Switzerland is a beautiful country located at the junction of central, southern and western Europe. It is a landlocked country sharing its southern border with Italy, western border with France, the northern border with Germany and the eastern border with Austria. The country has a total population of around 8.5 million spread over a total area of 41,285 km2. Christianity is the major practiced religion in Switzerland. It is a highly developed European country having a very high Human Development Index (HDI) and a GDP of around $548 billion. In this article, we will discuss important interesting facts about Switzerland.
Switzerland Facts
1. Switzerland is a land of Lakes
With around 7000 lakes, it would not be wrong to call Switzerland a land of lakes. The largest lake in the country, Lake Geneva, is shared between Switzerland and France. Lake Neuchatel having a surface area of 218.3 km2 is the largest lake that is entirely present in Switzerland. Other beautiful large lakes present in the country include Lake Constance, Lake Maggiore, Lake Lucerne, and so on. The water of all these lakes is so clear and pure that you can see the bottom. The water is also pure to drink.
2. It is the most innovative country
According to the Global Innovation Index, Switzerland is ranked as the most innovative country in the world. An interesting fact about Switzerland is that with an economy strengthened by thousands of Start-Ups and manufacturing companies, it has occupied the top position in the global innovation ranking consecutively for the last 9 years.
3. Switzerland is full of foreigners
Switzerland has the highest ratio of immigrants throughout Europe. More than 2 million foreigners are permanently living in Switzerland, making around 25% of the total population. Around 85% of these foreigners came from Germany, France, and other European countries.
4. It has the highest quality of life
The very high human development index of the country speaks of the high-quality life enjoyed by its people. The best medical, nutritional and educational facilities are available to more than 85% of the population, a fun Switzerland fact. The education is free for all. People in Switzerland eat a healthy diet and are, therefore, the least obese people in entire Europe.
5. Switzerland is an expensive country
Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world. The salaries of the people are also high, so they don’t usually complain. Zurich is the most expensive city in the country where the monthly rent of a three-bedroom apartment is around $2,500. This city is ranked as the fourth most expensive city in the world lagging behind Paris, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
6. This country has produced more than 100 Nobel Laurates
Switzerland is famous for producing a lot of great scientists, mathematicians, and economists. Around 116 Nobel Laurates belong to Switzerland, among them most are scientists.
7. The Swiss people drink a lot of wine and pure alcohol
Switzerland is included in the list of top 20 countries with maximum alcohol consumption worldwide. On average, the Swiss people consume around 36 liters of wine and around 9 liters of alcohol per capita in a year, an interesting Switzerland fact. Around 3% of the population is alcoholic and more than 1500 deaths are reported every year due to alcohol consumption and resultant complications.
8. Switzerland is a country with no official capital and four official languages
It is interesting to know that Switzerland does not have an official capital. However, Bern city is known as the de-facto capital of Switzerland as it has the important offices of the federal government. Also, the country has given the status of official language to four different languages. These are German, French, Italian and Romansh.
9. It is a tourism rich country
In many parts of the world, Switzerland is known as the paradise on Earth. The high mountains, the peaks of the Alps, the beautiful and clear lakes, lush green fields, ski-resorts, and hiking trails had made it one of the top tourism countries in the world. Most famous tourist spots in the country include Lake Geneva, banking city of Zurich, Alpine trees and Chapels of Lucerne, renowned skiing resort of Zermatt, and many more.
10. This country has legalized Assisted Suicide
Switzerland has legalized a type of suicide known as assisted voluntary death or AVD. According to the law, any person who is completely healthy and has a long desire of ending his life can write to the government for an assistant who will help him in ending his life. This bizarre fact has led to an increased influx of suicide tourists to Switzerland who come to this country with the sole purpose of committing an assisted suicide. They have to pay for the funeral services in advance to the government before ending their life.
11. Switzerland is known worldwide for its watches
The Swiss were the first to make mechanical watches with the highest accuracy that have been accepted worldwide. As of today, the Swiss watch industry is one of the most highly developed industries in the country making Switzerland the fourth largest exporter throughout the world, an interesting fact about Switzerland.
12. It is the birthplace of Red Cross
The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) was established to save human lives in war and other catastrophic situations, and to ensure the dignity and respect of all human beings by alleviating all the sufferings. This organization was founded in Switzerland, in 1863. As of now, it has approximately 93 million volunteers worldwide. The flag of ICRC was made by simply color-switching the flag of Switzerland.
Conclusion
Switzerland is a highly developed European country located in the neighborhood of France, Germany, Austria, and Italy. The thousands of lakes, high mountains, historical places, cathedrals and many other beautiful places in the country will please your eyes if you are planning to visit soon. However, be careful of your budget while planning a trip to Switzerland as it is an expensive country where the quality and standard of living is very high.
I hope that this article on Switzerland facts was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Country Facts Page!