'Thurgau' (German: , anglicized as ''Thurgovia'') is a northeast
canton of
Switzerland. The population is 228,200 (
2003). The capital is
Frauenfeld.
Geography
To the north the canton is bound by the
Lake Constance across which lie
Germany and
Austria. The river
Rhine creates the border in the northwest. To the south lies the
canton of St. Gallen; to the west lie the cantons of
Zürich and
Schaffhausen.
The area of the canton is 991 km² and commonly divided into three hill masses. One of these stretches along
Lake Constance in the north. Another is further inland between the river
Thur and the river
Murg. The third one forms the southern border of the canton and merges with the
Hörnli mountain in the pre-Alps.
History
In prehistoric times the lands of the canton were inhabited by people of the
Pfyn culture along the lake. During Roman times the canton was part of the province ''Raetia'' until in
450 the lands were settled by the
Alamanni. It was only in the
8th century that the canton became a political unit similar to what it is known today, as a
Gau of the
Frankish Empire. At the time, however, the area was not so clearly defined and changed frequently. Overall, the size of the Thurgau was larger, but during the
Middle Ages the canton became smaller in size. The dukes of
Zähringen and the counts of
Kyburg took over much of the land.
The town of
Zürich was part of the Thurgau until it became ''
reichsunmittelbar'' in
1218. When the Kyburg dynasty became extinct in
1264 the
Habsburgs took over that land. The Swiss confederation allied with ten freed bailiwicks of the former
Toggenburg seized the lands of the Thurgau from the Habsburgs in
1460, and it became subject territory of Zürich.
In
1798 the land became a canton for the first time as part of the
Helvetic Republic. In
1803 the canton of Thurgau became a member of the Swiss confederation. The current cantonal constitution dates from
1987.
St Margaret's Chapel in Thurgau
Economy
The canton of Thurgau is known for its fine agricultural produce. Particularly, apples, pears, fruits and vegetables are well-known. The many orchards in the canton are mainly used for the production of cider.
Wine is produced in the Thur valley.
There is also industry in the canton of Thurgau. The main industries are printing, textiles and handicrafts. Small and middle-sized businesses are important for the cantonal economy. Many of these are concentrated around the capital.
Demographics
The population is mostly
German speaking. About two thirds of the population are
Protestants with most of the remainder being
Roman Catholics.
Districts
Municipalities
There are 80 municipalities in the canton (
as of April 2004):
''See also:''
municipalities of Switzerland
External links
★
Official Site
★
Official Statistics
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