Important Facts About Switzerland

 

Switzerland (officially the Swiss Confederation) is a popular tourist destination for people wanting to see the snow and go skiing. Here are some facts about Switzerland.

Facts about Switzerland
Fact 1: Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein all border Switzerland.

Fact 2: Switzerland has remained neutral in every major war since 1815. This is the primary region why it hosts organisations such as the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and one of the United Nations two European offices.

Fact 3: Germany did plan to invade Switzerland during the Second World War but the Germans eventually decided against it.

Fact 4: Banking, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and tourism are the four most important industries in Switzerland.

Fact 5: The unemployment rate in Switzerland is just 3.6%. It was 1.7% back in 2001.

Fact 6: The electricity-generating network in Switzerland is nearly carbon dioxide free! 53% of the electricity is from hydroelectricity and 41% of the electricity is from nuclear power.

Fact 7: Switzerland is one of the top recyclers in the entire world.

Fact 8: There is no official state religion in Switzerland, although Christianity is the main religion. 42% of the population is Catholic and 40% is Protestant. Islam and Eastern Orthodoxy are in the minority but still make up 4.3% and 1.8% of the population respectively.

Fact 9: Football (soccer) is the main sport played in Switzerland. Hornussen is a traditional sport played in Switzerland that is a sort of cross between golf and baseball.

Fact 10: Switzerland has produced two of the most dominant tennis players of all time: Roger Federer and Martina Hingis.

Fact 11: Switzerland has four different national languages. These are German, Italian, French and Romansh.

Fact 12: Only in 2002 did Switzerland become a full member of the United Nations. This left the Vatican as the only officially recognised state without a full United Nations membership.

Fact 13: In Switzerland, there is the possibility for citizens to change the constitution through their own initiative. If 100,000 people sign the proposed amendment in 18 months, the amendment must be made to the constitution.