Documents for "Swiss Political Geography":

• Aarau town (1993 pop. 15,900), capital of Aargau canton, N Switzerland, at the foot of the Jura Mts. and on the Aare River. Manufactures include bells, mathematical instruments, electrical goods, shoes,...

• Aargau Fr. Argovie, canton (1993 pop. 512,000), 542 sq mi (1,404 sq km), N Switzerland. Aarau is the capital. It is traversed by the Aare and Reuss rivers. Its fertile hills and valleys are used to raise fruit and cereal as well as for other agriculture and dairying. Electrical goods, textiles, cement, and precision instruments are...

• Altdorf town (1990 pop. 8,150), capital of Uri canton, central Switzerland. Cables, rubber goods, and ammunition are manufactured. Altdorf was the scene of the legendary exploits of William Tell , commemorated...

• Andermatt village, Uri canton, S central Switzerland. It is a road junction, health resort, and sports center. The St. Gotthard Tunnel runs beneath the village. Andermatt has a 12th-century church.

• Appenzell canton, NE Switzerland. A rural and sparsely populated region, it is mainly a meadowland dotted with small farms. Appenzell retains many ancient customs and has been famous for centuries as a...

• Arosa town (1990 pop. 2,271), alt. c.6,000 ft (1,830 m), Grisons canton, E Switzerland. It is a health resort and sports center.

• Avenches anc. Aventicum, town, Vaud canton, W Switzerland. During the 1st and 2d cent. AD, Avenches flourished under the Romans as the chief town of Helvetia.

• Bâle Switzerland: see Basel.

• Bürglen town (1990 pop. 3,580), Uri canton, central Switzerland. It is the legendary birthplace of William Tell. A 16th-century chapel stands on the supposed site of Tell's house.

• Baden anc. Aquae Helveticae, town (1990 pop. 15,718), Aargau canton, N Switzerland, on the Limmat River. A noted spa since ancient times, the town has hot sulfur springs. It is also a manufacturing center known for...

• Basel or Basle , Fr. Bâle, canton, N Switzerland, bordering on France and Germany. It is bounded in the N by the Rhine River (which becomes navigable in the canton) and in the S by the Jura Mts. Although it has industries,...

• Basel-Land and Basel-Stadt: see Basel , Switzerland.

• Basle Switzerland: see Basel.

• Bellinzona town (1993 pop. 17,100), capital of Ticino canton, S Switzerland, on the Ticino River, near the Italian border. It is a picturesque old town and a hub of transalpine traffic. Tourism is the main...

• Bern or Berne , canton (1990 pop. 937,365), 2,658 sq mi (6,883 sq km), W central Switzerland. The second most populous and second largest canton of the country, Bern comprises three sections—the Bernese Alps, or...

• Berne Switzerland: see Bern.

• Biel or Bienne , city (1990 est. pop. 52,020), Bern canton, NW Switzerland, at the northeast end of the Lake of Biel. A watchmaking center, Biel also manufactures chains and machinery. There is a 16th-century...

• Bienne Switzerland: see Biel.

• Bollingen town, Bern canton, W central Switzerland. It is a dairy and industrial center. There is a 16th-century church in the town.

• Brienz town (1990 pop. 2,849), Bern canton, central Switzerland, on the northeast shore of the Lake of Brienz. A center of the Swiss woodcarving industry, it is also a resort. The Lake of Brienz (11 sq mi/28...

• Brig Fr. Brigue, town, Valais canton, S Switzerland, on the Rhône River, at the north entrance of the Simplon Tunnel. Although it has a noted 17th-century palace, Brig is primarily known as the junction of the...

• Burgdorf Fr. Berthoud, town (1990 est. pop. 15,373), NW Switzerland, on the Emme River. It is a textile-manufacturing and cheese-trading town. There is a 12th-century castle in which J. H. Pestalozzi, the educational...

• Carouge city (1990 pop. 15,036), Geneva canton, SW Switzerland, on the Arve River. It is an industrial center. Carouge was chartered in 1786 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia and was joined to Geneva...

• Chaux-de-Fonds, La city (1990 pop. 36,894), Neuchâtel canton, NW Switzerland, in the Jura Mts., near the French border. It is one of the largest watch-manufacturing centers in Switzerland.

