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The canton of Zürich (german: Kanton Zürich ; rm, Chantun Turitg; french: Canton de Zurich; it, Canton Zurigo) is a
Swiss canton The 26 cantons of Switzerland (german: Kanton; french: canton ; it, cantone; Sursilvan and Surmiran: ; Vallader and Puter: ; Sutsilvan: ; Rumantsch Grischun: ) are the member states of the Swiss Confederation. The nucleus of the Swiss Confe ...
in the northeastern part of the country. With a population of (as of ), it is the most populous canton in the country. Zürich is the ''de facto''
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
of the canton, but is not specifically mentioned in the constitution. The official language is
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
. The local
Swiss German Swiss German ( Standard German: , gsw, Schwiizerdütsch, Schwyzerdütsch, Schwiizertüütsch, Schwizertitsch Mundart,Because of the many different dialects, and because there is no defined orthography for any of them, many different spellin ...
dialect, called '' Züritüütsch'', is commonly spoken.


History


Early history

The
prehistoric pile dwellings around Zürichsee Prehistoric pile dwellings around Lake Zurich comprises 11 – or 10% of all European pile dwelling sites – of a total of 56 prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps in Switzerland, that are located around Lake Zurich in the cantons ...
comprise 11 of total 56 prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps in Switzerland, that are located around Lake Zürich in the
cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, ...
of Schwyz,
St. Gallen St. Gallen or traditionally St Gall, in German; it, San Gallo; rm, Son Gagl) is a Swiss city and the capital of the canton of St. Gallen. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a ...
and Zürich. Located on the shore of Lake Zürich, there are
Freienbach–Hurden Rosshorn Freienbach–Hurden Rosshorn is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland. Geography The site is located on ''Zürichsee'' lakeshore in H ...
,
Freienbach–Hurden Seefeld Freienbach–Hurden Seefeld is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland. Geography Hurden-Seefeld is located at the ''Frauenwinkel'' area ...
,
Rapperswil-Jona/Hombrechtikon–Feldbach Rapperswil-Jona/Hombrechtikon–Feldbach or commonly Seegubel is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland. Geography '' Seegubel'' is lo ...
,
Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland. Located on a small former island on '' upper Lake Zürich'' in Rap ...
,
Erlenbach–Winkel Erlenbach–Winkel is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland. Geography The site is located on ''Zürichsee'' lakeshore in Winkel, a lo ...
, Meilen–Rorenhaab,
Wädenswil–Vorder Au Wädenswil–Vorder Au is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which 56 are located in Switzerland. Geography The site is located at the Au peninsula respectively part ...
,
Zürich–Enge Alpenquai Zürich–Enge Alpenquai is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which 56 are located in Switzerland. Geography Located on the then-swampland between Limmat and Lake ...
, Grosser Hafner and Kleiner Hafner. Because the lake has grown in size over time, the original piles are now around to under the water level of . Also on the small area of about around Zürichsee, there also the settlements Greifensee–Storen/Wildsberg on ''Greifensee'' and Wetzikon–Robenhausen on ''Pfäffikersee'' lakeshore. As well as being part of the 56 Swiss sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, each of these 11 prehistoric pile dwellings is also listed as a ''Class object'' in the
Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance #REDIRECT Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance {{R from other capitalisation ...
. ''Zurihgauuia'' (''Zürichgau'') was a subdivision of ''
Turgowe The Thurgau (''Turgowe, Turgovia'') was a pagus of the Duchy of Alamannia in the early medieval period. A County of Thurgau ('' Landgrafschaft Thurgau'') existed from the 13th century until 1798. Parts of Thurgau were acquired by the Old Swiss ...
'' (Thurgau) in the Duchy of Alamannia, consisting roughly of the territory between
Reuss Reuss may refer to: * Reuss (surname) *Reuss (river) in Switzerland *Reuss (state) or Reuß, several former states or countries in present-day Germany, and the Republic of Reuss * Reuss Elder Line and Reuss Younger Line The Principality of Reus ...
and Töss. From the 740s, substantial portions of Zürichgau were owned by the
Abbey of St. Gall The Abbey of Saint Gall (german: Abtei St. Gallen) is a dissolved abbey (747–1805) in a Catholic religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The Carolingian-era monastery existed from 719, founded by Saint Othmar on the spot ...
. In c. 760, an administrative re-organisation under counts Ruthard and Warin exempted the castle town of Zürich from comital rule. A county of Zürichgau was established under
Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqui ...
, for a count Ruadker, in 820. Zürichgau (''Zurichgeuue'') remained a nominally separate territory in the later 9th century but was often ruled by the same count as Thurgau. In 915, Zürichgau together with Thurgau fell to the Bucharding dukes of Swabia. In the late 10th century, the county of Zürich was ruled by the Nellenburger, and during 1077–1172 by the Lenzburger. By the 13th century, Zürichgau was divided between the
Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
and the Kyburger, who held the territory west and east of Lake Zürich, respectively.


