"is a design by Paul Boesch, dated to 1943. The crozier symbolizes the former Prince-Bishopric of Basel, the seven stripes represent the seven districts of the Bernese Jura. It was officially recognized as a regional flag by Bern from the early 1950s. The canton of Jura was created in 1979 after a referendum, but only three of the seven districts opted to join. The seven stripes were retained in the cantonal flag regardless, and there remains some irredentism calling for a restored unity of all seven districts. Flags and arms of cantons of Switzerland Each of the 26 modern cantons"
"between fifty-eight and two hundred seats. A few legislatures are general assemblies known as ""Landsgemeinden"". The cantonal governments consist of either five or seven members, depending on the canton. For the names of the institutions, see List of legislative and executive councils of the Cantons of Switzerland. The Swiss Federal Constitution declares the cantons to be sovereign to the extent their sovereignty is not limited by federal law. The cantons also retain all powers and competencies not delegated to the Confederation by the Constitution. Most significantly, the cantons are responsible for healthcare, welfare, law enforcement and public education; they also"
"retain the power of taxation. The cantonal constitutions determine the degree of autonomy accorded to the municipalities, which varies but almost always includes the power to levy taxes and pass municipal laws. The sizes of the cantons vary from 37 km² to 7,105 km²; the populations vary from 15,471 to 1,244,400. In contrast to centrally organised states, in the federally constituted Switzerland each Canton is completely free to decide its own internal organisation. Therefore, there exists a variety of structures and terminology for the subnational entities between Canton and Municipality, loosely termed districts (i.e. Urban Administration Districts). Most Cantons are"
"The Federal Council and the Federal Assembly can supplement the proposed amendment with a counter-proposal, and then voters must indicate a preference on the ballot in case both proposals are accepted. Constitutional amendments, whether introduced by initiative or in parliament, must be accepted by a double majority of the national popular vote and the cantonal popular votes. The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons: <nowiki>*</nowiki> The cantons are federated states, have a permanent constitutional status and, in comparison with the situation in other countries, a high degree of independence. Under the Federal Constitution, all 26 cantons are equal in status,"
"admission of new cantons, any enlargement would, as a matter of Swiss law, require an amendment of the Swiss federal constitution and therefore a national popular referendum. A corresponding proposal was submitted by Jurassian representative Dominique Baettig in 2010, but was dropped after Baettig was not reelected in 2011. Switzerland, a multilingual federation of 26 cantons whose origins lie in a defensive alliance of alpine valleys around the end of the 13th century, grew through the accession of new states and territories during the 14th to 16th centuries. The accession of Appenzell in 1513 completed the growth of the Confederacy"
"the canton has no municipalities (except for the Feuerschaugemeinde, a special-purpose municipality for the town of Appenzell). The districts are functionally equivalent to municipalities elsewhere in Switzerland, and are generally shown as municipalities on maps etc. The Canton is divided into 6 districts: Districts of Switzerland In contrast to centrally organised states, in the federally constituted Switzerland each canton is completely free to decide its own internal organisation. Therefore, there exists a variety of structures and terminology for the subnational entities between canton and municipality, loosely termed districts. Most cantons are divided into ""Bezirke"" (German for districts, singular ""Bezirk""). They"
"the period of 2002 to 2014, as follows: The preamble and the first title of the Constitution determine the general outlines of Switzerland as a democratic federal republic of 26 cantons governed by the rule of law. The preamble opens with a solemn invocation of God in continuance of Swiss constitutional tradition. It is a mandate to the State authorities by the Swiss people and cantons, as the Confederation's constituent powers, to adhere to the values listed in the preamble, which include ""liberty and democracy, independence and peace in solidarity and openness towards the world"". The latter provision about the"
"quotas on immigration to Switzerland, setting off a period of finding an implementation that would not violate the EU's freedom of movement accords that Switzerland adopted. The order of precedence of the Swiss cantons given in the federal constitution follows the historical order of accession except for the three city cantons of Zürich, Bern and Lucerne placed at the top. General: History of Switzerland Since 1848, the Swiss Confederation has been a federal state of relatively autonomous cantons, some of which have a history of confederacy that goes back more than 700 years, putting them among the world's oldest surviving"