• Chur Fr. Coire, Romansh Cuera, city (1990 pop. 30,236), capital of Grisons canton, E Switzerland, on the Plessur River. Chur is an important transportation junction near the Rhine Valley. Chur's main industry is tourism, but it...

• Clarens village, Vaud canton, W Switzerland, on the Lake of Geneva. A resort near Montreux, Clarens was once the residence of Lord Byron. The Clarens region is immortalized in Rousseau's Nouvelle Héloïse....

• Coppet village, Vaud canton, SW Switzerland, on the Lake of Geneva. It is noted for its château, once the residence of Jacques Necker and his daughter, Mme de Staël.

• Dübendorf town (1990 pop. 21,106), Zürich canton, NE Switzerland. Tobacco products and chemicals are produced in the town.

• Davos town (1990 pop. 10,957), Grisons canton, E Switzerland, on the Landwasser River. It is a famous winter sports center and a health resort. Since 1971 (except for 2002-3), Davos has hosted the...

• Delémont Ger. Delsberg, town (1990 pop. 11,355), capital of Jura canton, NW Switzerland. A watchmaking center of the Bernese Jura, it was once the residence (1528-1792) of the prince-bishops of Basel. An 18th-century...

• Dietikon town (1990 pop. 21,152), Zürich canton, N Switzerland, on the Limmat River. It is a suburb of Zürich.

• Einsiedeln town (1990 pop. 10,869), Schwyz canton, E central Switzerland. Einsiedeln is the most famous pilgrimage center in Switzerland and one of the most noted in Europe. Its important Benedictine abbey,...

• Emmen town (1990 pop. 25,407), Lucerne canton, central Switzerland, on the Reuss River. Textiles, electrical and iron goods, and airplanes are made in the town.

• Engelberg town, Obwalden half canton, central Switzerland. It is a winter and summer resort and has an early 12th-century Benedictine abbey.

• Frauenfeld city (1993 pop. 20,300), capital of Thurgau canton, NE Switzerland, on the Murg River. Although it produces textiles, metal products, and food preserves, it is chiefly known for its 13th-century...

• Fribourg Ger. Freiburg, canton (1990 pop. 204,328), 645 sq mi (1,671 sq km), W Switzerland. Located on the Swiss Plateau and amid the foothills of the Alps, Fribourg is an agricultural region known for its cattle and...

• Geneva Fr. Genève, canton (1990 pop. 373,019), 109 sq mi (282 sq km), SW Switzerland, surrounding the southwest tip of the Lake of Geneva. One of the smallest cantons, Geneva is in the plain between the Jura and the...

• Glarus Fr. Glaris, canton (1993 pop. 39,000), 264 sq mi (684 sq km), E central Switzerland. Located in the basin of the Linth River, it is a mountainous and pastoral region, with forests and meadows in the valleys...

• Grandson Ger. Grandsee, town (1990 pop. 2,473), Vaud canton, W Switzerland, at the southwestern end of the Lake of Neuchâtel. An important town in the Middle Ages, Grandson is known chiefly as the scene of the defeat...

• Granson see Grandson , Switzerland.

• Graubünden see Grisons , Switzerland.

• Grenchen Fr. Granges, town (1990 pop. 16,241), Solothurn canton, NW Switzerland. It is a watchmaking center.

• Grindelwald town (1990 est. pop. 3,733), Bern canton, S central Switzerland, at the foot of the Eiger, Schreckhorn, and Wetterhorn peaks. It was one of the first Alpine resorts.

• Grisons Ger. Graubünden, Ital. Grigioni, Romansch Grischun, canton (1990 pop. 169,005), 2,746 sq mi (7,112 sq km), E Switzerland, bordering on Italy and Austria. Chur is the capital. The largest and most sparsely populated of the cantons, it is a region of Alpine peaks and glaciers, of forested highlands, and of fertile valleys. The Engadine Valley and the Swiss...

• Gruyère, La district (1990 pop. 33,080) in Fribourg canton, W Switzerland. It is famous for its cattle and for Gruyère cheese. The population is largely French-speaking and Roman Catholic.

• Gstaad village, Bern canton, W Switzerland. It is a fashionable winter sports resort. Cheese and wood products are made in the village.

• Helvetia region of central Europe, occupying the plateau between the Alps and the Jura mts. The name is derived from the Roman term for its inhabitants, the predominantly Celtic Helvetii, who were defeated...

