10. Chocolate Is a Serious Business
It’s not just a stereotype. Chocolate really is the biggest export of Switzerland. About seven million triangular chunks of Toblerone are produced in Bern each year. What’s more, they’ve actually created an edible gold chocolate!
11. I Challenge You!
Switzerland practices direct democracy, the only country to do so, so its citizens have more power than in representative democracies. If citizens can secure 50, 000 or more signatures against a law passed in Swiss parliament within a 100-day period, they can successfully challenge that law. Using the majority rule, voters decide if they will reject or accept a law based on a national vote, the results of which are determined by the number of votes for or against.
12. A Cow For Some Magic Cheese
The Swiss take their cheese very seriously. Leasing a cow to restaurants is customary for Swiss farmers, as it’s not only legal to do so, but all the cheese that is procured from the cow’s milk can be kept by the leaser. Though private leasing arrangements are rare, some still choose to do so, preferring to create cheeses more suited to their palates than those found in stores.
