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Cantons of Switzerland

Switzerland consists of 26 cantons. Since the creation of the Canton of Jura in 1978 there has been no change to the number of cantons. Sometimes the number of cantons is given as 23. In this case the cantons of Unterwalden, Appenzell and Basel are counted as two half-cantons each. Unterwalden is divided into Obwalden and Nidwalden, Appenzell into Inner Rhodes and Outer Rhodes, while Basel is divided into Basel-City and Basel-Country. These divisions exist for historical reasons and now only affects the number of seats in the Council of States.

Each canton and half-canton has its own constitution, parliament, government and courts. The size of the cantonal parliaments varies between 58 and 200 seats. The cantonal governments consist of either 5, 7 or 9 members, depending on the canton. All tasks that do not explicitly fall within the Confederation according to the Swiss Constitution are matters of the cantons. The cantons determine the degree of autonomy of the municipalities, thus this varies greatly.

Direct democracy in the form of open assemblies (Landsgemeinde) is now confined to the cantons of Appenzell Inner Rhodes and Glarus. In all other cantons democratic rights are expressed using the ballot box.

The table below lists the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the order of the Swiss Constitution.

Abbr Canton Since Capital Population1 Area2 Density3 Nr. of mun.s1 Official languages

ZHZurich1351Zurich12286001729701171German
BEBerne1353Berne9471005959158399German, French
LULucerne1332Lucerne3506001493233107German
URUri1291Altdorf3500010773320German
SZSchwyz1291Schwyz13140090814330German
OWObwalden (Obwald)1291Sarnen32700491667German
NWNidwalden (Nidwald)1291Stans3860027613811German
GLGlarus1352Glarus383006855128German
ZGZug1352Zug10090023941611German
FRFribourg1481Fribourg2391001671141242French, German
SOSolothurn1481Solothurn245500791308126German
BSBasel-City (Basle Town)1501Basel1867003750723German
BLBasel-Country (Basle Country)1501Liestal26140051850286German
SHSchaffhausen1501Schaffhausen7340029824634German
ARAppenzell Outer Rhodes1513Herisau45320024322020German
AIAppenzell Inner Rhodes1513Appenzell15000173876German
SGSt. Gallen (St. Gall)1803St. Gallen452600202622290German
GRGraubünden (Grisons)1803Chur185700710526211German, Romansh, Italian
AGAargau (Argovia)1803Aarau5509001404388232German
TGThurgau (Thurgovia)1803Frauenfeld22820099122980German
TITicino1803Bellinzona3119002812110244Italian
VDVaud1803Lausanne6262003212188382French
VSValais1815Sion278200522453160French, German
NENeuchâtel1815Neuchâtel16650080320662French
GEGeneva1815Geneva414300282144244French
JUJura1979Delémont691008388283French

CH Switzerland   Berne 726120041285 174 2889 German, French, Italian, Romansh

Notes: 1 on 31 December 2001, National Statistics, 2 km², 3 per km², 4 seat of government and parliament, the seat of the judicial authorities is Trogen.

The two letter abbreviations for Swiss cantons are widely used, e.g. on car license plates and in the ISO 3166-2 codes (with the prefix "CH-", i.e. CH-SZ for the canton of Schwyz).

Names in other languages

Abbr English French Italian German Romansh Spanish Esperanto1

AGAargauArgovieArgoviaAargauArgoviaArgovia 
AIAppenzell Inner RhodesAppenzell Rhodes-IntérieuresAppenzello InternoAppenzell InnerhodenAppenzell dadensAppenzell Rodas Interiores 
ARAppenzell Outer RhodesAppenzell Rhodes-ExtérieuresAppenzello EsternoAppenzell AusserrhodenAppenzell dadorAppenzell Rodas Exteriores 
BSBasel-CityBâle-VilleBasilea CittàBasel-StadtBasilea-CitadBasilea-CiudadBazelo-Urbo
BLBasel-CountryBâle-CampagneBasilea CampagnaBasel-LandschaftBasilea-ChampagnaBasilea-CampañaBazelo-Kamparo
BEBerneBerneBernaBernBernaBernaBerno
FRFribourgFribourgFriburgoFreiburg or FribourgFriburgFriburgoFriburgo
GEGenevaGenèveGinevraGenfGenevraGinebraĜenevo
GLGlarusGlarisGlaronaGlarusGlarunaGlaris 
GRGraubündenGrisonsGrigioniGraubündenGrischunGrisonesGrizono
JUJuraJuraGiuraJuraGiuraJura 
LULucerneLucerneLucernaLuzernLucernaLucernaLucerno
NENeuchâtelNeuchâtelNeuchâtelNeuenburgNeuchâtelNeuchatelNeuchâtel
NWNidwaldenNidwaldNidvaldoNidwaldenSutsilvaniaUnterwalden bajo 
OWObwaldenObwaldObvaldoObwaldenSursilvaniaUnterwalden alto 
SHSchaffhausenSchaffhouseSciaffusaSchaffhausenSchaffusaSchaffhausenŜafhaŭzo
SZSchwyzSchwyz (or Schwytz)SvittoSchwyzSvizSchwyz 
SOSolothurnSoleureSolettaSolothurnSoloturnSoleura 
SGSt. GallenSaint-GallSan GalloSt. GallenSon GaglSankt Gallen 
TGThurgauThurgovieTurgoviaThurgauTurgoviaTurgovia 
TITicinoTessinTicinoTessinTessinTesinoTiĉino
URUriUriUriUriUriUri 
VSValaisValaisValleseWallisVallaisValaisValezo
VDVaudVaudVaudWaadtVadVaudVaud
ZGZugZougZugoZugZugZug 
ZHZurichZurichZurigoZürichTuritgZurichZuriko
Notes: 1where a version differing from German is available.

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cantons of Switzerland".