View source for Basel-Stadt

{{short description|Canton of Switzerland}}
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| name               = Canton of Basel-Stadt
| native_name        = {{native name|de|Kanton Basel-Stadt}}
| other_name         = Canton of Basel-City
| settlement_type    = [[Cantons of Switzerland|Canton]]
| image_flag         = Flag of Canton of Basel.svg
| image_shield       = Wappen Basel-Stadt matt.svg
| shield_size        = 80x80px
| shield_link        = 
| image_blank_emblem = Logo basel stadt.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
| blank_emblem_size  = 100
| image_map          = {{maplink|frame=y|plain=yes|frame-align=center|zoom=6|type=shape|stroke-width=2|frame-lat=46.7|frame-long=8.25|frame-width=275|frame-height=175}}
| map_alt            = Map of Switzerland, location of Basel-Stadt highlighted
| map_caption        = Location in Switzerland
{{hidden |ta1 = left| border = 1px solid grey | header = Map of Basel-Stadt | content = <br />[[File:Karte Kanton Baselstadt 2010.png|250px]] }}
| coordinates        = {{coord|47|34|N|7|36|E|region:CH-BS|display=inline,title}}
| seat_type          = Capital
| seat               = [[Basel]]
| parts_type         = Subdivisions
| parts_style        = para
| p1                 = [[Municipalities of the canton of Basel-Stadt|3 municipalities]]
| p2                 = 
| leader_title1      = [[President (government title)|President]]
| leader_name1       = [[Conradin Cramer]]
| leader_title2      = [[List of cantonal executives of Switzerland|Executive]]
| leader_name2       = [[Executive Council of Basel-Stadt|Executive Council]] (7)
| leader_title3      = [[List of cantonal legislatures of Switzerland|Legislative]]
| leader_name3       = [[Grand Council of Basel-Stadt|Grand Council]] (100)
| area_footnotes     = {{Swiss area data||QUELLE-KT}}
| area_total_km2     = {{Swiss area|BS|km=yes }}
| population_footnotes = {{Swiss populations ref|CH-BS }}
| population_total   = {{Swiss populations NC|CH-BS|CH-BS}}
| population_as_of   = {{Swiss populations data CH-BS|YM}}
| population_density_km2 = auto
| demographics_type1 = GDP
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Gross domestic product (GDP) per region and canton|url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/national-economy/national-accounts/gross-domestic-product-canton.assetdetail.32627406.html |website=www.bfs.admin.ch}}</ref> 
| demographics1_title1 = Total
| demographics1_info1 = [[Swiss franc|CHF]] 41.203 billion (2022)
| demographics1_title2 = Per capita
| demographics1_info2 = CHF 209,782 (2022)
| iso_code           = CH-BS
| blank_name_sec1    = [[List of cantons of Switzerland by elevation|Highest point]]
| blank_info_sec1    = {{convert|522.19|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}: [[St. Chrischona]]
| blank1_name_sec1   = [[List of cantons of Switzerland by elevation|Lowest point]]
| blank1_info_sec1   = {{convert|244.75|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}: [[Rhine]] shore, national border at {{lang|de|[[Kleinhüningen]]}}
| blank_name_sec2    = [[History of Switzerland#Order of accession of the cantons|Joined]]
| blank_info_sec2    = 1501
| blank1_name_sec2   = Languages
| blank1_info_sec2   = [[German language|German]]
| website            = {{URL|http://www.BS.ch}}
| image_map1         = Basel-Stadt in Switzerland (special marker).svg
| map_caption1       = Basel-Stadt highlighted in Switzerland, with the special marker
}}

'''Canton of Basel-Stadt''' or '''Basel-City''' ({{langx|de|Kanton Basel-Stadt}} {{IPA|de|ˌbaːzl̩ˈʃtat||De-Basel-Stadt.ogg}}; {{langx|rm|Chantun Basilea-Citad}}; {{langx|fr|Canton de Bâle-Ville}} {{IPA|fr|bɑl.vil|}}; {{langx|it|Canton Basilea Città}}) is one of the [[26 cantons]] forming the [[Swiss Confederation]]. It is composed of three municipalities with [[Basel]] as the capital. It is traditionally considered a "[[half-canton]]", the other half being [[Basel-Landschaft]], its rural counterpart.

