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14 - 42 Fun Facts About Switzerland You Had No Idea Of

Sure we all know Switzerland as the country of chocolate, watches, and banks, but we bet you had no idea of these 42 unusual facts about Switzerland. Learn what makes Switzerland unique and explore interesting Switzerland facts for kids. These are some Switzerland culture facts, their quirks, inventions, and more.

26. Switzerland Is Prepared for Nuclear War
There are enough nuclear fallout shelters to accommodate its entire human population, due to laws that require everybody to have access to a shelter in their building or nearby. The Swiss military keeps fully stocked artillery bunkers, disguised as quaint country homes, in the middle of populated villages.

27. Place of Watches

Swatch, a Swiss watch
You probably know this one too, but here’s the story behind the watches we use and love… When Calvinists banned jewelry from use in 1541, goldsmiths and jewelers in Geneva brainstormed the invention of watches, since a functional timepiece was acceptable. Since then, it has proven to be one of the most successful industries of the country, reaching the present status as Switzerland’s fourth-largest exporter.

13 - 42 Fun Facts About Switzerland You Had No Idea Of

Sure we all know Switzerland as the country of chocolate, watches, and banks, but we bet you had no idea of these 42 unusual facts about Switzerland. Learn what makes Switzerland unique and explore interesting Switzerland facts for kids. These are some Switzerland culture facts, their quirks, inventions, and more.

24. Low Rates of People Living in Poverty
Some 530,000 people in Switzerland are listed as living on the poverty line, based on a monthly income of CHF2,219 ($2,275.40) for single people and CHF4,031 for families of two adults and two children. That’s 6.6% of the population – compared to 9.3% in 2007.

The proportion of the Swiss population living in extreme poverty (4.6%) is one of the lowest in Europe (18.6% average). Some 9.7% of the Swiss population cannot afford a week’s holiday abroad – the European average is 36.9%.

25. 4 Out of 5 of the Most Expensive Cities for Coffee Are Swiss

Geneva, Bern, Basel, Zurich.

Starbucks was selected as a factor in the Index as it is the most most widely available, premium-priced coffee chain the world over, and as such offers an interesting economic barometer between countries. The difference in the price of a Grande Latte ranged from £1.21 in Brazil to £5.72 in Switzerland, nearly a 400% price increase.

12 - 42 Fun Facts About Switzerland You Had No Idea Of

Sure we all know Switzerland as the country of chocolate, watches, and banks, but we bet you had no idea of these 42 unusual facts about Switzerland. Learn what makes Switzerland unique and explore interesting Switzerland facts for kids. These are some Switzerland culture facts, their quirks, inventions, and more.

23. Swiss Meat Is among the Most Expensive in the World

It is 124% more expensive than the average European price. Half a kilogram of meat is about CHF 12-14. A 200 gram Kentucky rump steak at a Swiss restaurant near Zurich airport will set diners back CHF 37.50 ($38), while a larger 250 grams of Argentinian rump steak in a steakhouse just over the German border in Singen costs €20.90 (CHF22.90 or $23). That’s double the price, gram for gram, in Switzerland.

High Swiss tariffs on food and drink imports are designed to protect local farmers who generally have smaller farms than international competitors and the steep costs of ‘high price island’ Switzerland.

24. Low Rates of People Living in Poverty
Some 530,000 people in Switzerland are listed as living on the poverty line, based on a monthly income of CHF2,219 ($2,275.40) for single people and CHF4,031 for families of two adults and two children. That’s 6.6% of the population – compared to 9.3% in 2007.

The proportion of the Swiss population living in extreme poverty (4.6%) is one of the lowest in Europe (18.6% average). Some 9.7% of the Swiss population cannot afford a week’s holiday abroad – the European average is 36.9%.

11 - 42 Fun Facts About Switzerland You Had No Idea Of

Sure we all know Switzerland as the country of chocolate, watches, and banks, but we bet you had no idea of these 42 unusual facts about Switzerland. Learn what makes Switzerland unique and explore interesting Switzerland facts for kids. These are some Switzerland culture facts, their quirks, inventions, and more.

21. Assisted Su***de Is Legal and It Attracts ‘Su***de Tourists’
According to Swiss law, anyone who is of sound mind and who has, over a period of time, voiced a consistent wish to end their life can request a so-called assisted voluntary death or AVD. However, people must commit su***de by their own hand, for example by taking the medication themselves.

This has lead to an influx of people called ‘su***de tourists’ who come to Switzerland, mainly to the Canton of Zurich, for the sole purpose of committing su***de. A total of 956 (539 women and 426 men) people made use of these services in 2015 according to official figures, up from 187 in 2003. There is a steadily rising trend, although assisted su***des are still only a tiny proportion of all deaths in Switzerland. The total cost is therefore 7,500 francs without a funeral and administrative services and 10,500 francs with those services – usually payable in advance.

