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Canton Of Zrich | rowspan="1" colspan="2" | Canton of Zrich | | rowspan="1" colspan="2" | Flag of the Canton of Zrich
Flag of the canton | | Capital: | Zrich | | Abbr.: | ZH | | Joined: | 1351 | | Population: | 1,228,600 | | Area: | 1,729 km | | Language: | German | The Swiss canton of Zrich (German: Kanton Zrich) has a population of about 1.2 million. It is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zrich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Zrittsch. In English the name of the canton is often written without umlauts: Zurich. Geography The canton of Zrich is situated north of the Alps. Its neighbouring cantons are Schaffhausen to the north, Aargau to the west, the cantons of Zug and Schwyz to the south and the cantons of Thurgau and St.Gallen to the east. Most of the Lake Zrich is located within the canton. The area of the canton of Zrich is 1,729 km. About 80% of the land is considered productive. Forests make up 505 km, whilst lakes cover 73 km. The main lakes are the Lake Zrich, the Greifensee and the Pfffikersee. Most of the canton consists of shallow river valleys which drain towards the Rhine to the north of the canton. In the northwest and southeast of the canton there are more mountainous areas. The valley of the river Linth leads into the Lake Zrich and continues as the Limmat river. This valley is the most significant valley of the canton of Zrich. The valley of the Glatt river originates in the Greifensee and is separated from the Limmat by ridges. The valley of the river Tss 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 by a mountainous area. The Hrnli (1133 m) is the highest elevation of this mountain ridge. The valley of the river Sihl is located in the west of the canton. In confluences with the river Limmat in the city of Zrich. The river Sihl is separated from the lake of Zrich by the Albis Range. The Albishorn (915 m) is the highest elevation of this range. The highest elevation in the canton is at the Hhrohnen in the southeast of the canton. The etliberg is part of the Albis Range. This mountain is popular with the population of the city of Zrich for recreation. There is a railway up to the etliberg. History The canton of Zrich consists of lands acquired by the capital Zrich up to the year 1803. The canton of Zrich joined the Swiss confederation in 1351. The lower part of the canton was added to the territories of Zrich in 1362. The northern parts up to the river Rhine came to the canton after the city of Zrich purchased Winterthur from the Habsburgs in 1467. The constitution of the canton was established in 1869. Political substructures Location of the canton
Location of the canton Districts Municipalities These districts are further subdivided into these 171 municipalities (Politische Gemeinden). See also: Municipalities of Switzerland Government Legislative power The parliament has 180 members elected every four years. Executive power The canton is government by a seven member council (Regierungsrat). On 6 April 2003, the following were elected for four years: Economy Most of the land is cultivated, but the canton of Zrich 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 Zrich is noted for machinery. Silk and cotton weaving were important in the past, but have not ceased to be of importance. There is a paper industry. Small and middle sized companies are important contributors to the economy of the canton of Zrich. The city of Zrich is a major banking centre, but insurance is also of importance. Transport Railways in standard gauge run through all major valleys in the canton. The centre for transport is Zrich, where a great number of local railways connect to national and international rail links. The railway station of the city of Zrich, Zrich Main Station, is one of the busiest in the world, counting the number of arriving and departing trains. Zrich is well connected to other European cities using rail links. The major trains ICE, TGV and Cisalpino connect to Zrich. The first Swiss railway ran in the Limmat valley in 1847, connecting Zrich to Baden. The major airport of Switzerland is located in Zrich-Kloten, a mere 12 kilometres from the city centre of Zrich. It is home to the Swiss airlines. The A1, A3 and A4 motorways run through the canton. Other motorways and motorroads which also run through the canton include the A7, the A51, the A52 and the A53. Major hubs are Zrich and Winterthur. External links Zurich
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