Aargau
Encyclopedia
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons
of Switzerland
. It comprises the lower course of the river
Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau (meaning Aare district).
In early medieval times, Argovia or Argowe was a disputed border region between the duchies of Alamannia
and Burgundy. A line of the von Wetterau
(Conradines) intermittently held the countship of Aargau from 750 until about 1030, when they lost it (having in the meantime taken the name von
Tegerfelden
). From the extinction in 1254 of the Hohenstaufen dynasty until 1415, the area was ruled by the Habsburgs, and many castles from that time still stand (examples include Habsburg
, Lenzburg
, Tegerfelden, Bobikon, Stin and Wildegg). The Habsburgs founded a number of monasteries (with some structures enduring, e.g., in Wettingen
and Muri
), the closing of which by the government in 1841 was a contributing factor to the outbreak of the Swiss civil war – the "Sonderbund War" – in 1847.
In 1415, the Aargau was taken from the Habsburgs by the Swiss Confederates. Bern kept the southwest portion (Zofingen
, Aarburg
, Aarau
, Lenzburg
, and Brugg
). Some districts, named the Freie Ämter (free bailiwicks) – Mellingen
, Muri
, Villmergen
, and Bremgarten
), with the countship of Baden – were governed as "subject lands" by all or some of the Confederates.
French forces occupied Aargau from 10 March to 18 April 1798; thereafter the Bernese portion became the canton of Aargau in the Helvetic Republic
and the remainder formed the Canton of Baden
. In 1803, the two halves were united under the name of canton of Aargau, which was then admitted as a full member of the reconstituted Confederation. Fricktal
, ceded in 1802 by Austria
via Napoleonic France to the Helvetic Republic, was briefly a separate Swiss canton under a Statthalter ('Lieutenant'), but on 9 March 1803 was incorporated in the canton of Aargau.
The chief magistracy of Aargau changed its style repeatedly:
In the year 2003, the canton of Aargau celebrated its 200th anniversary.
In the 17th Century, Jews were banished from Switzerland. However, a few families were permitted to live in two villages, Endingen
and Lengnau
, in Aargau which became the Jewish ghetto in Switzerland. This remained the case until the 19th Century. In 1799 all special tolls were abolished, and in 1802 the poll tax was removed. On 5 May, 1809, the right of citizenship was granted to Jews, and they were permitted to engage in trade and agriculture. The right of settlement remained restricted to Endingen and Lengnau until 7 May 1846, when they were allowed to settle in any portion of the canton of Aargau. Ten years later (24 September 1856) the Swiss Federal Council
voted them equal political rights with other Swiss citizens in that canton, as well as entire freedom of commerce; but the opposition of the Christian population prevented the decision from being generally carried out. The federal authorities in July 1863, granted the Swiss Jews the fullest rights of citizens. However, full civil equality was obtained only when they received the formal rights of citizenship, which had long been withheld from them in their own communities of Endingen and Lengnau. A resolution of the Grand Council
, on 15 May 1877, granted citizens' rights to the members of the Jewish communities of those places, giving them charters under the names of New Endingen and New Lengnau.
. It borders Germany
to the north. To the west lie the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Solothurn
and Bern. The canton of Lucerne
lies south of the canton of Aargau, Zürich
and Zug
to the east.
The canton of Aargau is one of the least mountainous Swiss cantons, forming part of a great table-land
, to the north of the Alps
and the east of the Jura
, above which rise low hills. The surface of the country is beautifully diversified, undulating tracts and well-wooded hills alternating with fertile valleys watered mainly by the Aar and its tributaries. The valleys alternate with pleasant hills, most of which are full of woods. Slightly over one-third of the canton is wooded (518 square kilometres (200 sq mi)), while nearly half is used from farming (635.7 square kilometres (245.4 sq mi)). 33.5 square kilometres (12.9 sq mi) or about 2.4% of the canton is considered unproductive, mostly lakes and streams. The canton is heavily developed, with 216.7 square kilometres (83.7 sq mi) or about 15% of the canton developed for housing or transportation.