Basel-Stadt is one of the northernmost and lowest cantons of Switzerland, and the smallest by area. The canton lies on both sides of the [[Rhine]] and is very densely populated. The largest municipality is [[Basel]], followed by [[Riehen]] and [[Bettingen]]. The only canton sharing borders with Basel-Stadt is Basel-Landschaft to the south. To the north of Basel-Stadt are [[France]] and [[Germany]], with the tripoint being in the middle of the Rhine.

Together with Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt was part of the [[Canton of Basel]], which joined the [[Old Swiss Confederacy]] in 1501. Political quarrels and armed conflict led to the partition of the canton in 1833.

Basel-Stadt is Switzerland's seventh-largest economic centre<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistiken/volkswirtschaft/volkswirtschaftliche-gesamtrechnung/bruttoinlandprodukt-kanton.html|title=Gross domestic product per canton and region|first=Federal Statistical|last=Office|website=www.bfs.admin.ch}}</ref> and has the highest [[GDP per capita]] in the country, ahead of the cantons of [[Canton of Zug|Zug]] and [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]] (in 2018).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/442774/umfrage/bruttoinlandsprodukt-bip-pro-kopf-in-der-schweiz-nach-kantonen/|title=Schweiz - Bruttoinlandsprodukt pro Kopf nach Kanton 2018|website=Statista}}</ref> In terms of value, over 94% of Basel City's goods exports are in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. With production facilities located in the neighbouring Schweizerhalle, Basel accounts for 20% of Swiss exports.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.credit-suisse.com/media/mediarelease-assets/pdf/2009/03/000000021763.pdf |title=Archived copy |website=www.credit-suisse.com |access-date=11 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603054722/http://www.credit-suisse.com/media/mediarelease-assets/pdf/2009/03/000000021763.pdf |archive-date=3 June 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==
The canton of Basel-Stadt was created when the [[Basel (canton)|historic canton of Basel]] was divided in 1833, following political quarrels and armed conflict in the canton. Some of these were concerned with the rights of the population in the agricultural areas. They ultimately led to the separation of the [[canton of Basel-Landschaft]] from the city of Basel on 26 August 1833. Since then, there has been a movement for reunification. This movement gained momentum after 1900 when many parts of Basel-Landschaft became industrialized. The two half-cantons agreed in principle to reunite, but in 1969, and again in September 2014, the people of Basel-Landschaft voted against this proposal in favour of retaining their independence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/abstimmungen/abstimmungen/abstimmungen-bs/kantonsfusion-scheitert-an-baselland/|title=Kantonsfusion scheitert an Baselland |date=2014-09-28|website=SRF|access-date=4 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/schweiz/standard/Die-beiden-Basel-bleiben-getrennt/story/19028866|title=Die beiden Basel bleiben getrennt|date=28 September 2014|access-date=4 April 2018|via=tagesanzeiger.ch}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:MZA Chrischona4 retouched.jpg|thumb|left|View from [[St. Chrischona]], the highest location in the canton]]
The canton of Basel-Stadt is located in the north of Switzerland. Basel is located at the so-called '[[Rhine knee|knee]]' of the [[Rhine]], at the point where from the west the little [[Birsig]] joins the Rhine from the left, and where the Rhine itself switches from flowing in a westerly direction to a northerly flow. It is the [[List of Swiss cantons by elevation|second flattest canton]], with a height difference of only 277 metres between the Rhine and [[St. Chrischona]].

[[Bettingen]], [[Riehen]] and a part of Basel city lie on the east bank of the Rhine, bordered on three sides by the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The rest of the canton lies on the west bank of the Rhine.

The area of the canton is {{cvt|37|km2}}, making Basel-Stadt the smallest canton in Switzerland. It is sometimes likened to a [[city-state]].<ref>[http://www.bs.ch/dam/jcr:485ef4e3-3642-4d84-aa7d-290908e4aea1/Brochure_Welcome_BaselStadt.pdf Canton of Basel-Stadt] Welcome</ref>

Basel-Stadt borders Basel-Landschaft to the south, the only adjacent canton. To the north, it borders [[Germany]] ([[Baden-Württemberg]]) and [[France]] ([[Grand Est]]). The three countries meet in the middle of the Rhine, about 150 metres north of the [[Dreiländereck (Basel)|Dreiländereck]] monument.<ref>[[Swisstopo]] topographic maps</ref>

