The Swiss canton of Zürich (German: Kanton Zürich) has a population
of about 1.2 million. It is located in the northeast of Switzerland and
the city of Zürich is its capital. The official language is German,
but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch.
In English the name of the canton is often written without umlauts: Zurich
HistoryThe canton of Zürich consists of lands acquired by the capital Zürich after it became reichsfrei in 1218, especially after the revolution of the guilds in 1336. Zürich joined the Swiss Confederacy in 1351. The lower part of the canton was added to the territories of Zürich in 1362. Zürich claimed and lost the Toggenburg in the 1440s, the Old Zürich War. The northern parts up to the river Rhine came to the canton after the city of Zürich purchased Winterthur from the Habsburgs in 1467. Possessions to the west gained independence from Zürich as parts of the Canton of Aargau in 1803. The constitution of the canton was established in 1869.
GeographyThe canton of Zürich 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 Zürich is located within the canton.
The area of the canton of Zürich is 1,729 km². About 80% of the land is considered productive. Forests make up 505 km², whilst lakes cover 73 km². The main lakes are the Lake Zürich, the Greifensee and the Pfäffikersee.
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 Zürich and continues as the Limmat river. This valley is the most significant valley of the canton of Zürich. The valley of the Glatt river originates in the Greifensee and is separated from the Limmat by ridges. The valley of the river Töss 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 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 confluences with the river Limmat in the city of Zürich. The river Sihl is separated from the lake of Zürich by the Albis Range. The Albishorn (915 m) is the highest elevation of this range. The highest elevation in the canton is at the Höhrohnen in the southeast of the canton.
The Üetliberg is part of the Albis Range. This mountain is popular with the population of the city of Zürich for recreation. There is a railway up to the Üetliberg.
Related topics
Zürich Zoo Zürich Zoo Masoala Rainforest Lake Zürich Zürich The largest town in Switzerland Fine Swiss Traditional Restaurants in Zürich Cafés Restaurants in Zürich Swiss Restaurants in Zürich Elite Dining Restaurants in Zürich Dance Clubs in Zürich Bars in Zürich Live Music in Zürich Pubs in Zürich Art Museums in Zürich Science & History Museums in Zürich Historic Sites in Zürich Sightseeing in Zürich Gardens in Zürich Uetliberg/Felsenegg Zürich Fraumünster and Grossmünster in Zürich
