Many people imagine Switzerland as a rich country where people look after their watches, chocolates and cows. A country in the middle of Europe, a single cell in a larger organism. A peaceful place with no ambitious army, no CCTV, no violence.

These same people have a different image of England: they see a deep culture full of respect for its traditions, its Queen, its history. A country located out of Europe, separated by the sea, but dynamic and essential to the development of Europe

But what is the real face of these two countries today? And what will it be in ten years or in a century? We are living in a changing world, a world which has no common point with the one of the previous millennium. Our values and our behaviours are different from the ones of our grandparents. With globalization, the cultures are getting closer to each other. The countries are probably not losing their identity, but they are integrating the cultures of the others. We build mosques and minarets, eat grapes coming from India or import Australian meat.

But let’s get back to the point. Switzerland is a small country which counts 7 million inhabitants. England is about eight times more occupied.

The languages spoken by Helvetians (synonymous with Swiss) are German, French, Italian and Romansh, which makes many people think Switzerland is more a piece of Germany, of France and of Italy… On the contrary, everybody in Great Britain speaks English, even though there are different accents.
 

Switzerland is run by seven people, each of them being in charge of a specific domain such as Economics or Environment. The government is a coalition of the four major political parties. England is led by a Prime Minister who can keep his place for many years. 

                      

Switzerland has a long history of neutrality. It has not been at war since 1815. England has been involved in many battles and is still now fighting against terrorism.

The Swiss climate is generally temperate, but can change a lot between the localities. It can go from glacial conditions on the top of the mountains to a Mediterranean climate at southern tip. England has a temperate climate, with a lot of rain during the year, even if the temperature can be vastly different according to the seasons.

Switzerland is appreciated for its cleanliness and public transport being almost never late. England is liked for the calm of its inhabitants, above all while raining, and for the beauty of its landscapes. The fact people drive on the left gives even more charm to the country.

Sport is deeply implanted in the two countries mentality, Swiss people being better at individual sports (tennis, skiing) and Britons preferring team sports (football, rugby).