22. 1/3 of All Deaths Are from Heart Disease
The latest cause of death survey from the Federal Statistical Office showed that 21,512 – or one-third of all deaths in Switzerland in 2013 – could be traced back to heart disease. That figure, however, has decreased since 20 years ago, when it stood at 41%. Cancer was responsible for another 26% of deaths. Lung cancer, shown to be the most deadly form of the disease in Switzerland for more than 40 years, claimed about 3,200 lives in 2013.

Due to Switzerland’s aging population, the number of deaths linked to dementia is on the rise. In 2013, nearly 6,000 deaths in the country were a direct cause of dementia, while in 1995, that figure stood at 2,100.

10 - 42 Fun Facts About Switzerland You Had No Idea Of

Sure we all know Switzerland as the country of chocolate, watches, and banks, but we bet you had no idea of these 42 unusual facts about Switzerland. Learn what makes Switzerland unique and explore interesting Switzerland facts for kids. These are some Switzerland culture facts, their quirks, inventions, and more.

20. Switzerland Has 208 Mountains and the Highest Peaks in Europe

Switzerland is home to numerous mountains over 3,000 meters high. A beautiful experience for in-shape hikers is the Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route, a 12-day classic Alpine trek that will bring you straight to the well-recognized Matterhorn. Switzerland has more high peaks than any other country in Europe with 48 that are above 4000 meters.

21. Assisted Su***de Is Legal and It Attracts ‘Su***de Tourists’
According to Swiss law, anyone who is of sound mind and who has, over a period of time, voiced a consistent wish to end their life can request a so-called assisted voluntary death or AVD. However, people must commit su***de by their own hand, for example by taking the medication themselves.

This has lead to an influx of people called ‘su***de tourists’ who come to Switzerland, mainly to the Canton of Zurich, for the sole purpose of committing su***de. A total of 956 (539 women and 426 men) people made use of these services in 2015 according to official figures, up from 187 in 2003. There is a steadily rising trend, although assisted su***des are still only a tiny proportion of all deaths in Switzerland. The total cost is therefore 7,500 francs without a funeral and administrative services and 10,500 francs with those services – usually payable in advance.

9 - 42 Fun Facts About Switzerland You Had No Idea Of

Sure we all know Switzerland as the country of chocolate, watches, and banks, but we bet you had no idea of these 42 unusual facts about Switzerland. Learn what makes Switzerland unique and explore interesting Switzerland facts for kids. These are some Switzerland culture facts, their quirks, inventions, and more.

18. Low Unemployment Rates
In 2017 statistics, Switzerland’s unemployment rate amounted to around only 4.8%. This low number is due to its fairly prosperous and stable economy. ‘The majority of employed workers in the country possess a relatively high level of education and are specialized, which essentially allows for the country to offer high-end jobs with higher wages, and often guarantees a higher level of productivity and efficiency.’

19. Highest Salary and Job Security
As a result of its economic stability, based on an OECD publication, Swiss adults have on average the most amount of money compared to the average amount around the world, beating out countries such as the U.S. Switzerland has the third-highest salary and job security out of all OECD countries.

9 - 42 Fun Facts About Switzerland You Had No Idea Of

Sure we all know Switzerland as the country of chocolate, watches, and banks, but we bet you had no idea of these 42 unusual facts about Switzerland. Learn what makes Switzerland unique and explore interesting Switzerland facts for kids. These are some Switzerland culture facts, their quirks, inventions, and more.

16. Switzerland Is Aging—Life Expectancy Is High
In the 1950s the median age was 33 years old, but it’s growing every year. In 2015, the median age of Switzerland’s population was 42.2 years. On the other hand, Switzerland claims the highest percentage of people over 100 in Europe and has the second-highest life expectancy after Japan. Of course, they’re going to live long having in mind the cleanliness of the air, the abundance of walking trails, and the availability of high-quality health care.

17. Less Than 15% of the Alps Are Actually Swiss

The Swiss Alps are the highlight of any tour to Switzerland. Even though less than 15% of the Alps lie within Switzerland, it’s the country that people most closely associate with the Alps.

8 - 42 Fun Facts About Switzerland You Had No Idea Of

Sure we all know Switzerland as the country of chocolate, watches, and banks, but we bet you had no idea of these 42 unusual facts about Switzerland. Learn what makes Switzerland unique and explore interesting Switzerland facts for kids. These are some Switzerland culture facts, their quirks, inventions, and more.

14. They Drink a Lot

The Swiss population consumes 36 liters of wine, 56.5 liters of beer, and 8.4 liters of pure alcohol per person per year. And these are new data which show consumption has actually gone down! It’s normal for 20% of the Swiss people to engage in binge drinking (4-5 drinks in a sitting) at least once a month.

