Switzerland is a country in Europe. Landlocked, it is bordered by Italy, France, Germany, and Austria. As a result, there is no single national language, instead adopting the languages of its neighbors. Switzerland is also famous for its neutrality in European and global conflicts and other affairs. The country is also known for its mountain regions, notably the famous Alps.

Switzerland's best known culinary contribution is Swiss Cheese, most often referring to Emmental or similar cheeses known for their holes. Another famous food export is chocolate, and the transnational candy company Nestlé was founded and is headquartered there. Switzerland is also known for its fine craftsmanship of watches and the utilitarian nature of the famous Swiss army knife. Swiss banks are renowned for their traditional secrecy.

Switzerland has made contributions to science and the CERN laboratory is located in Meyerin, a suburb of Geneva. In culture, the most famous Swiss folk hero is William Tell, while notable novels include Swiss Family Robinson and Heidi. Swiss natives include two of the founding members of Mummenschanz (Andres Brossard and Bernie Schürch) and actress Liselotte Pulver (later a regular on Sesamstrasse).

References[]

• In episode 220 of The Muppet Show, Kermit introduces the song "Upidee" as taking place in the Swiss Alps. "The Lonely Goatherd" from episode 217 takes place on the same set.

• The Sesame Street characters visited Switzerland in a 1978 calendar and again in the 1983 Sesame Street Live show Around the World.

• A postcard used on the German Fraggle Rock co-production Die Fraggles had Uncle Traveling Matt climbing the Swiss Alps (while in other segments, he encountered the Bavarian Alps on the German side).

• In another postcard, Uncle Traveling Matt attends a wrestling match between two Swiss men. The postcard appeared on The Jim Henson Company's YouTube channel, first released in August 2013.

• In episode 104 of Muppets Tonight, in "The Rats' Patrol" sketch, a cheese identifies himself as Swiss, a neutral party only interested in selling army knives and bank accounts.

• In an episode of the German Sesamstrasse spin-off Eine Möhre für Zwei, Pferd receives an early Christmas package from his Tante Hüfli ("Aunt Hoofly"), a Swiss horse who eventually made her first on-screen appearance in a season five episode of the show in 2017.

• In Muppets Most Wanted, Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon is headquartered out of Geneva (although the main headquarters for Interpol are actually in Lyon, France). Sam the Eagle meets him there, and in a deleted scene, a map shows them traveling from Geneva to Spain. A Swiss emblem also appears on Jean Pierre's vehicle, Le Maximum.