City state

The territory of the canton of Zürich corresponds to the lands acquired by the city of Zürich after it became '' reichsfrei'' in 1218. Zürich pursued a policy of aggressive territorial expansion especially during the century following the revolution of the guilds in 1336. Zürich joined the
Swiss Confederacy The Old Swiss Confederacy or Swiss Confederacy (Modern German: ; historically , after the Reformation also , "Confederation of the Swiss") was a loose confederation of independent small states (, German or In the charters of the 14th century ...
in 1351. Zürich claimed and lost the Toggenburg in the
Old Zürich War The Old Zurich War (german: Alter Zürichkrieg), 1440–46, was a conflict between the canton of Zurich and the other seven cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy over the succession to the Count of Toggenburg. In 1436, Count Friedrich VII of ...
of the 1440s. The northern parts up to the river Rhine came to the canton after the city of Zürich purchased
Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria) ...
from the
Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
in 1468. In 1651, Zürich purchased
Rafz Rafz is a municipality in the district of Bülach in the northwest of the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. Rafz was first mentioned in 1413 as ''Rafsa''. Geography Rafz has an area of . Of this area, 52% is used for agricultural purposes, w ...
erfeld from the counts of Sulz. At this point, almost all of the territory of the modern canton (as well as some territories beyond its modern borders) was owned by Zürich; exceptions include Wülflingen (acquired 1760),
Buch Buch (the German word for book or a modification of the German word '' Buche'' for beech) may refer to: People * Buch (surname), a list of people with the surname Buch Geography ;Germany: * Buch am Wald, a town in the district of Ansbach, Bavaria ...
(acquired 1761), Dietikon, which was a
condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
, and
Rheinau Rheinau may refer to: *Rheinau, Switzerland, a town in the canton of Zürich *Rheinau Abbey, in Rheinau, Switzerland *Rheinau (Baden) Rheinau ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Rhinai) is a town in southwestern Baden-Württemberg, Germany and is part o ...
(owned by
Rheinau Abbey Rheinau Abbey (Kloster Rheinau) was a Benedictine monastery in Rheinau in the Canton of Zürich, Switzerland, founded in about 778 and suppressed in 1862. It is located on an island in the Rhine. History The foundation of the abbey, on a strategi ...
). In the 18th century, the "inner bailiwicks" (''Innere Vogteien'') were under direct administration of city officials, while the "outer bailiwicks" (''Äussere Vogteien'') were ruled by the reeves of Kyburg, Grüningen, Greifensee,
Eglisau Eglisau is a municipality in the district of Bülach in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History Eglisau is first mentioned in 892 as several independent farm houses known as ''Ouwa''. In 1238 it was mentioned as ''Owe'', in 1304 as ''ze Se ...
,
Regensberg Regensberg is a municipality in the district of Dielsdorf in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland. It is located just to the west of Dielsdorf, on a ridge of the Lägern (). History Regensberg was founded as a hilltop fortified settlement ...
, Andelfingen,
Wädenswil Wädenswil, locally often called ''Wädi'' or ''Wädischwil,'' is a municipality located in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. The population, , was about 21,000. On 1 January 2019 the former municipalities of Hü ...
, and
Knonau Knonau is a municipality in the district of Affoltern in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History Knonau is first mentioned in 1045 as ''Chnonowa''. In 1223 it was mentioned as ''Knonowe''. Geography Knonau has an area of . Of this are ...
. The city of
Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria) ...
was nominally subject to Zürich but retained far-reaching autonomy. ''Zürichgau'', the name of the medieval ''pagus'', was in use for the territories of the city of Zürich during the 15th and 16th century; the term ''canton'' (''Kanton'') gradually entered use in the 16th century, but ''Zürichgau'' remained widely used well into the 19th century (becoming obsolescent after the formation of the modern canton in 1831). Under the short-lived
Helvetic Republic The Helvetic Republic (, , ) was a sister republic of France that existed between 1798 and 1803, during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was created following the French invasion and the consequent dissolution of the Old Swiss Confederacy, m ...
(1798–1803), the ''canton of Zürich'' became a purely administrative division. In 1803, some former possessions of Zürich to the west gained independence as part of the
Canton of Aargau Aargau, more formally the Canton of Aargau (german: Kanton Aargau; rm, Chantun Argovia; french: Canton d'Argovie; it, Canton Argovia), is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven districts and its capita ...
. In 1804 the
Kantonspolizei Zürich The Kantonspolizei Zürich (literal translation: "Cantonal Police of Zürich") is the police department of the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. The Kantonspolizei Zürich exists within the cantonal legal structure to enforce criminal, security, a ...
was established as ''Landjäger-Corps des Kantons Zürich''.


