The 'Republic and 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 southwestern corner of Switzerland. The canton of Geneva is one of the most cosmopolitan areas of Switzerland. As a centre of the
Calvinist Reformation, the city of 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 2007 the population of the canton is 445,045.
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 surrounding regions of France are mostly Roman Catholic.
Economy
Geneva's countryside (Dardagny and its vineyard)
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 and the
International Labour Organization. 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 other branches where the economy of the canton of Geneva is strong. This is also reflected in the tradition of watch-making in Geneva.
Geneva's famous Jet D'eau
International organizations
★
International Red Cross, since 1864
★
League of Nations, 1919
★
International Labour Organization, 1919
★ European headquarters of the
United Nations, 1945
★ European Organization for Nuclear Research
CERN, 1954
★ International Telecommunication Union
ITU, 1865
★ World Trade Organization
WTO, 1995
★ International Organization for Migration, or IOM
[1]
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
Geneva was an independent republic until 1798, but had been an "everlasting ally" of the
Swiss Confederation since
1584. During the Napoleonic wars, Geneva was occupied and annexed to France. After its liberation in
1813, Geneva joined the Swiss Confederation in
1815 as the 22nd canton, 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.
Public holidays
Jeûne genevois is a public holiday specific to Geneva, celebrated on the Thursday following the first Sunday of September.
Famous people
★ Berthelier
★
John Calvin
★
Henry Dunant
★
Jean-Étienne Liotard
★
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
★
Ferdinand de Saussure
★
Voltaire
Municipalities
Municipalities of the Canton of Geneva
There are 45
municipalities in the canton:
External links
★
Official page
★
Official statistics
★
Interactive map of the Canton
★
Wine in Geneva
★
Non-profit project of photography of the senior citizens of canton of Geneva
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