Question 319 of 350 · Name, symbols and National Day
What else is Switzerland called?
Wie wird die Schweiz auch bezeichnet?
Correct answer: B
Why
The official name in the Constitution is «Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft» (Swiss Confederation). It goes back to the old alliances that were made with an oath.
Common mistakes
- A: Free State of Switzerland
- «Free State» is a name for some states in Germany, for example Bavaria, not for Switzerland.
- C: Swiss Alliance
- Switzerland did develop from alliances, but it is called «Confederation», not «Swiss Alliance».
Topic
Names of Switzerland: Confederation, Confoederatio Helvetica, CH
Switzerland has several names. The official name in the Federal Constitution is «Swiss Confederation» (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft). In everyday life people often just say «Confederation» (Eidgenossenschaft). In Switzerland the word means roughly «state». It comes from «Eid», an oath, which is a solemn promise. In the Middle Ages the first places promised each other mutual help. Anyone who made such an alliance was a «Confederate» (Eidgenosse).
Switzerland at a glance · Name, symbols and National Day
Sources
Official question of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.