There are a number of common perceptions held about the Swiss – luxury watches, chocolates, private banks. The Swiss themselves prefer to believe that they are held together as a people purely by their desire to stay united. With four different language groups crammed into a very small space and a foreign population of 20%, it is easy to appreciate the level of diversity in this small Alpine nation.

Whatever the Swiss say about themselves, they can be broadly categorized as having a strong work ethic, a degree of materialism, an enjoyment of order and a love of consensus. They also have, by any standards, an extremely good lifestyle, low unemployment and relatively few social problems compared to the rest of Europe.