In the Holy Roman Empire , imperial immediacy ( German : Reichsunmittelbarkeit or Reichsfreiheit ) was the status of an individual or a territory which was defined as 'immediate' ( unmittelbar ) to Emperor and Empire ( Kaiser und Reich ) and not to any other intermediate authorities, while one that did not possess that status was defined as 'mediate' ( mittelbar ).
80-431: The canton of Zurich is an administrative unit ( canton ) of Switzerland, situated in the northeastern part of the country. With a population of 1,553,423 (as of 31 December 2020), it is the most populous canton of Switzerland. Zurich is the de facto capital of the canton, but is not specifically mentioned in the constitution. The official language is German . The local Swiss German dialect, called Züritüütsch ,
160-523: A constitutionally unique form of territorial authority known as "territorial superiority" ( Landeshoheit ) which had nearly all the attributes of sovereignty, but fell short of true sovereignty since the rulers of the Empire remained answerable to the Empire's institutions and basic laws. In the early modern period , the Empire consisted of over 1,800 immediate territories, ranging in size from quite large such as Austria, Bavaria, Saxony, and Brandenburg, down to
240-563: A federal state in 1848. The cantons retained far-reaching sovereignty but were no longer allowed to maintain individual standing armies or international relations. As the revolutions of 1848 in Western Europe had failed elsewhere, Switzerland during the later 19th century (and with the exception of the French Third Republic , until the end of World War I ) found itself as an isolated democratic republic, surrounded by
320-407: A federation of states was restored, at the time including 19 cantons (the six accessions to the early modern Thirteen Cantons being composed of former associates and subject territories: St. Gallen , Grisons , Aargau , Thurgau , Ticino , Vaud ). Three additional western cantons, Valais , Neuchâtel and Geneva , acceded in 1815. The process of "Restoration", completed by 1830, returned most of
400-562: 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 (the last execution by hanging in Zurich 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,
480-482: A particular municipality (the place of origin ) and the canton in which that municipality is part. Cantons, therefore, have a role in and set requirements for the granting of citizenship (naturalisation), though the process is typically undertaken at a municipal level and is subject to federal law. Switzerland has only one federal public holiday (1 August); public holidays otherwise vary from canton to canton . The cantons are listed in their order of precedence given in
560-681: A policy of aggressive territorial expansion especially during the century following the revolution of the guilds in 1336. Zurich joined the Swiss Confederacy in 1351. Zurich claimed and lost the Toggenburg in the Old Zürich War of the 1440s. The northern parts up to the river Rhine came to the canton after the city of Zurich purchased Winterthur from the Habsburgs in 1468. In 1651, Zurich purchased Rafzerfeld from
640-538: A popular vote to amend the cantonal constitution or laws or to veto laws or spending bills passed by the parliament. Other than in the instances of general popular assemblies in Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus, democratic rights are exercised by secret ballot. The right of foreigners to vote varies by canton, as does whether Swiss citizens living abroad (and registered to vote in a canton) can take part in cantonal voting. Swiss citizens are citizens of
720-402: A rate of 12.7%. Migration accounted for 10.3%, while births and deaths accounted for 2.6%. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (1,040,168 or 83.4%) as their first language, Italian 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 and 2,606 people who speak Romansh . Of the population in
800-536: A series of rivers generally flowing south-east to north-west, listed west to east: Reuss , Reppisch , Sihl , Linth - Limmat (forming Lake Zurich ), Glatt , Töss and Thur . The main lakes are the Lake Zurich (Linth-Limmat, 88 km), Greifensee (Glatt, 8.4 km) and Pfäffikersee (Glatt, 3.3 km). Minor lakes include Türlersee (Limmat), Katzensee (Glatt), Hüttnersee (Sihl), Lützelsee (Limmat). Its neighbouring cantons are Schaffhausen to
880-693: A single collective vote ( votum curiatum ). Further immediate estates not represented in the Reichstag were the Imperial Knights as well as several abbeys and minor localities , the remains of those territories which in the High Middle Ages had been under the direct authority of the Emperor and since then had mostly been given in pledge to the princes. At the same time, there were classes of "princes" with titular immediacy to
