View source for Cantons of Switzerland

{{short description|Member states of the Swiss Confederation}}
{{For|districts within each Swiss canton|Districts of Switzerland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox subdivision type
| name = Swiss cantons <br/>
{{resize|70%|{{native name|de|Schweizer Kantone}} {{native name|fr|Cantons suisses}}<br/> {{native name|it|Cantoni svizzeri}} {{native name|rm|Chantuns svizras}}}}
| alt_name = {{lang|de|Stände}}, {{lang|fr|États}}, {{lang|it|Stati}}
| map = {{Switzerland Cantons Labelled Map|width=400}}
| category = [[Federated state]]
| upper_unit = [[Subdivisions of Switzerland#Regions|Regions]]
| territory = [[Switzerland]]
| start_date = 13th century
| current_number = 26 cantons
| number_date = 1999
| population_range = 16,003 ([[Appenzell Innerrhoden]])  – 1,487,969 ([[Canton of Zürich]])
| area_range = {{Convert|37|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} – {{Convert|7105|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| government = [[List of cantonal executives of Switzerland]]
| subdivision = [[Districts of Switzerland|Districts]] and [[Municipalities of Switzerland|municipalities]]
}}
{{Politics of Switzerland}}
The 26 '''cantons of Switzerland'''{{NoteTag|({{langx|de|Kanton}} {{IPA|de|kanˈtoːn||De-Kanton.ogg}}; {{langx|fr|canton}} {{IPA|fr|kɑ̃tɔ̃||LL-Q150 (fra)-LoquaxFR-canton.wav}}; {{langx|it|cantone}} {{IPA|it|kanˈtoːne|}}; [[Sursilvan]] and [[Surmiran]]: {{lang|rm-sursilv|cantun}}; [[Vallader]] and [[Puter]]: {{lang|rm-vallader|Chantun}}; [[Sutsilvan dialects (Romansh)|Sutsilvan]]: {{lang|rm-sutsilv|cantùn}}; [[Romansh language#Rumantsch Grischun|Rumantsch Grischun]]: {{lang|rm|chantun}})}} are the [[Federated state|member state]]s of the [[Switzerland|Swiss Confederation]]. The nucleus of the Swiss Confederacy in the form of the first three confederate allies used to be referred to as the {{lang|de|[[Waldstätte]]}}. Two important periods in the development of the [[Old Swiss Confederacy]] are summarized by the terms {{Lang|de|[[Eight Cantons|Acht Orte]]}} ('Eight Cantons'; from 1353 to 1481) and {{Lang|de|[[Thirteen Cantons|Dreizehn Orte]]}} ('Thirteen Cantons', from 1513 to 1798).<ref name=chrono>rendered "the 'confederacy of eight'" and "the 'Thirteen-Canton Confederation'", respectively, in: {{cite web |url=https://www.eda.admin.ch/aboutswitzerland/en/home/geschichte/uebersicht.html |title=Chronology |publisher=The Swiss Federal Administration |location=Bern, Switzerland |type=official site |access-date=24 June 2018}}</ref>

Each canton of the [[Old Swiss Confederacy]], formerly also<!--{{lang|de|Städte und Länder}} (14th century{{huh}}: the modern German phrase given in HLS is a translation (from Latin?), not the original term--> {{lang|de|Ort}} ('lieu/locality', from before 1450), or {{lang|de|Stand}} ('estate', from {{circa|1550}}), was a fully [[sovereignty|sovereign state]] with its own border controls, army, and currency from at least the [[Treaty of Westphalia]] (1648) until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848, with a brief period of centralised government during the [[Helvetic Republic]] (1798–1803). The term {{lang|de|Kanton}} has been widely used since the 19th century.<ref name=HLS>{{HDS|26414|Kantone|author=Andreas Kley|date=13 April 2016}} "{{lang|de|Die Bündnispartner der frühen Eidgenossenschaft wurden im 14. Jh. meist als Städte und Länder, ab der 1. Hälfte des 15. Jh. immer mehr als Orte bezeichnet.}}"</ref>

The number of cantons was increased to 19 with the [[Mediation (Switzerland)|Act of Mediation]] (1803), with the recognition of former subject territories as full cantons. The [[Federal Treaty]] of 1815 increased the number to 22 due to the accession of former [[old Swiss Confederacy#Associates|associates of the Old Swiss Confederacy]]. The [[canton of Jura]] acceded as the 23rd canton with its [[Jura separatism|secession]] from [[Canton of Bern|Bern]] in 1979.<ref>{{HDS|7399|Jura (canton)|author=François Schifferdecker, François Kohler|date=20 July 2015}}</ref> The official number of cantons was increased to 26 in the [[Swiss Federal Constitution|federal constitution of 1999]], which designated former half-cantons as cantons.

The areas of the cantons vary from 37&nbsp;km{{sup|2}} (15 sq. mi.) ([[Basel-Stadt]]) to 7,105&nbsp;km{{sup|2}} (2743 sq. mi.) ([[Grisons]]); the populations (as of 2018) range from 16,000 ([[Appenzell Innerrhoden]]) to 1.5&nbsp;million ([[canton of Zürich|Zürich]]).

==Terminology==
The term ''[[:wikt:canton#English|canton]]'', now also used as the English term for [[Canton (country subdivision)|administrative subdivision]]s of other countries, originates in [[Middle French|French]] usage in the late 15th century (recorded in Fribourg in 1467),<ref>''Comptes Trés.'' 129, ''Archives nat. ds Pat. Suisse rom.'', cited after [http://www.cnrtl.fr/etymologie/canton TFLi].</ref> from a word for "edge, corner", at the time the literal translation of [[Early Modern High German]] {{lang|de|Ort}}.<ref>{{lang|de|"So werden die Cantons der Schweizer daselbst nur Orte, oder Ortschaften genannt. Das gleichbedeutende Canton stammet auf ähnliche Art von Kante, Ecke, ab, wie Ort von Ort, Ecke."}} [[Johann Christoph Adelung]], Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart (1774–1786), s.v. "Der Ort". Old French {{lang|fro|[[:wikt:canton#French|canton]]}} 'corner, angle' is a loan from [[Occitan language|Occitan]], first recorded in the 13th century, in Occitan adopted from [[Gallo-Italic languages|North Italian]] {{lang|it|cantone}}, where the sense "portion of territory" alongside "edge, corner" developed from by the early 11th century ([http://www.cnrtl.fr/etymologie/canton TFLi]).</ref>
After 1490, {{lang|fr|canton}} was increasingly used in French and Italian documents to refer to the members of the Swiss Confederacy.<ref name=HLS/> English use of ''[[:wikt:canton|canton]]'' in reference to the Swiss Confederacy (as opposed to the [[Canton (heraldry)|heraldic sense]]) dates to the early 17th century.<ref>[[etymonline.com]]: "1530s, 'corner, angle,' [...] From 1570s as a term in heraldry and flag descriptions. From c. 1600 as 'a subdivision of a country;' applied to the sovereign states of the Swiss republic from the 1610s."</ref>