It contains the famous hot sulphur springs of Baden
and Schinznach-Bad
, while at Rheinfelden
there are very extensive saline springs. Just below Brugg
the Reuss
and the Limmat
join the Aar, while around Brugg are the ruined castle of Habsburg
, the old convent of Königsfelden
(with fine painted medieval glass) and the remains of the Roman
settlement of Vindonissa (Windisch
).
Aargau is divided into 11 districts:
(37%). German is the most common language in the canton, spoken by 87% of the population.
, cereal
and fruit
farming are among the canton's main economic activities. The canton is also industrially developed, particularly in the fields of electrical engineering
, precision instruments, iron
, steel
and cement
.
Three of Switzerland's five nuclear power plants are in the canton of Aargau (Beznau I + II and Leibstadt). Additionally, the many rivers supply enough water for numerous hydroelectric power plants throughout the canton. The canton of Aargau is often called "the energy canton".
A significant number of people commute into the financial center of the city of Zürich
, which is just across the cantonal border. As such the per capita cantonal income is approximately $41,777.
Tourism is significant, particularly for the hot springs at Baden
and Schinznach-Bad
, the ancient castles, the landscape, and the many old museum
s in the canton. Hillwalking is another tourist attraction but is of only limited significance.
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Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It comprises the lower course of the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau (meaning Aare district).
History
Alamannia
Alamannia or Alemannia was the territory inhabited by the Germanic Alamanni after they broke through the Roman limes in 213.The Alamanni expanded from the Main basin during the 3rd century, raiding the Roman provinces and settling on the left bank of the Rhine from the 4th century.Ruled by...
and Burgundy. A line of the von Wetterau
Wetterau
The Wetterau is a fertile undulating tract, watered by the Wetter, a tributary of the Nidda River, in the western German state of Hesse, between the hilly province Oberhessen and the north-western Taunus mountains....
(Conradines) intermittently held the countship of Aargau from 750 until about 1030, when they lost it (having in the meantime taken the name von
Von
In German, von is a preposition which approximately means of or from.When it is used as a part of a German family name, it is usually a nobiliary particle, like the French, Spanish and Portuguese "de". At certain times and places, it has been illegal for anyone who was not a member of the nobility...
Tegerfelden
Tegerfelden
Tegerfelden is a municipality in the district of Zurzach in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:Tegerfelden has an area, , of . Of this area, or 51.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 37.0% is forested...
). From the extinction in 1254 of the Hohenstaufen dynasty until 1415, the area was ruled by the Habsburgs, and many castles from that time still stand (examples include Habsburg
Habsburg castle
Habsburg Castle is a medieval fortress located in Habsburg, Switzerland in the canton of Aargau, near the Aar River. At the time of its construction, the location was part of the Duchy of Swabia. Habsburg Castle is the originating seat of the House of Habsburg, which became one of the leading...
, Lenzburg
Schloss Lenzburg
Lenzburg Castle is a castle located above the old part of the town of Lenzburg in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland. It ranks among the oldest and most important of Switzerland. The castle stands on the almost circular castle hill , which rises approximately 100 m over the surrounding plain...
, Tegerfelden, Bobikon, Stin and Wildegg). The Habsburgs founded a number of monasteries (with some structures enduring, e.g., in Wettingen
Wettingen Abbey
Wettingen Abbey was a Cistercian monastery in Wettingen in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It was founded in 1227 and dissolved during the secularisation of 1841, but re-founded at Mehrerau in Austria in 1854...
and Muri
Muri Abbey
Muri Abbey was a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. It flourished for over eight centuries at Muri, in the Canton of Aargau, near Basle in Switzerland...
), the closing of which by the government in 1841 was a contributing factor to the outbreak of the Swiss civil war – the "Sonderbund War" – in 1847.
In 1415, the Aargau was taken from the Habsburgs by the Swiss Confederates. Bern kept the southwest portion (Zofingen
Zofingen
Zofingen is a city in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It is the capital of the district of Zofingen. Zofingen is a walled city and home of an ancient monastic settlement.-Geography:...