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#1732766051948960-672: A stronger negotiating position, for example giving the province the ability to appeal to the Imperial Diet in any debate with Charles. For that reason, the Emperor strongly rejected and blocked Overijssel's attempt. Disadvantages might include direct intervention by imperial commissions, as happened in several of the southwestern cities after the Schmalkaldic War , and the potential restriction or outright loss of previously held legal patents. Immediate rights might be lost if
1040-467: A tiny portion of the village of Laufen-Uhwiesen called Nohl . The blazon of the coat of arms is Per bend azure and argent. The Cantonal Council ( Kantonsrat ) has 180 members elected every four years. The canton is governed by a seven-member council ( Regierungsrat ). On 24 March 2019, the following were elected for four years: The canton is divided into 12 districts (German: Bezirke ): There are, as of December 2015, 169 municipalities in
1120-615: Is a mountain located near Fischenthal in the Töss Valley, between the cantons of Zurich (west) and St. Gallen (east). It is the highest summit (1,292 m (4,239 ft)) of the canton of Zurich. The Uetliberg is part of the Albis Range. This mountain is popular with the population of the city of Zurich for recreation. The vast majority of the canton lies to the south of the Rhine, the exceptions being Rafzerfeld as mentioned and
1200-483: Is commonly spoken. The canton has the highest Human Development Index score (0.994) out of 1,790 subnational regions as of 2022, coming the closest to a perfect score of 1. It is also a global financial center and has the fourth-highest GRP in Switzerland behind Basel-Stadt , Zug and Geneva by GDP per capita. The prehistoric pile dwellings around Lake Zurich , which are located around Lake Zurich in
1280-469: 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. Rafzerfeld 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
1360-469: The 2007 Federal election (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). Zurich has a population (as of December 2020) of 1,553,423. As of 2010, 23.7% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at
1440-550: The Abbey of St. Gall . In c. 760 , an administrative re-organisation under counts Ruthard and Warin exempted the castle town of Zurich from comital rule. A county of Zürichgau was established under Louis the Pious , 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
1520-695: The Bucharding dukes of Swabia . In the late 10th century, the county of Zurich was ruled by the Nellenburger , and during 1077–1172 by the Lenzburger . By the 13th century, Zürichgau was divided between the Habsburgs and the Kyburger , who held the territory west and east of Lake Zurich, respectively. The territory of the canton of Zurich corresponds to the lands acquired by the city of Zurich after it became reichsfrei in 1218. Zurich pursued
1600-543: The Canton of Aargau . In 1804 the Kantonspolizei Zürich was established as Landjägerkorps (rural police). 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
1680-693: The Holy Roman Empire , they had become de facto independent when the Swiss defeated Emperor Maximilian I in 1499 in Dornach. In the early modern period, the individual confederate allies came to be seen as republics ; while the six traditional allies had a tradition of direct democracy in the form of the Landsgemeinde , the urban states operated via representation in city councils, de facto oligarchic systems dominated by families of
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#17327660519481760-840: The Jura and Alps , respectively. The valley of the Linth leads into the Lake Zurich and continues as the Limmat . This valley is the most significant valley of the canton of Zurich. 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
1840-656: The Old Swiss Confederacy , formerly also Ort ('lieu/locality', from before 1450), or Stand ('estate', from c. 1550 ), was a fully sovereign state with its own border controls, army, and currency from at least the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848, with a brief period of centralised government during the Helvetic Republic (1798–1803). The term Kanton has been widely used since
1920-593: The Swiss Confederation . The nucleus of the Swiss Confederacy in the form of the first three confederate allies used to be referred to as the Waldstätte . Two important periods in the development of the Old Swiss Confederacy are summarized by the terms Acht Orte ('Eight Cantons'; from 1353 to 1481) and Dreizehn Orte ('Thirteen Cantons', from 1513 to 1798). Each canton of
2000-525: 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 2000 census, 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
