Vaud ( ; french: (Canton de) Vaud, ; german: (Kanton) Waadt, or ), more formally the canton of Vaud, is one of the 26 cantons forming the

Swiss Confederation ). 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 is composed of ten districts and its capital city is

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...

. Its coat of arms bears the motto "Liberté et patrie" on a white-green bicolour. Vaud is the third largest canton of the

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...

by population and fourth by size. It is located in

Romandy Romandy (french: Romandie or )Before World War I, the term French Switzerland (french: Suisse française) waalso used german: Romandie or , it, Romandia, rm, Romanda) is the French-speaking part of western Switzerland. In 2020, about 2 milli ...

, the

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 ...

-speaking western part of the country; and borders the canton of

Neuchâtel , neighboring_municipalities= Auvernier, Boudry, Chabrey (VD), Colombier, Cressier, Cudrefin (VD), Delley-Portalban (FR), Enges, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Hauterive, Saint-Blaise, Savagnier , twintowns = Aarau (Switzerland), Besançon (Fra ...

to the north, the cantons of

Fribourg , neighboring_municipalities= Düdingen, Givisiez, Granges-Paccot, Marly, Pierrafortscha, Sankt Ursen, Tafers, Villars-sur-Glâne , twintowns = Rueil-Malmaison (France) , website = www.ville-fribourg.ch , Location of , Location of () () ...

and

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

to the east, the canton of

Valais Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the 26 cantons forming the S ...

to the south, the canton of

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...

to the south-west and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

to the west. The geography of the canton includes all three natural regions of Switzerland: the

Jura Mountains The Jura Mountains ( , , , ; french: Massif du Jura; german: Juragebirge; it, Massiccio del Giura, rm, Montagnas da Jura) are a sub-alpine mountain range a short distance north of the Western Alps and mainly demarcate a long part of the Fre ...

, 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 ...

and the (Swiss) Alps. It also includes some of the largest lakes of the country:

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial lak ...

and

Lake Neuchâtel Lake Neuchâtel (french: Lac de Neuchâtel ; frp, Lèc de Nôchâtél; german: Neuenburgersee) is a lake primarily in Romandy, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. The lake lies mainly in the canton of Neuchâtel, but is also shared by t ...

. It is a major tourist destination, renowned for its landscapes and gastronomy. The largest city is

, followed by Yverdon-les-Bains and

Montreux Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approxima ...

. As of the canton has a population of . It is one of the four cantons where

is the sole official language. Formerly a Bernese bailiwick, Vaud joined the Swiss Confederation as an independent canton in 1803.

History

Karte Bernische-Vogteien-Kanton-Waadt en

Humans lived alongside the Vaud lakes in prehistoric times. Later, the

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...

tribe of the

Helvetii The Helvetii ( , Gaulish: *''Heluētī''), anglicized as Helvetians, were a Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their contact with the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC. According to Juliu ...

inhabited the area.

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

's troops defeated the Helvetii in 58 BC and as a consequence the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

settled in the area. The many towns established by the Romans include

Vevey Vevey (; frp, Vevê; german: label=former German, Vivis) is a town in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the district of ...

( la, Viviscus) and Lausanne (''Lausonium'' or ''Lausonna''). In 27 BC the state of ''Civitas Helvetiorum'' was established around the capital of

Avenches Avenches () is a Swiss municipality in the canton of Vaud, located in the district of Broye-Vully. History The roots of Avenches go back to the Celts. A tribe of Helvetians had built a settlement on the hills of Bois de Châtel, south of the ...

(''Aventicum''). There are still many Roman remains around the town today. Between the 2nd and the 4th centuries

Alemanni The Alemanni or Alamanni, were a confederation of Germanic tribes * * * on the Upper Rhine River. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Caracalla of 213, the Alemanni captured the in 260, and later expanded into pres ...

c tribes repeatedly invaded the area, and in the 5th century the

Burgundians The Burgundians ( la, Burgundes, Burgundiōnes, Burgundī; on, Burgundar; ang, Burgendas; grc-gre, Βούργουνδοι) were an early Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared in the middle Rhine region, near the Roman Empire, and ...

occupied the territory. The

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gaul ...

