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Switzerland Country Quiz

Can you guess these facts about the country of Switzerland?
Quiz by alberici
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Last updated: October 10, 2020
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First submittedJuly 17, 2013
Times taken46,499
Average score58.3%
Rating4.51
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Clue
Answer
Capital city
Bern
Most populous city
Zurich
Official languages
German
French
Italian
Romansh
Largest lake
Lake Geneva
Famous mountain near Zermatt
Matterhorn
Bordering principality
Liechtenstein
Legendary figure who shot
an apple from his son's head
William Tell
Longest river
Rhine
Switzerland is subdivided into
26 of these
Cantons
Clue
Answer
Currency
Franc
Alpine singing form
Yodel
Luxury items made by Rolex,
and TAG Heuer, among others
Watches
Most famous tennis player
Roger Federer
Philosopher who influenced the
French Revolution
Jean-Jacques
Rousseau
Dish of bread dipped in molten cheese
Fondue
Most important food corporation
Nestlé
Winter Olympic host city
St. Moritz
Olympic headquarters and EPFL city
Lausanne
Largest bank
UBS
Stereotypical clock with a bird inside
Cuckoo clock
Fictional woman
who personifies Switzerland
Helvetia
bogomir
+26
Level 47
Oct 7, 2013
Actually cuckoo clocks are from germany (black forrest to be precise).
alberici
+5
Level 74
Oct 7, 2013
Nevertheless it is a Swiss icon. And I think more people would consider it Swiss than German.
bogomir
+37
Level 47
Oct 8, 2013
Yeah, believe me, I'm Swiss. Cuckoo clocks are definitely German. They're not even near to be a Swiss Icon. If you want an icon that's really Swiss take the Swiss army knife or the Toblerone Chocolate or Swatch watches.

And my German coworker says the same.

kalbahamut
+7
Level 83
Oct 8, 2013
yeah I was thinking the same thing re: army knives as more representative than cuckoo clocks. When I think of cuckoo clocks I think of really elaborate ones with little wooden dolls dancing around the bottom in leiderhosen and blonde pigtails.
alberici
+2
Level 74
Oct 11, 2013
Paternity of Cuckoo clocks is generally and correctly attributed to Black Forest Germany.

However, having travelled around the world and being Swiss, I more often saw associated, even if by mistake, the Cuckoo clock to Switzerland rather than Germany. Scores of shopkeepers in Helvetia make a living out of this misunderstanding.

Even Orson Welles did that in the 3rd man!

And by the statistics most of the people can easily answer the question anyhow!

catie09
+4
Level 82
May 14, 2020
Hey, speaking of Swatch, should that not be accepted for the watchmaker question?
JohnK
+2
Level 69
Jul 6, 2020
Yes. Rolex and Omega are the top two brands by revenue of Swiss watches, but they're not the top two watchmakers.

Rolex watches are made by Rolex SA (who also make Tudor brand watches), and Omega watches are made by The Swatch Group Ltd (who also make Swatch, Tissot, Longines, Certina and many other brands of watches)

