many attributing this phenomenon to high gun ownership. But by comparison, Switzerland

has the third highest rate of gun ownership, with relatively low gun violence. So, what

is behind Switzerland’s unique situation? Just how powerful is Switzerland?

Well, Switzerland comprises roughly 16,000 square miles, or a bit less than the US state

of Florida. With a population of about 8 million, it ranks pretty low among European countries.

But what they lack in size, they make up for in diversity. Switzerland is made up of four

primary regions, each of which have their own cultural identity and language. They are

German, French, Italian, and Romansh, which is a relatively unique language to Switzerland.

This is unsurprising, as the country is surrounded on all sides by Germany, France, Italy, Austria,

and Liechtenstein. With so many different cultures, what is the one thing unifying them

all?

Well… money. Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world. Their GDP is roughly

700 billion, ranking 20th worldwide. Per capita, they number within the top ten, at nearly

$60,000 per resident. This is a little higher than the United States. They manage to accomplish

this through effective, and somewhat protectionist, monetary policy. This makes them an extremely

stable economy, which has garnered mass investment, leading to a lucrative banking industry. But

the high income, First World economy also means that only a tiny percentage of the country

works in agriculture, while a large number focus on specialized labor. For example, Switzerland

is the primary producer of the world’s high-end watches. In 2013, watches brought in more

than 20 billion dollars alone. Other high end precision products, such as jewelry and

small caliber handguns are among their largest exports.

Alongside their firearm and ammunition production, the high rate of gun ownership would suggest

that they are a militarily powerful nation. But in fact, Switzerland is one the best known

countries to practice armed neutrality. Although they rank about 30th in military worldwide,

and spend nearly 5 billion a year on their armed forces, Switzerland has not been involved

in a war in the last 200 years. Instead, they focus on peacekeeping, and are even the birthplace

of the Red Cross, which explains why its logo is the inverted Swiss flag. Additionally,

Switzerland is not a part of the European Union, and doesn’t use the Euro. However,

they are a member of the European Free Trade Association as well as the UN.

So what does this high ranking collection of stats yield? Well, Switzerland is probably

one of the most satisfied countries in the world. They rank near or at the top for civil

liberties, quality of life, government transparency, and a number of other positive attributes

ascribed to high human development. In fact, Switzerland is considered to have among the

highest quality of life in the world. So just how powerful is Switzerland? Powerful enough

to be comfortable.

To learn more about Switzerland’s neighbor to the east, check out our video “How Powerful

Is France?” Thanks for watching! Please don’t forget to like and subscribe to TestTube

News. We’ll see you next time.