In the Old Swiss Confederacy, the term {{wikt-lang|de|Ort}} (plural: {{lang|de|Orte}}) was in use from the early 15th century as a generic term for the member cantons.<ref name=HLS/> The founding cantons specifically were also known as {{lang|de|[[Waldstätte]]}} 'forest settlements' (singular: {{lang|de|Waldstatt}}). The formulaic {{lang|gmh|Stette und Waldstette}} for the members of the early confederacy is recorded in the mid-14th century, used interchangeably with {{lang|gmh|Stett und Lender}} ('cities and lands', 'city cantons and rural cantons') until the late 15th century.<ref name=Stette>{{HDS|7465|Waldstätte|author=Josef Wiget|date=27 December 2014}}</ref>
{{lang|de|Ort}} was increasingly replaced by {{lang|de|Stand}} (plural: {{lang|de|Stände}}) '[[state (polity)|estate]]' about 1550, a term taken to imply liberty and sovereignty. Abolished in the Helvetic Republic, the term 'Stand' was revived in 1815 and remains in use today.<ref name=HLS/><ref>HLS: Insbesonders die um 1550 aufgekommene Benennung als Stand, die Freiheit und Souveränität implizierte, erfreute sich grösserer Beliebtheit. Die Helvet. Revolution brachte 1798 die Begriffe Ort und Stand zum Verschwinden. Für die neuen obersten Gebietseinheiten innerhalb der Helvet. Republik setzte sich die Bezeichnung Kanton durch. Nach der Mediationsakte (1803) galten die Begriffe Kanton und Stand synonym, nach dem Bundesvertrag (1815) benannten sich die K. bevorzugt als Stände. Im Bundesstaat bezeichnen die Bundesverfassungen seit 1848 die "souveränen" Gliedstaaten des Bundes als K., in dt. Sprache synonym auch als Stände.</ref>

The French term {{lang|fr|canton}} adopted into German [[Peace of Westphalia|after 1648]], and then only in occasional use until the early 19th century: prominent usage of {{lang|de|Ort}} and {{lang|de|Stand}} gradually disappeared in German-speaking Switzerland from the time of the [[Helvetic Republic]]. Only with the [[Act of Mediation]] of 1803 did German {{lang|de|Kanton}} become an official designation, retained in the [[Swiss Constitution]] of 1848.<ref name=HLS/>
<ref>HLS: Als franz. Entsprechung zu Ort fand der Begriff canton (Winkel, Landschaft, Ort) zuerst in der Westschweiz Verwendung; ab 1475 ist er in Freiburger Akten überliefert. Die Bezeichnung der eidg. Orte als K. verbreitete sich ab den 1490er Jahren im franz. und ital. Sprachgebiet und bald auch in andern Teilen Europas. Im deutschsprachigen Raum dagegen erscheint er erst ab 1650, ohne sich gegen die bevorzugten Begriffe Ort und Stand durchzusetzen.</ref>

The term {{lang|de|Stand}} ({{langx|fr|état}}, {{langx|it|stato}}) remains in synonymous usage and is reflected in the name of the upper chamber of the Swiss Parliament, the [[Council of States (Switzerland)|Council of States]] ({{langx|de|Ständerat}}, {{langx|fr|Conseil des États}}, {{langx|it|Consiglio degli Stati}}, {{langx|rm|Cussegl dals Stadis}}).

{{anchor|Republic}}<!-- [[République et canton]] redirects here -->
In the modern era, since Neuchâtel ceased to be a principality in 1848, all Swiss cantons can be considered to have a [[Government#Republics|republican form of government]]. Some cantons formally describe themselves as [[republic]]s in their constitutions. This applies to the Romance-speaking cantons in particular:
[[canton of Geneva|Geneva]] (formally {{lang|fr|République et canton de Genève}}, 'Republic and canton of Geneva'), [[Canton of Jura|Jura]], [[Canton of Neuchâtel|Neuchâtel]], [[Canton of Valais|Valais]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/131_232/a1.html |title=Constitution du Canton du Valais |publisher=Swiss Federal Council |quote={{lang|fr|Le Valais est une république démocratique, souveraine ... incorporée comme Canton à la Confédération suisse.}} }}</ref> [[Canton of Vaud|Vaud]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/131_231/a1.html |title=Constitution du canton de Vaud |publisher=Swiss Federal Council |quote={{lang|fr|Le Canton de Vaud est une république démocratique [... qui] est l'un des États de la Confédération suisse. }} }}</ref> and [[Ticino]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.admin.ch/opc/it/classified-compilation/18300001/index.html |title=Costituzione della Repubblica e Cantone del Ticino, del 4 luglio 1830 |language=it |publisher=Swiss Federal Council |quote={{lang|fr|Le canton du Tessin est une république démocratique [... qui] est membre de la Confédération suisse et sa souveraineté n'est limitée que par la constitution fédérale.}} }}</ref>

== History ==
{{Main|Eight Cantons|Thirteen Cantons|Restoration and Regeneration in Switzerland|Switzerland as a federal state}}
{{Further|Flags and coats of arms of cantons of Switzerland}}

[[File:Karte 13 Alte Orte.png|thumb|360px|The "Thirteen-Canton Confederation" of the [[Old Swiss Confederacy]] (1513–1798)]]

In the 16th century, the [[Old Swiss Confederacy]] was composed of 13 sovereign confederate allies (the [[Thirteen Cantons]]; {{langx|de|Die Dreizehn Alten Orte}}), and there were two different kinds: five rural states ({{langx|de|Länder}}) &ndash; [[Canton of Uri|Uri]], [[Canton of Schwyz|Schwyz]] (which became [[Name of Switzerland|eponymous]] of the confederacy), [[Unterwalden]], [[Canton of Glarus|Glarus]], [[Canton of Appenzell|Appenzell]] &ndash; and eight urban states ({{langx|de|Städte}}) &ndash; [[Canton of Zürich|Zürich]], [[Canton of Bern|Bern]], [[Canton of Luzern|Luzern]], [[Canton of Zug|Zug]], [[Canton of Basel|Basel]], [[Canton of Fribourg|Fribourg]], [[Canton of Solothurn|Solothurn]], [[Canton of Schaffhausen|Schaffhausen]].

Though they were technically part of the [[Holy Roman Empire]], they had become ''de facto'' independent when the Swiss [[Battle of Dornach|defeated]] [[Emperor Maximilian I]] in 1499 in Dornach.<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Switzerland/History/Shaking off the Empire |volume=26 |short=x}}</ref>

In the early modern period, the individual confederate allies came to be seen as [[republic]]s; while the six traditional allies had a tradition of [[direct democracy]] in the form of the ''[[Landsgemeinde]]'', the urban states operated via [[Representation (politics)|representation]] in city councils, de facto [[oligarchy|oligarchic]] systems dominated by families of the [[patrician (post-Roman Europe)|patriciate]].{{NoteTag|[[Canton of Zug|Zug]] was the exception in this, in being an urban state and still holding a ''Landsgemeinde''.<ref>Jackson Spielvogel, ''Western Civilization: Volume I: To 1715'', (Cengage 2008), p.&nbsp;386.</ref>{{clarify|date=October 2014|reason=what does this source say exactly? it's true that these "republics" were de facto oligarchies, but this applies to both the rural cantons and the urban cantons, and this was indeed understood in the term "republic" at the time. So what exactly is this reference used in support of?
the text used to refer to "noble families", while in fact, the oligarchy was a matter of an urban (non-noble) ''patriciate''}}}}

The old system was abandoned with the formation of the [[Helvetic Republic]] following the [[French invasion of Switzerland]] in 1798. The cantons of the Helvetic Republic had merely the status of an [[Canton (country subdivision)|administrative subdivision]] with no sovereignty. The Helvetic Republic collapsed within five years, and cantonal sovereignty was restored with the [[Act of Mediation]] of 1803. The status of Switzerland as a federation of states was restored, at the time including 19 cantons (the six accessions to the early modern Thirteen Cantons being composed of former associates and subject territories: [[Canton of St. Gallen|St. Gallen]], [[Grisons]], [[Aargau]], [[Thurgau]], [[Ticino]], [[Vaud]]). Three additional western cantons, [[Canton of Valais|Valais]], [[Canton of Neuchâtel|Neuchâtel]] and [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]], acceded in 1815.