jayhiatt
+6
Level 70
Oct 9, 2020
I have never associated cuckoo clocks with Switzerland. We have one, made in West Germany, and almost every one I've ever actually seen is stamped as Germany or West Germany.
martay
+4
Level 70
Oct 11, 2020
It's an easy clue. There's only one clock that comes to mind with a bird inside. There are definitely better choices for Swiss icons --- like lacking a sense of humor, or money laundering, or a completely amoral regard for other people in the world.
AlexThirkell
+7
Level 74
Dec 13, 2020
I don't like this "most people get the answer correct therefore it's a good question" mentality. If it's wrong it's wrong, no reason to perpetuate it.
JackintheBox
+1
Level 78
Jan 29, 2021
When someone mentions cuckoo clocks, Switzerland comes to my mind immediately; Germany not.
lexxie
+5
Level 77
Feb 14, 2021
yeah maybe to americans that are sometimes pretty ignorant but it doesn't change the fact that they are from Germany and should be attributed to Germany
JackintheBox
+2
Level 78
Apr 6, 2021
I remember that scene from The Third Man (1949)! Great film
NathanB001
+2
Level 34
Jul 1, 2021
I disagree. Anytime cuckoo clocks have come up in conversation with people I know here in Canada, it's always Germany that's mentioned. Never Switzerland.
lexxie
+3
Level 77
Oct 13, 2021
dude but still... even if people assume something it doesn't make it right.
MPK93
+2
Level 48
Feb 3, 2023
I guess the likes in this debate speak for themselves. Bogomir is clearly right. 31 people agree with Bogomir and only 5 agree with Alberici. The cuckoo clock does not belong to this quiz! Why not replace it with a Toblerone question right after the Matterhorn question or something with Heidi? Cheers from Germany :)
Pinoccio
+2
Level 29
Feb 1, 2016
Stereotypical...
jdmorgan
+2
Level 43
Oct 8, 2013
I put yodel rather than yodeling...
alberici
+2
Level 74
Feb 1, 2016
I just added some more type-ins for "Yodeling" and "Romansh". The changes are currently pending. Just need the approval of QM to submit these changes.
luxint
+2
Level 65
Feb 1, 2016
normal etiquette on points based quizes would be to accept yodel and yodelling
Jerry928
+2
Level 75
Jul 16, 2015
"National personification"???? Where do you start with a question like that? Not surprised that 5% have gotten it.
Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
Aug 18, 2015
Since so few have gotten it, I made that question more explicit.
ander217
+5
Level 75
Feb 1, 2016
Still didn't help me as I've never heard of her. Heidi was the only female I could think of.
Tummykong
+2
Level 67
Feb 3, 2016
Couldn't Heidi be an acceptable answer?
alberici
+6
Level 74
Feb 3, 2016
@Tummykong. No, as they are two completely different figures. Heidi is rather a literary character, whereas Helvetia has been more significant for Swiss history
DonTheLamplighter
+2
Level 84
Dec 18, 2020
One of the few times I've gotten a sub-20% answer. Not sure how I would've known this, though, if I didn't collect world coins. "Helvetia" is the only indicator of what country their coins are for.
brandybuck96
+3
Level 82
Oct 16, 2015
Please accept yodelling as well as yodeling.
Freestatebear
+2
Level 84
Jan 6, 2016
Agreed - quiz is very stingy on form and spelling.
dasubergeek
+7
Level 73
Feb 1, 2016
Please, some leeway on Romansh. Romansch, Rumansh, Rumantsch, Rumansch, Romantsch... good Lord, write a regex for it please.
bigbywolf
+4
Level 52
Dec 15, 2020
R[ou]m(a|o|au)nt?sc?h
johnnybna
+2
Level 69
Feb 1, 2016
anyone else for Swiss Miss of instant cocoa fame? ;)
DaveDynamite17
+1
Level 49
Feb 2, 2016
As language should be also possible "Rhaeto-Romanic" for Romansh
brandybuck96
+2
Level 82
Jan 17, 2019
Rhaeto-Romance is the language family, I wouldn't have said it was specific enough.
Moosefight
+5
Level 60
Feb 15, 2016
Turns out that Swiss Miss is not the top food producer. I just assumed they all ate mini marshmallows.
THEAWESOMENATE
+4
Level 17
Feb 19, 2016
1/24. I only got French as an official language.
JackintheBox
+7
Level 78
Aug 4, 2020
Really?
Jacktheguy
+7
Level 89
Oct 9, 2020
Hey at least you got something.
jeepy
+8
Level 66
Sep 18, 2016
Missed apple shooter. Kept thinking about alcohol... I think I have a problem
ander217
+2
Level 75
Sep 21, 2016
You made me laugh, though.
Gossguy
+10
Level 63
Dec 4, 2016
"Franken" should be accepted because it's the german word for the currency and German is the language about 65% of the People speak in Switzerland
Gassu
+4
Level 70
Jun 3, 2017
I second that
YourBarman
+2
Level 36
Oct 10, 2017
"Lake Geneva" is not the official name of the lake, and calling it this way sometimes offend people in the area (as the lake does not belong to Geneva nor Geneva's culture more athan any other city). The real name of the lake is "Leman Lake".
joedimaggio
+8
Level 71
Dec 13, 2018
No it's not... Coming from Lausanne, I hate it too, but Lake Geneva is still the correct name in English... It is still better than the people of Geneva saying Lac de Genève in french :)
Inkoglitch
+1
Level 45
May 10, 2022
oh please lets stop with that bs , French people call it ''lac de Savoie'' Geneva folks call it ''lac de Geneva'' etc , that's some dumb thing to fight on
herbw
+4
Level 52
Jan 3, 2018
I love Switzerland! 🇨🇭
Gassu
+3
Level 70
Feb 2, 2018
Me too!
JackintheBox
+3
Level 78
Aug 4, 2020
My trip to Zermatt with my family in 2016 was the best hiking trip ever!
GeographyGeek42
+5
Level 66
Aug 10, 2018
