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CULTURAL ASPECT

Multicultural country

The different cultures within Switzerland are strongly influenced by the countries which border them and whose language they share. Each Switzerland's four linguistic regions has its own radio programmes and newspapers. 

Most Swiss speak more than one language, be it another national language or English. Foreign nationals living in Switzerland have brought with them their own languages too. English, Portuguese, Albanian and various other languages are also spoken in Switzerland. Compared to other countries, Switzerland has a relatively high share of foreign residents 22.8%. 

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Arts

As a country where diverse traditions and cultures meet and interact, Switzerland has been a melting-pot in the heart of Europe since time immemorial. This is why cultural life in cosmopolitan Switzerland displays such enormous variety.

Switzerland has managed to preserve its traditional heritage while also offering all modern facilities. The cities are full of fascinating reminders of a rich past.

Switzerland has over 1,100 national, regional and local museums. There are also host of museums and galleries which were founded by generous private art collectors, such as the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern and the Fondation Ginadda in Martigny. 

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Innovative country 

Switzerland is a major international centre for scientific and technological research. for many years the Innovation Union Scoreboard has ranked Switzerland at the top of the most innovation nation in Europe. To date, it has produced 20 Nobel Prize winners. 

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Sports

Switzerland is quite a sporty nation and has produced a number of internationally acclaimed sportspeople like Roger Federer.

​Two-thirds of the Swiss population take part in some sporting activity at least once a week. The most popular sports are skiing, rambling, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, cycling, swimming, tennis, gymnastics and walking. The Swiss national sports are Schwingen (traditional alpine wrestling) and Hornussen (a cross between baseball and golf). 

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Music

Yodekking (the voice rapidly and repeatedly changes from the vocal chest register to the head register) was probably developed in the Swiss Alps as a means of communication between mountain peaks and became later part of the region's traditional music. 

The Alphorn is a wind instrument, consisting of a natural wooden horn of cortical bore, having a cup-shaped mouthpiece. 

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