The process of "Restoration", completed by 1830, returned most of the former feudal rights to the cantonal [[Patrician (post-Roman Europe)|patriciates]], leading to rebellions among the rural population. The [[Liberalism and radicalism in Switzerland|Radicals]] embodied these democratic forces calling for a new federal constitution. This tension, paired with [[religion in Switzerland|religious issues]] ("Jesuit question") escalated into armed conflict in the 1840s, with the brief [[Sonderbund War]]. The victory of the Liberal-Radicals resulted in the formation of [[Switzerland as a federal state]] in 1848. The cantons retained far-reaching sovereignty but were no longer allowed to maintain individual standing armies or international relations. As the [[revolutions of 1848]] in Western Europe had failed elsewhere, Switzerland during the later 19th century (and with the exception of the [[French Third Republic]], until the end of [[World War I]]) found itself as an isolated democratic republic, surrounded by the restored monarchies of [[Second French Empire|France]], [[Kingdom of Italy|Italy]], [[Austria-Hungary]] and [[German Confederation|Germany]].

==Constitutions and powers==
{{See also|List of cantonal executives of Switzerland|List of cantonal legislatures of Switzerland}}
[[File:Federal Cupola.jpg|thumb|The 22 cantonal coats of arms (all but [[Canton of Jura|Jura]], with the half-cantons represented jointly) in [[Standesscheibe|stained glass]] set in the dome of the [[Federal Palace of Switzerland]] ({{circa|1900}})]]

The [[Swiss Federal Constitution]]<ref>Official and updated [https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html Swiss Federal Constitution] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621000507/https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html |date=21 June 2016 }} (English)</ref> declares the cantons to be sovereign to the extent that their sovereignty is not limited by federal law.<ref name="HDS Modern"/> Areas specifically reserved to the Confederation include the armed forces, currency, postal service, telecommunications, immigration and emigration, the granting of asylum, foreign relations with sovereign states, civil and criminal law, weights and measures, and customs duties.

Each canton has its own [[constitution]], [[legislature]], [[Executive (government)|executive]], [[Law enforcement in Switzerland|police]] and [[judiciary|court]]s.<ref name="HDS Modern">{{HDS|26414<!--Section 1-4-->|Cantons, In the Federal State since 1848}}</ref> Similar to the Confederation, a [[directorial system]] of government is followed by the cantons.

The cantonal legislatures are [[unicameralism|unicameral]] [[parliament]]s, with their size varying between 58 and 200 seats. A few legislatures also involve or did involve general popular assemblies known as ''[[Landsgemeinde]]n''; the use of this form of legislature has declined: at present, it exists only in the cantons of [[Appenzell Innerrhoden]] and [[Canton of Glarus|Glarus]]. The cantonal executives consist of either five or seven members, depending on the canton.<ref>[http://www.ch.ch/karte/index.html?lang=en Swiss Government website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219135444/http://www.ch.ch/karte/index.html?lang=en |date=19 December 2008 }} with links to each cantonal government, accessed 11 November 2008</ref> For the names of the institutions, see the [[List of cantonal executives of Switzerland|list of cantonal executives]] and [[List of cantonal legislatures of Switzerland|list of cantonal legislatures]].

The cantons retain all powers and competencies not delegated to the Confederation by the federal constitution or law: most significantly the cantons are responsible for [[health care|healthcare]], [[Welfare (financial aid)|welfare]], law enforcement, [[public education]], and retain the power of [[Taxation in Switzerland|taxation]]. Each canton defines its official language(s). Cantons may conclude [[treaty|treaties]] not only with other cantons but also with foreign states (respectively Articles 48 and 56 of the Federal Constitution).

The cantonal constitutions determine the internal organisation of the canton, including the degree of autonomy accorded to the [[Municipalities of Switzerland|municipalities]], which varies but almost always includes the power to levy taxes and pass municipal laws; some municipalities have their own police forces.

As at the federal level, all cantons provide for some form of [[direct democracy]]. Citizens may demand a popular vote to amend the cantonal constitution or laws or to veto laws or spending bills passed by the parliament. Other than in the instances of general popular assemblies in Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus, democratic rights are exercised by secret ballot. The [[Right of foreigners to vote in Switzerland|right of foreigners to vote]] varies by canton, as does whether Swiss citizens living abroad (and registered to vote in a canton) can take part in cantonal voting.

[[Swiss nationality law|Swiss citizens]] are citizens of a particular municipality (the [[place of origin]]) and the canton in which that municipality is part. Cantons, therefore, have a role in and set requirements for the granting of citizenship (naturalisation), though the process is typically undertaken at a municipal level and is subject to federal law.

Switzerland has only one federal public holiday (1 August); public holidays otherwise [[Public holidays in Switzerland|vary from canton to canton]].

== List ==
The cantons are listed in their order of precedence given in the federal constitution.{{NoteTag|This is the order generally used in Swiss official documents. At the head of the list are the three city cantons that were considered preeminent in the [[Old Swiss Confederacy]]; the other cantons are listed in order of accession to the Confederation. This traditional order of precedence among the cantons has no practical relevance in the modern federal state, in which the cantons are equal to one another, although it still determines formal precedence among the cantons' officials (see [[Swiss order of precedence]]).}} This reflects the historical order of precedence of the [[Eight Cantons]] in the 15th century, followed by the remaining cantons in the order of their historical accession to the confederacy.<ref>{{cite web |publisher = Swiss Federal Statistical Office |title = Regional Portraits: Cantons |year = 2011 |url = http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/regionen/thematische_karten/maps/uebersichtskarte.html |location = Vaduz, Switzerland |access-date = 21 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090430051050/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/regionen/thematische_karten/maps/uebersichtskarte.html |archive-date = 30 April 2009  }}</ref>