Modern canton

A cantonal constitution was drawn up in 1814 and replaced in 1831 by a radical-liberal constitution. The Züriputsch, an armed uprising of the conservative rural population against the radical-liberal order, led to the dissolution of the cantonal government, and a provisional conservative government was installed by colonel Paul Carl Eduard Ziegler. Under the threat of intervention of the other radical-liberal cantons of the Confederacy, the provisional government declared that the 1831 constitution would remain in effect. In a tumultuous session on 9 September 1839, the cantonal parliament declared its dissolution In the so-called ''Septemberregime'', the newly elected cantonal government replaced all cantonal officials with conservatives, but it was again ousted by a radical-liberal election victory in 1844.
Alfred Escher Johann Heinrich Alfred Escher vom Glas, known as Alfred Escher (20 February 1819 – 6 December 1882) was a Swiss politician, business leader and railways pioneer. Thanks to his numerous political posts and his significant role in the foundatio ...
was a member of the new cantonal parliament of 1844; he was elected to the cantonal government in 1848 and later in the same year into the first National Council under the new federal constitution. The radical-liberal era of 1844–1868 was dominated by the so-called ''System Escher'', a network of liberal politicians and industrialists built by Alfred Escher. Escher governed the canton almost in monarchical fashion, and was popularly dubbed ''Alfred I.'' or ''Tsar of All Zürich''. Escher controlled all cantonal institutions, at first with very little political opposition, expunging all trace of the conservative takeover of 1839. Under Escher, the city of Zürich rose to the status of economic and financial center it still retains. Opposition against the dominance of ''Sytstem Escher'' increased after 1863. The cantonal government was accused to continue the system of aristocratic rule liberalism had claimed to abolish. The oppositional ''Democratic Movement'' was centered in
Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria) ...
, led by mayor Johann Jakob Sulzer and publicist Salomon Bleuler. They succeeded in imposing the introduction of the direct democratic instrument of the popular initiative in 1865, which precipitated a revision of the cantonal constitution. In April 1869, a new cantonal constitution was adopted by popular vote, introducing additional direct democratic elements and the popular election of both the cantonal government and the cantonal representatives in the federal Council of States. The new constitution also abolished the
death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that ...
(the last execution by hanging in Zürich took place in 1810, the last public execution by guillotine in 1865), guaranteed freedom of religion and freedom of association and introduced progressive taxes. In 1877, the Cantonal Laboratory Zurich was founded in order to regulate the quality of food and drinking water. The first cantonal chemist was Dr Haruthiun Abeljanz, who was instrumental in setting up the new laboratory, moving it from an unpromising start in converted storage rooms to Lintheschergasse 10, which was located just behind the Pestalozziwiese, a memorial to Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. The
Cantonal Bank The cantonal banks ('' German: Kantonalbank, French: banque cantonale, Italian: banca cantonale)'' are 24 Swiss government-owned commercial banks. Most of them were founded between 1834 and 1916, although the Banque cantonale du Jura was founded ...
was established in 1870 to regulate cantonal loans at fixed interest rates to farms and businesses. A law of proportional representation was passed in 1916, favouring the rise of the Social Democrats. A proposal for the introduction of female suffrage was rejected in 1920; female suffrage was introduced on the municipal level in 1969 and on the cantonal level in 1970, shortly before its imposition by federal law, passed in 1971. Economic growth continued in the 20th century. A first airport was built at Dübendorf in 1910, replaced by the
international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longe ...
at Kloten in 1948. Rapid urbanisation expanded throughout the canton and beyond in the final decades of the 20th century, further accelerated by the S-Bahn from 1990, with only a few municipalities in Weinland, Knonaueramt and Oberland remaining out of easy commuting distance to the city. The current constitution replaced the one of 1869 in January 2006. The
Antiquarische Gesellschaft in Zürich The ''Antiquarische Gesellschaft in Zürich'' (Antiquarian Society of Zürich), often shortened to ''Antiquarische'' or ''AGZ'', is an association concerned with the study and preservation of the history of the canton of Zürich. The society has its ...
is an organization devoted to preserving the canton's history, the
Staatsarchiv Zürich Staatsarchiv Zürich, formally the Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, are the state archives of the Swiss Canton of Zürich and its legal predecessors, in particular the former city republic of Zürich. History The state archives host the admi ...
houses the state archives.