• Herisau town (1990 pop. 15,624), capital of Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden half canton, NE Switzerland. Cotton textiles, paper, wood, blown glass, machinery, and other metal goods are manufactured there. The...

• Horgen town (1990 pop. 16,463), Zürich canton, N Switzerland, on the Lake of Zürich. A textile center in the 17th cent., Horgen today has manufactures of electronic equipment. There is a noteworthy...

• Interlaken town (1990 est. pop. 5,180), Bern canton, central Switzerland, between the Lake of Brienz and the Lake of Thun. Its manufactures include textiles and watches. Interlaken is one of the largest...

• Jura canton (1993 pop. 68,300), 3,256 sq mi (840 sq km), NW Switzerland. In the Jura Mts., bordered by the Swiss cantons of Bern on the south and Solothurn in the east and by France in the north and...

• Köniz town (1990 pop. 37,309), Bern canton, W central Switzerland. It is a suburb of Bern. The Romanesque-Gothic church, founded in the 10th cent. by Rudolph II of Burgundy, has noteworthy 14th-century...

• Küssnacht am Rigi town (1990 pop. 9,461), Schwyz canton, central Switzerland, on the Lake of Lucerne. A small resort, it is known chiefly as the scene of the killing of Gessler by William Tell. A nearby 17th-century...

• Kreuzlingen town (1990 pop. 17,239), Thurgau canton, NE Switzerland, on the Lake of Konstanz. The town is contiguous with the German city of Konstanz. It is an industrial center with the oldest aluminum...

• Kriens town, Lucerne canton, central Switzerland, at the foot of Mt. Pilatus. It is a suburb of Lucerne.

• Lausanne city (1990 pop. 117,600), capital of Vaud canton, W Switzerland, on the Lake of Geneva. An important rail junction and lake port (see Ouchy ), it is the trade and commercial center of a rich agricultural region. The construction of the Simplon Tunnel in 1906 gave Lausanne much greater commercial significance, putting it on the road...

• Lauterbrunnen town, SE of Interlaken, S central Switzerland, in the Bernese Alps. It is famous for its springs and waterfalls, such as the Staubbach, which falls nearly 1,000 ft (305 m) from Mürren, and the...

• Locarno town (1990 est. pop. 14,150), Ticino canton, S Switzerland, at the northern end of Lago Maggiore. In a beautiful resort region with a mild Mediterranean climate, Locarno attracts a great number of...

• Locle, Le town (1990 pop. 11,313), Neuchâtel canton, NW Switzerland, in the Jura Mts. near the French border. It has been a watchmaking center since the 17th cent.

• Lucerne Ger. Luzern , canton (1993 pop. 331,800), 576 sq mi (1,492 sq km), central Switzerland. Drained by the Reuss and Kleine Emme rivers, Lucerne is mainly an agricultural and pastoral region, with orchards and...

• Lugano city (1990 est. pop. 26,100), Ticino canton, S Switzerland, near the Italian border. A commercial center in the Middle Ages, Lugano is a popular resort noted for its scenery and climate. Aside...

• Luzern see Lucerne , Switzerland.

• Mürren village, Bern canton, S central Switzerland, in the Bernese Alps. It is a health and sports center with a splendid view of the Jungfrau and neighboring peaks. It is the highest village in Bern...

• Montreux resort area (1990 pop. 22,917), on the northeast shore of the Lake of Geneva, Vaud canton, W Switzerland. It is composed of the communes of Le Châtelard, Les Planches, and Veytaux, which were...

• Morat see Murten , Switzerland.

• Murten Fr. Morat, town, Fribourg canton, W Switzerland, on the Lake of Murten. It is known chiefly as the scene of the defeat (1476) of Charles the Bold of Burgundy by the Swiss. Founded by the dukes of Zähringen in...

• Näfels town (1990 pop. 3,882), Glarus canton, E central Switzerland. The town has a magnificent baroque palace.

• Neuchâtel Ger. Neuenburg, canton (1993 pop. 162,600), 309 sq mi (800 sq km), NW Switzerland, in the Jura Mts. It is a forested region with pastures. Cattle are raised, and cheese and wine are produced. Watches, mainly...

• Neuhausen am Rheinfall town (1990 pop. 10,619), Schaffhausen canton, N Switzerland, on the right bank of the Rhine River. It is a manufacturing center adjoining the city of Schaffhausen.

• Nidwalden see Unterwalden , Switzerland.