{{sticky table start}}
{| class="sortable wikitable sticky-table-row1 sticky-table-col1" style="text-align:right;"
!
! style=max-width:2em; | [[Flags and coats of arms of cantons of Switzerland|Arms]]<br />{{NoteTag|Cantonal coats of arms shown with cantonal heraldic colors ({{lang|de|Standesfarben}}).
{{lang|de|Standesfarben}} were used to identify the (historical) cantons when the full banner was not available for display, although there is overlap; Unterwalden and Solothurn share the same colours, as do Basel and Appenzell, and with the accession of the modern cantons, Valais and Basel-City, and St. Gallen and Thurgau.<ref>Louis, Mühlemann, {{lang|de|Wappen und Fahnen der Schweiz, 700 Jahre}} {{lang|la|Confoederatio Helvetica}}, Lengnau, 3rd ed. 1991.
[[Swiss Armed Forces]], {{lang|de|Fahnenreglement}}, Reglement 51.340 d (2013).[https://www.vtg.admin.ch/content/dam/vtg-internet/de/documents/aktuell/themen/internationale-beziehungen/milit%C3%A4rprotokoll/fahnenreglement51340d.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111201755/https://www.vtg.admin.ch/content/dam/vtg-internet/de/documents/aktuell/themen/internationale-beziehungen/milit%C3%A4rprotokoll/fahnenreglement51340d.pdf |date = 11 November 2020 }}</ref>}}
! [[Data codes for Switzerland#Cantons|Code]]
! Name in official language(s)
! Name in English
! [[History of Switzerland|As a Swiss canton since]]
! Capital
! GDP (2020)<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/national-economy/national-accounts/gross-domestic-product-canton.assetdetail.10647599.html |title = Cantonal gross domestic product (GDP) |author = Federal Statistical Office |website=www.bfs.admin.ch |date = 12 November 2019 |language=en |access-date = 10 September 2021 }}</ref><br />in million CHF
!GDP per<br />capita (2020)<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/national-economy/national-accounts/gross-domestic-product-canton.assetdetail.15304864.html |title = Cantonal gross domestic product (GDP) per capita |author = Federal Statistical Office |website=www.bfs.admin.ch |language=en |access-date = 19 October 2020 }}</ref><br />in CHF
! scope="col" data-sort-type="number"| Population<br />{{NoteTag|See references for dates.}}
! Area {{small|(km{{sup|2}})}}
! [[Population density|Density]]<br />{{small|(per&nbsp;km{{sup|2}})}} {{NoteTag|Per km{{sup|2}}, see References for dates.}}
! [[Municipalities of Switzerland|No. munic. (2018)]]<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.agvchapp.bfs.admin.ch/de/communes/query |title = Gemeinden - Suche {{!}} Applikation der Schweizer Gemeinden |author = Swiss Federal Statistical Office |website = www.agvchapp.bfs.admin.ch |language = de |access-date= 22 October 2018 }}</ref>
! [[Linguistic geography of Switzerland|Official languages]]
|-
| 1
! [[File:Wappen Zürich matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Zürich]]
{{Background color|blue|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | ZH
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Zürich|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left | [[Canton of Zurich|Zurich]]
| style=text-align:center; | 1351
| [[Zurich]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 149,004
| style=padding-right:1em; | 96,359
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-ZH}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-ZH|CH-ZH}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|ZH}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 166
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 2
! [[File:Wappen Bern matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Bern]]
{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|black|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | BE
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Bern|italic=no}}; {{lang|fr|Berne|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Bern|Bern]] / Berne
| style=text-align:center; | 1353
| [[Bern]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 80,209
| style=padding-right:1em; | 77,027
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-BE}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-BE|CH-BE}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|BE}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 347
| [[German language|German]], [[French language|French]]
|-
| 3
! [[File:Wappen Luzern matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Luzern]]
{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|blue|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | LU
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Luzern|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Lucerne|Lucerne]]
| style=text-align:center; | 1332
| [[Lucerne]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 28,176
| style=padding-right:1em; | 67,936
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-LU}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-LU|CH-LU}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|LU}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 83
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 4
! [[File:Wappen Uri matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Uri]]
{{Background color|yellow|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|black|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | UR
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Uri|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Uri|Uri]]
| style=text-align:center; | 1291<br />{{NoteTag|name=founding|founding [[Waldstätte|forest-canton]], foundation date traditionally given as either 1307, 1304 or 1291 (see [[Foundation of the Old Swiss Confederacy]]).}}
| [[Altdorf, Uri|Altdorf]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 1,985
| style=padding-right:1em; | 54,006
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-UR}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-UR|CH-UR}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|UR}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em | 20
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 5
! [[File:Wappen Schwyz matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Schwyz]]
{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | SZ
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Schwyz|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Schwyz|Schwyz]]
| style=text-align:center; | 1291<br />{{NoteTag|name=founding}}
| [[Schwyz]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 9,876
| style=padding-right:1em; | 61,223
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-SZ}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-SZ|CH-SZ}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|SZ}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 30
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 6
! [[File:Wappen Obwalden matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Obwalden]]
{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center | OW
! style=text-align:left | {{lang|de|Obwalden|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left | [[Canton of Obwalden|Obwalden]] / Obwald
| style=text-align:center; | 1291<br />{{NoteTag|name=founding}} or 1315 (as part of [[Unterwalden]])
| [[Sarnen]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 2,564
| style=padding-right:1em; | 67,453
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-OW}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-OW|CH-OW}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|OW}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 7
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 7
! [[File:Wappen Nidwalden matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Nidwalden]]
{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | NW
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Nidwalden|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Nidwalden|Nidwalden]] / Nidwald
| style=text-align:center; | 1291<br />{{NoteTag|name=founding}} (as [[Unterwalden]])
| [[Stans]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 2,867
| style=padding-right:1em; | 66,209
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-NW}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-NW|CH-NW}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|NW}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 11
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 8
! [[File:Wappen Glarus matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Glarus]]
{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|black|&nbsp;}}{{Background color|white|&nbsp;}}{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | GL
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Glarus|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Glarus|Glarus]]
| style=text-align:center; | 1352
| [[Glarus]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 2,763
| style=padding-right:1em; | 67,849
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-GL}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-GL|CH-GL}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|GL}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 3
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 9
! [[File:Wappen Zug matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Zug]]
{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|blue|&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | ZG
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Zug|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Zug|Zug]] / Zoug
| style=text-align:center; | 1352
| [[Zug]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 20,029
| style=padding-right:1em; | 156,210
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-ZG}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-ZG|CH-ZG}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|ZG}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 11
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 10
! [[File:Wappen Freiburg matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Fribourg]]
{{Background color|black|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | FR
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|fr|Fribourg|italic=no}}; {{lang|de|Freiburg|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Fribourg|Fribourg]] 
| style=text-align:center; | 1481
| [[Fribourg]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 19,180
| style=padding-right:1em; | 59,263
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-FR}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-FR|CH-FR}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|FR}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 136
| [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]]
|-
| 11
! [[File:Wappen Solothurn matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Solothurn]]
{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | SO
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Solothurn|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Solothurn|Solothurn]] / Soleure
| style=text-align:center; | 1481
| [[Solothurn]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 18,029
| style=padding-right:1em; | 65,237
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-SO}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-SO|CH-SO}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|SO}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 109
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 12
! [[File:Wappen Basel-Stadt matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Basel-City]]
{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|black|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | BS
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Basel-Stadt|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Basel-Stadt|Basel-Stadt]] / Basle-City
| style=text-align:center; | 1501 (as [[canton of Basel|Basel]] until 1833/1999)
| [[Basel]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 37,168
| style=padding-right:1em; | 189,354
| style=padding-right:1em {{Swiss populations ref|CH-BS}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-BS|CH-BS}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|BS}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 3
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 13
! [[File:Wappen Basel-Landschaft matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Basel-Country]]
{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | BL
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Basel-Landschaft|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Basel-Landschaft|Basel-Landschaft]] / Basle-Country
| style=text-align:center; | 1501 (as [[canton of Basel|Basel]] until 1833/1999)
| [[Liestal]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 20,567
| style=padding-right:1em; | 70,866
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-BL}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-BL|CH-BL}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|BL}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em | 86
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 14
! [[File:Wappen Schaffhausen matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Schaffhausen]]	
{{Background color|black|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|yellow|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | SH
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Schaffhausen|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Schaffhausen|Schaffhausen]] / Schaffhouse
| style=text-align:center; | 1501
| [[Schaffhausen]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 7,244
| style=padding-right:1em; | 87,569
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-SH}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-SH|CH-SH}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|SH}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 26
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 15
! [[File:Wappen Appenzell Ausserrhoden matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Appenzell Ausserrhoden]]
{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|black|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | AR
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Appenzell Ausserrhoden|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left | [[Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden|Appenzell Ausserrhoden]] / Appenzell Outer-Rhodes
| style=text-align:center; | 1513 (as [[Appenzell]] until 1597/1999)
| [[Herisau]]{{NoteTag|Seat of government and parliament is [[Herisau]]; the seat of the judicial authorities is [[Trogen, Switzerland|Trogen]].}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 3,190
| style=padding-right:1em; | 57,601
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-AR}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-AR|CH-AR}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|AR}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 20
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 16
! [[File:Wappen Appenzell Innerrhoden matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Appenzell Innerrhoden]]
{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|black|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | AI
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Appenzell Innerrhoden|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden|Appenzell Innerrhoden]] / Appenzell Inner-Rhodes
| style=text-align:center | 1513 (as [[Appenzell]] until 1597/1999)
| [[Appenzell (village)|Appenzell]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 1,043
| style=padding-right:1em; | 64,358
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-AI}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-AI|CH-AI}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|AI}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 6
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 17
! [[File:Wappen St. Gallen matt.svg|25px|Coat of arms of St. Gallen]]
{{Background color|green|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | SG
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|St. Gallen|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of St. Gallen|St. Gallen]] / St Gall
| style=text-align:center; | 1803<br />{{NoteTag|[[Act of Mediation]]; formed out of the [[Canton of Säntis]] and the northern half of the [[Canton of Linth]].}}
| [[St. Gallen]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 38,041
| style=padding-right:1em; | 74,210
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-SG}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-SG|CH-SG}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|SG}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 77
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 18
! [[File:Wappen Graubünden.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Graubünden]]
{{Background color|black|&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|blue|&nbsp;&nbsp;}}

