Can you tell me what the abbreviation for Switzerland is?
2023-06-26
This is what goPenpal answered
Sure! The abbreviation for Switzerland is "CH," which stands for Confoederatio Helvetica. The term "Helvetica" refers to the Latin name for Switzerland. It might seem a bit puzzling that the abbreviation does not match the English name of the country, but it's all rooted in the country's history and languages.
Switzerland is a multilingual country with four national languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. Each language has its own name for Switzerland. For instance, in German, Switzerland is known as "Schweiz," in French it's "Suisse," in Italian it's "Svizzera," and in Romansh, it's "Svizra." To avoid favoring any specific language, the Latin term "Confoederatio Helvetica" was chosen for official purposes.
Now, you might be wondering why the abbreviation is not "SW." That's because "SW" is already designated for Sweden. To prevent any confusion, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigned the "CH" code to Switzerland. So, next time you see "CH" on a car bumper or hear it at a sports event, you'll know it represents Switzerland!
Questions or feedback?
Contact us with any questions, concerns or feedback you have.