Facts about Swiss National Day

Switzerland didn't have an official national anthem until 1981. On 1 April 1981, the Swiss Psalm, was officially adopted after a 20 year trial Swiss National Day Facts

Switzerland is one of the only places in the world to have a square flag. The Vatican City has the other one. One of the few times that a rectangular Swiss flag is allowed to be used is at the Olympic Games. Swiss National Day Facts

Switzerland has the highest percentage of people over the age of 100 in Europe and have the second longest life expectancy in the world after Japan. Swiss National Day Facts

The Swiss eat the most chocolate in the world - on average, 11.3kg per person per year. Swiss National Day Facts

The official name of Switzerland is 'Confoederatio Helvetica', which means 'Swiss Confederation' in Latin. Nowadays the Latin name is only used on official documents but it is the reason why Switzerland's abbreviation is CH. Helvetica is named after the Helvetii, who were a prominent tribe in the region during Roman times. Swiss National Day Facts

Switzerland has been an independent country since the year 1499, when it became independent within the Holy Roman Empire. The French, under Napoleon Bonaparte, are the only nation to ever conquered Switzerland. They occupied Switzerland from 1798 - 1815. Swiss National Day Facts

Switzerland has four national languages. French (spoken as a first language by 20.4%), German (64%), Italian (6.5%), and Romansh (1%) Swiss National Day Facts

Switzerland has no single Head of State. Instead it has a seven-member executive council, which serves as the Swiss collective head of state. Swiss National Day Facts

Switzerland may be landlocked, but this lack of coastline is compensated by having more than 1,500 lakes, and nobody is ever more than 10 miles from a lake. Swiss National Day Facts

In Switzerland, citizens can challenge a law passed by Parliament, if they are able to gather 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If they manage to get the required number of signatures, a national vote is held where voters decide whether to accept or reject the law. Swiss National Day Facts

Switzerland is a very cosmopolitan country, with people born outside of Switzerland accounting for almost a quarter of the Swiss population. Swiss National Day Facts

In Switzerland, it is illegal to keep just one guinea pig; they must be kept in pairs. Guinea pigs are considered to be social animals, which means owners are obliged to have two pets at the same time so that the single pet does not feel lonely. Swiss National Day Facts

In 2007, Swiss troops accidentally invaded Liechtenstein after getting lost in a rainstorm. Swiss National Day Facts

Women did not gain the vote at federal level until 1971. Swiss National Day Facts

The Pope is protected at the Vatican by Swiss Guards. Swiss National Day Facts

Switzerland's Sonnenberg Tunnel is the world's largest nuclear shelter. It can hold up to 20,000 people. Swiss National Day Facts

Tim Berners Lee invented the World Wide Web in Switzerland in 1989. Swiss National Day Facts

Switzerland's Gotthard tunnel is the longest in the world – measuring 57km in length, located 2.3km under the Alps. It took 17 years to complete and is also the world's most expensive tunnel. Swiss National Day Facts

St Peter's Church in Zürich has the largest church clock face in Europe, measuring 8.7m in diameter. Swiss National Day Facts

In the 1960s, the Swiss government spent more on advertising and subsidising cheese than it did on the army. Swiss National Day Facts