| style=text-align:center; | GR
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Graubünden|italic=no}}; {{lang|rm|Grischun|italic=no}}; {{lang|it|Grigioni|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Graubünden|Grisons]] / Graubünden
| style=text-align:center; | 1803<br />{{NoteTag|[[Act of Mediation]]; formerly the [[Canton of Raetia]], comprising the earlier [[Three Leagues]].}}
| [[Chur]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 14,519
| style=padding-right:1em; | 72,754
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-GR}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-GR|CH-GR}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|GR}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em | 108
| [[German language|German]], [[Romansh language|Romansh]], [[Italian language|Italian]]
|-
| 19
! [[File:Wappen Aargau matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Aargau]]
{{Background color|black|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|SkyBlue|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}<!--defined as "black and light blue"-->
| style=text-align:center; | AG
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Aargau|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Aargau|Aargau]] / Argovia
| style=text-align:center; | 1803<br />{{NoteTag|[[Act of Mediation]]; created from the  cantons of Aargau (canton of the [[Helvetic Republic]], from territory previously controlled by Bern) and [[canton of Baden|Baden]] (previously a Swiss condominium), together with [[canton of Fricktal|Fricktal]] (before 1802 not Swiss territory).}}
| [[Aarau]]
| style=padding-right:1em | 43,590
| style=padding-right:1em | 63,177
| style=padding-right:1em {{Swiss populations ref|CH-AG}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-AG|CH-AG}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|AG}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em | 212
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 20
! [[File:Wappen Thurgau matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Thurgau]]
{{Background color|green|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | TG
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Thurgau|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Thurgau|Thurgau]] / Thurgovia
| style=text-align:center; | 1803<br />{{NoteTag|[[Act of Mediation]]; coterminous with the canton of Thurgau of the [[Helvetic Republic]] (1798), formed from the [[county of Thurgau]], a Swiss [[Gemeine Herrschaften|condominium]].}}
| [[Frauenfeld]]{{NoteTag|Seat of parliament half-yearly alternates between [[Frauenfeld]] and [[Weinfelden]].}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 17,208
| style=padding-right:1em; | 61,190
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-TG}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-TG|CH-TG}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|TG}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 80
| [[German language|German]]
|-
| 21
! [[File:Wappen Tessin matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Ticino]]
{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|blue|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | TI
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|it|Ticino|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left | [[Canton of Ticino|Ticino]] / Tessin
| style=text-align:center; | 1803<br />{{NoteTag|[[Act of Mediation]]; combining the former cantons of [[Canton of Bellinzona|Bellinzona]] and [[Canton of Lugano|Lugano]]; see {{lang|de|[[Ennetbirgische Vogteien]]}}.}}
| [[Bellinzona]]
| style=padding-right:1em | 29,311
| style=padding-right:1em | 83,450
| style=padding-right:1em {{Swiss populations ref|CH-TI}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-TI|CH-TI}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|TI}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 115
| [[Italian language|Italian]]
|-
| 22
! [[File:Wappen Waadt matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Vaud]]
{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|green|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}

| style=text-align:center; | VD
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|fr|Vaud|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Vaud|Vaud]]
| style=text-align:center; | 1803<br />{{NoteTag|[[Act of Mediation]], formerly [[Canton of Léman]].}}
| [[Lausanne]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 56,898
| style=padding-right:1em; | 70,250
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-VD}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-VD|CH-VD}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|VD}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 309
| [[French language|French]]
|-
| 23
! [[File:Wappen Wallis matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Valais]]
{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}

| style=text-align:center; | VS
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|fr|Valais|italic=no}}; {{lang|de|Wallis|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left | [[Canton of Valais|Valais]]
| style=text-align:center; | 1815<br />{{NoteTag|[[Restoration (Switzerland)|Restoration]], until 1798 the [[Prince-bishopric of Sion]] and the {{lang|fr|[[République des Sept-Dizains]]}}, briefly annexed by France as [[Simplon (department)|Simplon {{lang|fr|département|nocat=y}}]] during 1810–1813.}}
| [[Sion, Switzerland|Sion]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 19,194
| style=padding-right:1em; | 55,313
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-VS}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-VS|CH-VS}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|VS}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 126
| [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]]
|-
| 24
! [[File:Wappen Neuenburg matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Neuchâtel]]
{{Background color|green|&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;}}

