Swaziland, Switzerland, and Sweden

Over many years I found that what seems quite obvious to some is a mystery to others. This article is a help for people getting Swedish and Swiss or Switzerland and Swaziland mixed up. Once you remember just a few key facts about any of the places, you will be able to keep out of trouble when showing off geography knowledge.

The Kingdom of Swaziland is an independent country almost entirely encircled by South Africa and with a string's length of border with Mozambique. Of the three countries, it is the only one outside of Europe. The national language is Bantu, and a national of the kingdom is called Swazi. As an African nation and a monarchy, it should be easy to keep Swaziland apart from Switzerland, but the similarity in spelling seems to trip people up time and again.

The Kingdom of Sweden is a country in the North of Europe and forms part of the European Union. The language spoken is Swedish. Sweden has direct access to the Baltic Sea unlike Switzerland which is a landlocked country. Swedish stereotyping should get you to the following cliches: Blond, Sauna, Smorgasbord, and Viking. Sweden used to be a major power broker in Europe and used to be in a union with the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway.

Switzerland is in Central Europe and isn't part of the European Union. It has no access to the sea; it was therefore the first landlocked country ever to win the Americas Cup. The national languages are German, French, Italian, and Romansh, whereby German is not spoken in Switzerland, only written, as the spoken language is Alemannic, a Germanic language. The typical Swiss cliches are mountains, banks, chocolate, cheese, watches, the Swiss army knife, and neutrality. Switzerland is a democracy; it is in fact the only direct democracy in the world.

Do you think this helps you a little bit to get the countries sorted? Maybe it helps a bit if you know that Switzerland is not the correct name of the country, but Confoederatio Helvetica. Both Swiss and Switzerland are nicknames carried over from medieval times. I also have heard the saying 'I am Switzerland' used by people wanting to sit on the fence over an issue. And if you followed the Twilight Saga, you might have encountered Team Switzerland for those who didn't want to take sides.


Further reading
Switzerland Doesn't Exist
Iconic Design: Swiss Army Knife
Christina: Female King of Sweden