==Municipalities==
There are three municipalities:
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" | Municipality
! rowspan="2" | Inhabitants<br /><small>({{Swiss populations date|CH-BL}})</small>{{Swiss populations ref|CH-BL}}
! colspan="2" | Area
|-
! km<sup>2</sup>
! sq&nbsp;mi
|-
| [[Basel]]
| {{Swiss populations|CH-BS|2701}}
| {{cvt|{{Swiss area|2701|km=on}}|sqkm|disp=tablecen}}
|-
| [[Bettingen]]
| {{Swiss populations|CH-BS|2702}}
| {{cvt|{{Swiss area|2702|km=on}}|sqkm|disp=tablecen}}
|-
| [[Riehen]]
| {{Swiss populations|CH-BS|2703}}
| {{cvt|{{Swiss area|2703|km=on}}|sqkm|disp=tablecen}}
|}

==Politics==
The canton of Basel-Stadt shares its [[Basel#Politics|political structure and administration]] with the municipality of [[Basel]].

{{lang|de|Basel-Stadt}} is a [[half-canton]]. This means that the canton only sends one representative to the [[Swiss Council of States|Council of States]]. The capital of the canton {{lang|de|Basel-Stadt}} is the city of Basel. The present constitution of the canton dates from 1889. In 1966 Basel-Stadt became the first German-speaking canton to allow women to vote, five years before the right to vote was extended to all Swiss women in 1971.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1966 - 2016: 50 Jahre Frauenstimmrecht im Kanton Basel-Stadt |url=http://www.frauenstimmrecht.ch/ |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=Frauenstimmrecht Basel-Stadt |language=de-DE}}</ref>

The parliament of the canton is the [[Grand Council of Basel-Stadt|Grand Council]], which has 100 members, who are elected for four years at a time. There are eight different political parties represented in the parliament; the largest party is the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|Social Democratic Party]], with 32 seats.

The executive of the canton (''{{lang|de|Regierungsrat}}'') is made up of seven members.

