Ten Trivia Facts About Switzerland

1. Switzerland has 4 official languages: French, German, Romansh, and Italian.

2. Switzerland's capital is Bern and the largest city is Zürich.

3. Switzerland has 26 states. They are called cantons.

4. The majority religion of Switzerland is Christianity: 41.8% are Catholic and 35.3% are Protestant, accounting for 77.1% of the entire population.

5. The oldest settlements of Switzerland are the farming communities found in Gächlingen. They date back to 5300 BC.

6. The official name of Switzerland is the Swiss Confederation. It is known as Confoederatio Helvetica in Latin, Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft in German, Confederaziun svizra in Romansh, Confederazione Svizzera in Italian, and Confédération suisse in French.

7. Switzerland was founded on 1 August, 1291.

8. The currency is the Swiss franc.

9. The most important archaeological site in Switzerland is Augusta Raurica, the first Roman settlement on the Rhine. Lucius Munatius Plancus founded it in 44 BC.

10. The Federal Palace of Switzerland was designed by Hans Auer and at the time, cost 7,198,000 Swiss francs to build. Inauguration took place on 1 April, 1902.