Posted by y912f on Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 2:36pm.
One of the notable differences is that France is strongly monolingual -- being very proud of its language. Switzerland has four official languages -- German, French, Italian, and Romansh.
France has been actively involved in Europe's wars and was one of the original members of the European Union. Switzerland had been neutral and is the only western European nation that has not joined the EU.
Look for differences in physical geography, cuisine, and other cultural characteristics.
France is my favorite country and I've spent several weeks there over the years. One of my granddaughter has lived there for over a year. I also enjoy Switzerland and its diversity.
Throughout their history, language and culture have played an important role in creating the French identity. Before the 1500s, the language that is now called French was spoken only in and around Paris. When the French kinds expanded their control, they claimed that this language become the language of all the lands they ruled. However, several languages and dialects--variations of a language-- are still spoken in various parts of France. Even so, French is the national language. The French Academy has to approve of a French word before publishing it in official dictionaries. This body was established in 1634 to preserve the purity of the French language and is a symbol of French cultural pride.
..this is what i got so far, for France's language. I'm about to start on it's culture
As far as cultural identity goes, the French take enormous pride in their intellectual and artistic achievements. Some of their biggest heroes are Rene Descartes, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Voltaire. Some of the world’s most famous painters have been French, some of which include Claude Monet ad Pierre Auguste Renoir. The main style of painting that these artists used was called Impressionism--a school of art sought to capture fleeting visual “impressions” made by color, light, and shadows. Today the city’s art galleries and museums celebrate the achievements of these artists.
...this is the rest for France-culture.
You might add some ideas from this article.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,875399,00.html
...
Switzerland, on the other hand, has three official languages: French, German, and Italian, and some of its people speak a dialect called Romansch. More than half of the population speaks German and a small percent speak French. Each of the Swiss ethnic groups has its own name for Switzerland including Schwiez, Suisse, and Svizzera. The official name of Switzerland is Confederation Helvetica, and we know it as the Swiss Confederation. For more than seven hundred years the Swiss have combined people from various cultural traditions to become a proud, prosperous, independent country. Today, there are twenty six cantons, or states, that make up Switzerland. These differ in language, religion, customs, and the ways in which people make a living.
this is what i've got for my answer. is it ok, ms.sue?
It's ok, but barely. You've missed the "flavor" of both countries by just taking information from your book. It seems to be more history than comparing and contrasting the modern countries. You'll find a lot more interesting and lively information in some web sites.
What about the cuisine of both countries?
You mentioned nothing about the Swiss culture of neutrality or France's culture of involvement in European affairs.
What about holidays and festivals? What about religions and ethnic groups?
You also are in error about the official languages of Switzerland. There are four official languages.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sz.html
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