2080-476: The canton of St. Gallen by a mountainous area. The Hörnli (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 converges with the Limmat in the city of Zurich. The Sihl is separated from the lake of Zurich by the Albis Range . The Albishorn (915 m (3,002 ft)) is the highest elevation of this range. The Schnebelhorn
2160-676: The cantons of Schwyz , St. Gallen and Zurich, make up a considerable portion of the 56 sites in Switzerland that are included in the UNESCO World Heritage Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps . Nine of these UNESCO World Heritage sites are located on the shore of Lake Zurich: Freienbach–Hurden Rosshorn , Freienbach–Hurden Seefeld , Rapperswil-Jona/Hombrechtikon–Feldbach , Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum , Erlenbach–Winkel , Meilen–Rorenhaab , Wädenswil–Vorder Au , Zürich–Enge Alpenquai and Kleiner Hafner . Because
2240-589: The patriciate . The old system was abandoned with the formation of the Helvetic Republic following the French invasion of Switzerland in 1798. The cantons of the Helvetic Republic had merely the status of an administrative subdivision with no sovereignty. The Helvetic Republic collapsed within five years, and cantonal sovereignty was restored with the Act of Mediation of 1803. The status of Switzerland as
2320-425: The secondary sector and there were 11,383 businesses in this sector. 655,848 people were employed in the tertiary sector , with 58,796 businesses in this sector. In 2008 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
2400-406: The "outer bailiwicks" ( Äussere Vogteien ) were ruled by the reeves of Kyburg , Grüningen , Greifensee , Eglisau , Regensberg , Andelfingen , Wädenswil , and Knonau . The city of Winterthur was nominally subject to Zurich but retained far-reaching autonomy. Zürichgau , the name of the medieval pagus , was in use for the territories of the city of Zurich during the 15th and 16th century;
2480-595: The 16th century, the Old Swiss Confederacy was composed of 13 sovereign confederate allies (the Thirteen Cantons ; German : Die Dreizehn Alten Orte ), and there were two different kinds: five rural states ( German : Länder ) – Uri , Schwyz (which became eponymous of the confederacy), Unterwalden , Glarus , Appenzell – and eight urban states ( German : Städte ) – Zürich , Bern , Luzern , Zug , Basel , Fribourg , Solothurn , Schaffhausen . Though they were technically part of
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2560-491: The 19th century. The number of cantons was increased to 19 with the Act of Mediation (1803), with the recognition of former subject territories as full cantons. The Federal Treaty of 1815 increased the number to 22 due to the accession of former associates of the Old Swiss Confederacy . The canton of Jura acceded as the 23rd canton with its secession from Bern in 1979. The official number of cantons
2640-508: The 20th century. A first airport was built at Dübendorf in 1910, replaced by the international airport 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
2720-623: 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 . Zurihgauuia (Zürichgau) was a subdivision of Turgowe (Thurgau) in the Duchy of Alamannia , consisting roughly of the territory between Reuss and Töss . From the 740s, substantial portions of Zürichgau were owned by
2800-559: The Cantonal Laboratory Zurich was founded in order to regulate the quality of food and drinking water. The first cantonal chemist was 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
2880-570: The Confederation, a directorial system of government is followed by the cantons. The cantonal legislatures are unicameral parliaments , with their size varying between 58 and 200 seats. A few legislatures also involve or did involve general popular assemblies known as Landsgemeinden ; the use of this form of legislature has declined: at present, it exists only in the cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus . The cantonal executives consist of either five or seven members, depending on
2960-729: The Emperor and/or the Imperial Diet could not defend them against external aggression, as occurred in the French Revolutionary wars and the Napoleonic Wars . The Treaty of Lunéville in 1801 required the emperor to renounce all claims to the portions of the Holy Roman Empire west of the Rhine . At the last meeting of the Imperial Diet ( German : Reichsdeputationshauptschluss ) in 1802–03, also called
3040-482: The Emperor which they exercised rarely, if at all. For example, the Bishops of Chiemsee , Gurk , and Seckau (Sacken) were practically subordinate to the prince-bishop of Salzburg, but were formally princes of the Empire. Additional advantages might include the rights to collect taxes and tolls , to hold a market , to mint coins , to bear arms , and to conduct legal proceedings . The last of these might include
