【Travel】Hello Switzerland！

Switzerland Welcome to Cultural Bridge’s speacial programme-Travel. This is … Do you know there is a place known as the kingdom of clocks and watches? Do you kown where Federer, a famous tennis star and Einstein, a great scientist were born? Do you kown there is a nation always neutral and bringing peace? (ALL)Switzerland!! (FREE TALK)Then, how much do you learn about it? If you have a chance to pay a visit, which place will be your first choice? Here comes the introduction of Switzerland. Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a federal republic in Europe. It consists of 26 cantons, and the city of Bern is the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western-Central Europe. The establishment of the Old Swiss Confederacy dates to the late medieval period, resulting from a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognized in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Foreign relations and international institutions Traditionally, Switzerland avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action and has been neutral since the end of its expansion in 1515. Its policy of neutrality was internationally recognised at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Only in 2002 did Switzerland become a full member of the United Nations and it was the first state to join it by referendum. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as an intermediary between other states. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; the Swiss people have consistently rejected membership since the early 1990s. (LEO) Literature Probably the most famous Swiss literary creation, Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, is one of the most popular children's books ever and has come to be a symbol of Switzerland. Her creator, Johanna Spyri, wrote a number of other books on similar themes. Prominent French-speaking writer was Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was not only a writer but also an influential philosopher of the eighteenth century As the Confederation, from its foundation in 1291, was almost exclusively composed of German-speaking regions, the earliest forms of literature are in German. In the 18th century, French became the fashionable language in Bern and elsewhere, while the influence of the French-speaking allies and subject lands was more marked than before. (RITA) Media The freedom of the press and the right to free expression is guaranteed in the federal constitution of Switzerland. The Swiss News Agency broadcasts information around-the-clock in three of the four national languages—on politics, economics, society and culture. The SNA supplies almost all Swiss media and a couple dozen foreign media services with its news. Switzerland has historically boasted the greatest number of newspaper titles published in proportion to its population and size. Almost every city has at least one local newspaper. The cultural diversity accounts for a large number of newspapers. (SHERRY) Sports: Skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering are among the most popular sports in Switzerland, the nature of the country being particularly suited for such activities. Winter sports are practised by the natives and tourists since the second half of the 19th century with the invention of bobsleigh. Switzerland hosted the 1954 FIFA World Cup, and was the joint host, with Austria, of the Euro 2008 tournament. The Swiss Super League is the nation's professional football club league. Many Swiss also follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 clubs in the League A, which is the most attended league in Europe. In 2009, Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championship for the 10th time. (LEO) Cuisine The cuisine of Switzerland is multifaceted. each region developed its own gastronomy according to the differences of climate and languages. Traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those in other European countries, as well as unique dairy products and cheeses. Chocolate has been made in Switzerland since the 18th century but it gained its reputation at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering which enabled its production on a high quality level. Also a breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest consumers of chocolate. (RITA) Switzerland has four official languages: principally German; French in the west; and Italianin the south. The fourth official language, Romansh . Learning one of the other national languages at school is compulsory for all Swiss pupils, so many Swiss are supposed to be at least bilingual, especially those belonging to linguistic minority groups. So, at the end of today’s programme, let’s use these four languages to say goodbye. (leo:Germany ; Rita:French 其他两个要是你们愿意学也是可以的~)