Switzerland

Actually true

• Trains really do run with extreme precision

  Swiss rail punctuality is famous globally, with connections timed down to the minute across the whole network.

• Direct democracy shapes daily politics

  Citizens vote on referenda multiple times a year, deciding everything from taxes to infrastructure directly.

• The country is genuinely multilingual

  German, French, Italian and Romansh are all official, and regions differ culturally as a result.

• Neutrality is a longstanding national policy

  Switzerland has avoided involvement in international wars for over two centuries, formalised since 1815.

Commonly believed, wrong

• "Everyone in Switzerland is rich"

  Living costs are extremely high, and wages are correspondingly high — real disposable wealth varies widely.

• "Swiss cheese has holes everywhere"

  Only Emmentaler has the famous holes; most Swiss cheeses, like Gruyère, have none at all.

• "It's one uniform culture"

  German-speaking, French-speaking (Romandie) and Italian-speaking (Ticino) regions differ noticeably in food, temperament and politics.

• "The whole country is mountains"

  The Swiss Plateau, home to most cities and population, is comparatively flat farmland.