"Council of States (Switzerland) The Council of States (, , , ) is the smaller chamber of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, and is considered the Assembly's upper house, with the National Council being the lower house. There are 46 Councillors. Twenty of the country's cantons are represented by two Councillors each. Six cantons, traditionally called ""half cantons"", are represented by one Councillor each for historical reasons. These are Obwalden, Nidwalden, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden. The Councillors serve for four years, and are not bound in their vote to instructions from the cantonal authorities. Under the Swiss"
"Swiss Federal Constitution The Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation (SR 10, , , , ) of 18 April 1999 (SR 101) is the third and current federal constitution of Switzerland. It establishes the ""Swiss Confederation"" as a federal republic of 26 cantons (states). The document contains a catalogue of individual and popular rights (including the right to call for popular referenda on federal laws and constitutional amendments), delineates the responsibilities of the cantons and the Confederation and establishes the federal authorities of government. The Constitution was adopted by a referendum on 18 April 1999, in which a majority of"
"by Switzerland, a country that is traditionally perceived as independent and reluctant to enter supranational bodies. Extending across the north and south side of the Alps in west-central Europe, Switzerland encompasses a great diversity of landscapes and climates on a limited area of . The population is about 8 million, resulting in an average population density of around 195 people per square kilometre (500/sq mi). The more mountainous southern half of the country is far more sparsely populated than the northern half. In the largest Canton of Graubünden, lying entirely in the Alps, population density falls to 27 /km² (70"
"Preamble and Title 1 of the Swiss Federal Constitution The preamble and the first title of the Swiss Federal Constitution of 18 April 1999 determine the general outlines of Switzerland as a democratic federal republic of 26 cantons governed by the rule of law. The preamble to the Constitution states, in full: By opening with a solemn invocation of God, the preamble is in line with all preceding Swiss constitutional documents, back to the Federal Charter of 1291, except for the constitutions adopted under French sway in the time of the Helvetic Republic. Apart from continuing tradition, the ""invocatio dei"""
"Municipalities of the canton of Zürich There are 165 municipalities in the Canton of Zürich in Switzerland. In general, municipalities (German: ""Politische Gemeinden"") in Switzerland are grouped in districts (""Bezirke""), their capital municipalities are written in bold letters. There were no changes between 1934 and 2013, but , there occurred in all four mergers as per 1 January 2014, 1 January 2015, 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2017. There are listed the names of all the 171 municipalities as of 2013, i.e. before the four mergers in the modern history of the canton of Zürich occurred. Partially based on"
"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 France, Italy, Austria-Hungary and Germany. The Swiss Federal Constitution declares the cantons to be sovereign to the extent that their sovereignty is not limited by"
"Districts of Switzerland In contrast to centrally organised states, in the federally constituted Switzerland each canton is completely free to decide its own internal organisation. Therefore, there exists a variety of structures and terminology for the subnational entities between canton and municipality, loosely termed districts. Most cantons are divided into ""Bezirke"" (German for districts, singular ""Bezirk""). They are also termed ""Ämter"" (Lucerne, singular ""Amt""), ""Amtsbezirke"" (Bern, ""Amtsbezirk""), ""district"" (in French) or ""distretto"" (Ticino and part of Graubünden). The ""Bezirke"" generally provide only administration and court organization. However, for historical reasons districts in cantons Graubünden and Schwyz are their own legal"
"the police are divided into two sections: In German-speaking cantons, the police are divided into three sections: In Italian-speaking cantons, the police are divided into geographical areas. Cantonal police The cantonal police (, , , ) are the principal law enforcement agencies in each of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a responsibility of the cantons, which each operate cantonal police agencies. Some cities also operate municipal police agencies as provided for by cantonal law. The federal government provides specialised services and is responsible for the protection of the Swiss border. The 26 cantonal police"
