Switzerland
History
· In 1848 the Swiss federal state was created which joined the cantons together after a civil war in 1847. The civil war only lasted a month and had less than 100 casualties, but it had a large impact on Switzerland and it was the driving force behind the movement for Swiss unity.
· In 1815, after a brief invasion by Napoleon, the country declared permanent neutrality and has remained neutral throughout many European conflicts.
Government
· Switzerland is home to one of the oldest democracies, and is one of the most neutral countries in any international conflict.
· The Swiss Confederation or Switzerland is a federal republic made of 26 cantons. The 26 cantons were once sovereign states with their own army, currency and borders.
· All men have compulsory military service with women serving voluntarily.
· Switzerland’s forces play an important role in peacekeeping missions around the world as part of the United Nations forces.
· Swiss mercenaries were infamous, but in the early 1500s, they switched to a policy of neutrality. With the Alps, there were few passes into Switzerland, and invading armies would have faced a nation that had trained men that knew the region better than they did. Hitler didn’t invade Switzerland because of this. In addition, the laws in Switzerland mean that no one can call for surrender of Swiss forces. They are to take to the mountains and keep fighting in smaller guerilla units.
· The Swiss law that mandates that men over 18 serve in the military. Usually at age 18 Swiss men receive their basic training for about 18 weeks then annual three week training courses follow until they have finished the service required for their rank. Citizens can be exempt for medical or other reasons.
· Those who object to the draft have to complete 390 days of community service instead.
· Today the Swiss army can mobilize 360,000 soldiers in 24 hours.
Culture
· Swiss bank accounts are often sought after for their notorious security and stability.
· Switzerland has the highest per capita rate of chocolate consumption worldwide.
· The average Swiss citizen eats 23 pounds of chocolate
· Another interesting fact is that the swiss army knife is red so that they can easily be seen if dropped in the snow.
· In Switzerland, the citizens are required to buy universal health insurance from private insurance companies which in turn are required to accept every person who applies
· Switzerland also boasts the highest life expectancy in the world! Spending on health is pretty high
· Several winter Olympics have been hosted here
· Another sport called “Steinstossen” is a competition where you are supposed to throw a really heavy stone
· The Swiss populations are also fans of a traditional sport of wrestling call “Schwingen”.
· Switzerland you can find giant chess sets in parks! They are absolutely free and it is agreed upon by society that no one steals the pieces!
· Switzerland is considered one of the richest countries in the world. One of the reasons is because Switzerland has been known for not taking sides when it comes to world wars,
· The Swiss are world-wide leaders in private banking and asset management.
· Housing is very expensive in Switzerland and only one-third of their population actually live in their own homes.
· Switzerland is also where Nestle was founded and is now the largest food company in the world
Religion
· The predominant religion of Switzerland is Christianity, evenly balanced between Protestant and Catholic. This balance has been a pattern throughout Switzerland’s history.
· This country has no official state religion
Region
· Switzerland has drastic elevation changes, unlike any other countries. The elevation ranges from 643 ft from sea level to 15,000 feet and it this climb is made in under 43 miles
· Switzerland is considered to be pretty temperate but can vary depending on where you are. Summers are usually pretty warm and humid and the winters can see long period of inversion and snow patterns in Switzerland are not stable and can vary all the time.
· The Alps cover 65% of Switzerland’s surface area.
Geneva
History
· The town was originally a fortress established well over two thousand years ago, and was at one point was a stronghold for the Roman Empire. Eventually the Visigoths took over the fortress and after that the Franks took over, and eventually it became a booming city.
· The Reformation, which is extremely important to the establishment of the Restoration, was practically started in this city, where John Calvin started the Protestant church.
Information
· Geneva is the second largest city in Switzerland, and is the headquarters of the Red Cross. It is the third most influential financial center of Europe, right after London and Zurich (also in Switzerland).
· Geneva has been ranked as the third highest quality of life. And it is the fourth most expensive city in the world. Two cities that have the highest standard of living in the world are Zurich and Geneva.
· Known as the “Peace Capital” of the world, Geneva, Switzerland is the location of the Geneva Convention, where prisoners of war negations took place during World War II
· During the Reformation, Geneva supported the Protestant faith, and its laws were religion neutral.
· The population is younger, with more than a fifth teenagers and children.
· Geneva is home to the University of Geneva, founded by John Calvin in 1559. Despite its medium size (about 13000 students), the University of Geneva is regularly ranked among the best world universities.
· Geneva is one of Europe’s greenest cities with over 330 hectares (1 hectare=10,000 square meters) of parks and green spaces.
· House to the headquarters of many United Nations agencies.
· Geneva’s population consists of 40% foreigners. Although the official language is French, English is most commonly spoken.
· Lake Zurich is the site of Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements.
· This office is the second largest UN office out of the four major UN offices in the world. The UN office in Geneva also houses most of the agency headquarters the United Nations offers.
· The Red Cross Organization was founded in Geneva in 1919. They lead relief missions to countries who have suffered natural disasters or emergency situations. The Red Cross seeks to “promote humanitarian principles and values, support national societies, and support projects when funds are available.”
· Due to the tempering effects of the lake and surrounding mountains the weather stays pleasant all year long.
· The first day of spring is determined by a chestnut tree in Geneva- the secretary of Parliament in Geneva watches for the first bud on the tree and deems that day as the first day of spring
Sites
· The historical landmarks of Geneva are fascinating because they reflect changes that were made over hundreds of years to influence today’s European and western culture.
· The Botanical Garden in Genève has a two layered merry-go-round, lower spinning clockwise, upper spinning counterclockwise, with carriage-animals such as a frog, turtle, upside-down lion and flamingo instead of the typical horses.
· The Château de Chillon is located in Monteux located in eastern Switzerland. The Castle is on the shore of Lake Leman and the first recorded record of the castle is from 1005 AD. The castle was home to the Counts of Savoy as well as Pietro II. The Chillon castle was made popular by the poem by Lord Byron, the Prisoner of Chillon.
· Across Lake Léman from Geneva in Montreux. It is a castle that inspired not only Victor Hugo but also Lord Byron (a popular English poet of the late 1800’s). It is largely famous because Lord Byron wrote a story about the castle itself.
· The flower clock, a symbol of the Geneva watch industry, is comprised of over 6,500 flowers that change with every season.
· The Jet d’Eau is the largest fountain in the world and squirts 132 gallons of water. This fountain of water can reach heights of 33,000 feet and usually operates all year long.
Lauterbrunnen
· Lauterbrunnen, its name stands for “many fountains” and has 72 waterfalls! It has one of the highest freefalling waterfalls in Europe.
· The highest of these falls does not even reach the ground because the water turns to mist.
· Trümmelbach Falls are a set of 10 glacial waterfalls inside the mountain and are one of Lauterbrunnen’s most popular attractions
· Only 1.4% of the area of Lauterbrunnen is settled and over half of it (58%) is unproductive land
· The Trummelbach Falls. These waterfalls are the largest subterranean falls that are easily accessible. The glacier waterfalls carry about 5,200 gallons of water per second.
· Lauterbrunnen is referred to as the “Top of Europe”, and it has the highest rail station in Europe.