, Aarburg
Aarburg
Aarburg is a municipality in the district of Zofingen in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.The small town lies in the southwest Aargau at an Engnis Aare in the lower Wiggertal. It lies in the intersection of the most important traffic routes of Switzerland...
, Aarau
Aarau
Aarau is the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The city is also the capital of the district of Aarau. It is German-speaking and predominantly Protestant. Aarau is situated on the Swiss plateau, in the valley of the Aar, on the river's right bank, and at the southern foot of the Jura...
, Lenzburg
Lenzburg
Lenzburg is a town in the central region of the Swiss canton Aargau and is the capital of the district of the same name. The town, founded in the Middle Ages, lies in the Seetal valley, about 3 kilometres south of the Aare river. Lenzburg and the neighbouring municipalities of Niederlenz and...
, and Brugg
Brugg
Brugg or Brügg may refer to the following places:* In Switzerland:** Brugg, Aargau, in the Canton of Aargau*** FC Brugg, a Swiss football club, from the town of Brugg in Canton Aargau...
). Some districts, named the Freie Ämter (free bailiwicks) – Mellingen
Mellingen
Mellingen is a municipality in the district of Baden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. The town is located on the Reuss River.-History:...
, Muri
Muri
Muri, Formerly known as Muri , is a municipality in southeastern Swiss Canton Aargau and is the capital of same district. The present municipality of Muri was created in 1816 from the merging of the four municipalities Langdorf, Egg, Hasli and Wey....
, Villmergen
Villmergen
Villmergen is a municipality in the district of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.Two famous battles took place at Villmergen.In 2010 Hilfikon merged into Villmergen.-History:...
, and Bremgarten
Bremgarten (district)
Bremgarten District is a Swiss district in the Canton of Aargau, corresponding to the valleys of the Reuss and Bünz rivers in the area known as the Freiamt.-Geography:...
), with the countship of Baden – were governed as "subject lands" by all or some of the Confederates.
French forces occupied Aargau from 10 March to 18 April 1798; thereafter the Bernese portion became the canton of Aargau in the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
and the remainder formed the Canton of Baden
Canton of Baden
The Canton of Baden was a canton of the Helvetic Republic . Its capital was the town of Baden....
. In 1803, the two halves were united under the name of canton of Aargau, which was then admitted as a full member of the reconstituted Confederation. Fricktal
Fricktal
The Fricktal region is the northwest finger extending from the Swiss canton of Aargau. It is situated in Northwestern Switzerland east of Basel, between the High Rhine forming the border with Germany in the north and the Jura Mountains in the south. The Fricktal contains the districts of...
, ceded in 1802 by Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
via Napoleonic France to the Helvetic Republic, was briefly a separate Swiss canton under a Statthalter ('Lieutenant'), but on 9 March 1803 was incorporated in the canton of Aargau.
The chief magistracy of Aargau changed its style repeatedly:
- first two consecutive Regierungsstatthalter :
- April 1798 – November 1801 Jakob Emmanuel Feer (b. 1754 – d. 1833)
- 1802 – 1803 Johann Heinrich Rothpletz (b. 1766 – d. 1833)
- Presidents of the Government Commission
- 10 March 1803 – 26 April 1803 Johann Rudolf Dolder (b. 1753 – d. 1807)
- 26 April 1803 – 1815 a 'Small Council' (president rotating monthly)
- annual Amtsbürgermeister 1815–1831
- annual Landammänner since 1815
In the year 2003, the canton of Aargau celebrated its 200th anniversary.
In the 17th Century, Jews were banished from Switzerland. However, a few families were permitted to live in two villages, Endingen
Endingen, Switzerland
Endingen is a municipality in the district of Zurzach in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.In the 18th and 19th century, Endingen was one of few villages in which Swiss Jews were permitted to settle. Old buildings in Endingen have two doors – one for Jews and one for Christians. Endigen's...
and Lengnau
Lengnau, Aargau
Lengnau is a municipality in the district of Zurzach in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.It is notable for being one of two villages where residence was permitted for Swiss Jews between 1633 and 1874. Lengnau's synagogue is listed as a heritage site of national significance.-History:The remains...