"Gall, etc. The cantons largely had their current borders since 1815 (at accession of Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva), except for the notable change from secession of Jura from Berne in 1979. The total length of the border is 1,899 km, enclosing an area of ( land: , water: ). Elevation extremes: <br>""lowest point:"" Lake Maggiore: <br>""highest point:"" Monte Rosa: <br>""deepest point:"" In Lake Maggiore: See also: Extreme points of Switzerland No subdivision of Europe is universally accepted, therefore naming the different European regions and defining the borders between them is subject to debates. Depending on the definition chosen, Switzerland can"
"(Roman Catholic cantonal churches), imposed by anti-clerical cantonal governments in the 19th century and organised along democratic lines and control the application of funds collected through church taxes. Most cantonally delineated Catholic church bodies are members in their umbrella Roman Catholic Central Conference of Switzerland (RKZ, official names in , , , ). Currently, there are three Cardinals from Switzerland: Henri Schwery, Kurt Koch and Gilberto Agustoni, of whom one (Cardinal Koch) participated in the 2013 conclave. Catholic Church in Switzerland The Catholic Church in Switzerland (, , ) is organised into six dioceses and two territorial abbeys, comprising approximately"
"the article in the . Municipalities of the canton of Zürich There are 165 municipalities in the Canton of Zürich in Switzerland. In general, municipalities (German: ""Politische Gemeinden"") in Switzerland are grouped in districts (""Bezirke""), their capital municipalities are written in bold letters. There were no changes between 1934 and 2013, but , there occurred in all four mergers as per 1 January 2014, 1 January 2015, 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2017. There are listed the names of all the 171 municipalities as of 2013, i.e. before the four mergers in the modern history of the canton of"
"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 economic purposes. The Swiss territory is divided into four major types of land use. , 36.9% of the land in Switzerland was used for farming. 30.8% of the country is covered with forests and woodlands, with an additional 6.8% covered with houses or buildings. About one-fourth"
"2010 announced its intention to revert to the earlier system, and all large parties expressed at least partial support. Law of Switzerland Swiss law is a set of rules which constitutes the law in Switzerland. There is a hierarchy of political levels which reflects the legal and constitutional character of Switzerland. The Federal law (, , ) consist of the following parts: According to the current Federal Constitution (SR 101 Art. 1, 3) and the principle of subsidiarity (Switzerland) (SR 101 Art. 5a) and the ""Title 3 Confederation, Cantons and Communes"" (SR 101), the Cantons of Switzerland """"are sovereign except"
"except that 6 (referred to often as the half-cantons) are represented by only one councillor (instead of two) in the Council of States and have only half a cantonal vote with respect to the required cantonal majority in referendums on constitutional amendments. Each canton has its own constitution, and its own parliament, government, police and courts. However, there are considerable differences between the individual cantons, most particularly in terms of population and geographical area. Their populations vary between 16,003 (Appenzell Innerrhoden) and 1,487,969 (Zürich), and their area between (Basel-Stadt) and (Graubünden). The cantons comprise a total of 2,222 municipalities as"
"Elections in Switzerland Elections in Switzerland gives information on election and election results in Switzerland. Switzerland elects on national level a collective head of state, the Federal Council, and a legislature, the Federal Assembly. The Federal Assembly (""Bundesversammlung/Assemblée fédérale/Asamblea Federale/Assemblea Federala"") has two chambers. The National Council (""Nationalrat/Conseil National/Consiglio Nazionale/Cussegl Naziunal"") has 200 members, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies, the cantons. The Council of States (""Ständerat/Conseil des Etats/Consiglio degli Stati/Cussegl dals Stadis"") has 46 members, elected for four years in 20 multi-seat and 6 single-seat constituencies which are equal to the 26 cantons and"
"one federal public holiday (1 August); public holidays otherwise vary from canton to canton. The cantons are listed in their order of precedence given in the federal constitution. 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. The two-letter abbreviations for Swiss cantons are widely used, e.g. on car license plates. They are also used in the with the prefix ""CH-"" (""Confœderatio Helvetica""—Helvetian Confederation—""Helvetia"" having been the ancient Roman name of the region). ""CH-SZ"", for example, is used for"
"half-cantons. One of the members of the Federal Council assumes the honorific title of President of the Confederation for a one-year term. Elections to the National Council conclude on the penultimate Sunday of October. In most cantons, the first round of the election for the Council of States is held alongside the National Council election, while runoff stages are held 3 to 6 weeks later. The new Federal Assembly takes office at the start of the following year. Switzerland has a multi-party system with numerous parties. A world-unique characteristic of Switzerland is that all the executives, from federal to municipal"