3120-488: The Federal Constitution). The cantonal constitutions determine the internal organisation of the canton, including the degree of autonomy accorded to the municipalities , which varies but almost always includes the power to levy taxes and pass municipal laws; some municipalities have their own police forces. As at the federal level, all cantons provide for some form of direct democracy . Citizens may demand
3200-498: The average price to rent an average apartment in the city of Zurich was 1288.84 Swiss francs (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
3280-543: The canton ( Politische Gemeinden ). There were no changes between 1934 and 2013, but the following occurred after 2013. 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
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3360-456: The canton almost in monarchical fashion, and was popularly dubbed Alfred I. or Tsar of All Zurich . 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 Zurich 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
3440-516: The canton, 314,394 or about 25.2% were born in Zurich 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. As of 2000, 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%. As of 2000, there were 531,094 people who were single and never married in
3520-562: The canton. For the names of the institutions, see the list of cantonal executives and list of cantonal legislatures . The cantons retain all powers and competencies not delegated to the Confederation by the federal constitution or law: most significantly the cantons are responsible for healthcare , welfare , law enforcement, public education , and retain the power of taxation . Each canton defines its official language(s). Cantons may conclude treaties not only with other cantons but also with foreign states (respectively Articles 48 and 56 of
3600-447: The canton. There were 566,636 married individuals, 66,012 widows or widowers and 84,164 individuals who are divorced. As of 2000, 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. As of 2009, the construction rate of new housing units was 5.3 new units per 1000 residents. As of 2003
3680-474: The city of Zurich was 115.5% of the national average of 1116 CHF. The vacancy rate for the canton, in 2010, was 0.63%. The historical population is given in the following chart: In 1519, Huldrych Zwingli became the pastor of the Grossmünster in Zurich, and soon thereafter Zurich became a reformed or Protestant canton. Even though Zwingli died in battle in 1531, the canton remained a stronghold of
3760-617: The city. The current constitution replaced the one of 1869 in January 2006. The Antiquarische Gesellschaft in Zürich is an organization devoted to preserving the canton's history, the Staatsarchiv Zürich houses the state archives. The canton of Zurich is situated in the eastern part of the Swiss plateau . It is entirely within the drainage basin of the High Rhine . It is characterized by Glacial landform and traversed by
3840-440: 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 Zurich; exceptions include Wülflingen (acquired 1760), Buch (acquired 1761), Dietikon , which was a condominium , and Rheinau (owned by Rheinau Abbey ). In the 18th century, the "inner bailiwicks" ( Innere Vogteien ) were under direct administration of city officials, while
3920-438: The crown. During the High Middle Ages , and for those bishops, abbots, and cities then the main beneficiaries of that status, immediacy could be exacting and often meant subjection to the fiscal, military, and hospitality demands of their overlord, the Emperor. However, from the mid-13th century onwards, with the gradually diminishing importance of the Emperor, whose authority to exercise power became increasingly limited to
4000-525: The early 17th century. In the Old Swiss Confederacy, the term Ort (plural: Orte ) was in use from the early 15th century as a generic term for the member cantons. The founding cantons specifically were also known as Waldstätte 'forest settlements' (singular: Waldstatt ). The formulaic Stette und Waldstette for the members of the early confederacy is recorded in the mid-14th century, used interchangeably with Stett und Lender ('cities and lands', 'city cantons and rural cantons') until
4080-623: The enforcement of legislative acts promulgated by the Imperial Diet , entities privileged by imperial immediacy eventually found themselves vested with considerable rights and powers previously exercised by the emperor. Several immediate estates held the privilege of attending meetings of the Reichstag in person, including an individual vote ( votum virile ): They formed the Imperial Estates , together with 99 immediate counts, 40 Imperial prelates (abbots and abbesses), and 50 Imperial Cities, each of whose "banks" only enjoyed