Franks later replaced the Burgundians. Their control did not last long either, and in 888 the area of the canton of Vaud became part of the

Carolingian Empire The Carolingian Empire (800–888) was a large Frankish-dominated empire in western and central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the L ...

(the successor state to the Merovingians). In 1032 the Zähringens of Germany defeated the Burgundians. The Zähringens themselves were succeeded in 1218 by the counts of

Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Sa ...

. It was only under the counts of Savoy that the area gained political unity as the

Barony of Vaud The Barony of Vaud was an appanage of the County of Savoy, corresponding roughly to the modern Canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It was created by a process of acquisition on the part of a younger brother of the reigning count beginning in 1234 and cu ...

. A part stretching from

Attalens Attalens (; frp, Atalens, locally or ''Talin'') is a municipality in the district of Veveyse in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. History Attalens is first mentioned in 867 as ''Haltningum''. Geography Attalens has an area of . Of ...

to the river

Sarine Sarine may refer to: * Sarine District, one of Switzerland's seven districts *Saane/Sarine The Sarine (; frp, Sarena ) or Saane () is a major river of Switzerland.6th longest, 7th largest basin, see List of rivers of Switzerland It is long and ...

, in the north, was absorbed by the canton of Fribourg. Lausanne Saint-Maire

As the power of the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...

declined at the beginning of the 15th century, troops from

occupied the land. By 1536 Bern had completely annexed the area. Vaud's

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...

started with co-workers of

John Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...

Pierre Viret Pierre Viret (1509/1510 – 4 April 1571) was a Swiss Reformed theologian, evangelist and Protestant reformer. Early life Pierre Viret was born in 1509 or 1510 in Orbe, then in the Barony of Vaud, now in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. He wa ...

(a famous debate took place at the cathedral of Lausanne), but it was only decisively implemented when Bern put its full force behind it. The Bernese occupiers were not popular amongst the population. In 1723 Major Abraham Davel led a revolt against Bern, in protest at what he saw as the denial of political rights of the French-speaking Vaudois by the German-speaking Bernese; he was subsequently beheaded.''Histoire de la Suisse'', Éditions Fragnière, Fribourg, Switzerland. Later, inspired by the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

of 1789–1799, the Vaudois drove out the Bernese governor in 1798 and declared the Lemanic Republic. Vaud nationalists like Frédéric-César de La Harpe had called for French intervention in liberating the area, and French Revolutionary troops moved in, taking over the whole of Switzerland itself in the process and setting up the

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 ...

. Under

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

(Emperor 1804-1815), Vaud became (1798-1803) the

canton of Léman Léman was the name of a canton of the Helvetic Republic from 1798 to 1803, corresponding to the territory of modern Vaud. A former subject territory of Bern, Vaud had been independent for only four months in 1798 as the Lemanic Republic before i ...

. Unrest about the abolition of

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...

rights and taxes led to increased discontent, which culminated in the revolt of the Bourla-papey in spring 1802, closely followed by the

Stecklikrieg The ("War of Sticks") of 1802 resulted in the collapse of the Helvetic Republic, the renewed French occupation of Switzerland and ultimately the Act of Mediation dictated by Napoleon on 19 February 1803. The conflict itself was between insurgent ...

(August to October 1802) that brought the end of the entire Helvetic Republic in 1803. In 1803 Vaud joined the re-installed

. In spite of Bernese attempts to reclaim Vaud, it has remained a sovereign canton ever since. In the 19th century, the canton of Vaud was an outspoken opponent of the ''Sonderbund'' Catholic separatist movement, which led to intervention by 99,000 Swiss Federal troops under General

Henri Dufour Guillaume Henri Dufour (15 September 178714 July 1875) was a Swiss military officer, structural engineer and topographer. He served under Napoleon I and held the Swiss office of General four times in his career, firstly in 1847 when he led the ...

against 79,000 separatists, in the Sonderbund War (November 1847). Separation was prevented at the cost of very few lives. The current cantonal constitution dates from 14 April 2003, replacing the constitution of 1885.