• Oberland, Bernese see Bern , Switzerland.

• Obwalden see Unterwalden , Switzerland.

• Olten town (1990 pop. 17,805), Solothurn canton, N Switzerland, on the Aare River. It is an important rail center and has manufactures of machinery, motor vehicles, textiles, and shoes.

• Ouchy village, Vaud canton, W Switzerland, on the Lake of Geneva. It is the port and shorefront of Lausanne. Ouchy is a resort and was at times the residence of Shelley and Byron.

• Pontresina village, Grisons canton, SE Switzerland, at the foot of the Bernina Alps. It is a summer and winter resort and sports center.

• Porrentruy Ger. Pruntrut, town, Jura canton, NW Switzerland, in the Jura Mts. It is an old watchmaking center; knitted goods and shoes are also made. It was the residence (1528-1792) of the prince-bishops of...

• Pully town, Vaud canton, W Switzerland, on the Lake of Geneva. It is a residential suburb of Lausanne. The town has a 15th-century church and a museum honoring Charles Ferdinand Ramuz, the 19th-century...

• Ragaz, Bad town, St. Gall canton, E Switzerland, at the confluence of the Rhine and Tamina rivers. It is a spa, with hot mineral waters conducted from the ancient springs of Pfäfers, a village c.2 mi (3 km)...

• Rapperswil town, St. Gall canton, NE Switzerland, on the Lake of Zürich. It has some diversified light industry. Allied with several Swiss cantons after the 15th cent., Rapperswil was included in St. Gall...

• Rheinfelden town, Aargau canton, N Switzerland, on the Rhine River, opposite the German town of the same name. Although it has one of the largest hydroelectric plants in Europe, Rheinfelden is chiefly noted...

• Rhoden, Ausser and Inner see Appenzell , Switzerland.

• Riehen city (1990 pop. 19,914), Basel-Stadt canton, N Switzerland, on the Wiese River. It is a residential suburb of Basel.

• Rorschach town (1990 pop. 9,535), St. Gall canton, NE Switzerland, on Lake Constance. A prosperous commercial town in the Middle Ages, Rorschach is a resort and the largest Swiss port on the lake.

• Saint Gall Ger. Sankt Gallen, canton (1993 pop. 432,800), 777 sq mi (2,012 sq km), NE Switzerland. Bordering on Lake Constance in the north and on the Rhine River in the east, it surrounds the entire canton of Appenzell. The...

• Saint Moritz Ger. Sankt Moritz, town (1990 est. pop. 5,300), Grisons canton, SE Switzerland, in the Upper Engadine, on the Lake of St. Moritz. One of the largest winter sports centers in the world, it is also a famous year-round...

• Schaffhausen canton (1993 pop. 73,000), 115 sq mi (298 sq km), N Switzerland. Entirely on the right (northern) bank of the Rhine River, the canton consists of three noncontiguous agricultural and forested...

• Schwyz canton (1993 pop. 116,100), 351 sq mi (909 sq km), central Switzerland, one of the Four Forest Cantons. Bordering on the Lake of Zürich in the north and the Lake of Lucerne in the southwest, Schwyz is a mountainous and forested region, with meadows supporting livestock and orchards in the valleys...

• Sempach town (1990 pop. 3,096), Lucerne canton, N central Switzerland, on the Lake of Sempach. Near Sempach the Swiss decisively defeated the Austrians in 1386.

• Sierre Ger. Siders, town (1990 pop. 14,143), Valais canton, S Switzerland, on the Rhône River. A market town, it is the center of a rich horticultural region. There is a large aluminum plant nearby. Sierre has a...

• Sion Ger. Sitten, town (1993 pop. 25,300), capital of Valais canton, SW Switzerland, on the Rhône River. An ancient town, Sion is now a wine and horticultural market center. There are hydroelectric plants and coal...

• Solothurn Fr. Soleure, canton (1993 pop. 234,900), 306 sq mi (793 sq km), NW Switzerland. Very irregular in shape, Solothurn lies mostly in the Jura Mts. It is an important road and rail center. Cereals are grown and...

• Staubbach waterfall: see Lauterbrunnen , Switzerland.

• Swiss Confederation see Switzerland.

• Switzerland Fr. Suisse, Ger. Schweiz, Ital. Svizzera, officially Swiss Confederation, federal republic (2005 est. pop. 7,489,000), 15,941 sq mi (41,287 sq km), central Europe. It borders on France in the west and southwest, with the Jura Mts. and the...

