Canton of Fribourg
Encyclopedia
The Canton of Fribourg is a canton
of Switzerland
. It is located in the west of the country. The capital of the canton is Fribourg
. The name Fribourg is French
, whereas is the German
name for both the canton and the town.
and Lake Morat significant traces of prehistoric settlements have been unearthed.
The canton of Fribourg joined the Swiss Confederation in 1481. The area is made up of lands acquired by the capital Fribourg. The present extent was reached in 1803 when Murten
(Morat) was acquired. The canton of Fribourg joined the separatist league of Catholic cantons in 1846 (Sonderbund
). The following year, its troops surrendered to the federal army.
. It is bounded to the west by the Lake of Neuchâtel. To the west and the south of the canton lies the canton of Vaud
. To the east the canton of Fribourg is bounded by the canton of Bern. There are two enclaves within Vaud and one within the canton of Bern, as well as a large exclave on the lake. The area of the canton of Fribourg is 1669 square kilometres (644.4 sq mi), including the small enclaves.
The canton lies on the elevated Swiss Plateau. In the west the lands are flat, but towards the south east of the canton, the lands rise to a hilly region. This region is commonly called pre-Alps
but is part of the Bernese Alps
. The highest elevation in the canton is the Vanil Noir
with 2389 m (7,838 ft).
The river Saane
(Sarine) flows from the south to the north of the canton. Together with its tributaries it drains most of the lands in the canton. The river Saane later joins the river Aare. The river Broye
drains the west of the canton and flows northeast into Lake Morat (Murtensee). The southwest part of the canton is drained by the river Veveyse which flows south into Lake Geneva
.
The Canton is divided into 7 districts:
in the canton of Fribourg . The number is decreasing as the canton subsidizes mergers between municipalities.
to its west and Bern to its east, the canton of Fribourg is a predominantly Roman Catholic enclave with a Protestant
minority (15%). This explains the canton's existence, even though it straddles the French-German linguistic border, for in the past, denominational considerations were more important than linguistic when drawing Switzerland's cantons.
The main centres of population are the capital Fribourg
(34,300 inhabitants) and Bulle
(18,200 inhabitants).
Two-thirds of the population speak French
, and one-third speaks Alemannic
dialects of German. The French-speaking areas are in the west of the canton, whereas the Alemannic-speaking areas are in the east. There are a number of bilingual towns, a fact that has attracted some businesses, such as telesales. The population of the canton (as of ) is . , the population included 43,838 foreigners, or about 16.65% of the total population.
is important in the canton of Fribourg. The main agricultural activities are cattle breeding and dairy farming
. Cheese
-making is established, in particular in the district of La Gruyère, home of the cheese
with the same name. The chocolate
making industry is also well established in Broc
, where even an international research centre has been lately inaugurated (see: http://www.swisster.ch/en/news/science_tech/nestle-launches-chocolate-centre-of-excellence_118-2371195. Other agricultural produces include tobacco
, fruit
and cereals. Agriculture is predominant in the north of the canton where the most fertile lands lie.
There is light industry concentrated around the capital Fribourg. Other centres of light industry are Bulle
, Villars-sur-Glâne
, Düdingen
(Guin), Murten
(Morat) and Estavayer-le-Lac
. These five centers have also a large number of established small and medium sized businesses, many of which are in the service sector. Forests are important in the La Gruyère
(Greyerz) district.
The district of La Sarine is home to electric power plants used for home use as well as export. The mountain areas attract tourists all year round. The lake regions are frequented by tourists - mainly families - in summer and autumn.
with motorways A1
, A12 and fast rail links. The main railway between Geneva
and Lausanne
in the south west to Bern and Zürich
connects Fribourg with other centres of the country.
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 is located in the west of the country. The capital of the canton is Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
. The name Fribourg is French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, whereas is the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
name for both the canton and the town.
History
On the shores of Lake NeuchâtelLake Neuchâtel
Lake Neuchâtel is a lake in Romandy, Switzerland . The lake lies mainly in the canton of Neuchâtel, but is also shared by the cantons of Vaud, of Fribourg, and of Bern....
and Lake Morat significant traces of prehistoric settlements have been unearthed.
