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= = = = = **switzerland** =



Swiss Flag Meaning:
The white cross on the red back (see top left on each page) has a religious background. The cross represents the cross, Jesus was put on, the red color represents his blood.

Each arm of the cross has to be of the same size and must be 1/6 longer than wide.

Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are to be found. Among them are the two global cities and economic centres of Zurich and Geneva. Switzerland is also the birthplace of the Red Cross and home to a large number of international organizations, including the second largest UN office.

Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world by per capita gross domestic product, and has the highest wealth per adult (financial and non-financial assets) of any country in the world. Zurich and Geneva have respectively been ranked as the cities with the second and eighth highest quality of life in the world. It has the world's nineteenth largest economy by nominal GDP and the thirty-sixth largest by purchasing power parity. It is the twentieth largest exporter and eighteenthlargest importer of goods.

= Swiss National Anthem =

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capital city of swiss


The official language of Bern is German, but the main spoken language is the Alemannic dialect called Bernese German.

In 1983 the historic old town in the centre of Bern became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Bern is ranked among the world’s top ten cities for the best quality of life (2010).

Currency


The national currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc. The commonly used abbreviation for Switzerland’s unit of currency is CHF

Culture


Switzerland is home to many notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences.In addition the country attracted a number of creative persons during time of unrest or war in Europe.Some 1000 museums are distributed through the country; the number has more than tripled since 1950.Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Lucerne Festival,the Montreux Jazz Festivaland the Locarno International Film Festival.

Alpine symbolism has played an essential role in shaping the history of the country and the Swiss national identity.Nowadays some concentrated mountain areas have a strong highly energetic ski resort culture in winter, and a hiking(wandering) or Mountain biking culture in summer. Other areas throughout the year have a recreational culture that caters to tourism, yet the quieter seasons are spring and autumn when there are fewer visitors.A traditional farmer and herder culture also predominates in many areas and small farms are omnipresent outside the cities.Folk art is kept alive in organisations all over the country. In Switzerland it is mostly expressed in music, dance, poetry, wood carving and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood,has become alongside yodeling and the accordion an epitome of traditional Swiss music.

yodeling songs of switzerland
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swiss dress


Women's Costumes For women, the typical Swiss folk costume features a puffy blouse and skirt, a tight vest and a generous use of ribbon or lace. According to Ushouldvisit, the traditional Swiss folk costumes for women usually involve beautiful floral embroidery. This is especially true for "Sunday best" outfits, with flowers imitating the flowers found in Swiss gardens. Tights are a popular choice for women and girls, usually in red or white. Women from the Unterwalden region in Switzerland traditionally wear clothing with silver coloring.

Men's Costumes Swiss men enjoy traditional costumes that are as elaborate as the women's costumes. According to Ushouldvisit, men from the Gruyere region traditionally wear cropped jackets, while men from the Alpine region wear "lederhosen" (traditional shorts made from leather). Bachelors have traditionally kept a bright red handkerchief in their pants pockets, although married men do not. Swiss folk costumes for men often feature loose-fitting shirts or blouses paired with trousers. When men or boys wear tights, they usually go for dark colors. The shirt cuffs and scarves may feature the characteristic Swiss embroidery.

Sports
Skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports in Switzerland, the nature of the country being particularly suited for such activities.Winter sports are practiced by the natives and tourists since the second half of the 19th century with the invention of bobsleigh in St. Moritz



Religion
Main article: [|Religion in Switzerland]
 * ~ Religion in Switzerland - 2010 Census[|[][|145][|]] ||
 * religion ||>  ||   ||> percent ||>   ||
 * [|Roman Catholics] ||  |||| 38.8% ||
 * [|Protestants] ||  |||| 30.9% ||
 * [|No religion] ||  |||| 20.1% ||
 * [|Islam] ||  |||| 4.5% ||
 * Other ||  |||| 5.7% ||

Languages in Switzerland

 * Source: Federal Statistical Office 2002 ||  ||
 * German || 63.7% ||
 * French || 20.4% ||
 * Italian || 6.5% ||
 * Rumantsch || 0.5% ||
 * Other || 9 % ||

German
German is by far the most widely spoken language in Switzerland: 19 of the country’s 26 cantons are predominantly (Swiss) German-speaking.