As a result, there are 1600 alcohol-related deaths in Switzerland each year. Some are the result of booze-fuelled accidents, while others are caused by the long-term effects of alcoholism such as liver problems. As stated by Addiction Monitoring in Switzerland, there are about 250,000 alcoholics in Switzerland – or 3% of the population.

15. They Have Four National Languages
Their four national languages are French (20.4%), German (64%), Italian (6.5%), and Romansh (just a little over 1%). So you can feel comfortable as a foreign visitor or resident since it’s perfectly acceptable to not understand what someone says to you because the Swiss don’t understand the Swiss anyway.

7 - 42 Fun Facts About Switzerland You Had No Idea Of

Sure we all know Switzerland as the country of chocolate, watches, and banks, but we bet you had no idea of these 42 unusual facts about Switzerland. Learn what makes Switzerland unique and explore interesting Switzerland facts for kids. These are some Switzerland culture facts, their quirks, inventions, and more.

12. Is Home to Two of the Most Livable Cities in the World

The concept of liveability assesses which locations around the world provide the best or the worst living conditions. They look at five broad categories of Stability, Healthcare, Culture and Environment, Education, and Infrastructure. Two of the most livable cities turn out to be Zurich and Geneva.

13. It’s a Nobel Prize Machine
Switzerland is not only known for its banks but also for being a global player in the academic field. Based on Wikipedias lists (1) (2), Swiss universities have produced numerous Nobel Laureates, and most of these Nobel Prize winners are scientists.

6 - 42 Fun Facts About Switzerland You Had No Idea Of

Sure we all know Switzerland as the country of chocolate, watches, and banks, but we bet you had no idea of these 42 unusual facts about Switzerland. Learn what makes Switzerland unique and explore interesting Switzerland facts for kids. These are some Switzerland culture facts, their quirks, inventions, and more.

10. The Least Obese European Country
It might’ve never crossed your mind, but another reason Switzerland is a good country to live in is for a fit life. According to the World Health Organization, the Swiss country is the least obese European country with only 17.5% of the population being obese. If you lived in the U.S., you’d be double more likely to be obese since 33% of the country is.

11. One of the Most Expensive Places to Live In

Both the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey and the Mercer Cost of Living survey found Zurich to be the world’s third most expensive city. Zurich is also the most populated canton with 402,762 inhabitants. The median home price there is CHF 13,000 ($13,036) per square meter, while the average monthly rental price: CHF 2,324 ($2,330) for a three-bedroom apartment. However, the average salary is CHF 103,296 ($103.298), so it’s not like they can complain.

5 - 42 Fun Facts About Switzerland You Had No Idea Of

Sure we all know Switzerland as the country of chocolate, watches, and banks, but we bet you had no idea of these 42 unusual facts about Switzerland. Learn what makes Switzerland unique and explore interesting Switzerland facts for kids. These are some Switzerland culture facts, their quirks, inventions, and more.

8. 25% of the Population Is Foreign
As stated by swissinfo.ch, Switzerland has one of the highest proportions of internationals among all nations, about 24.6% in 2015. More than 80% of the foreigners living in Switzerland are from European countries and almost half of them come just from France, Germany, Italy, Portugal. With 19 entries per 1000 inhabitants on average in 2014, Switzerland is leading the European immigration countries, far ahead of Germany (11), UK (9.8), Spain (6.6), and France (5.1).

9. One of the Countries With the Highest Quality of Life
Switzerland may have some of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, but its citizens get value for money. According to the Social Progress Report, “medical”, “nutritional” and “access to basic knowledge” is where the country shines. Its index is 88.87 out of 100.

4 - 42 Fun Facts About Switzerland You Had No Idea Of

Sure we all know Switzerland as the country of chocolate, watches, and banks, but we bet you had no idea of these 42 unusual facts about Switzerland. Learn what makes Switzerland unique and explore interesting Switzerland facts for kids. These are some Switzerland culture facts, their quirks, inventions, and more.

7. It’s Very Small

Switzerland on the world map
Switzerland is approximately 41,277 sq km and its population is 8.67 million. Comparing it to U.S. states, California is almost 10 times bigger than Switzerland or nearly the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. It’s still known for a lot more things, though.

8. 25% of the Population Is Foreign
As stated by swissinfo.ch, Switzerland has one of the highest proportions of internationals among all nations, about 24.6% in 2015. More than 80% of the foreigners living in Switzerland are from European countries and almost half of them come just from France, Germany, Italy, Portugal. With 19 entries per 1000 inhabitants on average in 2014, Switzerland is leading the European immigration countries, far ahead of Germany (11), UK (9.8), Spain (6.6), and France (5.1).