, in Aargau which became the Jewish ghetto in Switzerland. This remained the case until the 19th Century. In 1799 all special tolls were abolished, and in 1802 the poll tax was removed. On 5 May, 1809, the right of citizenship was granted to Jews, and they were permitted to engage in trade and agriculture. The right of settlement remained restricted to Endingen and Lengnau until 7 May 1846, when they were allowed to settle in any portion of the canton of Aargau. Ten years later (24 September 1856) the Swiss Federal Council
Swiss Federal Council
The Federal Council is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the federal government of Switzerland and serves as the Swiss collective head of state....
voted them equal political rights with other Swiss citizens in that canton, as well as entire freedom of commerce; but the opposition of the Christian population prevented the decision from being generally carried out. The federal authorities in July 1863, granted the Swiss Jews the fullest rights of citizens. However, full civil equality was obtained only when they received the formal rights of citizenship, which had long been withheld from them in their own communities of Endingen and Lengnau. A resolution of the Grand Council
Grand Council of Aargau
The Grand Council of Aargau is the legislature of the canton of Aargau, in Switzerland. Aargau has a unicameral legislature. The Grand Council has 140 seats, with members elected every four years....
, on 15 May 1877, granted citizens' rights to the members of the Jewish communities of those places, giving them charters under the names of New Endingen and New Lengnau.
Geography
Its total area is 1404 square kilometres (542.1 sq mi). The capital is AarauAarau
Aarau is the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The city is also the capital of the district of Aarau. It is German-speaking and predominantly Protestant. Aarau is situated on the Swiss plateau, in the valley of the Aar, on the river's right bank, and at the southern foot of the Jura...
. It borders Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to the north. To the west lie the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Solothurn
Canton of Solothurn
Solothurn is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the northwest of Switzerland. The capital is Solothurn.-History:The territory of the canton comprises land acquired by the capital...
and Bern. The canton of Lucerne
Canton of Lucerne
Lucerne is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population of the canton is . , the population included 57,268 foreigners, or about 15.8% of the total population. The cantonal capital is Lucerne.-History:...
lies south of the canton of Aargau, Zürich
Canton of Zürich
The Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...
and Zug
Canton of Zug
The Canton of Zug is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. It is located in central Switzerland and its capital is Zug. With 239 km² the canton is one of the smallest of the cantons in terms of area. It is not subdivided into districts.- History :The earlier history of the canton is...
to the east.
The canton of Aargau is one of the least mountainous Swiss cantons, forming part of a great table-land
Swiss plateau
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau constitutes one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface...
, to the north of the Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
and the east of the Jura
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
, above which rise low hills. The surface of the country is beautifully diversified, undulating tracts and well-wooded hills alternating with fertile valleys watered mainly by the Aar and its tributaries. The valleys alternate with pleasant hills, most of which are full of woods. Slightly over one-third of the canton is wooded (518 square kilometres (200 sq mi)), while nearly half is used from farming (635.7 square kilometres (245.4 sq mi)). 33.5 square kilometres (12.9 sq mi) or about 2.4% of the canton is considered unproductive, mostly lakes and streams. The canton is heavily developed, with 216.7 square kilometres (83.7 sq mi) or about 15% of the canton developed for housing or transportation.
It contains the famous hot sulphur springs of Baden
Baden, Switzerland
Baden is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau, on the west bank of the river Limmat, located in the Limmat Valley , northwest of Zürich. It is the seat of the district of Baden...
and Schinznach-Bad
Schinznach-Bad
Schinznach-Bad is a municipality in the district of Brugg in canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:Schinznach-Bad has an area, , of . Of this area, or 5.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 38.9% is forested...