The canton of Fribourg joined the Swiss Confederation in 1481. The area is made up of lands acquired by the capital Fribourg. The present extent was reached in 1803 when Murten
Murten
Murten is a municipality in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg....
(Morat) was acquired. The canton of Fribourg joined the separatist league of Catholic cantons in 1846 (Sonderbund
Sonderbund
The Sonderbund War of November 1847 was a civil war in Switzerland. It ensued after seven Catholic cantons formed the Sonderbund in 1845 in order to protect their interests against a centralization of power...
). The following year, its troops surrendered to the federal army.
Geography
The canton of Fribourg lies in the west of SwitzerlandSwitzerland
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 is bounded to the west by the Lake of Neuchâtel. To the west and the south of the canton lies the canton of Vaud
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
. To the east the canton of Fribourg is bounded by the canton of Bern. There are two enclaves within Vaud and one within the canton of Bern, as well as a large exclave on the lake. The area of the canton of Fribourg is 1669 square kilometres (644.4 sq mi), including the small enclaves.
The canton lies on the elevated Swiss Plateau. In the west the lands are flat, but towards the south east of the canton, the lands rise to a hilly region. This region is commonly called pre-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....
but is part of the Bernese Alps
Bernese Alps
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and...
. The highest elevation in the canton is the Vanil Noir
Vanil Noir
Vanil Noir is the highest mountain of the Fribourg Prealps in Switzerland. It forms the border between the Canton of Fribourg and Vaud.Vanil Noir is the highest point of the canton of Fribourg....
with 2389 m (7,838 ft).
The river Saane
Saâne
The Saâne is a river of Normandy, France, in length, flowing through the department of Seine-Maritime.- Geography :The Saâne has its source in the Pays de Caux in the territory of the hamlet of Varvannes, in the commune of Val-de-Saâne...
(Sarine) flows from the south to the north of the canton. Together with its tributaries it drains most of the lands in the canton. The river Saane later joins the river Aare. The river Broye
Broye
The Broye is a 68 km long river, in the cantons of Fribourg and Vaud, in Switzerland. It has a watershed area of 850 km².-Presentation:...
drains the west of the canton and flows northeast into Lake Morat (Murtensee). The southwest part of the canton is drained by the river Veveyse which flows south into Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is a lake in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. 59.53 % of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40.47 % under France...
.
Districts
- BroyeBroye (district)Broye District is a one of the seven districts of the Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland, lying in the vicinity of Lake Neuchâtel. Its territory is non-contiguous and Broye is fragmented into four parts, three of which exist as exclaves from the canton of Fribourg...
capital Estavayer-le-LacEstavayer-le-LacEstavayer-le-Lac is a municipality of the canton of Fribourg, situated on the south shore of Lake Neuchâtel. Estavayer-le-Lac is located between Yverdon and Bern. It is the capital of the district of Broye.-History:... - GlâneGlâne (district)Glâne District is a one of seven districts in the Canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It has a population of .-Mergers and name changes:...
capital Romont - GruyèreGruyère (district)Gruyère District is a district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It has a population of . Its capital is Bulle.-Municipalities:-Mergers and name changes:...
(German Greyerz) capital BulleBulleBulle is a municipality in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. In January 2006 Bulle incorporated the formerly independent municipality of La Tour-de-Trême.-History:... - SarineSarine (district)Sarine District is one of the seven districts of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is largely French-speaking, with a German-speaking minority. Its territory is drained by the Sarine river , and by its tributary, the Glâne...
(German Saane) capital FribourgFribourgFribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland... - See (French District du Lac) capital MurtenMurtenMurten is a municipality in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg....
- SenseSense (district)Sense District is one of the seven administrative district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland, and the only completely German-speaking one. It is named for the Sense River, which forms the majority of its eastern border with the canton of Bern. The Sense region was first mentioned...
(French Singine) capital TafersTafersTafers is a municipality in the district of Sense in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.-External links:*... - VeveyseVeveyse (district)Veveyse District is a one of seven districts in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It has a population of . It consists of the following municipalities:-References:...
(German Vivisbach) capital Châtel-Saint-DenisChâtel-Saint-DenisChâtel-Saint-Denis is a municipality and district capital of the district of Veveyse in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.The bog and Lac de Lussy are a nature preserve.-External links:* /...