Geography

The canton stretches from

in the north, where it borders the

canton of Neuchâtel The Republic and Canton of Neuchâtel (french: République et Canton de Neuchâtel); rm, Chantun Neuchâtel; it, Cantone di Neuchâtel is a French-speaking canton in western Switzerland. In 2007, its population was 169,782, of whom 39,654 (or ...

, to

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial lak ...

(french: Léman) in the south, where it borders the

canton of Geneva The Canton of Geneva, officially the Republic and Canton of Geneva (french: link=no, République et canton de Genève; frp, Rèpublica et canton de Geneva; german: Republik und Kanton Genf; it, Repubblica e Cantone di Ginevra; rm, Republica e ...

, the French department of

Haute-Savoie Haute-Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè d'Amont'' or ''Hiôta-Savouè''; en, Upper Savoy) or '; it, Alta Savoia. is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its prefecture is Ann ...

(lake border) and the

canton of Valais Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 ...

(

Chablais Chablais () was a province of the Duchy of Savoy. Its capital was Thonon-les-Bains. Chablais was elevated to a duchy in 1311 by Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor. This region is currently divided into three territories, the '' Chablais savoyard'', th ...

). In the

Jura mountains The Jura Mountains ( , , , ; french: Massif du Jura; german: Juragebirge; it, Massiccio del Giura, rm, Montagnas da Jura) are a sub-alpine mountain range a short distance north of the Western Alps and mainly demarcate a long part of the Fre ...

in the west, the canton borders the French departments of Ain, Jura, and

Doubs Doubs (, ; ; frp, Dubs) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Eastern France. Named after the river Doubs, it had a population of 543,974 in 2019.Fribourg , neighboring_municipalities= Düdingen, Givisiez, Granges-Paccot, Marly, Pierrafortscha, Sankt Ursen, Tafers, Villars-sur-Glâne , twintowns = Rueil-Malmaison (France) , website = www.ville-fribourg.ch , Location of , Location of () () ...

and

. The total area is . Along with the canton of Berne, Vaud is one of the two cantons whose territory extends from the Jura to the Alps, through the three distinct geographic regions of Switzerland. The areas in the south east are mountainous, situated on the north side of the

Bernese Alps , topo_map= Swiss Federal Office of Topography swisstopo , photo=BerneseAlps.jpg , photo_caption=The Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau , country= Switzerland , subdivision1_type= Cantons , subdivision1= , parent= Western Alps , borders_on= , ...

. This region is commonly named the ''Vaud Alps'' (french: Alpes Vaudoises). The Diablerets massif, peaking at , is the highest mountain of the canton. Other summits such as the

Grand Muveran The Grand Muveran is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, located on the border between the cantons of Vaud and Valais. At 3,051 metres, it is the highest summit of the group lying between the Rhone knee and the Pas de Cheville and the westernmost ...

and the Tour d'Aï are visible from most of the canton. The area also hosts several popular skiing destinations such as Villars,

Les Diablerets Les Diablerets is a village and ski resort located in the municipality of Ormont-Dessus in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. The village lies at an altitude of on the north side of the massif of the Diablerets, , in the Swiss Alps. It can be ...

and

Leysin Leysin is a municipality of the canton of Vaud in the Aigle district of Switzerland. It is first mentioned around 1231–32 as ''Leissins'', in 1352 as ''Leisins''. Located in the Vaud Alps, Leysin is a sunny alpine resort village at the eastern ...