, while at Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden is a municipality in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, seat of the district of Rheinfelden. It is located 15 kilometres east of Basel. The name means the fields of the Rhine, as the town is located on the Hochrhein. It is home to Feldschlösschen, the most popular beer in...
there are very extensive saline springs. Just below Brugg
Brugg
Brugg or Brügg may refer to the following places:* In Switzerland:** Brugg, Aargau, in the Canton of Aargau*** FC Brugg, a Swiss football club, from the town of Brugg in Canton Aargau...
the Reuss
Reuss River
The Reuss is a river in Switzerland. With a length of and a drainage basin of , it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland...
and the Limmat
Limmat
The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. It is the continuation of the Linth river, known as Limmat from the point of effluence from Lake Zurich, in the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare...
join the Aar, while around Brugg are the ruined castle of Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
, the old convent of Königsfelden
Königsfelden Abbey
Königsfelden Abbey is a former Franciscan monastery and former Clarisse convent in the municipality of Windisch in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It was founded in 1308 by the Habsburgs and during the Reformation in 1528 it was secularized. The complex was then the residence of the bailiffs...
(with fine painted medieval glass) and the remains of the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
settlement of Vindonissa (Windisch
Windisch
Windisch is a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Windisch is situated at the site of the Roman legion camp Vindonissa. In 1064 the current municipality was mentioned as Vinse, and in 1175 as Vindisse. Until the 19th Century the official name was...
).
Districts
- AarauAarau (district)Aarau District is a district in the Swiss Canton of Aargau with administrative capital Aarau encompasses the agglomeration of Aarau south of the Juras.-Geography: the Aargau District had a total area of...
with capital AarauAarauAarau is the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The city is also the capital of the district of Aarau. It is German-speaking and predominantly Protestant. Aarau is situated on the Swiss plateau, in the valley of the Aar, on the river's right bank, and at the southern foot of the Jura... - BadenBaden (district, Aargau)Baden District is a district in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland. The district capital is the town of Baden and the largest municipality is Wettingen, located in the Limmat Valley . The district has a total of 26 municipalities, an area of , and a population of about 129,000.-Geography:Baden...
with capital BadenBaden, SwitzerlandBaden is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau, on the west bank of the river Limmat, located in the Limmat Valley , northwest of Zürich. It is the seat of the district of Baden... - BremgartenBremgarten (district)Bremgarten District is a Swiss district in the Canton of Aargau, corresponding to the valleys of the Reuss and Bünz rivers in the area known as the Freiamt.-Geography:...
with capital Bremgarten - BruggBrugg (district)Brugg District is a district in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland, it is located south of the Aare and the Aargauer Jura covers the district. The capital of the district is the town of Brugg.-Geography:...
with capital BruggBrugg, SwitzerlandBrugg is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau and is the seat of the district of the same name. The city is located at the confluence of the Reuss, Aare, and Limmat Rivers, with the Aare flowing through the city’s old town... - KulmKulm (district)Kulm District is a district in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland. It is located west of Lake Hallwil and covers parts of the Wyna and Suhre valleys. The principal town is Unterkulm; the largest municipality is Reinach. The district contains 17 municipalities, is 101.35 km² in area and has a...
with capital UnterkulmUnterkulmUnterkulm is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Both Roman ruins near the church and late-Roman coins at Sonnenhof indicate that the area near Unterkulm was settled during the Roman era. However, Unterkulm is first mentioned in 1045 as Chulenbare... - LaufenburgLaufenburg (district)Laufenburg District is a district of the canton of Aargau, Switzerland, essentially consisting of the upper Fricktal valley in the Aargau Jura south of the Rhine. Its capital is the town of Laufenburg. It has a population of .-Geography:...
with capital LaufenburgLaufenburg, SwitzerlandLaufenburg is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It is the seat of the district of the same name. On 1 January 2010 the municipality Sulz merged into Laufenburg.... - LenzburgLenzburg (district)Lenzburg District is a district of the Canton of Aargau in Switzerland, lying at the center of the canton. The district capital is the town of Lenzburg. It has a population of .-Geography:...
