According to the Swedish Embassy of Manila, if it weren’t for the World Cup, people would probably still be in the dark, thinking Sweden and Switzerland are one and the same.
The Swedish Embassy of Manila took to Facebook to enlighten their followers with a public service announcement leading to the Sweden-Switzerland match which happened July 3.
Turns out a lot of other countries are experiencing the same confusion so even other international embassies in other nations had to release infographics on social media to educate the public on the difference between the two.
For starters, they each have very distinct landforms. Sweden is a peninsular country, meaning it is surrounded by bodies of water, whereas Switzerland is an alpine one with high mountains ideal for skiing.
Tomorrow we clash at the World Cup. Can’t tell us apart? Here’s a little help. pic.twitter.com/U3VHXbphSt
— Sweden.se (@swedense) July 2, 2018
And as pointed out by the Swedish Embassy of Manila, Sweden is famous for IKEA, which serves Köttbullar or meatballs (which are actually Turkish in origin, according to Sweden’s official Twitter account). On the other hand, Switzerland’s identifying dish is fondue.
Swedish meatballs are actually based on a recipe King Charles XII brought home from Turkey in the early 18th century. Let’s stick to the facts! pic.twitter.com/JuTDEjq9MM
— Sweden.se (@swedense) April 28, 2018
The big #FIFAWorldCup #Switzerland 🇨🇭 vs #Sweden 🇸🇪 game is tomorrow ⚽️! Don’t be fooled, we are different countries and have 2 different signature dishes – what are you in the mood for? #Köttbullar or #Fondue? #FIFAWorldCup #Swederland pic.twitter.com/zo29y4Q1tm
— Swiss Consulate NY (@SwissCGNY) July 2, 2018
Also, if it helps, these two countries have two very distinct forms of music. For Switzerland, it’s yodeling, while in Sweden, it’s disco.
Next #FifaWorldCup2018 game is #Switzerland 🇨🇭vs #Sweden🇸🇪 That’s right, we are not the same! First difference, what do you prefer #yodeling or #disco?? #SWESUI #Swederland #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/POToMA5UfG
— Swiss Embassy (@SwissEmbassyUSA) June 30, 2018
In the end, Sweden eventually won against Switzerland, at least in the World Cup. They advance to the quarterfinals, which happened for the first time since 1994. This should help other people tell them apart, too, should the other facts presented here prove insufficient.
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Photo courtesy of the Swedish Embassy of Manila Facebook Page
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Writer: CHRISTIAN SAN JOSE