. The central area of the canton, in contrast, consists of

moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris ( regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice sh ...

s and is hilly. There are plains along the lakes. In the north, Avenches is in an

exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

of the canton surrounded by the canton of Fribourg and Lake Neuchâtel. On the other hand, there are three enclaves of the

canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

of Fribourg (Estavayer-le-lac, Vuissens, Surpierre), as well as two enclaves of the canton of

(Céligny), that are surrounded by the canton of Vaud. The north-western part of the canton is also mountainous but in a more modest way with mountains generally not above ; the

. The Vallée de Joux is one of the most popular destinations in the region and also a centre of luxury mechanical

Swiss watch Swiss made is a label or marking used to indicate that a product was made on the territory of Switzerland. It is also a geographical indication protected under different Swiss and international laws and treaties. According to the Swiss Federal Ac ...

manufacturing.

Politics

Salle du Grand Conseil du canton de vaud

Members of the national council

Source:

Members of the council of states

Source:

Federal election results

: before 2009: FDP; since 2009: FDP.The Liberals : "*" indicates that the party was not on the ballot in this canton. : Part of the FDP for this election

Political subdivisions

Districts

The canton of Vaud is divided into 10 districts: *

Aigle , neighboring_municipalities= Vaud: Yvorne, Leysin, Ormont-Dessous, Ollon; Valais: Vouvry, Collombey-Muraz , twintowns = L'Aigle (France), Tübingen (Germany), Bassersdorf (Switzerland) } Aigle (French for " eagle", ; frp, Âgllo) is ...

with capital

* Broye-Vully with capital

Payerne Payerne (; frp, Payèrna) is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It was the seat of the district of Payerne, and is now part of the district of Broye-Vully. The German name ''Peterlingen'' for the town is out of use. History The earl ...

Gros-de-Vaud The Gros-de-Vaud is an area of the Swiss canton of Vaud. Localisation The Gros-de-Vaud lies between the cities of Lausanne and Yverdon on the North-South direction, and between Moudon and Orbe in the East-West axle. The community of Echal ...

with capital Échallens * Jura-Nord vaudois with capital Yverdon-les-Bains *

with capital

* Lavaux-Oron with capital

Cully Cully may refer to: Places * Cully, Calvados, a former commune in the Allier department, France * Cully, Switzerland, a municipality in the canton of Vaud * Cully, Portland, Oregon, United States, a neighborhood in northeast Portland People Given ...

Morges Morges (; la, Morgiis, plural, probably ablative, else dative; frp, Môrges) is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud and the seat of the district of Morges. It is located on Lake Geneva. History Morges is first mentioned in 1288 as ...

with capital

Nyon Nyon (; outdated German: or ; outdated Italian: , ) is a municipality in Nyon District in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilometers north east of Geneva's city centre, and since the 1970s it has become part of the Ge ...

with capital

* Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut with capital

* Ouest Lausannois with capital

Renens Renens ( ) is a municipality in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It is located in the district of Ouest Lausannois, and is a suburb of the city of Lausanne. It is the fourth largest city in the canton. It is considered a very multiethnic town, a ...

Municipalities

There are 376 municipalities in the canton ().

Demographics

The population is

-speaking and historically was mostly

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

(Calvinist), dating from the early years of the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

. Recently, however, this has been changing due to immigration from

Southern Europe Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Alb ...

. In 2000, the population was nearly evenly split between Protestants (40%) and

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

s (34%). The population of the canton (as of ) was . , the population included about 28% foreigners, including many

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 Ita ...

s. The major population centres of the canton are: Lausanne ( inhabitants in ),

(Montreux: Vevey: inhabitants) and Yverdon-les-Bains ( inhabitants). The region around

is often considered part of the agglomeration of

. All of these are on Lake Geneva (called Lac Léman in

), except for Yverdon, which is on Lake Neuchâtel.

Economy

The

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 ...

, is the major city of the canton. There are light industries concentrated around it. In 1998, 71.7% of the workers worked in the tertiary sector and 20.8% in the secondary. The canton is the second-largest producer of

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...

in Switzerland. Most of the wine produced in the canton is white, and most vineyards are located on the steep shores of Lake Geneva such as the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces. There is agriculture in the areas away from Lake Geneva. Sugar beet is important around

Orbe Orbe (; la, Urba; older german: Orbach, ; frp, Orba) is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It was the seat of the former district of Orbe and is now part of the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois. History Orbe is first mentioned about 2 ...