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#17327660519484160-1477: The federal constitution. This reflects the historical order of precedence of the Eight Cantons in the 15th century, followed by the remaining cantons in the order of their historical accession to the confederacy. Reichsfrei The possession of this imperial immediacy granted
4240-483: The former feudal rights to the cantonal patriciates , leading to rebellions among the rural population. The Radicals embodied these democratic forces calling for a new federal constitution. This tension, paired with religious issues ("Jesuit question") escalated into armed conflict in the 1840s, with the brief Sonderbund War . The victory of the Liberal-Radicals resulted in the formation of Switzerland as
4320-575: The imperial tax register of 1241. In the case of the nobility, the enfeoffment with an imperial fief and high aristocratic lineage was regarded as decisive criteria for immediacy. However, towards the end of the Middle Ages, the counts were generally considered to be immediate to the Empire, although they often had obtained their fiefs from neighboring princes. The imperial immediacy of bishops was acquired automatically when they were enfeoffed with their hochstift and granted immunities. The situation for
4400-410: 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. Swiss canton The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of
4480-466: The lake has grown in size over time, the original piles are now around 4 metres (13 ft) to 7 metres (23 ft) under the water level of 406 metres (1,332 ft). Within an area of about 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi) around Lake Zurich, there also the settlements Greifensee–Storen/Wildsberg at the Greifensee and Wetzikon–Robenhausen at the Pfäffikersee. As well as being part of
4560-511: The late 15th century (recorded in Fribourg in 1467), from a word for "edge, corner", at the time the literal translation of Early Modern High German ort . After 1490, canton was increasingly used in French and Italian documents to refer to the members of the Swiss Confederacy. English use of canton in reference to the Swiss Confederacy (as opposed to the heraldic sense ) dates to
4640-572: The late 15th century. Ort was increasingly replaced by Stand (plural: Stände ) ' estate ' about 1550, a term taken to imply liberty and sovereignty. Abolished in the Helvetic Republic, the term 'Stand' was revived in 1815 and remains in use today. The French term canton adopted into German after 1648 , and then only in occasional use until the early 19th century: prominent usage of Ort and Stand gradually disappeared in German-speaking Switzerland from
4720-505: The modern era, since Neuchâtel ceased to be a principality in 1848, all Swiss cantons can be considered to have a republican form of government . Some cantons formally describe themselves as republics in their constitutions. This applies to the Romance-speaking cantons in particular: Geneva (formally République et canton de Genève , 'Republic and canton of Geneva'), Jura , Neuchâtel , Valais , Vaud and Ticino . In
4800-536: 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. It also has an international border with the German district of Waldshut and though only for 460 m (1,510 ft)) the district of Konstanz in Baden-Württemberg owing to its short border with Stemmer , an outlying hamlet belonging to the municipality which forms
4880-452: 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 Zurich. The city of Zurich is a major banking centre, and insurance is also of importance. In 2014, about 1.2% of the workers in Zurich work in the primary sector (the total for all of Switzerland is 3.3%). In 2014 the secondary sector employed 145,744 or about 14.7% of
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#17327660519484960-437: 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. As of 2010, Zurich had an unemployment rate of 3.9%. As of 2008, 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
5040-458: The population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist , and 50,090 individuals (or about 4.01% of the population) did not answer the question. Most of the land is cultivated, but the canton of Zurich 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 Zurich is noted for machinery. Silk and cotton weaving were important in
5120-634: 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 , 6,024 individuals who were Hindu and 1,456 individuals who belonged to another church. 165,324 (or about 13.25% of
