The second smallest of the world’s continents, Europe, is composed of the peninsulas of Eurasia, i.e., the great landmass Europe shares with Asia.
The continent occupies about one-fifteenth of the total land area of the world. It is rich in resources such as the sea, soil, forest and minerals (mainly coal).
The people of Europe are well-educated and thoroughly skilled and, therefore, are said to be its principal resource.
Sweden and Switzerland are two of the European countries which are often confused with each other by non-Europeans.
Both countries in the same continent have very few similarities and are distinct in almost everything.
Key Takeaways
- Sweden is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe, while Switzerland is a landlocked country in Western Europe.
- Swedish is the official language of Sweden, while Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh.
- The currency used in Sweden is the Swedish krona, while the Swiss franc is the currency used in Switzerland.
Sweden vs Switzerland
Sweden is a Nordic country recognized for its welfare state, progressive ideals, and design. Switzerland is a central European country famous for its banking industry, mountain landscape, and chocolate.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Sweden | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Geography | Sweden lies west of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia in Europe. | Switzerland being an inland country lies in the heart of Europe. |
| Neighbouring countries | It shares its border with Norway and Finland. | Germany, Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein and France surround it. |
| Landscape | There are many lakes and agricultural lands. The northern part is mostly covered with forests. | While it comprises many hills and mountains, and so is a mountainous landscape with no coastline. |
| Climate | It experiences a temperate climate in the south and a colder one in the north. | Whereas it experiences a cold climate throughout the country. |
| Area | Sweden is the fourth-largest country in Europe, having a large area of 449,964 square km. | Switzerland, one of the smallest European countries, has a land area of 41,285 square km. |
| Population density | The population density is 20.6/square km. | Whereas it has a higher population density of 186.5/square km. |
| Government | It is a Constitutional monarchy led by the Prime Minister and the states have King and Queen as their heads. | It is the Federal Republic which the President leads. |
| Language | Swedish is the only language spoken here. | German, French, Italian and Rhaeto-Romantic are the languages spoken here. |
| Currency | The Swedish krona is the currency of Sweden. | The Swiss franc is the currency of Switzerland. |
| Famous for | It is famous for its pop music, car manufacturing and the Nobel Prize. | It is famous for Swiss cheese, chocolate, banking secrecy and precision watches. |
What is Sweden?
Sweden, known as the Kingdom of Sweden, is officially a Northern European country.
It is surrounded by Norway in the west and north, Finland in the east, and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel in the southwest.
With an area of 449,964 square km, Sweden is the fourth-largest county in Northern Europe and the 55th-largest country globally.
There are several coastal islands and lakes in Sweden, along with vast forests in the north and glaciated mountains.
Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden, is built on 14 islands. It consists of more than 50 bridges, royal palaces, and museums.
Swedes mainly speak Swedish as their primary language. They love listening to music and singing; their pop culture is very rich.
Moreover, the very prestigious and famous Nobel Prize is Sweden-based.
An increase in the gender log wage gap can be seen in Sweden throughout the wage distribution, and this is interpreted as a strong Glass ceiling effect.
Even after substantial controls for gender differences in age, education and occupation, the glass ceiling effect spreads considerably.
What is Switzerland?
Switzerland, known as the Swiss Confederation, is officially located at the junction of western, central and southern Europe.
It is bordered by Germany to the north, Italy to the south, France to the west, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
Switzerland is one of the smallest European countries, extending up to a total area of 41,285 square km.
Switzerland is a mountainous landscape home to several Swiss plateaus, lakes, villages and high ranges of the Alps.
Bern is the capital city, containing medieval quarters and famous landmarks like Lucerne’s wooden chapel bridge.
Being surrounded by five major European countries, it automatically becomes a nation with many primary languages. The Swiss people generally speak German, French, Italian, Rhaeto-Romantic and some broken English.
The country is famous for hiking, skiing, climbing etc. Banking secrecy is a very strong tradition here. Swiss cheese, chocolates, and a dish named Fondue are the specialities of Switzerland.
Despite being a small nation, its political system is one of the most complicated and fascinating.
It is often represented as a nation of multinational federalism and sets a benchmark worldwide because of its political scenario.
Main Differences Between Sweden and Switzerland
- Sweden is a Swedish country with many lakes, forests and islands, while Switzerland is a Swiss inland country with no coastline.
- Sweden’s total area is 10 times larger than that of Switzerland. At the same time, the case of population density is vice-versa.
- Switzerland is the Federal Republic, whereas Sweden is a Constitutional monarchy.
- Sweden has a temperate climate in the south and a cold climate in the north. But Switzerland has a cold climate throughout the country.
- Swedish is the official language of Sweden, while in Switzerland, German, French, Italy and Rhaeto-Romantic are spoken primarily.
- The Swiss people consume more cheese as compared to the Swedes.
- https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/344126
- http://diana-n.iue.it:8080/handle/1814/34905
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