Geography

The canton of Zürich is situated in the eastern part of the
Swiss plateau The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau (german: Schweizer Mittelland; french: plateau suisse; it, altopiano svizzero) is one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland, lying between the Jura Mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of ...
. It is entirely within the drainage basin of the High Rhine. It is characterized by
Glacial landform Glacial landforms are landforms created by the action of glaciers. Most of today's glacial landforms were created by the movement of large ice sheets during the Quaternary glaciations. Some areas, like Fennoscandia and the southern Andes, have ...
and traversed by a series of rivers generally flowing south-east to north-west, listed west to east:
Reuss Reuss may refer to: * Reuss (surname) *Reuss (river) in Switzerland *Reuss (state) or Reuß, several former states or countries in present-day Germany, and the Republic of Reuss * Reuss Elder Line and Reuss Younger Line The Principality of Reus ...
,
Reppisch The Reppisch is a river in Switzerland. It rises in the Türlersee and joins the Limmat as its tributary, near the town of Dietikon. The Reppisch flows in the Säuliamt (Affoltern district), canton of Zürich The canton of Zürich (german: ...
,
Sihl The Sihl is a Swiss river that rises near the Druesberg mountain in the canton of Schwyz, and eventually flows into the Limmat in the centre of the city of Zürich. It has a length of , including the Sihlsee reservoir, through which the river fl ...
,
Linth The Linth (pronounced "lint") is a Swiss river that rises near the village of Linthal in the mountains of the canton of Glarus, and eventually flows into the Obersee section of Lake Zurich. It is about in length. The water power of the Lin ...
-
Limmat The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. The river commences at the outfall of Lake Zurich, in the southern part of the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare. The confluen ...
(forming Lake Zürich), Glatt, Töss and Thur. The main lakes are the Lake Zürich (Linth-Limmat, 88 km2), Greifensee (Glatt, 8.4 km2) and Pfäffikersee (Glatt, 3.3 km2). Minor lakes include
Türlersee Türlersee is a lake in the district of Affoltern, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. It lies on the border of the municipalities of Aeugst and Hausen am Albis at an elevation of 643 m. The lake has an area of 0.49 km² (maximum length 1.4 km, ...
(Limmat),
Katzensee Katzensee is a lake on the border of the city of Zürich and Regensdorf in the Canton of Zürich, Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other ...
(Glatt), Hüttnersee (Sihl), Lützelsee (Limmat). Its neighbouring cantons are Schaffhausen to the north,
Aargau Aargau, more formally the Canton of Aargau (german: Kanton Aargau; rm, Chantun Argovia; french: Canton d'Argovie; it, Canton Argovia), is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven districts and its capita ...
to the west, the cantons of
Zug Zug ( Standard German: , Alemannic German: ; french: Zoug it, Zugo rm, Zug New Latin: ''Tugium'')named in the 16th century is the largest town and capital of the Swiss canton of Zug in Switzerland. Its name originates from the fishing vocabulary ...
and Schwyz to the south and the cantons of Thurgau and
St. Gallen St. Gallen or traditionally St Gall, in German; it, San Gallo; rm, Son Gagl) is a Swiss city and the capital of the canton of St. Gallen. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a ...
to the east. It also has an international border with the German district of Waldshut and though only for ) the district of Konstanz in
Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
owing to its short border with Stemmer, an outlying hamlet belonging to the municipality which forms the small German enclave of
Büsingen am Hochrhein Büsingen am Hochrhein (, "Büsingen on the Upper Rhine"; Alemannic: ''Büesinge am Hochrhi''), commonly known as Büsingen, is a German municipality () in the south of Baden-Württemberg and an enclave entirely surrounded by the Swiss canton ...