, tobacco in La Broye Valley, and fruit at the foot of the

. Cattle breeding and pasture are common in the

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 ...

and the Jura mountains. There is a salt mine at

Bex Bex (; german: Beis; frp, Bés) is a municipality in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, located in the district of Aigle. It is a few kilometers south of its sister town municipality of Aigle. History Bex is first mentioned in 574 as ''in Bac ...

. Tourism is important in many towns along Lake Geneva. Major lakeside resorts include Lausanne,

, and

. The

Union Cycliste Internationale The ''Union Cycliste Internationale'' (UCI; ; en, International Cycling Union) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland. The UCI issues raci ...

is based in Aigle, and many of its defamation lawsuits against critics have been heard in the Est Vaudois district court of Vevey.

Education

Two Swiss public universities are located within the canton: *

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internationa ...

(EPFL) *

University of Lausanne The University of Lausanne (UNIL; french: links=no, Université de Lausanne) in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of Protestant theology, before being made a university in 1890. The university is the second oldest in Switzer ...

(UNIL) Additionally, there are several public ''hautes écoles'' offering a limited selection of programmes: * Haute école d'art et de design (ECAL) * Vaud School of Business and Engineering (HEIG-VD) * University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO) ** Haute École de Santé La Source (HEdS-La Source) ** Haute École de travail social et de la santé (EESP) **

École hôtelière de Lausanne The École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL, ) is a hospitality management school in Switzerland. The school is consistently regarded as the best hospitality school in the world. It trains students whose goals are to obtain managerial careers in the ...

(EHL) ** Changins **

Haute école des arts et de la scène Haute may refer to: People * Nicholas Haute (1357 – c.1415), English knight, landowner and politician ** William Haute (MP) (1390-1462), son of Nicholas, Member of Parliament, English politician ** William Hawte Sir William Hawte (also Haute or ...

(Manufacture) * Haute École de Santé Vaud (HESAV) * Haute école de musique (HEMU) * Haute école pédagogique du Canton de Vaud (HEP Vaud)

Gastronomy

The canton is often referred to as the "culinary capital of Switzerland" and is renowned for its many cheeses, wines and charcuterie. It is also home to a high number of gourmet restaurants, such as the Hôtel de ville in

Crissier Crissier () is a municipality in the district of Ouest Lausannois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is a suburb of Lausanne. History Crissier is first mentioned in 1199 as ''Crissiaco''. In 1228 it was mentioned as ''Crissie''. Geography ...

, founded by

Frédy Girardet Frédy Girardet (born 17 November 1936) is a Swiss chef who cooks in the French tradition. Often considered one of the greatest chefs of the 20th Century, his self-named restaurant in Crissier, Switzerland (near Lausanne, Switzerland) earned thr ...

Taillé aux greubons The Taillé aux greubons is a salted bakery specialty from Vaud, in Switzerland. "''Greubon''" is a Swiss term for the crackling produced as residue from rendering lard. The ''taillés'' are made of puff pastry Puff pastry, also known as ', i ...

are a salted bakery specialty of the region consisting of crackling encased in

puff pastry Puff pastry, also known as ', is a flaky light pastry made from a laminated dough composed of dough (') and butter or other solid fat ('). The butter is put inside the dough (or vice versa), making a ' that is repeatedly folded and rolled out befo ...

. Another of the canton's specialties is carac, a sweet tart consisting of a sweetcrust pastry case ( pâte sucrée) filled with chocolate

ganache Ganache (; ) is a glaze, icing, sauce, or filling for pastries, made from chocolate and cream. Preparation Ganache is a chocolate preparation, normally made by heating equal parts by weight of cream and chopped chocolate, warming the cream ...

, covered by a characteristic green icing or fondant layer topped with a dot of chocolate.

