Canton of Geneva

The Canton of Geneva is the westernmost canton or state of Switzerland, surrounded on almost all sides by France and centered around the city of Geneva. The official name of this canton is République et Canton de Genève. Like some other Swiss cantons (Ticino, Neuchâtel, Jura) this canton calls itself a republic, as part of the Swiss confederation.

The canton of Geneva is located in the south western corner of Switzerland. Thanks to its capital, the canton of Geneva is one of the most cosmopolitan areas of Switzerland. As a centre of Calvinist Reformation, the capital Geneva exercised significant influence on the canton, which essentially consists of Geneva and its hinterlands.

Since the city of Geneva is the predominant community within the Canton, much information relevant to the Canton can be found in the article about the city.

Geography

The area of the canton of Geneva is 282 km². The canton is practically isolated from other Swiss cantons. The canton is bordered only by Vaud. The adjoining French departements are Ain (to the North) and Haute-Savoie (to the South). The current boundaries of the canton were established in 1815. As of 2005 the population of the canton is 438,483.

Religion

As home of Calvin's Reformation the canton of Geneva has traditionally been a Protestant Christian stronghold. However, over the latter part of the 20th century the proportion of Catholics rose, in large part due to immigration from southern Europe, and now Catholics outnumber Protestants in the canton. However, the canton is still officially considered Protestant. The French surroundings are mostly Roman Catholic.

Economy

The city of Geneva dominates the economy of the canton. It is a centre of commerce, trade and finance. A great number of Swiss banks are located in Geneva, particularly in the area of private banking. The service industry is most significant in Geneva where there are headquarters of a number of international corporations as well as international organizations, such as the United Nations. As a financial centre the city of Geneva is of international significance. Agricultural is commonplace in the hinterlands of Geneva, particularly wheat and wine.

Precision machinery and instruments are another branch where the economy of the canton of Geneva is strong. This is also reflected in the tradition of watch-making in Geneva.

International organizations

International Red Cross, since 1864
League of Nations, 1919
European headquarters of the United Nations, 1945
European Organization for Nuclear Research CERN, 1954
International Telecommunication Union ITU 1947
World Trade Organization WTO, 1995

Education

The main educational institution is the University of Geneva, founded in 1559 by Calvin. It was originally called Schola Genevensis. The original buildings are not used by the University anymore, but by "Collège Calvin".

Transport

Most of the main roads in the canton of Geneva radiate from the capital Geneva. Of these main roads, a great number lead into France rather than any Swiss canton.

The canton is served by an international airport at Cointrin (Geneva International Airport) which has one terminal only.

There are good rail links to cities in France and Switzerland. Since 1984 the French high-speed trains (TGV) come to Geneva.

In 1964 the canton of Geneva was connected to the Swiss highway system, in 1970 to that of France.

Constitution

The constitution of the canton was established in 1847 and since then amended several times. The cantonal government (Council of State) has seven members who are elected for four years. The legislative (Great Council) has 100 seats, with deputies elected for four years at a time.

In a similar way to what happens at the Federal level, any change to the Constitution is subject to compulsory referendum. In addition, any law can be subject to a referendum if it is demanded by 7000 persons entitled to vote, and 10,000 persons may also propose a new law.

The canton is divided into municipalities (communes, see below) which have their own assemblies and a mayor.

History

From 1584 Geneva was an "everlasting ally" of the Swiss Confederation. During the time of the Helvetic Republic Geneva was not part of Switzerland (République Helvétique), but was a part of France. The Canton of Geneva joined the Swiss Confederation in 1815, having been enlarged by French and Savoyard territories at the Vienna Congress.

On 9 October 2005, the elections to the Great Council gave an increased majority to the right. On 13 November 2005, a new Council of State was elected, with a left-wing majority for the first time since 1936.

Famous people

Municipalities

There are 45 municipalities in the canton.
The municipalities of the canton are:

External links

Official Page (French)
Official Statistics
Interactive Map of the Canton (In French)

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