Municipalities
There are 168 municipalitiesMunicipalities of the canton of Fribourg
There are 167 municipalities in the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland .- References :...
in the canton of Fribourg . The number is decreasing as the canton subsidizes mergers between municipalities.
Demographics
In contrast to the mainly Protestant cantons of VaudVaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
to its west and Bern to its east, the canton of Fribourg is a predominantly Roman Catholic enclave with a Protestant
Protestantism
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...
minority (15%). This explains the canton's existence, even though it straddles the French-German linguistic border, for in the past, denominational considerations were more important than linguistic when drawing Switzerland's cantons.
The main centres of population are the capital Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
(34,300 inhabitants) and Bulle
Bulle
Bulle is a municipality in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. In January 2006 Bulle incorporated the formerly independent municipality of La Tour-de-Trême.-History:...
(18,200 inhabitants).
Two-thirds of the population speak French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and one-third speaks Alemannic
Alemannic German
Alemannic is a group of dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. It is spoken by approximately ten million people in six countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, France and Italy...
dialects of German. The French-speaking areas are in the west of the canton, whereas the Alemannic-speaking areas are in the east. There are a number of bilingual towns, a fact that has attracted some businesses, such as telesales. The population of the canton (as of ) is . , the population included 43,838 foreigners, or about 16.65% of the total population.
Economics
AgricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
is important in the canton of Fribourg. The main agricultural activities are cattle breeding and dairy farming
Dairy 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...
. Cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
-making is established, in particular in the district of La Gruyère, home of the cheese
Gruyère (cheese)
Gruyère is a hard yellow cheese, named after the town of Gruyères in Switzerland, and originated in the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura, and Berne...
with the same name. The chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
making industry is also well established in Broc
Broc
Broc is a municipality in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.-History:Broc is first mentioned in 1115 as Broc and Broch. The municipality was formerly known by its German name Bruck, however, that name is no longer used.-Geography:Broc has an area, , of...
, where even an international research centre has been lately inaugurated (see: http://www.swisster.ch/en/news/science_tech/nestle-launches-chocolate-centre-of-excellence_118-2371195. Other agricultural produces include tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, 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,...
and cereals. Agriculture is predominant in the north of the canton where the most fertile lands lie.
There is light industry concentrated around the capital Fribourg. Other centres of light industry are Bulle
Bulle
Bulle is a municipality in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. In January 2006 Bulle incorporated the formerly independent municipality of La Tour-de-Trême.-History:...
, Villars-sur-Glâne
Villars-sur-Glâne
Villars-sur-Glâne is a municipality in the district of Sarine in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.-External links:*...
, Düdingen
Düdingen
Düdingen is a municipality in the district of Sense in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.SC Düdingen is a football club based in the town. They currently play in the Swiss 1. Liga, the third tier of Swiss football.-External links:*...
(Guin), Murten
Murten
Murten is a municipality in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg....
(Morat) and Estavayer-le-Lac
Estavayer-le-Lac
Estavayer-le-Lac is a municipality of the canton of Fribourg, situated on the south shore of Lake Neuchâtel. Estavayer-le-Lac is located between Yverdon and Bern. It is the capital of the district of Broye.-History:...
. These five centers have also a large number of established small and medium sized businesses, many of which are in the service sector. Forests are important in the La Gruyère
Gruyère (district)
Gruyère District is a district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It has a population of . Its capital is Bulle.-Municipalities:-Mergers and name changes:...
(Greyerz) district.
The district of La Sarine is home to electric power plants used for home use as well as export. The mountain areas attract tourists all year round. The lake regions are frequented by tourists - mainly families - in summer and autumn.
Transport
The canton of Fribourg is well connected to other areas of SwitzerlandSwitzerland
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....
with motorways A1
A1 (Switzerland)
The A1 is a motorway in Switzerland. It follows Switzerland's main east-west axis, from St. Margrethen in northeastern Switzerland's canton of St. Gallen through to Geneva in southwestern Switzerland...
, A12 and fast rail links. The main railway between Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
in the south west to Bern and 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...
connects Fribourg with other centres of the country.