In 1941, George de Mestral, while hunting in the Jura, with his son and dogs, noticed how the plant burdock stuck with microscopic hooks to his trousers and to the ears of one of his dogs. Fifteen years later the strong-willed Vaud handy man had turned his observation into something that would become a household name. He carried […]
Swiss fact: 44 Swiss municipalities have changed their official language since 1950
Language is a complicated matter in Switzerland. The nation has four official languages and numerous other languages and dialects. On top of this some Swiss have had to cope with shifting language borders. Between 1860 and 2000, 83 municipalities, known as communes (in French), Einwohnergemeinde1 (in German), comuni (in Italian) and vischnancas (in Romanche), changed their official […]
Swiss fact: Switzerland spends millions subsidising sugar
With so many health warnings around sugar it is surprising to discover that Switzerland’s federal government subsidises its production. The World Health Organisation recommends limiting free sugar consumption to 25 grams (6 teaspoons) a day. Free sugar includes table sugar, honey, the natural sugar in fruit juice and the sugar hidden in processed food. Sugar […]
Swiss fact: it is illegal to drive with your lights off during the day
In Switzerland, it is compulsory to drive with lights on during the day. The law came into force on 1 January 2014, as part of a package of rules to reduce accidents, known as Via Sicura. The lights rule is set out in article 41 of the Swiss federal road transport act and also applies […]
Swiss fact: Ritalin was invented in Switzerland
The drug Ritalin sometimes given to people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy was first formulated in Switzerland. In 1944, Leandro Panizzon synthesized methylphenidate in Basel while working for CIBA (now Novartis). He tested the drug on himself and his wife Marguerite, nicknamed Rita. Rita played tennis and the drug improved her performance […]
Swiss fact: nearly 50% of Swiss GDP comes from 4 cantons
Switzerland is made up of 26 cantons – technically six are half cantons1 – each with its own distinct taxes, education system, hospitals and government. Land area varies significantly, from 37 sq/km Basel-Stadt to 7,105 sq/km Graubünden. Population is also highly varied, from tiny Appenzell Innerrhoden (16k) up to Zurich with nearly 1.5 million. Unsurprisingly, […]
Swiss fact: forests expanded 9% in Switzerland since 1990
In 1990, Switzerland had 11,510 sq. km. of forest. By 2015, it was up by 9% at 12,540 sq. km. This is 30% of the nation’s land area, slightly less that the global average of 31%. Globally forests are in decline. Since 1990 they shrank 3%, a modest figure that masks the real damage. Planting […]
Swiss fact: Switzerland has some of the strictest alcohol driving limits
While the limits for regular experienced drivers are the same as much of western Europe, limits for new and professional drivers are particularly strict. Since 1 January 2014, new and professional drivers are required to be alcohol free before driving. In practice this means less than 0.1 grams of alcohol per kilogram of blood and […]
Swiss fact: Switzerland has enough nuclear waste to fill Zurich train station and hasn’t decided where to put it
According to the Swiss government, the nation has 100,000 cubic metres of nuclear waste, enough to fill the main hall of Zurich’s train station, said Roman Mayer of the Federal Energy Office in an interview with RTS. Most of this waste came from nuclear power stations. Smaller quantities were produced by medicine, industry and research. The […]
Swiss Fact: Switzerland’s longest glacier has shrunk 1.3 kilometres
The longest, largest glacier in Europe is the Aletsch, in Switzerland’s canton Valais. The glacier is currently about 23 km. long and blankets about 81.7 sq. km. It’s estimated maximum depth is nearly 1 km. For now. Because, alas, like most of the planet’s glaciers, the Aletsch, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage […]