French
French is spoken in the western part of the country, the "Suisse Romande." Four cantons are French-speaking: Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel and Vaud. Three cantons are bilingual: in Bern, Fribourg and Valais both French and German are spoken.

Italian
Italian is spoken in Ticino and four southern valleys of Canton Graubünden.

Rhaeto-Rumantsch (Rumantsch)
Rumantsch is spoken in the only trilingual canton, Graubünden. The other two languages spoken there are German and Italian. Rumantsch, like Italian and French, is a language with Latin roots. It is spoken by just 0.5% of the total Swiss population.

Other languages
The many foreigners resident in Switzerland have brought with them their own languages, which taken as a whole now outnumber both Rumantsch and Italian. The 2000 census showed that speakers of Serbian/Croatian were the largest foreign language group, with 1.4% of the population. English was the main language for 1%

Demographics
[|List of cities in Switzerland] || [|Zurich]
 * ~ Largest cities or towns of ** Switzerland **
 * ~  ||~ Rank ||~ [|City name] ||~ [|Canton] ||~ Pop. ||~ Rank ||~ [|City name] ||~ [|Canton] ||~ Pop. ||~   ||
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Grossmuenster_Wasserkirche_.jpg/120px-Grossmuenster_Wasserkirche_.jpg width="120" height="80" caption="Zurich" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grossmuenster_Wasserkirche_.jpg"]]

[|Geneva] || 1 || ** [|Zurich] ** || [|Canton of Zurich] || 372,047 || 11 || ** [|Thun] ** || [|Canton of Bern] || 42,623 || [|Basel]

[|Bern] ||
 * ^  || 2 || ** [|Geneva] ** || [|Canton of Geneva] || 191,803 || 12 || ** [|Köniz] ** || [|Canton of Bern] || 39,102 ||^   ||
 * ^  || 3 || ** [|Basel] ** || [|Basel-Stadt] || 169,536 || 13 || ** [|La Chaux-de-Fonds] ** || [|Canton of Neuchâtel] || 37,523 ||^   ||
 * ^  || 4 || ** [|Bern] ** || [|Canton of Bern] || 133,920 || 14 || ** [|Schaffhausen] ** || [|Canton of Schaffhausen] || 34,943 ||^   ||
 * ^  || 5 || ** [|Lausanne] ** || [|Vaud] || 127,821 || 15 || ** [|Fribourg] ** || [|Canton of Fribourg] || 34,897 ||^   ||
 * ^  || 6 || ** [|Winterthur] ** || [|Canton of Zurich] || 101,203 || 16 || ** [|Vernier] ** || [|Canton of Geneva] || 33,811 ||^   ||
 * ^  || 7 || ** [|Lucerne] ** || [|Canton of Lucerne] || 77,491 || 17 || ** [|Chur] ** || [|Graubünden] || 33,756 ||^   ||
 * ^  || 8 || ** [|St. Gallen] ** || [|Canton of St. Gallen] || 72,959 || 18 || ** [|Neuchâtel] ** || [|Canton of Neuchâtel] || 32,973 ||^   ||
 * ^  || 9 || ** [|Lugano] ** || [|Ticino] || 59,412 || 19 || ** [|Uster] ** || [|Canton of Zurich] || 32,285 ||^   ||
 * ^  || 10 || ** [|Biel/Bienne] ** || [|Canton of Bern] || 51,203 || 20 || ** [|Sion] ** || [|Valais] || 30,363 ||^   ||

Climate
The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can vary greatly between the localities,from glacial conditions on the mountaintops to the often pleasant near Mediterranean climate at Switzerland's southern tip. There are some valley areas in the southern part of Switzerland where some cold-hardy palm trees are found. Summers tend to be warm and humid at times with periodic rainfall so they are ideal for pastures and grazing. The less humid winters in the mountains may see long intervals of stable conditions for weeks, while the lower lands tend to suffer from inversion, during these periods, thus seeing no sun for weeks.



etiquette of swiss
==1. Dress Attire ==

==2. Table Manners ==
 * 1) ** DO ** dress conservatively and neatly.
 * 2) ** DO ** wear a suit and tie to a business meeting if you are a man or a suit or dress if you are a woman.

