Switzerland’s country code is “CH” because it comes from the Latin name of the country: Confoederatio Helvetica, which means Swiss Confederation.
Here’s the reasoning:
Switzerland has four official languages (German, French, Italian, and Romansh). Using one language’s abbreviation (like DE for Deutschland in German, FR for Suisse in French, IT for Svizzera in Italian, or RM for Svizra in Romansh) would favor one group and exclude the others.
To remain neutral and inclusive, the authorities chose Latin, a “dead” language that belongs to no living group in Switzerland, for official abbreviations.
Thus, CH (from Confoederatio Helvetica) is used as the international country code — you’ll see it on Swiss car stickers, internet domains (.ch), and in ISO codes.
👉 Fun fact: “Helvetica” (meaning “of the Helvetii,” an ancient Celtic tribe that lived in the Swiss plateau) is also where the famous Helvetica font got its name!
