When we think of Switzerland, we probably think of the world's best chocolate, cheese, watches, and, if you're a sports fan, Federer, right? Well, this Central European country is much more than just delicious traditional food and the best tennis player in history, and to prove it, we've compiled this list of Swiss curiosities. Want to experience them? Keep reading and discover them all!
The Swiss are in no hurry to get married.
The Swiss are in no rush to start a family: according to a UN report, the average age at marriage for men is 31.8 years, while for women it's 29.5 years. This is linked to a second, closely related statistic: Swiss women have their first child at an average age of 30.4 years, making them the oldest women in all of Europe.
University in Switzerland is not expensive
Another interesting thing about Switzerland is that, compared to other countries, university tuition is relatively inexpensive. Tuition at the University of Geneva, for example, is 500 Swiss francs per semester (around 460 euros), or less than 1,000 euros per year. True, there are countries where university tuition is cheaper, but considering Swiss salaries, the price is truly affordable.
There are 7,000 lakes in Switzerland.
If you enjoy sides, you'll love Switzerland's lakes, as they offer a huge variety of landscapes to choose from. The largest of all Swiss lakes is Lake Geneva, with a surface area of 580 km², although 401 TP3T of this area lies in France, where it is known as Lake Léman. The largest lake entirely within its borders is Lake Neuchâtel, with a surface area of 218 km².
They have a lot of guns, but the lowest crime rate.
One of Switzerland's most striking curiosities is that, among industrialized countries, the Alpine nation has one of the highest rates of gun ownership. Contrary to popular belief, this doesn't translate into higher crime rates; on the contrary, Switzerland has one of the lowest crime rates among industrialized countries. You might wonder how it's possible that the population has so many guns and so little crime. The reason is that the country has mandatory military service, and upon completion of its service, everyone is required to take home their automatic rifles or pistols, albeit without ammunition.
It is the most innovative country on the planet.
According to the Global Innovation Index, Switzerland has ranked first among the most innovative countries in the world for over a decade. This report analyzes various aspects of each country, dividing them into two main areas: the Innovation Inputs sub-index (the five elements of a national economy that drive innovation) and the Innovation Outputs sub-index (the output of all innovation activity in the economy).
Switzerland is a really small country.
Perhaps this is a less striking curiosity about Switzerland, since we've all seen a map of Europe at some point. Switzerland has an area of 41,277 km² and a population of 8.67 million. Compared to Spain, it's smaller than Castile y León, Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha, Aragon, and Extremadura. The latter, with an area of 41,634 km², is most similar in size to Switzerland.