| style=text-align:center; | NE
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|fr|Neuchâtel|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Neuchâtel|Neuchâtel]]
| style=text-align:center; | 1815/1857<br />{{NoteTag|claimed by [[Frederick William III of Prussia]] until the [[Neuchâtel Crisis]] of 1856–1857}}
| [[Neuchâtel]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 15,343
| style=padding-right:1em; | 87,080
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-NE}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-NE|CH-NE}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|NE}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 31
| [[French language|French]]
|-
| 25
! [[File:CHE Canton de Genève écu seul COA.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Geneva]]
{{Background color|yellow|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | GE
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|fr|Genève|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]]
| style=text-align:center; | 1815<br />{{NoteTag|previously an independent [[Republic of Geneva|republic]], annexed by [[French First Republic|France]] during 1798–1813.}}
| [[Geneva]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 51,976
| style=padding-right:1em; | 102,876
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-GE}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-GE|CH-GE}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|GE}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 45
| [[French language|French]]
|-
| 26
! [[File:Wappen Jura matt.svg| 25px|Coat of arms of Jura]]
{{Background color|white|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}{{Background color|red|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}}
| style=text-align:center; | JU
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|fr|Jura|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Canton of Jura|Jura]]
| style=text-align:center; | 1979<br />{{NoteTag|[[Jura separatism|seceded from Bern]]}}
| [[Delémont]]
| style=padding-right:1em; | 4,687
| style=padding-right:1em; | 63,643
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-JU}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-JU|CH-JU}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|JU}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 55
| [[French language|French]]
|- style="background: #dcdcdc;" class="sortbottom"
| -
! [[File:Coat of Arms of Switzerland.svg|25px|Coat of arms of Switzerland]]
| style=text-align:center; | CH
! style=text-align:left; | {{lang|de|Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft|italic=no}};<br>{{lang|fr|Confédération suisse|italic=no}};<br>{{lang|it|Confederazione Svizzera|italic=no}};<br>{{lang|rm|Confederaziun svizra|italic=no}}
! style=text-align:left; | [[Swiss Confederation]]
| style=text-align:center; | 1815/1848<br />{{NoteTag|The [[Restoration (Switzerland)|Restored Confederacy]] of 1815 had the [[borders of Switzerland|modern borders]] and introduced the modern Swiss coat of arms, but the cantons remained largely sovereign, without a federal government or parliament. The [[Switzerland as a federal state|federal constitution of 1848]] introduced the [[Federal Assembly (Switzerland)|Federal Assembly]], [[Federal Council of Switzerland|Federal Council]] and the notion of [[Swiss citizenship|federal citizenship]].}}
| ([[Bern]])
| style=padding-right:1em; | 694,662
| style=padding-right:1em; | 80,418
| style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-CH}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-CH|CH-CH}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|CH}}}}
| style=padding-right:1em; | 2,222
| <small>[[German language|German]], [[French language|French]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Romansh language|Romansh]]</small>
|}
{{sticky table end}}

The two-letter abbreviations for Swiss cantons are widely used, e.g. on [[vehicle registration plates of Switzerland|car license plates]]. They are also used in the [[ISO 3166-2:CH|ISO 3166-2 codes of Switzerland]] with the prefix "CH-" ({{lang|la|[[Confœderatio Helvetica]]}} — Helvetian Confederation — {{lang|la|[[Helvetia#Name of Switzerland|Helvetia]]}} having been the ancient Roman name of the region). ''CH-SZ'', for example, is used for the [[canton of Schwyz]].

==Half-cantons==
{{anchor|Half-canton}}<!-- [[Half-canton]] redirects here -->Six of the 26 cantons are traditionally, but no longer officially, called "half-cantons" ({{langx|de|Halbkanton}}, {{langx|fr|demi-canton}}, {{langx|it|semicantone}}, {{langx|rm|mez-chantun}}). In two instances (Basel and Appenzell) this was a consequence of a historic division, whilst in the case of Unterwalden a historic mutual association, resulting in three pairs of half-cantons. The other 20 cantons were, and in some instances still are<ref>[https://www.zg.ch/behoerden/direktion-des-innern/kantonales-sozialamt/generationen-und-gesellschaft/integration/8-informationen-fuer-migrantinnen-und-migranten/download/DI-NZZ-en-WEB.pdf Welcome to the canton of Zug] Official document published by the canton of Zug government (PDF)</ref>—though only in a context where it is needed to distinguish them from any half-cantons—typically termed "full" cantons in English.<ref>''Bhagwan'' and ''Bhushan" (2009) World Constitutions - A Comparative Study - Ninth Edition (page 311)</ref>

The first article of the 1848 and 1874 constitutions constituted the Confederation as the union of "twenty-two sovereign cantons", referring to the half-cantons as "[[Unterwalden]] ({{lang|de|ob und nid dem Wald}} ['[[Obwalden|above]] and [[Nidwalden|beneath]] the woods'])", "Basel ({{lang|de|Stadt und Landschaft}} ['city and country'])" and "Appenzell ({{lang|de|beider Rhoden}} ['both Rhoden'])".<ref>[http://www.verfassungen.de/ch/verf74-i.htm Bundesverfassung der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft vom 29. Mai 1874], [http://www.verfassungen.de/ch/verf48.htm Bundesverfassung der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft vom 12. September 1848] {{in lang|de}}; author's translation.</ref> 
The 1874 constitution was amended to list 23 cantons with the accession of the [[Canton of Jura]] in 1978.

The historic half-cantons, and their pairings, are still recognizable in the first article of the [[Swiss Federal Constitution]] of 1999 by being joined to their other "half" with the conjunction "and":
{{blockquote|The People and the cantons of Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, <u>[[Canton of Obwalden|Obwalden]]</u> and <u>[[Canton of Nidwalden|Nidwalden]]</u>, Glarus, Zug, Fribourg, Solothurn, <u>[[Basel-Stadt]]</u> and <u>[[Basel-Landschaft]]</u>, Schaffhausen, <u>[[Appenzell Ausserrhoden]]</u> and <u>[[Appenzell Innerrhoden]],</u> St. Gallen, Graubünden, Aargau, Thurgau, Ticino, Vaud, Valais, Neuchâtel, Geneva, and Jura form the Swiss Confederation.|Article 1 of the Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation<ref>{{cite swiss law | sr =101 | link = 101 | art =1 | date =18 April 1999 | en =Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation | enab = | de = | deab = | fr = | frab = | it = |es = | esab = | itab = }}</ref> }}
The 1999 constitutional revision retained the traditional distinction, on the request of the six cantonal governments, as a way to mark the historic association of the half-cantons to each other.<ref>Felix Hafner / Rainer J. Schweizer in ''Ehrenzeller'', Art. 1 N 2; Häfelin, N 966.</ref> While the older constitutions referred to these states as "half-cantons", a term that remains in popular use, the 1999 revision and official terminology since then use the appellation "cantons with half of a cantonal vote".<ref>Felix Hafner / Rainer J. Schweizer in ''Ehrenzeller'', Art. 1 N 10; Häfelin, N 963</ref>

The [[Coins of the Swiss franc|{{frac|1|2}}, 1 and 2 francs coins]] as minted since 1874 represent the number of cantons by 22 stars surrounding the figure of [[Helvetia]] on the obverse.
The design of the coins was altered to show 23 stars, including Jura, beginning with the 1983 batch. The design has remained unchanged since, and does not reflect the official number of "26 cantons" introduced in 1999.<ref>Swissmint, [https://www.swissmint.ch/d/downloads/dokumentation/numis_beri/Dominus.pdf Sterne auf Schweizer Münzen] (2008), p. 4.</ref>

[[File:Karikatur Teilung Basels.jpg|thumb|Caricature of the division of [[Canton of Basel|Basel]], 1833]]
The reasons for the existence of the three pairs of half-cantons are varied:

