming
Organic farming is still in its early stage in Switzerland with almost 15% of its farms practicing it; the highest in Europe. The certified organic farms contribute only 10 % to the total agriculture yield of the country in different sectors such as dairy, meat product, egg production and different cereals.
22. Well-Prepared with Nuclear Shelters
There are approximately 300000 nuclear shelters in Switzerland and each person can have a nuclear shelter. It is a legal requirement for all new structures to contain a nuclear fallout facility.
23. Cows’ Rights
They also take an important role in Swiss economy, particularly for milk producing dairy cows. The country has 1.6 million cows, and the Swiss law protects them to transform the image of enjoyment of dairy products to responsibly produced quality foods with proper care, fresh air, exercise and natural feed.
24. Famous for Watchmaking
Luxury watches are one of Switzerland’s most important export products, key brands being Rolex, Omega, and Patek Philippe. Switzerland imported watches for about 20.6 million worth 21.7 billion Swiss franc in the year 2019.
25. Plenty of Public Holidays
Switzerland has as many as 26 public holidays a year with some differences in types of these holidays from one canton to another. Such holidays are often festivity of religious, historical or cultural nature.
26. Hosting International Organizations
Switzerland is a very active member of the international community; currently, more than 40 international organizations, including the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the International Red Cross and many others have their offices in Switzerland.
27. Stunning Cable Cars
Switzerland has roughly 1,700 cable cars in operation and exploring the mountain and valley scenery has never been easier. Some of the popular cable car are Titlis Rotair, Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Schilthorn Piz Gloria.
28. A Banking Hub
This country is characterized by a stable banking industry comprising of 253 companies which engage in offering products such as investment banking and wealth management. Switzerland’s biggest banks are UBS Group AG, Credit Suisse, and Julius Baer Group.
29. Frequent Referendums
The Swiss people have a great role in decision making of the country that is,four national referendums occur annually. Obviously, the electorate can express their opinion on such important issues as changes to the constitution, the adoption of new legislation, and treaties.
30. Traditional Alphorns
The alphorn is a wood instrument in the Swiss mountains, which attained high-pitched sounds with a low-pitched bass voice. The Last is considered a cultural representation of Swiss and can be spotted in carnivals and other cultural related activities.
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