'Lucerne' (German ''Luzern'') is a
canton of
Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population is 350,600 (as of
2001). The cantonal capital is
Lucerne.
Geography
The canton of Lucerne is located in the centre of Switzerland. It is drained by the
Reuss river and the river
Kleine Emme. The lands of the canton lie on the northern foothills of the Swiss
Alps. The highest elevation of the canton of Lucerne is at the ''Brienzer Rothorn'' at 2,350m. The area of the canton is 1,493 km².
History
:''See also:
Swiss peasant war of 1653''
The canton of Lucerne comprises territories acquired by its capital
Lucerne, either by treaty, armed occupation or purchase, largely by
1415. Lucerne had already joined the
Swiss Confederation in
1332. The canton briefly attempted to pursue a policy of separation from 1841-1847 and joined the ''
Sonderbund'', which was dissolved by force by a federal army in 1847.
Economy
About nine tenths of the total area is productive land. Agriculture is the most significant source of income, but industry is also developed. The most important agricultural products are
crops,
fruit and
cattle breeding. Industry concentrates on
textiles,
machinery,
paper,
wood,
tobacco and metallurgical goods.
Tourism is of great importance. The canton of Lucerne is a gateway to holiday resorts in the nearby Alps, and much of the transit traffic between
Germany and
Italy crosses the region.
Demographics
The population is mainly German speaking and the vast majority is Roman Catholic.
Districts
Municipalities
There are 99 municipalities in the canton (
as of January 2006).
The municipalities are part of districts (''Aemter''), named after their capital (bolded above), except for Entlebuch, whose capital is Schüpfheim.
''See also:''
Municipalities of Switzerland
External links
★
Official Site
★
Public Records Office / State Archive
★
Official Statistics
★
Geoportal GIS
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