* [[Unterwalden]] never consisted of a single unified jurisdiction. Originally, Obwalden, Nidwalden, and the [[Abbey of Engelberg]] formed distinct communities. The collective term ''Unterwalden'' remains in use, however, for the area that partook in the creation of the original Swiss confederation in 1291 with [[Canton of Uri|Uri]] and [[Canton of Schwyz|Schwyz]]. The [[Federal Charter of 1291]] called for representatives from each of the three "areas".<ref>[http://www.admin.ch/org/polit/00056/index.html?lang=fr Pacte fédéral du 1er] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830062306/http://www.admin.ch/org/polit/00056/index.html?lang=fr |date=30 August 2009 }} août 1291] sur Admin.ch "vallée inférieure d'Unterwald" signifie Nidwald.</ref><ref>[http://hypo.ge.ch/www/cliotexte//html/suisse.histoire.1291.html Pacte fédéral du 1er août 1291] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927013550/http://hypo.ge.ch/www/cliotexte//html/suisse.histoire.1291.html |date=27 September 2007 }} sur Cliotexte</ref>
* The historical [[canton of Appenzell]] divided itself into "inner" and "outer" halves as a consequence of the [[Reformation in Switzerland]] in 1597:<ref>[http://hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/f/F7389-1-10.php Réforme catholique, Contre-Réforme et scission] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720020308/http://hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/f/F7389-1-10.php |date=20 July 2011 }} Article du dictionnaire historique de la Suisse</ref> [[Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden|Appenzell Innerrhoden]] ([[Catholicism|Catholic]]) and [[Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden|Appenzell Ausserrhoden]] ([[Protestantism|Protestant]]).
* The historical [[canton of Basel]] was divided in 1833 after the Basel countryside (which became the canton of [[Basel-Landschaft]]) declared its independence from the city of Basel (which became the [[canton of Basel-Stadt]]), following a period of protest and armed conflict about the under-representation of the more populous countryside in the canton's political system.

With their original circumstances of partition now a historical matter, the half-cantons are since 1848 equal to the other cantons in all but two respects:<ref>Häfelin, N 963, 967</ref>

* They elect only one member of the [[Swiss Council of States|Council of States]] instead of two (Cst. art. 150 par. 2). This means there are a total of 46 seats in the council.
* In [[Voting in Switzerland#Constitutional referendums (Popular initiatives)|popular referendums]] about constitutional amendments, which require for adoption a national popular majority as well as the assent of a majority of the cantons (''{{lang|de|Ständemehr}} / {{lang|fr|majorité des cantons}}''), the result of the half-cantons' popular vote counts only one half of that of the other cantons (Cst. arts. 140, 142).<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=-S1fHJiawHUC&dq=%22half-cantons%22&pg=PA120 ''Swiss Constitutional Law''], Thomas Fleiner, Alexander Misic, Nicole Töpperwien, Kluwer Law International B.V., 2005, page 120</ref> This means that for purposes of a constitutional referendum, at least 12 out of a total of 23 cantonal popular votes must support the amendment.<ref>Häfelin, N 950</ref>

Between 1831 and 1833 the canton of Schwyz was divided into half-cantons: (Inner) Schwyz and the break-away [[Outer Schwyz]]; in this instance, the half-cantons were forced by the Confederation to settle their disputes and reunite.

In the 20th century, some [[Jura separatism|Jura separatists]] suggested a new canton of Jura to be divided into half-cantons of North Jura and South Jura.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Bassand|first=Michel|year=1975|title=The Jura Problem|journal=Journal of Peace Research|publisher=Sage Publications|volume=12|issue=2: Peace Research in Switzerland|pages=139–150: 142|jstor=423158|doi=10.1177/002234337501200206|s2cid=111181454}}</ref> Instead, North Jura became the (full) [[canton of Jura]] while South Jura remains in the canton of Bern as the [[Subdivisions of the canton of Bern|region]] of [[Bernese Jura]].

== Names in national languages ==
The name of each canton in its own official language is shown in bold.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! [[Abbreviation|Abbr]]
! [[English language|English]]{{NoteTag|The most commonly used forms in English are mostly adopted from either French or German; in some cases, there may have been a historical shift in preference, e.g. from the French form ''Berne'' to the German form ''Bern''; in individual cases, the Latin form may be current, certainly in the case of ''Geneva'' and arguably for ''Argovia, Thurgovia''. Actual anglicized forms have been used, for example ''[[Basel#Name|Basle]]''.}}
! [[German language|German]]
! [[French language|French]]
! [[Italian language|Italian]]
! [[Romansh language|Romansh]]
|-
! AG
| [[Canton of Aargau|Aargau]]; Argovia
| {{Audio|De-Aargau.ogg|'''Aargau'''}}
| Argovie
| Argovia
| '''{{Audio|Roh-Argovia.ogg|Argovia}}'''
|-
! AI
| [[Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden|Appenzell Innerrhoden]]; Appenzell Inner-Rhodes
| {{Audio|De-Appenzell-Innerrhoden.ogg|'''Appenzell Innerrhoden'''}}
| Appenzell Rhodes-Intérieures
| Appenzello Interno
| {{Audio|Roh-Appenzell Dadens.ogg|Appenzell Dadens}}
|-
! AR
| [[Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden|Appenzell Ausserrhoden]]; Appenzell Outer-Rhodes
| {{Audio|De-Appenzell-Ausserrhoden.ogg|'''Appenzell Ausserrhoden'''}}
| Appenzell Rhodes-Extérieures
| Appenzello Esterno
| {{Audio|Roh-Appenzell Dadora.ogg|Appenzell Dador}}
|-
! BS
| [[Basel-Stadt]]; Basle-City
| {{Audio|De-Basel-Stadt.ogg|'''Basel-Stadt'''}}
| Bâle-Ville
| Basilea Città
| {{Audio|Roh-Basilea-Citad.ogg|Basilea-Citad}}
|-
! BL
| [[Basel-Landschaft]]; Basle-Country
| {{Audio|De-Basel-Landschaft.ogg|'''Basel-Landschaft'''}}
| Bâle-Campagne
| Basilea Campagna
| {{Audio|Roh-Basilea-Champagna.ogg|Basilea-Champagna}}
|-
! BE
| [[Canton of Bern|Bern]]; Berne
| {{Audio|De-Bern.ogg|'''Bern'''}}
| '''Berne'''
| Berna
| {{Audio|Roh-Berna.ogg|Berna}}
|-
! FR
| [[Canton of Fribourg|Fribourg]]; Friburg{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
| {{Audio|De-Freiburg.ogg|'''Freiburg'''}}
| '''Fribourg'''
| Friburgo
| {{Audio|Roh-Friburg.ogg|Friburg}}
|-
! GE
| [[Canton of Geneva|Genève]]; Geneva
| {{Audio|De-Genf.ogg|Genf}}
| '''Genève'''
| Ginevra
| {{Audio|Roh-Genevra.ogg|Genevra}}
|-
! GL
| [[Canton of Glarus|Glarus]]; Glaris{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
| {{Audio|De-Glarus.ogg|'''Glarus'''}}
| Glaris
| Glarona
| {{Audio|Roh-Glaruna.ogg|Glaruna}}
|-
! GR
| [[Grisons]]; Graubünden
| {{Audio|De-Graubuenden.ogg|'''Graubünden'''}}
| Grisons
| '''Grigioni'''
| {{Audio|Roh-sursilvan-grischun.ogg|'''Grischun'''}}
|-
! JU
| [[Canton of Jura|Jura]]
| {{Audio|De-Jura.ogg|Jura}}
| '''Jura'''
| Giura
| {{Audio|Roh-Giura.ogg|Giura}}
|-
! LU
| [[Canton of Lucerne|Lucerne]]
| {{Audio|De-Luzern.ogg|'''Luzern'''}}
| Lucerne
| Lucerna
| {{Audio|Roh-Lucerna.ogg|Lucerna}}
|-
! NE
| [[Canton of Neuchâtel|Neuchâtel]]
| {{Audio|De-Neuenburg.ogg|Neuenburg}}
| '''Neuchâtel'''
| Neuchâtel
| Neuchâtel
|-
! NW
| [[Nidwalden]]; Nidwald{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
| {{Audio|De-Nidwalden.ogg|'''Nidwalden'''}}
| Nidwald
| Nidvaldo
| {{Audio|Roh-Sutsilvania.ogg|Sutsilvania}}
|-
! OW
| [[Obwalden]]; Obwald{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
| {{Audio|De-Obwalden.ogg|'''Obwalden'''}}
| Obwald
| Obvaldo
| {{Audio|Roh-Sursilvania.ogg|Sursilvania}}
|-
! SH
| [[Canton of Schaffhausen|Schaffhausen]]; Schaffhouse
| {{Audio|De-Schaffhausen.ogg|'''Schaffhausen'''}}
| Schaffhouse
| Sciaffusa
| {{Audio|Roh-Schaffusa.ogg|Schaffusa}}
|-
! SZ
| [[Canton of Schwyz|Schwyz]]
| {{Audio|De-Schwyz.ogg|'''Schwyz'''}}
| Schwyz (or Schwytz)
| Svitto
| {{Audio|Roh-Sviz.ogg|Sviz}}
|-
! SO
| [[Canton of Solothurn|Solothurn]]; Soleure
| {{Audio|De-Solothurn.ogg|'''Solothurn'''}}
| Soleure
| Soletta
| {{Audio|Roh-Soloturn.ogg|Soloturn}}
|-
! SG
| [[Canton of St. Gallen|St. Gallen]]; St&nbsp;Gall
| {{Audio|De-StGallen.ogg|'''St. Gallen'''}}
| Saint-Gall
| San Gallo
| {{Audio|Roh-Sogn Gagl.ogg|Son Gagl}}
|-
! TG
| [[Canton of Thurgau|Thurgau]]; Thurgovia
| {{Audio|De-Thurgau.ogg|'''Thurgau'''}}
| Thurgovie
| Turgovia
| {{Audio|Roh-Turgovia.ogg|Turgovia}}
|-
! TI
| [[Ticino]]; Tessin
| {{Audio|De-Tessin.ogg|Tessin}}
| Tessin
| '''Ticino'''
| {{Audio|Roh-Tessin.ogg|Tessin}}
|-
! UR
| [[Canton of Uri|Uri]]
| {{Audio|De-Uri.ogg|'''Uri'''}}
| Uri
| Uri
| {{Audio|Roh-Uri.ogg|Uri}}
|-
! VS
| [[Valais]]; Wallis
| {{Audio|De-Wallis.ogg|'''Wallis'''}}
| '''Valais'''
| Vallese
| {{Audio|Roh-Vallais.ogg|Vallais}}
|-
! VD
| [[Vaud]]
| {{Audio|De-Waadt.ogg|Waadt}}
| '''Vaud'''
| Vaud
| {{Audio|Roh-Vad.ogg|Vad}}
|-
! ZG
| [[Canton of Zug|Zug]]; Zoug
| {{Audio|De-Zug.ogg|'''Zug'''}}
| Zoug
| Zugo
| {{Audio|Roh-Zug.ogg|Zug}}
|-
! ZH
| [[Canton of Zürich|Zürich]]; Zurich
| {{Audio|De-Zürich.ogg|'''Zürich'''}}
| Zurich
| Zurigo
| {{Audio|Roh-sursilvan-turitg.ogg|Turitg}}
|}

