Switzerland

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Switzerland

• Presented By Rachel Thysell

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Where is it?
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Switzerland

• Landlocked alpine country in Western Europe
• Roughly over 7 million people
• 4 national languages
• Swish German, French, Italian, Romansh

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Switzerland

• Everything printed in three different languages
• German, French, and Italian
• Religion
• Roman Catholic 47.6
• Protestant 44.3
• other 8.1

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Currency

• 10 francs 1 franc 1 franc (reverse)
• Swiss Franc (CHF)
• 1 U.S. Dollar 1.2268 Francs

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Economy

• Strong economy in banking and finance
• Ranked as most competitive in the world by the
  World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness
  Report
• Banking, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals are very
  important industries, however tourism is biggest
• Tradition of political and military neutrality
• Several international institutions
• United Nations has second largest center in
  Geneva
• Red Cross founded there in 1863, still has its
  institutional center in the country

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Weather

• Springtime
• Daytime temperature range 8 to 15 C
• (46-59 F)
• Bring along a sweater and your hiking shoes!

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The Alps
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The Alps

• Greatest mountain range system of Europe
• Stretching from Austria in the East to France in
  the West
• Swiss Alps are the central portion of the
  mountain range

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Interlaken
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Interlaken

• Located between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun
• Named after its geographical position
• Jungfrau Mountain
• (4158 M)
• is main attraction for backpackers
• Interlaken lays at the flat area at the end of
  the Lauterbrunnen Valley

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Interlaken

• Very popular in winter for skiing and
  snowboarding
• Jungfrau Top Ski Region
• 3 ski resorts interconnected
• Also offers breathtaking views, hiking, mountain
  biking, and a point of relaxation

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Hiking in the Alps

• More than 22,000 miles of well-kept trails
• Criss-cross through meadows, forests, glaciers,
  and magnificent views of towering peaks
• At bottom in Interlaken, offers chance for rest
  and snacks

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Mürren
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Mürren

• Mountain village in middle of Alps, free of
  public cars, home of highest altitude ski resort
• Population 450
• Home of famous revolving Piz Gloria Restaurant,
  made famous by James Bond movie

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Lauterbrunnen

• Small town that lies in the Lauterbrunnen Valley
• The Lauterbrunnen valley also provided the
  pictorial model for J.R.R. Tolkiens sketches
  and watercolors of the fictitious valley of
  Rivendell
• 300 meter high Staubbach waterfall

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Staubbach Waterfall

• 300 M high (900 ft)
• Has inspired painters, poets, and writers over
  the centuries
• Goethe wrote a poem based on his 1779 visit,
  making the lake famous in the late 18th century

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Swiss Food

• Most commonly known for
• Swiss cheese
• Swiss chocolate
• Also include basic bread, dairy, meat, fruit

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Swiss Chocolate

• Non-tropical climate, with no colonies in
  cocoa-bean growing countries (South America,
  Africa)
• Heinrich Escher, mayor of Zurich, was introduced
  to chocolate in Brussels in 1697 and brought it
  back home, where it was discreetly consumed at
  the feasts of the various guilds which ruled the
  city, until the Zurich Council banned it in 1722
  as unfit for virtuous citizens. (It had a
  reputation as an aphrodisiac.)
• The first chocolate shop in Switzerland opened in
  Bern in 1792 (several decades later)

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Swiss Chocolate Fun Facts

• Swiss eat more chocolate than anyone in world
• -2001- averaged 12.3 kg per person
• 80 milk chocolate
• 10-12 plain chocolate
• 3-4 white chocolate
• Dark chocolate is on the rise
• All production must be in Switzerland to be
  Swiss chocolate (cocoa beans, paste, butter,
  sugar, milk)
• Otherwise declared on package

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Food

• Breakfast
• Bread (zopf), butter, marmalade or honey, cheese,
  cereal, milk, tea
• Lunch
• Sandwich or birchermüesli (oat flakes, water,
  cream, honey, sugar, lemon juice, apples)
• Dinner
• Bread, cheese, dried meat

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Food
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Swiss Army

• Every male citizen must do military service
• Starts at age 20 and ends at 42
• Soldiers keep their arms at home
• Automatic rifle for simple soldiers
• Pistol for officers plus couple of bullets in a
  sealed box
• Must return everything at age 42
• Many cave-like buildings have been built in
  mountains to serve military purposes
• They hold arms, supplies for crisis, and even
  fighter planes

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Sources

• www.swissworld.org/chocolate
• Wikipedia
• World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness
  Report
• Yahoo Finance
• http//finance.yahoo.com/currency

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THE END!!!

• Any Questions?
• Thank You!