The canton has a sister state status with [[Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.swissnexboston.org/about/initiatives/basel/sister-state-agreement/|title=Sister-State Agreement - swissnex Boston|website=www.swissnexboston.org|access-date=4 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222053033/https://www.swissnexboston.org/about/initiatives/basel/sister-state-agreement/|archive-date=22 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Federal election results===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Percentage of the total vote per party in the canton in the Federal Elections 1971&ndash;2015<ref>{{cite report |title=Nationalratswahlen: Stärke der Parteien nach Kantonen (Schweiz = 100%) |publisher=Swiss Federal Statistical Office |date=2015 |url=http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/02/blank/dos/09.html |access-date=2016-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160802014002/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/02/blank/dos/09.html |archive-date=2016-08-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
! colspan="2" | Party
! class="unsortable" | Ideology
! 1971
! 1975
! 1979
! 1983
! 1987
! 1991
! 1995
! 1999
! 2003
! 2007
! 2011
! 2015
|-
! [[FDP.The Liberals]]{{ref|a|a}}
| bgcolor="{{party color|FDP.The Liberals}}" | 
| [[Classical liberalism]]
| 11.5
| 11.4
| 14.1
| 13.5
| 11.2
| 15.8
| 12.2
| 12.1
| 9.9
| 11.3
| 12.3
| 9.8
|-
! [[Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland|CVP/PDC/PPD/PCD]]
| bgcolor="{{party color|Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland}}" | 
| [[Christian democracy]]
| 11.2
| 12.1
| 13.9
| 9.9
| 10.0
| 10.4
| 9.7
| 8.6
| 6.6
| 7.4
| 6.5
| 6.4
|-
! [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|SP/PS]]
| bgcolor="{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Switzerland}}" | 
| [[Social democracy]]
| 30.4
| 33.3
| 33.3
| 31.0
| 25.9
| 25.3
| 35.5
| 33.3
| 40.9
| 35.2
| 29.1
| 33.3
|-
! [[Swiss People's Party|SVP/UDC]]
| bgcolor="{{party color|Swiss People's Party}}" | 
| [[Swiss nationalism]]
| * {{ref|b|b}}
| *
| *
| *
| *
| 2.0
| *
| 13.6
| 18.6
| 18.5
| 16.5
| 17.6
|-
! [[Liberal Party of Switzerland|LPS/PLS]]
| bgcolor="{{party color|Liberal Party of Switzerland}}" | 
| [[Liberalism and radicalism in Switzerland|Swiss Liberal]]
| 13.0
| 11.6
| 11.2
| 8.3
| 12.3
| 13.3
| 14.9
| 10.7
| 8.5
| 9.2
| 6.8
| 11.5
|-
! [[Ring of Independents]]
|
| [[Social liberalism]]
| 12.7
| 9.9
| 7.6
| 7.0
| 9.4
| 7.4
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
|-
! [[Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland|EVP/PEV]]
| bgcolor="{{party color|Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland}}" | 
| [[Christian democracy]]
| *
| 4.0
| *
| 4.8
| 4.5
| 3.3
| 4.1
| 3.8
| 2.9
| 3.6
| 2.5
| 2.3
|-
! [[Green Liberal Party of Switzerland|GLP/PVL]]
| bgcolor="{{party color|Green Liberal Party of Switzerland}}" | 
| [[Green liberalism]]
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| 5.8
| 4.8
|-
! [[Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland|BDP/PBD]]
| bgcolor="{{party color|Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland}}" | 
| [[Conservatism]]
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| 2.2
| 1.1
|-
! [[Swiss Party of Labour|PdA/PST-POP/PC/PSL]]
| bgcolor="{{party color|Swiss Party of Labour}}" | 
| [[Socialism]]
| 6.1
| 4.6
| 4.7
| 2.3
| 1.9
| 1.4
| 1.3
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
|-
! [[POCH]]
|
| [[Progressivism]]
| 1.8
| 4.2
| 10.3
| 11.9
| 9.4
| 7.8
| {{ref|c|c}}
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
|-
! [[Green Party of Switzerland|GPS/PES]]
| bgcolor="{{party color|Green Party of Switzerland}}" | 
| [[Green politics]]
| *
| *
| *
| *
| 1.1
| 4.4
| 5.6
| 8.7
| 9.2
| 12.1
| 13.4
| 11.2
|-
! FGA
|
| [[Feminist political theory|Feminist]]
| *
| *
| *
| 1.0
| 3.3
| {{ref|d|d}}
| 6.0
| {{ref|e|e}}
| *
| *
| *
| *
|-
! [[Solidarity (Switzerland)|Solidarity]]
| bgcolor="{{party color|SolidaritéS}}" | 
| [[Anti-capitalism]]
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| 0.7
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
|-
! [[Swiss Democrats|SD/DS]]
| bgcolor="{{party color|Swiss Democrats}}" | 
| [[National conservatism]]
| 8.0
| 8.2
| 3.9
| 5.3
| 4.5
| 3.2
| 6.9
| 3.8
| 1.1
| 0.7
| *
| *
|-
! Rep.
|
| [[Republicanism]]
| 4.9
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
|-
! [[Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland|EDU/UDF]]
| bgcolor="{{party color|Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland}}" | 
| [[Christian right]]
| *
| *
| *
| *
| *
| 0.9
| *
| *
| 0.7
| 0.5
| 0.5
| 0.5
|-
! Other
|
| 
| 0.4
| 0.8
| 0.9
| 5.0
| 6.5
| 4.8
| 0.7
| 5.5
| 1.6
| 1.7
| 4.2
| 1.4
|-
! Voter participation %
| 
|
| 46.5
| 43.8
| 39.4
| 45.7
| 43.6
| 45.0
| 46.8
| 47.4
| 49.6
| 52.4
| 50.3
| 50.4
|-
|}
:{{note|a|a}} FDP before 2009, FDP.The Liberals after 2009
:{{note|b|b}} "*" indicates that the party was not on the ballot in this canton.
:{{note|c|c}} Part of the FGA
:{{note|d|d}} Part of the POCH
:{{note|e|e}} Part of the GPS