==Admission of new cantons==
{{main|Territorial evolution of Switzerland}}
The enlargement of Switzerland by way of the admission of new cantons ended in 1815. The latest formal attempt considered by Switzerland was [[1919 Vorarlberg referendum|in 1919]] from [[Vorarlberg]] but subsequently rejected. A few representatives submitted in 2010 a parliamentary motion to consider enlargement although it was widely seen as anti-EU rhetoric rather than a serious proposal.<ref name="Tages-Anzeiger 11 June 2010">{{cite news|last=Renz|first=Fabian|title=SVP will der Schweiz Nachbargebiete einverleiben|url=http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/schweiz/standard/SVP-will-der-Schweiz-Nachbargebiete-einverleiben/story/23529806|access-date=11 July 2017 |newspaper=[[Tages-Anzeiger]]|date=11 June 2010}}</ref> The motion was eventually dropped and not even examined by the parliament.<ref name="The Federal Assembly — The Swiss Parliament">{{cite web |url=https://www.parlament.ch/en/ratsbetrieb/suche-curia-vista/geschaeft?AffairId=20103215 |title=Pour une intégration facilitée de régions limitrophes en qualité de nouveaux cantons suisses |last=Baettig |first=Dominique |date=18 March 2010 |website=The Federal Assembly — The Swiss Parliament|access-date=11 July 2017 |quote=L'intervention est classée, l'auteur ayant quitté le conseil}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Switzerland}}
* [[Cantonal bank]]
* [[Cantonal police]]
* [[Conference of the Cantonal Governments]]
* {{section link|Data codes for Switzerland|Cantons}}
* [[Flags and arms of cantons of Switzerland]]
* [[List of Swiss cantons by GDP]]
* [[List of cantons of Switzerland by elevation]]
* [[Spatial planning in Switzerland]]

== Notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |editor1-first = Bernhard |editor1-last = Ehrenzeller |editor2 = Philipp Mastronardi |editor3 = Rainer J. Schweizer |editor4 = Klaus A. Vallender |title = Die schweizerische Bundesverfassung, Kommentar |year = 2002 |isbn = 3-905455-70-6 |language = de }}. Cited as ''Ehrenzeller''.
* {{cite book |last1 = Häfelin |first1 = Ulrich |author2 = Haller, Walter |author3 = Keller, Helen |title = Schweizerisches Bundesstaatsrecht |publisher=Schulthess |location=Zürich |year=2008 |edition=7th |isbn = 978-3-7255-5472-0 |language=de }} Cited as ''Häfelin''.
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{EB1911 poster|Switzerland/History|The History of Switzerland}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150413094217/http://www.swissworld.org/en/politics/general_information/the_cantons/ Swissworld.org] – The cantons of Switzerland
* [http://swisskarte.ch/en/ Swisskarte.ch] – Maps of the Cantons of Switzerland
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060304064646/http://www.geomit.ch/GeoPuzzles/SchweizPuzzle/schweiz.html GeoPuzzle]{{spaced ndash}}Assemble cantons on a Swiss map
* [http://www.badac.ch Badac]{{spaced ndash}}Database on Swiss cantons and cities {{in lang|fr|de}}

{{Cantons of Switzerland}}
{{Switzerland topics}}
{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of European countries}}
{{Portal bar|Geography|Politics|Switzerland}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cantons Of Switzerland}}
[[Category:Cantons of Switzerland| ]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Lists of subdivisions of Switzerland|Cantons]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions in Europe|Switzerland 1]]
[[Category:First-level administrative divisions by country|Cantons, Switzerland]]
[[Category:Lists of populated places in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Federalism in Switzerland]]