with capital LenzburgLenzburgLenzburg is a town in the central region of the Swiss canton Aargau and is the capital of the district of the same name. The town, founded in the Middle Ages, lies in the Seetal valley, about 3 kilometres south of the Aare river. Lenzburg and the neighbouring municipalities of Niederlenz and... - MuriMuri (district)Muri District is a district in the Swiss Canton of Aargau with the administrative capital of Muri. It covers the central and southern part of Freiamt and has a population of .-Geography:...
with capital MuriMuriMuri, Formerly known as Muri , is a municipality in southeastern Swiss Canton Aargau and is the capital of same district. The present municipality of Muri was created in 1816 from the merging of the four municipalities Langdorf, Egg, Hasli and Wey.... - RheinfeldenRheinfelden (district)Rheinfelden District lies in the northwest of the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, in the Fricktal region. Its capital is Rheinfelden. Around 88% of the population live in the conurbation of Basel. There are 14 municipalities, with a population of living in an area of 112.09 km²...
with capital RheinfeldenRheinfeldenRheinfelden is a municipality in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, seat of the district of Rheinfelden. It is located 15 kilometres east of Basel. The name means the fields of the Rhine, as the town is located on the Hochrhein. It is home to Feldschlösschen, the most popular beer in... - ZofingenZofingen (district)Zofingen District is a district in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It is located in the southwest corner of the Canton. The seat is Zofingen. The largest municipality in population is Oftringen, the smallest is Wiliberg. It has a population of ....
with capital ZofingenZofingenZofingen is a city in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It is the capital of the district of Zofingen. Zofingen is a walled city and home of an ancient monastic settlement.-Geography:... - ZurzachZurzach (district)Zurzach District is a district in the Swiss Canton of Aargau with the administrative capital of Zurzach. It covers the Studenlands and is located in the northeastern part of the canton. The district capital is Bad Zurzach. The main valleys are the Surb and the Aare. It has a population of ...
with capital Zurzach
Municipalities
There are a total of 231 municipalities in the canton of Aargau.Demographics
The population of Aargau is . the population included 118,407 foreigners, who made up 20.36% of the total population. Religiously, they are nearly evenly split between Roman Catholics (40%) and ProtestantsProtestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
(37%). German is the most common language in the canton, spoken by 87% of the population.
Economy
The farmland of the canton of Aargau is some of the most fertile in Switzerland. Dairy farmingDairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
, cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
farming are among the canton's main economic activities. The canton is also industrially developed, particularly in the fields of electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
, precision instruments, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
and cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
.
Three of Switzerland's five nuclear power plants are in the canton of Aargau (Beznau I + II and Leibstadt). Additionally, the many rivers supply enough water for numerous hydroelectric power plants throughout the canton. The canton of Aargau is often called "the energy canton".
A significant number of people commute into the financial center of the city of Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, which is just across the cantonal border. As such the per capita cantonal income is approximately $41,777.
Tourism is significant, particularly for the hot springs at Baden
Baden, Switzerland
Baden is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau, on the west bank of the river Limmat, located in the Limmat Valley , northwest of Zürich. It is the seat of the district of Baden...
and Schinznach-Bad
Schinznach-Bad
Schinznach-Bad is a municipality in the district of Brugg in canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:Schinznach-Bad has an area, , of . Of this area, or 5.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 38.9% is forested...
, the ancient castles, the landscape, and the many old museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s in the canton. Hillwalking is another tourist attraction but is of only limited significance.
See also
- Canton of Aargau castles and fortresses
- Aargauer ZeitungAargauer ZeitungAargauer Zeitung is the leading regional newspaper in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland. Edited in Baden and Aarau, the German language daily has a circulation of 129,000...
- FC AarauFC AarauFC Aarau is a Swiss football club, based in Aarau. They play in the Swiss Challenge League.-History:FC Aarau was formed on 26 May 1902 by workers from a local brewery. The early days of the club were a success and they won the Swiss championship in 1911/12 and then again in 1913/14...
- GP Kanton Aargau, bicycle race
External links
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