5200-442: The prelates (abbots) was not always clear since there were some who, although recognized as immediate, had not been enfeoffed directly by the king. In the end, for the Middle Ages, the formal grant of immediacy was of relative importance; the decisive factor was the capacity to assert and enforce one's claim to immediacy against competing claims. The position of the princes with regard to the crown had strengthened progressively since
5280-456: The reign of Frederick Barbarossa (1152–1190) who restricted the immediate crown vassalage to the archbishops, bishops and imperial abbots, roughly ninety of them, and to distinguish most dukes and a selection of reliable margraves, landgraves and counts as maiores imperii principes . They were intended to be the only direct vassals, apart from the Imperial ministeriales who did homage within
5360-631: The restored monarchies of France , Italy , Austria-Hungary and Germany . The Swiss Federal Constitution declares the cantons to be sovereign to the extent that their sovereignty is not limited by federal law. Areas specifically reserved to the Confederation are the armed forces, currency, the postal service, telecommunications, immigration into and emigration from the country, granting asylum, conducting foreign relations with sovereign states, civil and criminal law, weights and measures, and customs duties. Each canton has its own constitution , legislature , executive , police and courts . Similar to
5440-418: The royal household, and the royal towns which offered collective fealty. From the thirteenth century onward, the growing exclusiveness of the princes derived from their determination to enforce their preeminence and make the other lords feudally dependent on themselves, and to incorporate them into their own territorial lordships, thus making them 'mediate' by cutting them off from direct legal relationship with
5520-423: 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
5600-476: The several hundred tiny immediate estates of the Imperial knights of only a few square kilometers or less, which were by far the most numerous. The criteria of immediacy varied and classification is difficult especially for the Middle Ages. The situation was relatively clear in the case of the cities: imperial cities were directly subject to the king's jurisdiction and taxation, and a first list can be found in
5680-680: The small German enclave of Büsingen am Hochrhein . 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 in the northeast, and the Knonaueramt southwest of the Albis . The Zurich Metropolitan Area extends beyond the cantonal borders. The canton has an area, as of 2011, of 1,728.8 square kilometers (667.5 sq mi). Of this area, 43.4%
5760-536: The so-called Blutgericht ("blood justice") through which capital punishment could be administered. These rights varied according to the legal patents granted by the emperor. As pointed out by Jonathan Israel , the Dutch province of Overijssel in 1528 tried to arrange its submission to Emperor Charles V in his capacity as Holy Roman Emperor rather than as Duke of Burgundy . If successful, that would have evoked Imperial immediacy and would have put Overijssel in
5840-413: 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 (1798–1803), the canton of Zurich became a purely administrative division. In 1803, some former possessions of Zurich to the west gained independence as part of
5920-700: The time of the Helvetic Republic . Only with the Act of Mediation of 1803 did German Kanton become an official designation, retained in the Swiss Constitution of 1848. The term Stand ( French : état , Italian : stato ) remains in synonymous usage and is reflected in the name of the upper chamber of the Swiss Parliament, the Council of States ( German : Ständerat , French : Conseil des États , Italian : Consiglio degli Stati , Romansh : Cussegl dals Stadis ). In
6000-439: 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 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
6080-475: Was accused to continue the system of aristocratic rule liberalism had claimed to abolish. The oppositional Democratic Movement was centered in Winterthur , 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,
6160-461: Was again ousted by a radical-liberal election victory in 1844. Alfred Escher 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
6240-536: 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
6320-534: Was increased to 26 in the federal constitution of 1999 , which designated former half-cantons as cantons. The areas of the cantons vary from 37 km (15 sq. mi.) ( Basel-Stadt ) to 7,105 km (2743 sq. mi.) ( Grisons ); the populations (as of 2018) range from 16,000 ( Appenzell Innerrhoden ) to 1.5 million ( Zürich ). The term canton , now also used as the English term for administrative subdivisions of other countries, originates in French usage in
6400-515: 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
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