. The canton can be roughly divided into the city and lake, the Unterland in the northwest, the Oberland in the southeast, the Weinland and
Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria) ...
in the northeast, and the Knonaueramt southwest of the Albis. The Greater Zürich Area extends beyond the cantonal borders. The canton has an area, , of . Of this area, 43.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 30.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 20.1% is settled (buildings or roads) and 5.8% is unproductive land. Most of the canton consists of shallow river valleys which drain towards the High Rhine to the north.
Rafz Rafz is a municipality in the district of Bülach in the northwest of the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. Rafz was first mentioned in 1413 as ''Rafsa''. Geography Rafz has an area of . Of this area, 52% is used for agricultural purposes, w ...
erfeld is a territory north of the Rhine acquired by the canton in 1651. In the northwest and southeast of the canton the territory rises towards the Jura and
Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
, respectively. The valley of the
Linth The Linth (pronounced "lint") is a Swiss river that rises near the village of Linthal in the mountains of the canton of Glarus, and eventually flows into the Obersee section of Lake Zurich. It is about in length. The water power of the Lin ...
leads into the Lake Zürich and continues as the
Limmat The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. The river commences at the outfall of Lake Zurich, in the southern part of the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare. The confluen ...
. This valley is the most significant valley of the canton of Zürich. The valley of the Glatt originates in the Greifensee and is separated from the Limmat by ridges. The valley of the Töss is gorge-like. It is located in the east of the canton and is separated from the Toggenburg area in the
canton of St. Gallen The canton of St. Gallen, also canton of St Gall (german: link=no, Kanton St. Gallen ; rm, Chantun Son Gagl; french: Canton de Saint-Gall; it, Canton San Gallo), is a canton of Switzerland. The capital is St. Gallen. Located in northeaste ...
by a mountainous area. The ''Hörnli'' (1133 m) is the highest elevation of this mountain ridge. The valley of the river
Sihl The Sihl is a Swiss river that rises near the Druesberg mountain in the canton of Schwyz, and eventually flows into the Limmat in the centre of the city of Zürich. It has a length of , including the Sihlsee reservoir, through which the river fl ...
is located in the west of the canton. In confluences with the
Limmat The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. The river commences at the outfall of Lake Zurich, in the southern part of the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare. The confluen ...
in the city of Zürich. The Sihl is separated from the lake of Zürich by the ''
Albis The Albis is a chain of hills in the Canton of Zürich, Switzerland, stretching for some 19 km from Sihlbrugg in the south to Waldegg near Zürich in the north. The chain forms, among others, the border between the Affoltern and Horgen ...
Range''. The ''Albishorn'' () is the highest elevation of this range. The Schnebelhorn is a mountain located near Fischenthal in the Töss Valley, between the cantons of Zürich (west) and St. Gallen (east). It is the highest summit () of the canton of Zürich. The ''
Uetliberg __NOTOC__ The Uetliberg (also known as Üetliberg) is a mountain in the Swiss plateau, part of the Albis chain, rising to . The mountain offers a panoramic view of the entire city of Zürich (to the northeast of its summit) and the Lake of Zu ...
'' is part of the Albis Range. This mountain is popular with the population of the city of Zürich for recreation. The vast majority of the canton lies to the south of the Rhine, the exceptions being Rafzerfeld as mentioned and a tiny portion of the village of
Laufen-Uhwiesen Laufen-Uhwiesen is a municipality in the district of Andelfingen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History Laufen-Uhwiesen is first mentioned in 858 as ''ad Laufin''. In 1290 it was mentioned as ''ze Uwisan''. Geography Laufen-Uhwiesen ...
called Nohl.


