Country
Background
Switzerland is one of the wealthiest nations
in Europe. It has a long and proud history
of
political
and economical stability. One reason for Switzerland's
stable condition is its neutral status
in the political world, which allows Switzerland to steer
clear of disputes that have troubled other nations. Another
reason is the excellent progress the Swiss people have
made in the areas of technology and commerce. Switzerland
is well known for its achievements in horology, the art
and science of making clocks and watches.
Swiss culture is very unique. Examples of
some practices typically associated with
Swiss culture include a form of wordless
singing called yodeling and
the blasting of a huge horn instrument called
the Alphorn.
Alphorns can blow sound across great distances
through the mountains. Swiss people speak
a number of languages. The main languages
are German, French, and Italian.
Bern is
the capital city of Switzerland. One famous
historical structure in Bern is the Zeitglockenturm,
a clock tower that was built in 1530. Mechanical
wooden figures including dancing bears and
a knight in armor perform each time the clock
strikes the hour. Bern was once the home
of Albert
Einstein. In fact, it was in Bern that
Einstein developed his ground-breaking Theory
of Relativity.
Related
Links
There is a lot more to learn about Switzerland!
More Countries (past
hosts of Olympic Games)
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