==Demographics==

=== Historical population ===
The historical population is given in the following table:
{| class="wikitable collapsible"
! colspan="4" | Historic Population Data<ref>{{Cite web|title=Basel-Stadt|url=https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/articles/007478/2017-05-30/|access-date=2022-01-25|website=Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz|language=de}}</ref>
|-
! Year
! Total Population
! Swiss
! Non-Swiss
|-
! scope="row" | 1850
| align="center" |29,698
| align="center" |22,879
| align="center" |6,819
|-
! scope="row" | 1900
| align="center" |112,227
| align="center" |69,446
| align="center" |42,781
|-
! scope="row" | 1950
| align="center" | 196,498 || align="center" |180,145
| align="center" |16,353
|-
! scope="row" | 1990
| align="center" |199,411
| align="center" |152,601
| align="center" |46,810
|-
! scope="row" | 2020
| align="center" | 196,735 || align="center" | || align="center" |
|-
|}
The population of the canton (as of {{Swiss populations date|CH-BS}}) is {{Swiss populations|CH-BS|CH-BS}}.{{Swiss populations ref|CH-BS}} {{as of|2007}}, the population included 56,106 foreigners, or about 30.29% of the total population.<ref>{{cite web |last=Federal Department of Statistics |title=Ständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeit, Geschlecht und Kantonen |year=2008 |url=http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/02/blank/key/raeumliche_verteilung/kantone__gemeinden.html |format=Microsoft Excel |access-date=November 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081215033605/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/02/blank/key/raeumliche_verteilung/kantone__gemeinden.html |archive-date=15 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The population ({{as of|2000|lc=on}}) is nearly evenly split between [[Roman Catholic]]s (25%) and [[Protestant]]s (27%). About 10% of the population was classed as adhering to another religion, while 36% did not belong to an organized religion.<ref>{{cite web |last=Federal Department of Statistics |title=Wohnbevölkerung nach Religion |year=2004 |url=http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/05/blank/key/religionen.html |format=Interactive Map |access-date=2009-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229131401/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/05/blank/key/religionen.html |archive-date=29 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right;"
|-
! Nationalities (0.30% and above)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statistik.bs.ch/haeufig-gefragt/einwohner/auslaender.html |access-date=April 13, 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121217143425/http://www.statistik-bs.ch/tabellen/t01/1/t01.1.12.xls |archive-date=December 17, 2012 |title=Ausländische Bevölkerung }} (accessed 6 June 2012)</ref>
! 1990
! 2000
! 2010
! 2018
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|CHE}}
| 77.52%
| 72.44%
| 67.36%
| 63.58%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|DEU}}
| 2.60%
| 3.27%
| 7.58%
| 8.22%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|ITA}}
| 6.42%
| 5.44%
| 4.18%
| 4.32%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|TUR}}
| 3.27%
| 4.38%
| 3.56%
| 3.09%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|YUG}}
| 2.79%
| 3.13%
| {{NA}}
| {{NA}}
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|SRB}}<br />{{flagcountry|MNE}}<br />{{flagcountry|KOS}}
| {{NA}}
| {{NA}}
| 2.46%
| 2.14%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|ESP}}
| 2.78%
| 2.16%
| 1.52%
| 1.92%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|PRT}}
| 0.42%
| 0.79%
| 1.35%
| 1.73%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|MKD}}
| {{NA}}
| 1.12%
| 1.17%
| 1.11%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|FRA}}
| 0.59%
| 0.54%
| 0.76%
| 1.10%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|GBR}}
| 0.35%
| 0.48%
| 0.96%
| 1.10%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|IND}}
| 0.12%
| 0.17%
| 0.65%
| 0.83%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|USA}}
| 0.25%
| 0.31%
| 0.63%
| 0.80%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|AUT|}}
| 0.45%
| 0.45%
| 0.58%
| 0.61%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|POL}}
| 0.09%
| 0.08%
| 0.23%
| 0.47%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|HRV}}
| {{NA}}
| 0.81%
| 0.54%
| 0.44%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|HUN}}
| 0.15%
| 0.10%
| 0.19%
| 0.42%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|LKA}}
| 0.30%
| 0.63%
| 0.49%
| 0.41%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|ERI}}
| {{NA}}
| 0.00%
| 0.10%
| 0.40%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|NLD}}
| 0.18%
| 0.21%
| 0.32%
| 0.40%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|ROM}}
| 0.05%
| 0.04%
| 0.12%
| 0.34%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|BIH}}
| {{NA}}
| 0.68%
| 0.41%
| 0.32%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | {{flagcountry|BRA}}
| 0.03%
| 0.12%
| 0.28%
| 0.30%
|}

==Economy==
[[File:Industria Novartis.jpg|thumb|[[Novartis]] headquarters in Basel]]
The economic area of Basel is considered to be the second largest economic centre in Switzerland, after Zurich.
The chemical industry and the pharmaceutical industry are of greatest significance in the canton. There are a number of multinationals in the city of Basel, attracting workers from both cantons of Basel and the areas across the border in France and Germany. Banking and finance are important as is the service sector in general. Small and middle-sized businesses employ a significant number of people, both in the city as the two municipalities. The canton is also known for its banking sector, and for being the worldwide seat of the [[Bank for International Settlements]].