==3. Tipping ==
 * 1) ** DON'T **drink until after the first toast. The first toast is always given by the host.
 * 2) ** DON'T ** rest your hands in your lap during a meal. Keep your hands on the table, but keep your elbows off the table!
 * 3) ** DO ** use your fork to cut food such as salad and potatoes instead of a knife.
 * 4) ** DO ** break bread with your hand, but most other food should be eaten with utensils.
 * 5) ** DON'T ** ask for salt and pepper if it's not already on the table.
 * 6) ** DON'T ** smoke while eating.
 * 7) ** DO ** eat everything off your plate and sample a little bit of everything, especially when dining at someone's home.
 * 8) ** DO ** put your knife and fork side by side at the 5:25 position when you're done eating to indicate that you are finished.

==4. Gift Giving and Accepting Gifts ==
 * 1) ** DON'T ** feel obligated to tip. A service charge is included in restaurants and hotels. However, in a more expensive restaurant, it is customary to round the bill up or leave a few extra Swiss Francs.
 * 2) ** DO ** give a tour guide a small gift as opposed to a tip.

==<span style="background-color: #d5d2c9; font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Body Gestures ==
 * 1) ** DON'T ** give anything sharp as a gift, such as knives or scissors. This signifies severing off the friendship.
 * 2) ** DO ** give gifts such as books, candy, chocolate, pastries, wine, or whiskey.
 * 3) ** DON'T ** give large or expensive gifts. It can be seen as tacky or even as a form of bribery.
 * 4) ** DON'T ** give red roses or carnations, as they signify romantic intentions. White chrysanthemums and white lilies should be avoided too, because they're for funerals. Flowers should always be given in odd numbers.

==<span style="background-color: #d5d2c9; font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline;">6. Greetings ==
 * 1) ** DO ** maintain good posture.
 * 2) ** DON'T ** put your hands in your pockets while talking to people.
 * 3) ** DON'T ** chew gum, litter, or clean your nails in public.
 * 4) ** DON'T ** point your index finger to your head. It's considered an insulting gesture.

==<span style="background-color: #d5d2c9; font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline;">7. Language Etiquette ==
 * 1) ** DO ** shake hands upon meeting someone. Shake hands with all who are present, including children.
 * 2) ** DON'T ** address someone by their first name until invited to do so. Use surnames and titles instead.

==<span style="background-color: #d5d2c9; font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline;">8. Visitors Etiquette ==
 * 1) ** DO ** recognize that Switzerland has four official languages: German, Italian, French, and Romansch. Romansch is the least commonly spoken language in Switzerland.

==<span style="background-color: #d5d2c9; font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline;">9. Business Meetings ==
 * 1) ** DON'T ** ask your hosts for a tour of their home.
 * 2) ** DON'T ** leave a party later than midnight.
 * 3) ** DON'T ** put your feet up on the furniture.
 * 4) ** DO ** be more than 30 minutes late to a dinner party, although showing up 15 minutes late is acceptable.
 * 5) ** DON'T ** be more than 30 minutes late to a dinner party, although showing up 15 minutes late is acceptable.

==<span style="background-color: #d5d2c9; font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline;">10. Socializing and Conversation ==
 * 1) ** DO ** be on time and call with an explanation if you are running late.
 * 2) ** DO ** give a business card to everyone you meet.
 * 3) ** DO ** be conservative in business environments. There is not much small talk and meetings tend to be very orderly.
 * 4) ** DO ** be prepared to give a gift in case you are offered one, although gifts are not usually exchanged at business meetings.
 * 5) ** DON'T ** use high pressure sales tactics.
 * 6) ** DON'T ** call a businessperson at their home unless it's an emergency.

<span style="background-color: #d5d2c9; display: block; font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Swiss are very proud of their country's heritage, history, and culture. Because of this, you must remember to respect Switzerland and its people by following their etiquette. Have a happy trip to Switzerland!
 * 1) ** DO ** be polite. You will find that when talking to a waiter or a store employee, the Swiss will greet you with a "hello" or "excuse me", and say "please" and "thank you" a lot. It may seem overly formal, but not speaking this way can be viewed as rude.
 * 2) ** DON'T ** ask personal questions, such as questions about salary, age, or religion.
 * 3) ** DON'T ** speak loudly in public, especially on a cell phone.

Switzerland Quiz
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Swiss Folk Dance Group
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swiss mucic
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winter in switzerland
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