Coat of arms

The
blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visu ...
of the coat of arms is ''Per bend azure and argent.''


Government


Legislative power

The Cantonal Council (''Kantonsrat'') has 180 members elected every four years.


Executive power

The canton is governed by a seven-member council (''Regierungsrat''). On 24 March 2019, the following were elected for four years: *
Jacqueline Fehr Jacqueline Fehr (born 1 June 1963) is a Swiss politician of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland. She represents the Canton of Zürich in the Swiss National Council. Professional career Born in Wallisellen, Jacqueline Fehr grew up in El ...
( SP) * Mario Fehr ( SP) * Martin Neukom ( Greens) * Natalie Rickli ( SVP) * Silvia Steiner ( CVP) * Ernst Stocker ( SVP) * Carmen Walker Späh ( FDP)


Political subdivisions


Districts

The canton is divided into 12 districts (German: ''Bezirke''): * Zürich comprises the city of Zürich * Affoltern with capital
Affoltern am Albis Affoltern am Albis (abbreviated as ''Affoltern a.A.''; Swiss German: ''Affoltere'') is a town and a municipality in the district of Affoltern in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History Affoltern is first mentioned in 1190 as ''Afiltre ...
* Andelfingen with capital Andelfingen *
Bülach Bülach () is an historic town and a municipality in Switzerland in the canton of Zürich. It is the administrative capital of Bülach district. It is situated in the Glatt Valley (German: ''Glattal'') to the east of the small river Glatt and ...
with capital
Bülach Bülach () is an historic town and a municipality in Switzerland in the canton of Zürich. It is the administrative capital of Bülach district. It is situated in the Glatt Valley (German: ''Glattal'') to the east of the small river Glatt and ...
*
Dielsdorf Dielsdorf is a municipality, seat of the district of Dielsdorf in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History Dielsdorf is first mentioned in 861 as ''Theolvesthoruf''. The name means ''estate or farm of Theolf'' which is supposed to have ...
with capital
Dielsdorf Dielsdorf is a municipality, seat of the district of Dielsdorf in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History Dielsdorf is first mentioned in 861 as ''Theolvesthoruf''. The name means ''estate or farm of Theolf'' which is supposed to have ...
* Dietikon with capital Dietikon *
Hinwil Hinwil is a municipality in the district of Hinwil in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History The village Hinwil from which the later municipality took its name is first mentioned in 745 as ''Hunichinwilari'', in a donation made by Bea ...
with capital
Hinwil Hinwil is a municipality in the district of Hinwil in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History The village Hinwil from which the later municipality took its name is first mentioned in 745 as ''Hunichinwilari'', in a donation made by Bea ...
*
Horgen Horgen is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. It is one of the larger towns along the south bank of the Lake of Zurich. On 1 January 2018 the former municipality of Hirzel merged into the municip ...
with capital
Horgen Horgen is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. It is one of the larger towns along the south bank of the Lake of Zurich. On 1 January 2018 the former municipality of Hirzel merged into the municip ...
*
Meilen Meilen is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History Archaeological finds in Meilen date back more than 4,000 years. In January 1854 the level of lake Zürich was particularly low and the locals ...
with capital
Meilen Meilen is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History Archaeological finds in Meilen date back more than 4,000 years. In January 1854 the level of lake Zürich was particularly low and the locals ...
* Pfäffikon with capital Pfäffikon *
Uster Uster ( High Alemannic: ''Uschter'') is a town and the capital of the Uster District in the Swiss canton of Zürich. It is the third largest town in the canton of Zürich, with almost 35,000 inhabitants, and is one of the twenty largest tow ...
with capital
Uster Uster ( High Alemannic: ''Uschter'') is a town and the capital of the Uster District in the Swiss canton of Zürich. It is the third largest town in the canton of Zürich, with almost 35,000 inhabitants, and is one of the twenty largest tow ...
*
Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria) ...
with capital
Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria) ...


Municipalities

There are, , 169 municipalities in the canton (''Politische Gemeinden'').Swiss Federal Statistical Office – Regional portraits
accessed 27 October 2016


Merger of municipalities

There were no changes between 1934 and 2013, but the following occurred after 2013. * 2014: ''
Bertschikon bei Attikon Bertschikon bei Attikon (or Bertschikon) is a former municipality in the district of Winterthur in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014 the former municipality of Bertschikon merged into the municipality of Wiesendangen.
'' and ''
Wiesendangen Wiesendangen is a municipality in the district of Winterthur in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014 the former municipality of Bertschikon merged into the municipality of Wiesendangen. At the same time the Community Identifi ...
'' →
Wiesendangen Wiesendangen is a municipality in the district of Winterthur in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014 the former municipality of Bertschikon merged into the municipality of Wiesendangen. At the same time the Community Identifi ...
Bertschikon and
Wiesendangen Wiesendangen is a municipality in the district of Winterthur in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014 the former municipality of Bertschikon merged into the municipality of Wiesendangen. At the same time the Community Identifi ...
merged to ''Wiesendangen'' on 1 January 2014.
* 2015: ''
Bauma The bauma (International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles and Construction Equipment) is the world's largest trade fair in the construction industry. The trade fair, which ...
'' and ''
Sternenberg Sternenberg is a former municipality in the district of Pfäffikon in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. Bauma and Sternenberg merged to ''Bauma'' on 1 January 2015. Geography Before the merger, Sternenberg had a total area of . Of this a ...
'' →
Bauma The bauma (International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles and Construction Equipment) is the world's largest trade fair in the construction industry. The trade fair, which ...
Bauma The bauma (International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles and Construction Equipment) is the world's largest trade fair in the construction industry. The trade fair, which ...
and
Sternenberg Sternenberg is a former municipality in the district of Pfäffikon in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. Bauma and Sternenberg merged to ''Bauma'' on 1 January 2015. Geography Before the merger, Sternenberg had a total area of . Of this a ...
merged to ''Bauma'' on 1 January 2015.
* 2016: '' Kyburg'' →
Illnau-Effretikon Illnau-Effretikon is a municipality in the district of Pfäffikon in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. It includes the villages of Illnau, Effretikon, Ottikon and Bisikon. On 1 January 2016 Kyburg and Illnau-Effretikon merged to form the mun ...
.


Politics

In the 2011 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 29.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP (19.3%), the FDP (11.6%) and the glp (11.5%). The SVP received about the same percentage of the vote as they did in the
2007 Federal election This electoral calendar 2007 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2007 in the de jure and de facto sovereign states and their dependent territories. Referendums are included, although they are not elections. By-elections are not ...
(33.9% in 2007 vs 29.8% in 2011). The SPS retained about the same popularity (19.8% in 2007), as well as the FDP (13.2% in 2007), while the glp was the big winner of the election (7.0% in 2007).