• Tessin see Ticino , Switzerland.

• Thun city (1990 est. pop. 37,700), Bern canton, central Switzerland, on the Aare River, where it flows out of the Lake of Thun. Machinery, watches, pottery, and cheese are made there. Of interest are...

• Thurgau canton (1993 pop. 213,200), 388 sq mi (1,005 sq km), NE Switzerland. Bordered in the north by Lake Constance and watered by the Thur River, Thurgau is a fertile and cultivated region. Cereals and...

• Ticino Fr. and Ger. Tessin, canton (1993 pop. 294,100), 1,086 sq mi (2,813 sq km), S Switzerland, on the southern slope of the central Alps, bordering on Italy. Bellinzona is the capital. Largely a mountainous region, Ticino embraces the Ticino River valley and part of Lago Maggiore and of the Lake of Lugano. Although it has a pastoral economy, wine is widely...

• Toggenburg region in the Thur valley, St. Gall canton, NE Switzerland. Dairying, livestock breeding, and textile production are its main industries, and tourism is significant. After the death (1436) of the...

• Trümmelbach Switzerland: see Lauterbrunnen.

• Unterwalden canton, central Switzerland, one of the Four Forest Cantons. A mountainous, forested, and chiefly pastoral region, Unterwalden is divided into the half cantons of Obwalden (1993 pop. 30,200), 190 sq mi (492 sq km), in the west, with its capital at Sarnen,...

• Uri canton (1993 pop. 35,500), 415 sq mi (1,075 sq km), central Switzerland, one of the Four Forest Cantons. Altdorf is the capital. The most sparsely populated of the Swiss cantons, Uri is an Alpine region of glaciers and pastures, with forests and meadows in the Reuss River valley. Its inhabitants are...

• Uster town (1990 pop. 25,182), Zürich canton, NE Switzerland, between Pfäffiker and Greifen lakes. Textiles and machinery are made in the town.

• Valais Ger. Wallis, canton (1993 pop. 262,400), 2,021 sq mi (5,234 sq km), S Switzerland. Sion is the capital. Bordering on France and Italy, the Valais extends from the Bernese Alps in the north to the Pennine Alps in the south, with the fertile upper Rhône valley between them. It has some...

• Vaud Ger. Waadt, canton (1993 pop. 593,000), 1,239 sq mi (3,209 sq km), W Switzerland. Lausanne is the capital. Bordering on France in the west, it lies roughly between the Lake of Geneva, the Lake of Neuchâtel, the Jura Mts., and the Bernese Alps. Cereals, tobacco, and other crops are grown...

• Vevey town (1990 pop. 15,968), Vaud canton, W Switzerland, on the Lake of Geneva. It is a popular tourist resort. Various goods are manufactured, including chocolate, leather goods, and wood products...

• Wengen mountain resort, Bern canton, S central Switzerland, in the Bernese Alps. It is a summer and winter recreation area. The nearby Wengern Alp , at 6,160 ft (1,878 m), has a beautiful view of the Jungfrau...

• Wettingen town (1990 pop. 17,706), Aargau canton, N Switzerland. It is the site of the Zürich power station and of industries that produce textiles and metal goods. In the town is a former Cistercian...

• Windisch town, Aargau canton, N Switzerland, on the Reuss River near its confluence with the Aare. Textiles and cables are made there. Originally a Helvetian settlement, it later became a Roman camp called...

• Winterthur city (1990 est. pop. 85,200), Zürich canton, N Switzerland. An industrial center, it is an important rail junction and has manufactures of railroad equipment (including locomotives and diesel...

• Yverdon-les-Bains Ger. Iferten, town (1990 pop. 22,758), Vaud canton, W Switzerland, at the south end of the Lake of Neuchâtel. It is an old spa with Roman ruins. Machinery, precision instruments, and tobacco products are...

• Zürich canton (1993 pop. 1,158,100), 668 sq mi (1,730 sq km), N Switzerland. The most populous Swiss canton, Zürich is bounded in part by the Lake of Zürich in the south and Germany in the north. It is a...

• Zug canton (1993 pop. 87,100), 93 sq mi (241 sq km), N central Switzerland. The smallest canton in Switzerland, it is a forested and mountainous region with orchards, meadows, and pastures in the...