"Territorial evolution of Switzerland The territorial evolution of Switzerland occurred primarily with the acquisition of territory by the historical cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy and its close associates. This gradual expansion took place in two phases, the growth from the medieval Founding Cantions to the ""Eight Cantons"" during 1332–1353, and the expansion to the ""Thirteen Cantons"" of the Reformation period during 1481–1513. The Helvetic Republic (formed 1798) as revised in the Act of Mediation (1803) added further territories of former Associates of the Swiss Confederacy, notably those of the Abbey of St. Gall and the Three Leagues. The territories"
", at Bern about and in eastern Switzerland about . Many cantons of Switzerland include a part in the Swiss Plateau. Entirely situated within the Swiss Plateau are the cantons of Zurich, Thurgau and Geneva; mostly situated within the Swiss Plateau are the cantons of Lucerne, Aargau, Solothurn, Bern, Fribourg and Vaud; small portions of the Swiss Plateau are situated in the cantons of Neuchâtel, Zug, Schwyz, St. Gallen and Schaffhausen. The geological layers of the Swiss Plateau are relatively well known. The base level is crystalline basement which outcrops in the central crystalline Alps as well as in the"
"Cantonal police The cantonal police (, , , ) are the principal law enforcement agencies in each of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a responsibility of the cantons, which each operate cantonal police agencies. Some cities also operate municipal police agencies as provided for by cantonal law. The federal government provides specialised services and is responsible for the protection of the Swiss border. The 26 cantonal police agencies and numerous municipal police agencies are the backbone of Swiss law enforcement. They are not subordinate to federal authorities. Their commanding officers report to the head"
"Law enforcement in Switzerland Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a responsibility of the 26 cantons of Switzerland, who each operate cantonal police agencies. Some cities also operate municipal police agencies as provided for by cantonal law. The federal government provides specialised services and is responsible for the protection of the Swiss border. Throughout Switzerland, the police may be reached by the emergency telephone number 1-1-7. The federal government does not run a general purpose law enforcement agency. National-level law enforcement coordination is provided by a board of cantonal police commanders. The Federal Office of Police, an organisation belonging to"
"Municipalities of Switzerland Municipalities (, ' or '; ; ; ) are the lowest level of administrative division in Switzerland. Each municipality is part of one of the Swiss cantons, which form the Swiss Confederation. In most cantons municipalities are also part of districts or other sub-cantonal administrative divisions. There are 2,222 municipalities . Their populations range between several hundred thousand (Zürich), and a few dozen people (Bister), and their territory between 0.32 km² (Kaiserstuhl and Rivaz) and 439 km² (Scuol). The beginnings of the modern municipality system date back to the Helvetic Republic. Under the Old Swiss Confederacy, citizenship"
"Cantonal Council of Zürich The Cantonal Council of Zürich () is the legislature of the canton of Zürich, in Switzerland. Zürich has a unicameral legislature. The Cantonal Council has 180 seats, with members elected every four years. The council is re-elected every four years. Like other legislatures in Switzerland, elections use party list proportional representation. There are eighteen constituencies, which are based on the canton's twelve districts. The district of Winterthur is split into two constituencies, one representing the city of Winterthur, and the other representing the surrounding countryside. The city of Zürich is split into six constituencies, each composed"
"Plateau is classed as Maritime Temperate or Oceanic climate (Cfb) and the Alps are considered Tundra climates or (ET). A maritime temperate area will have changeable, often overcast weather. Summers are cool due to cloud cover and winters are milder than expected due to latitude. The Jura will be slightly cooler due to higher altitude. Within the Alps, temperatures and snow fall correlate to altitude. 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"
"Switzerland (North Western Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland, Central Switzerland, most of the Swiss Plateau and the greater part of the Swiss Alps). In seventeen of the Swiss cantons, German is the only official language (Aargau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Glarus, Luzern, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Thurgau, Uri, Zug, and Zürich). In the cantons of Bern, Fribourg and Valais, French is co-official; in the trilingual canton of Graubünden, more than half of the population speaks German, while the rest speak Romansh or Italian. In each case, all languages are official languages of the respective canton. While the"