Federal election results

: FDP before 2009, FDP.The Liberals after 2009 : "*" indicates that the party was not on the ballot in this canton. : Part of a coalition with the POCH : Part of a coalition with the parties listed under Other : Party fragmented, part remained in a coalition with the FGA and the remainder joining the Green Party


Demographics

Zürich has a population () of . , 23.7% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 12.7%. Migration accounted for 10.3%, while births and deaths accounted for 2.6%.Swiss Federal Statistical Office
accessed 5 January 2012
Most of the population () speaks
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
(1,040,168 or 83.4%) as their first language,
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional It ...
is the second most common (49,750 or 4.0%) and Serbo-Croatian is the third (21,334 or 1.7%). There are 17,685 people who speak
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and 2,606 people who speak Romansh. Of the population in the canton, 314,394 or about 25.2% were born in Zürich and lived there in 2000. There were 291,631 or 23.4% who were born in the same canton, while 284,461 or 22.8% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 310,532 or 24.9% were born outside of Switzerland. , children and teenagers (0–17 years old) make up 20.5% of the population, while adults (18–64 years old) make up 64.4% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 15%. , there were 531,094 people who wer
single
and never married in the canton. There were 566,636 married individuals, 66,012 widows or widowers and 84,164 individuals who are divorced.STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 – 2000
accessed 2 February 2011
, there were 567,573 private households in the canton, and an average of 2.1 persons per household. There were 223,869 households that consist of only one person and 27,935 households with five or more people. , the construction rate of new housing units was 5.3 new units per 1000 residents. the average price to rent an average apartment in the city of Zürich was 1288.84
Swiss franc The Swiss franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) issues banknotes and the fe ...
s (CHF) per month (US$1030, £580, €820 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 733.01 CHF (US$590, £330, €470), a two-room apartment was about 1009.94 CHF (US$810, £450, €650), a three-room apartment was about 1192.66 CHF (US$950, £540, €760) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 2550.35 CHF (US$2040, £1150, €1630). The average apartment price in the city of Zürich was 115.5% of the national average of 1116 CHF.Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Rental prices
2003 data accessed 26 May 2010
The vacancy rate for the canton, , was 0.63%.


Historical population

The historical population is given in the following chart: Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) ImageSize = width:1150 height:400 PlotArea = left:100 right:100 top:10 bottom:50 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:1300000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:300000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:60000 start:0 PlotData= color:yellowgreen width:50 mark:(line,white) align:center bar:1850 from:start till:250698 text:"250,698" bar:1860 from:start till:266265 text:"266,265" bar:1870 from:start till:284047 text:"284,047" bar:1880 from:start till:316074 text:"316,074" bar:1888 from:start till:337183 text:"337,183" bar:1900 from:start till:431036 text:"431,036" bar:1910 from:start till:503915 text:"503,915" bar:1920 from:start till:538602 text:"538,602" bar:1930 from:start till:617706 text:"617,706" bar:1941 from:start till:674505 text:"674,505" bar:1950 from:start till:777002 text:"777,002" bar:1960 from:start till:952304 text:"952,304" bar:1970 from:start till:1107788 text:"1,107,788" bar:1980 from:start till:1122839 text:"1,122,839" bar:1990 from:start till:1179044 text:"1,179,044" bar:2000 from:start till:1247906 text:"1,247,906"


Religion

In 1519,
Huldrych Zwingli Huldrych or Ulrich Zwingli (1 January 1484 – 11 October 1531) was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland, born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system. He attended the Unive ...
became the pastor of the Grossmünster in Zürich, and soon thereafter Zürich became a reformed or Protestant canton. Even though Zwingli died in battle in 1531, the canton remained a stronghold of the Swiss Reformed Church over the following centuries. While a plurality of the population is Protestant (43%), 31% of the population was Roman Catholic in 2004, a legacy of considerable immigration from Southern Europe. From the , 497,986 or 39.9% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, while 380,440 or 30.5% were Roman Catholic. Of the rest of the population, there were 29,592 members of an Orthodox church (or about 2.37% of the population), there were 1,435 individuals (or about 0.11% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 70,897 individuals (or about 5.68% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 6,461 individuals (or about 0.52% of the population) who were Jewish, and 66,520 (or about 5.33% of the population) who were Islamic. There were 5,878 individuals who were
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
, 6,024 individuals who were Hindu and 1,456 individuals who belonged to another church. 165,324 (or about 13.25% of the population) belonged to no church, are
agnostic Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient ...
or
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...
, and 50,090 individuals (or about 4.01% of the population) did not answer the question.


