canton of neuchtel

rowspan="1" colspan="2" \| Canton of Neuchtel
rowspan="1" colspan="2" \| Flag of the Canton of Neuchtel Flag of the canton
Capital:	Neuchtel
Abbr.:	NE
Joined:	1815
Population:	167,990
Area:	803 km²
Language:	French

Neuchtel is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the west of Switzerland. The population is 167,990 (2003). The capital is Neuchtel.

Geography

The canton of Neuchtel is located in the west of Switzerland. To its northeast it border the canton of Bern, the northwest France. The Lake Neuchtel lies southeast of the canton, while the canton of Vaud is southwest of the canton of Neuchtel. The canton lies in the central area of the Jura Mountains. Lake Neuchtel drains the lands in the south, whilst the River Doubs drains the northern areas. The canton is commonly divided into three regions. The Vignoble region is located along the lake. Its name derives from the many vineyards found there. The region called Les Valles lies further north. The two largest valleys of the canton of Neuchtel lie in this region: the Ruz Valley and the Val de Travers. Both valley lie at about 700m. The highest region of the canton, however, is the Neuchtelois Mountains at 900 to 1065m. This region is made up of a long valley home to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle and La Brvine. Location of the canton
Location of the canton

History

The name of the canton goes back to the Roman designation of Novum Castellum (new castle). Rudolph III of Burgundy mentioned Neuchtel in his will in 1032. The dynasty of Count Ulrich von Fenis took over the town and its territories in 1034. The dynasty prospered and by 1373 all the lands now part of the canton belonged to the count. In 1405 the cities of Bern and Neuchtel entered a union. The lands of Neuchtel passed to the lords of Freiburg about a century later, and then in 1504 to the French house of Orlans- Longueville. The French preacher Guillaume Farel brought the teachings of the Protestant Reformation to the area in 1530. When the house of Orlans- Longueville became extinct in 1707, the lands of Neuchtel went to King Frederick I of Prussia. The kings of Prussia governed the area until 1848, with the exception of the period between 1806 and 1814 when the lands went as a sovereign principality to Napoleons chief of staff Louis Alexandre Berthier. In 1815 the canton of Neuchtel became part of the Swiss confederation as a full member. For the first time the Swiss admitted a canton that did not have a republican administration. This situation changed in 1848 when a peaceful revolution took place and established a Republic. King Frederick William IV of Prussia did not give in immediately and several attempts at counter-revolution took place. In 1857 Frederick William renounced his claims on the area.

Economy

The canton is well-known for its wines that are grown along the Lake Neuchtel. There are dairy farming and cattle breeding in the valleys, but it is for the breeding of horses that Neuchtel has a fine reputation. Watch making is well established in the canton, as is recently fine mechanics and the production of microchips.