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Surselva Region is one of the eleven
administrative districts Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
in the canton of Graubünden in
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. It was created on 1 January 2017 as part of a reorganization of the canton.Swiss Federal Statistical Office – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz – Mutationsmeldungen 2016
accessed 16 February 2017
Surselva Region has an area of , with a population of as of .. It corresponds exactly to its predecessor, Surselva District, but the former subdistricts (''Kreise'') of Disentis, Ilanz, Lumnezia/Lugnez, Ruis and Safien have been abandoned. ''Surselva'' ("above the forest") is the name of the valley of the Anterior Rhine in the local (
Sursilvan Sursilvan (; also ''romontsch sursilvan'' ; Sursilvan, Vallader, Surmiran, Sutsilvan, and Rumantsch Grischun: ''sursilvan''; Puter: ''sursilvaun'') is a group of dialects of the Romansh language spoken in the Swiss district of Surselva. It is ...
) dialect of Romansh. The eponymous forest is that of the Flims rockslide; the region "below the forest" is ''Sutselva'', where the
Sutsilvan Romansh (; sometimes also spelled Romansch and Rumantsch; Sursilvan: ; Vallader, Surmiran, and Rumantsch Grischun: ; Putèr: ; Sutsilvan: , , ; Jauer: ) is a Gallo-Romance language spoken predominantly in the Swiss canton of the G ...
dialect used to be spoken.


Geography

The Surselva encompasses the valley of the Vorderrhein/Rein Anteriur (the Surselva) and all its side valleys, from the source near the Oberalp Pass all the way down towards Reichenau (where the Vorderrhein joins the Hinterrhein/Rein Posteriur to form the
Alpine Rhine The Alpine Rhine Valley (german: Alpenrheintal) is a glacial alpine valley, formed by the part of the Alpine Rhine (german: Alpenrhein ) between the confluence of the Anterior Rhine and Posterior Rhine at Reichenau and the Alpine Rhine's mouth ...
). The region ends before that confluence at the huge forest on the giant debris of Flims Rockslide that is responsible for the name of the region: The debris area lack of water and soil and were ever left as a big forest as it was useless for farming. This forest (romonsch: silva) is the border for "Sur-silva" (meaning "above the forest"). The Surselva is one of the few areas in Switzerland that is mainly Romansh-speaking (another notable valley being the
Engadin The Engadin or Engadine ( rm, ;This is the name in the two Romansh idioms that are spoken in the Engadin, Vallader and Puter, as well as in Sursilvan and Rumantsch Grischun. In Surmiran, the name is ''Nagiadegna'', and in Sutsilvan, it is ...
e, the valley of the Inn). The most important community in the Surselva is Disentis/Mustér, with its Benedictine monastery, which dates back to 720. There are a few German-speaking communities in the Surselva, e.g. Obersaxen and Vals, which were founded in the thirteenth century by the Walser. A long-distance hike is signposted to follow the full length of the main valley of the Anterior Rhine.


Municipalities

Surselva Region had 17 municipalities at the time of its formation. On 1 January 2018 the former municipalities of Andiast and Waltensburg/Vuorz merged into the municipality of Breil/Brigels, for a total of 15 municipalities.


Linguistic demography

Romansh is the predominant language in the region, most of which speak the
Sursilvan Sursilvan (; also ''romontsch sursilvan'' ; Sursilvan, Vallader, Surmiran, Sutsilvan, and Rumantsch Grischun: ''sursilvan''; Puter: ''sursilvaun'') is a group of dialects of the Romansh language spoken in the Swiss district of Surselva. It is ...
dialect. There is a large German-speaking minority in Surselva, notably the Walser settlements of Obersaxen and Vals.


History

Surselva District ( rm, ) was an
administrative district Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...
in the canton of the Grisons,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, from 2000 until 2016. It had an area of and a population of 21,325 in 2015. It was formed in 2000 by a merger of the former Vorderrhein and Glenner districts. During its existence there were several changes in its composition: *On 1 January 2012 the municipality of Schlans merged into the municipality of Trun. *The municipalities of Cumbel, Degen,
Lumbrein Lumbrein is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The municipalities of Cumbel, Degen, Lumbrein, Morissen, Suraua, Vignogn, Vella, and Vrin merged on 1 January 2013 into the new municipality o ...
, Morissen,
Suraua Suraua is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. The former municipality was formed on January 1, 2002, through the union of Camuns, Surcasti, Tersnaus, and Uors-Peiden. The municipalitie ...
, Vignogn,
Vella Vella is a village and a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. The municipalities of Cumbel, Degen, Lumbrein, Morissen, Suraua, Vignogn, Vella, and Vrin merged on 1 January 2013 int ...
, and Vrin merged on 1 January 2013 into the new municipality of Lumnezia. *On 1 January 2014 the former municipalities of
Castrisch Castrisch () is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Until 1943, it was officially known as Kästris. On 1 January 2014 the former municipalities of Castrisch, Ilanz, Ladir, Luven, Pitasch, ...
,
Ilanz Ilanz ( rm, Glion) is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The former municipality of Ilanz was congruent with the town of Ilanz. On 1 January 1978, the former municipality of Strada merged into t ...
, Ladir, Luven, Pitasch, Riein, Ruschein,
Schnaus Schnaus is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2014 the former municipalities of Schnaus, Castrisch, Ilanz, Ladir, Luven, Pitasch, Riein, Ruschein, Sevgein, Duvin, Pigniu, Rue ...
, Sevgein,
Duvin Duvin (german: Duvin ), rm, Duin ) is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2014 the former municipalities of Duvin, Castrisch, Ilanz, Ladir, Luven, Pitasch, Riein, Ruschein, ...
, Pigniu, Rueun and Siat merged into the new municipality of Ilanz/Glion. *On 1 January 2015 the former municipality of St. Martin merged into the municipality of Vals. It consisted of five '' Kreise'' (sub-districts) and forty-three
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
. It was replaced with the ''Surselva Region'' on 1 January 2017 as part of a reorganization of the Canton.


References

{{Coord, 46.76, N, 9.09, E, region:CH, display=title Regions of Graubünden Vorderrhein basin