Economically, the neighbouring lands in Germany and France are not separated from the area of the canton of Basel-Stadt. Good transport links across the border, as well as supportive local governments, facilitate this link.

The fact that three nation-states come together in one spot near Basel (''{{lang|de|Dreiländereck}}'') helps attract tourists. The site is clearly identified and a popular destination for primary school classes. The carnival attracts a large number of people from across Switzerland and the neighbouring countries.

In 2014, there were 104 workers in Basel-Stadt who worked in the [[primary sector]] (the total for all of Switzerland is 3.3%). In the same year the [[secondary sector]] employed 36,441 or about 19.0% of the total workforce. Of those in the secondary sector, nearly half of the workers were involved in the production of pharmaceutical products. The [[tertiary sector]] employed 154,896 or about 80.9% of the total, which is slightly higher than 74.9% nationwide. Of those in the tertiary sector, health care, education and retail sales made up about a quarter. Some of the other major tertiary fields included job placement (5.1%), management and business consulting (4.1%), public administration (3.9%), architectural and engineering offices (3.7%) and financial services (3.5%).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Selection.aspx?px_language=de&px_db=px-x-0602010000_101&px_tableid=px-x-0602010000_101\px-x-0602010000_101.px&px_type=PX |title=Arbeitsstätten und Beschäftigte nach Kanton, Wirtschaftsabteilung und Grössenklasse |year=2014 |work=STAT-TAB |publisher=Federal Statistical Office |language=de |access-date=18 April 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Transport==
[[File:BaselTram.jpg|thumb|Tram service for commuting within the Basel city area]]
There is an [[Basel-Mulhouse International Airport|international airport at Basel-Mulhouse]], actually located {{cvt|4|km}} inside French territory but with customs-free access from the city. The canton is well connected by both trains and motorways to the rest of Switzerland and the neighbouring areas in France and Germany.

[[Basel SBB railway station|Basel]] is a major railway station of Switzerland, connected to [[Paris]] and [[Berlin]] with direct fast trains.

There is a port at Basel for ships on the Rhine. This port is of great significance to landlocked Switzerland, as it offers the country's only direct connection to the sea. The port benefits from good connections to both rail and road.

==Culture==
[[File:Picswiss BS-51-13.jpg|thumb|{{lang|de|Basler Fasnacht}} early-morning parade with Lanterns.]]
The [[Carnival of Basel]] (''{{lang|de|Basler Fasnacht}}'') is a major cultural event in the year. The carnival is one of the biggest in Switzerland and attracts large crowds, despite the fact that many of its central traditions are played out in the early morning starting at 4am (''{{lang|de|Morgestraich}}'') and followed by a continuous run of festivities for 72 hours.

The Autumn Fair in Basel (''{{lang|de|[[Basler Herbstmesse]]}}'') is the biggest in Switzerland.

The canton of Basel is renowned for two of its biscuits. The [[Basler Läckerli]] is a hard biscuit made of honey, almonds, candied peel and [[Kirsch]], and is enjoyed as a speciality all year round. The Basler Brunsli is made of almonds and generally enjoyed at [[Christmas]] all around Switzerland.

The Basel Messe convention center is the location of several international events. The largest are [[Art Basel]], an art show for modern and contemporary works, and [[BaselWorld]], a major watch and jewellery show.

Famous cultural ambassadors of Basel are the [[Top Secret Drum Corps]] and the [[Basel Boys Choir]].

==See also==
* [[List of castles and fortresses in Switzerland]]
* [[Swiss plateau]]
* [[Pharmaceutical industry]]

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160607203451/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/kantone/bs/key.html Official statistics] (archived)
* {{HDS|7478}}

{{Cantons of Switzerland}}
{{Switzerland topics}}
{{Portal bar|Switzerland}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Basel-Stadt| ]]
[[Category:Cantons of Switzerland]]
[[Category:1833 establishments in Switzerland]]