Bern is actually a federal city and isn't a De Jure capital of Switzerland. In the Swiss constitution, there is no mention of a capital city.
Gassu
+3
Level 70
Sep 14, 2018
This is 100% true, but if the clue would say 'Federal City', I bet only 50% would know the answer
lieszl
+3
Level 53
Sep 19, 2018
Romansh somehow doesn't seem to work anymore, I even tried copy pasting it from the answer, but it doesn't work..
jxgalt
+2
Level 83
Sep 22, 2018
Same problem. It doesn't recognize Romansh.
cornflakesfu
+2
Level 85
Oct 8, 2018
Agreed. This is still broken.
Quizmaster
+2
Level ∞
Oct 9, 2018
Fixed, thank you.
cornflakesfu
+8
Level 85
Oct 8, 2018
I mean, Swiss Miss is a fictional woman who personifies Switzerland . . . right?
divantilya
+2
Level 37
Jul 18, 2019
I have worn Omega watches since my Mom & Dad bought me my first one for my 16th Birthday and even though it clearly says "swiss movement" on the underside, I've always associated Omega with Greece.
ADeljaj
+3
Level 68
Oct 9, 2020
Omega have nothing to do with Greece apart from Omega being a letter in the Greek alphabet. About 80% of all watches are Swiss. Even other fashion companies, like Burberry (British) or Gucci (Italian), who make watches outsource the watchmaking to Switzerland. So if you look at a Gucci watch it will say "swiss made"
JohnnyYeet
+2
Level 56
Jun 30, 2020
Switzerland, the one country that doesn't join anything, from wars to the European Union. The last time Switzerland ever invaded a country was France in 1815, and the last time they actually ever used their army was 1847, when they quelled a short uprising. I'm guessing being in the Swiss Army is less dangerous than being an American Police Officer!
SaintCity
+2
Level 61
Jul 7, 2020
But in opposite to US cops (technically) every male has to serve in the military.
canadry
+2
Level 76
Jul 31, 2020
It's probably true that being in the Swiss military is safer yet, but it's worth mentioning that US cops don't have a particularly dangerous job at all; it's not even close to the riskiest, but they sure love to pretend it is.
joeythelemur
+1
Level 84
Apr 22, 2021
I know you're making a joke, but about 150 US police officers die in the line of duty each year. People really believe that their job isn't dangerous???
wielblad
+3
Level 66
Jul 2, 2020
Only legendary Swiss figure I could think of was Winkelried (no apple shooting there!)
EricF
+2
Level 72
Sep 25, 2020
Could Patek be accepted for the watch question?
lukebest1981
+3
Level 68
Oct 9, 2020
I think there should be far more accepted answers for the watch question - I tried Tag and Breitling before I even went with Rolex!!
ADeljaj
+3
Level 68
Oct 9, 2020
Its a dumb question to begin with considering just about every watch company outside of Seiko or Casio can be accepted.
priamos
+1
Level 62
Oct 9, 2020
Nitpicking a bit: Switzerland actually has only three official languages. Romansh is approved only for local use in Canton Graubünden. But OK, the "four-language Switzerland" is a stereotype, like the cookoo clock. :)
kaisemic
+5
Level 38
Mar 15, 2021
sorry, but that is not true. All four languages are mentioned in the constitution. According to the "law of language" people are allowed to contact the administration in Romansh and they need to be able to answer accordingly.
ADeljaj
+2
Level 68
Oct 9, 2020
How do you narrow down the watch question to only 2 when just about every prominent watchmaker is based in Switzerland?
kalbahamut
+2
Level 83
Oct 9, 2020
Isn't Swatch a much bigger watchmaker than Omega? There's also... Zodiac, Rotary, TAG Heuer, Zeno, Longines, Luminox, Movado, Breitling, etc.
NoutButBuckets
+2
Level 56
Oct 9, 2020
Omega and Longines are among the Swatch group's many brands.
kalbahamut
+2
Level 83
Oct 9, 2020
okay well then, it would make even more sense to put on Swatch over Omega...
stylus
+5
Level 75
Oct 9, 2020
will he hit the apple, or will he miss and kill his son? only time will tell…
filiphoset
+3
Level 58
Oct 9, 2020
Never knew Rousseau was from Switzerland
SonjaStaahle
+4
Level 60
Oct 9, 2020
Please accept Rätoromanisch for Romansch
NQChien
+2
Level 65
Oct 11, 2020
Updated quiz with remarkable changes!
lexxie
+3
Level 77
Oct 14, 2020
how, like how are coockoo clocks and yodel more famous than roger?? mans a legend. Also u should include willhelm tell, it's the only way he's known in switzerland not william
Inkoglitch
+2
Level 45
May 10, 2022
I mean , here in French speaking cantons we call him 'Guillaume'' because that's the French counterpart of Willem , same as William
Kazzkolo
+1
Level 52
Jul 19, 2023
You, not u.
JohnnyYeet
+2
Level 56
Jun 26, 2021
What's funny is that the spelling of Zurich in English should technically be Zuerich, because Zurich in German has an Umlaut on the u (Zürich)
lexxie
+2
Level 77
Jul 19, 2021
i think it would just make it harder to pronounce it
THEAilin
+1
Level 35
May 17, 2022
It's funny too see that some answers that I find obvious are only guessed by 20% of people!
LuigiDood227
+2
Level 64
May 25, 2022
I accidentally got Cantons because I thought Switzerland spoke Cantonese

Nice

MarcellDAvis
+1
Level 73
Apr 24, 2023
Since decolonization these are now called Guangzhous.
MarcellDAvis
+2
Level 73
Apr 24, 2023
"Fictional woman who personifies Switzerland"... My first impulse was Heidi :D
Kazzkolo
+1
Level 52
Jul 19, 2023
The name of Tell is Wilhelm, not William.
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