Geography of Switzerland - Political Divisions and Greater Regions

Political Divisions and Greater Regions

See also: Subdivisions of Switzerland

As a federal state, Switzerland is composed of 26 cantons, which are further divided into districts and municipalities. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848. There are considerable differences between the individual cantons, most particularly in terms of population and geographical area; hence seven larger and more homogeneous regions have been defined. They do not, however, constitute administrative units and are mostly used for statistical and economical purposes.

Regions Cantons Regions Cantons
Northwestern
Switzerland
 Aargau
Central
Switzerland
 Lucerne
Basel-Landschaft Nidwalden
Basel-Stadt Obwalden
Espace
Mittelland
 Bern Schwyz
Fribourg Uri
Jura Zug
Neuchâtel
Eastern
Switzerland
 Appenzell Ausserrhoden
Solothurn Appenzell Innerrhoden
Lake Geneva
 Geneva Glarus
Valais Graubünden
Vaud Schaffhausen
Zurich
 Zurich St. Gallen
Ticino
 Ticino Thurgau

Read more about this topic:  Geography Of Switzerland

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