Economy

Most of the land is cultivated, but the canton of Zürich is not considered as an agricultural area. The lands to the north and east are more agricultural, but in every part of the canton manufacturing predominates. The canton of Zürich is noted for machinery. Silk and cotton weaving were important in the past, but have now ceased to be of importance. There is a large paper industry. Small and middle sized companies are important contributors to the economy of the canton of Zürich. The city of Zürich is a major banking centre, and insurance is also of importance. In 2014, about 1.2% of the workers in Zürich work in the
primary sector The primary sector of the economy includes any industry involved in the extraction and production of raw materials, such as farming, logging, fishing, forestry and mining. The primary sector tends to make up a larger portion of the economy ...
(the total for all of Switzerland is 3.3%). In 2014 the
secondary sector In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construc ...
employed 145,744 or about 14.7% of the total, which is much lower than 21.8% for the entire country. Of those in the secondary sector, over a quarter of the workers worked in construction trades and 9.5% worked in general construction. Additionally, almost 9% of the workers manufactured electronics. The
tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
employed 836,410 or about 84.1% of the total, which is much higher than 74.9% nationwide. This number has increased by about 180,000 since 2010 while the population in the canton has only increased by 73,000 over the same time period. Of those in the tertiary sector, the fourth largest sub-sector (in 2008) was financial services with 6.2% of the tertiary total. , Zürich had an unemployment rate of 3.9%. , there were 12,507 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 4,227 businesses involved in this sector. 143,231 people were employed in the
secondary sector In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construc ...
and there were 11,383 businesses in this sector. 655,848 people were employed in the
tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
, with 58,796 businesses in this sector. the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 678,306. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 8,120, of which 7,771 were in agriculture, 320 were in forestry or lumber production and 29 were in fishing or fisheries. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 133,723 of which 81,212 or (60.7%) were in manufacturing, 774 or (0.6%) were in mining and 47,014 (35.2%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 536,463. In the tertiary sector; 105,226 or 19.6% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 38,005 or 7.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 33,417 or 6.2% were in a hotel or restaurant, 35,571 or 6.6% were in the information industry, 81,163 or 15.1% were the insurance or financial industry, 65,139 or 12.1% were technical professionals or scientists, 36,792 or 6.9% were in education and 63,800 or 11.9% were in health care. Of the working population, 37.4% used public transportation to get to work, and 41.8% used a private car. The cantonal, local and church tax rates in the canton is generally slightly lower than the average rate for the entire country.Swiss Federal Tax Office
2015 numbers accessed 19 April 2017


Transport

Railways in standard gauge run through all major valleys in the canton. The centre for transport is Zürich, where a great number of local railways connect to national and international rail links. The railway station of the city of Zürich,
Zürich Hauptbahnhof Zürich Hauptbahnhof (often shortened to Zürich HB, or just HB; ''Zürich Main Station'' or ''Zürich Central Station'') is the largest railway station in Switzerland. Zürich is a major railway hub, with services to and from across Switzerland ...
, is one of the busiest in Europe, counting the number of arriving and departing trains. Zürich is well connected to other European cities using rail links. The major trains
ICE Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...
,
TGV The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...
and
Cisalpino Cisalpino AG () was a railway company, referred to as CIS in timetables, operating international trains between Switzerland and Italy connecting Basel, Schaffhausen, Zürich, Geneva, Milan, Venice, Trieste, Livorno, and Florence. The ...
connect to Zürich. The first Swiss railway ran in the
Limmat valley The Limmat Valley (German: ''Limmattal'') is a river valley and a region in the cantons of Zürich and Aargau in Switzerland. Geography The Limmat () is a long river located in the cantons of Zürich (ZH) and Aargau (AG). It is the co ...
in 1847, connecting Zürich to
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden i ...
. The major airport of Switzerland
Zurich Airport Zürich Airport (), french: Aéroport de Zurich, it, Aeroporto di Zurigo, rm, Eroport da Turitg is the largest international airport of Switzerland and the principal hub of Swiss International Air Lines. It serves Zürich, Switzerland's l ...
is located in Kloten, a mere from the city centre of Zürich. It is home to Swiss International Air Lines. The A1, A3 and A4 motorways run through the canton. Other motorways and expressways which also run through the canton include the A7, the A51, the A52 and the A53. Major hubs are Zürich and Winterthur.


Education

In Zürich about 493,209 or (39.5%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 212,154 or (17.0%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a '' Fachhochschule''). Of the 212,154 who completed tertiary schooling, 55.8% were Swiss men, 25.5% were Swiss women, 11.6% were non-Swiss men and 7.1% were non-Swiss women.


Notes


References


External links

*
Official StatisticsZürich Tourism
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zurich Cantons of Switzerland Cantons of the Helvetic Republic 14th-century establishments in the Old Swiss Confederacy 1350s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1351 establishments in Europe