Notable people

* Brigitte Balleys (born 1959) a Swiss mezzo-soprano in opera and concert. *

Raymond Burki Raymond Burki (2 September 1949 – 29 December 2016) was a Swiss cartoonist. He did over 8,000 drawings over the course of his career, and spent four decades as a cartoonist for ''24 heures (Switzerland), 24 heures''. Early life Raymond Burki was ...

(1949 in Épalinges – 2016) a Swiss cartoonist. *

Henri Dès Henri Dès (born 14 December 1940 in Renens, Vaud, Switzerland as Henri Destraz) is a Swiss French-language children's singer and songwriter immensely popular in European Francophone countries. In 1970, he released his first album, ''Retour''. D� ...

(born 1940 in Renens) a Swiss French-language children's singer and songwriter *

Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe Ducros Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe Ducros (21 July 1748 – 18 February 1810) was a Swiss painter, watercolourist and engraver, and was a main figure in the 'pre-romantic' movement. Biography Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe was the son of a drawing master at Yverd ...

(1748 in Moudon – 1810) a Swiss painter, watercolourist and engraver *

Pierre Gilliard Pierre Gilliard (16 May 1879 – 30 May 1962) was a Swiss academic and author, best known as the French language tutor to the five children of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia from 1905 to 1918. In 1921, after the Russian Revolution of 1917, he publ ...

(1879 in Fiez – 1962) a Swiss academic and author, French language tutor to the five children of Emperor

Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Polan ...

from 1905 to 1918. * Marcel Regamey (1905–1982), Swiss essayist and journalist *

Flore Revalles Flore (or Flora) Revalles (January 25, 1889 – August 29, 1966) was a Swiss entertainer active over the early decades of the twentieth century. Revalles began as a singer in Switzerland, danced with the Ballets Russes in Europe and America and a ...

(1889 in Rolle – 1966) a Swiss entertainer, singer and dancer * Anatoly Shteiger (1907 — 1944 in Leysin) a Russian poet *

Gabriel Tschumi Gabriel Tschumi (1883–27 April 1957) was a native of Switzerland who served as Master Chef to three British monarchs: Queen Victoria and Kings Edward VII and George V. Early life Tschumi was born in about 1883, in Moudon, Switzerland, where his ...

(1883 in Moudon – 1957) Master Chef to Queen Victoria, Kings Edward VII and George V. *

Jean-Louis Wagnière Jean-Louis Wagnière (15 October 1739, Rueyres, Vaud, Switzerland7 April 1802, Ferney-Voltaire) was Voltaire's secretary from 1756 to 1778, when Voltaire died. In Voltaire’s Service Wagnière entered Voltaire’s service as his valet de cham ...

(1739 in Rueyres – 1802)

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his '' nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—e ...

's secretary from 1756 to 1778. *

Charles-Emmanuel de Warnery Charles Emanuel de Warnery (13 March 1720 – 3 May 1776) was a royal Prussian colonel, later a royal Polish general. He was born 13 March 1720 at Morges on Lake Geneva, Canton Vaud, served in the Sardinian service on the ''Regiment Desportes'', ...

(1720 at Morges - 1776) royal Prussian colonel, later a royal Polish general.

Notes and references

Bibliography

* Laurent Flutsch and Séverine André (with the collaboration of Bernadette Gross), ''Y en a point comme nous. Un portrait des Vaudois aujourd'hui'' here are none like us. A portrait of the Vaudois of today Éditions Infolio, 2015, 368 pages ().

External links

* *
Cantonal government

Vaud Tourist Office

Official Statistics Vaud (SCRIS)

Vaud Directory

''The canton of Vaud in 2015''
{{Portal bar, Switzerland

Vaud Vaud ( ; french: (Canton de) Vaud, ; german: (Kanton) Waadt, or ), more formally the canton of Vaud, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of ten districts and its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat of arms ...

Wine regions of Switzerland

1803 establishments in Switzerland States and territories established in 1803

History

Geography

Politics

Members of the national council

Members of the council of states

Federal election results

Political subdivisions

Districts

Municipalities

Demographics

Economy

Education

Gastronomy

Notable people

See also

Notes and references

Bibliography

External links