Cantons of Switzerland

Cantons of Switzerland

The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the Swiss Confederation. They are special parts that make up the country of Switzerland. Long ago, these cantons began as small groups of people who worked together for safety. Over time, more places joined, and now there are 26 cantons.

Each canton used to be almost like its own little country, with its own rules and leaders. Even today, the cantons still have many of their own powers, like running schools and some laws.

The size of these cantons is very different. Some are very small, like Basel-Stadt, which is only 37 square kilometers. Others are huge, like Grisons, which covers over 7,000 square kilometers. The number of people living in each canton also varies a lot, from just 16,000 in Appenzell Innerrhoden to more than a million in Zürich.

Terminology

The word canton comes from a French word meaning "edge" or "corner." It began being used for the parts of Switzerland in the late 1400s. In German, these parts were called Orte (meaning "places") and later Stände (meaning "states").

Today, all Swiss cantons, or regions, are republics. Some cantons, like Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel, Valais, Vaud, and Ticino, call themselves republics in their rules.

History

Main articles: Eight Cantons, Thirteen Cantons, Restoration and Regeneration in Switzerland, and Switzerland as a federal state

Further information: Flags and coats of arms of cantons of Switzerland

Switzerland started as 13 separate areas in the 16th century. These areas were called the Thirteen Cantons. Some were countryside areas like Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden. Others were cities such as Zürich and Bern.

These areas were part of a bigger empire but acted like their own small countries after winning a battle in 1499. Later, a new government started when soldiers from France came in 1798. This new system did not stay for long, and the old way of governing returned in 1803. More areas joined later, and by 1815 there were 19 cantons. In 1848, Switzerland became one country where each area still kept many of its own powers.

Constitutions and powers

See also: List of cantonal executives of Switzerland and List of cantonal legislatures of Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Constitution says that each Swiss canton has its own powers unless the country's federal laws say otherwise. The country handles big topics like the army, money, mail, and foreign countries, but each canton has its own rules for many things.

Each canton has its own constitution, groups that make laws, groups that carry out those laws, police, and courts. Some cantons let people vote in big meetings, but most use voting papers instead. The cantons take care of important local matters such as healthcare, helping people in need, public education, and collecting taxes. People in Switzerland can also vote on some laws in their canton, and the rules about who can vote can be different in each place.

List

The cantons of Switzerland are listed in the order they joined the Swiss Confederation. Each canton has a special two-letter code, like on car license plates. These codes are also used in international rules for naming places, starting with "CH-" for Switzerland. For example, "CH-SZ" stands for the canton of Schwyz.

Main article: Eight Cantons

Half-cantons

Six of the 26 cantons in Switzerland are called "half-cantons". This name comes from old divisions. Two of these, Basel and Appenzell, were split for special reasons. Another, Unterwalden, comes from an old partnership.

The Swiss Constitution still pairs these half-cantons together, like "Obwalden and Nidwalden", "Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft", and "Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden". Even though they are called half-cantons, they are mostly treated the same as other cantons. The only differences are that each half-canton elects one member to the Council of States instead of two, and their votes count as half in special votes about changing the constitution.

Names in national languages

Each canton in Switzerland has a name in its own official language. The names are shown in bold to help you see them clearly. This shows how people in each region call their home in the languages they speak.

Admission of new cantons

Main article: Territorial evolution of Switzerland

Switzerland stopped adding new regions, called cantons, in 1815. The last serious idea to add a new canton happened in 1919 from a place called Vorarlberg, but it was not accepted. In 2010, some people talked about adding more cantons, but this was just discussion, not a real plan. It was later dropped.