Basel-Stadt is one of the northernmost and lowest cantons of Switzerland, and the smallest by area. The canton lies on both sides of theRhine and is very densely populated. The largest municipality isBasel, followed byRiehen andBettingen. The only canton sharing borders with Basel-Stadt is Basel-Landschaft to the south. To the north of Basel-Stadt areFrance andGermany, with the tripoint being in the middle of the Rhine.
Together with Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt was part of theCanton of Basel, which joined theOld Swiss Confederacy in 1501. Political quarrels and armed conflict led to the partition of the canton in 1833.
Basel-Stadt is Switzerland's seventh-largest economic centre[4] and has the highestGDP per capita in the country, ahead of the cantons ofZug andGeneva (in 2018).[5] In terms of value, over 94% of Basel City's goods exports are in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. With production facilities located in the neighbouring Schweizerhalle, Basel accounts for 20% of Swiss exports.[6]
The canton of Basel-Stadt was created when thehistoric canton of Basel was divided in 1833, following political quarrels and armed conflict in the canton. Some of these were concerned with the rights of the population in the agricultural areas. They ultimately led to the separation of thecanton of Basel-Landschaft from the city of Basel on 26 August 1833. Since then, there has been a movement for reunification. This movement gained momentum after 1900 when many parts of Basel-Landschaft became industrialized. The two half-cantons agreed in principle to reunite, but in 1969, and again in September 2014, the people of Basel-Landschaft voted against this proposal in favour of retaining their independence.[7][8]
View fromSt. Chrischona, the highest location in the canton
The canton of Basel-Stadt is located in the north of Switzerland. Basel is located at the so-called 'knee' of theRhine, at the point where from the west the littleBirsig joins the Rhine from the left, and where the Rhine itself switches from flowing in a westerly direction to a northerly flow. It is thesecond flattest canton, with a height difference of only 277 metres between the Rhine andSt. Chrischona.
Bettingen,Riehen and a part of Basel city lie on the east bank of the Rhine, bordered on three sides by the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The rest of the canton lies on the west bank of the Rhine.
The area of the canton is 37 km2 (14 sq mi), making Basel-Stadt the smallest canton in Switzerland. It is sometimes likened to acity-state.[9]
Basel-Stadt borders Basel-Landschaft to the south, the only adjacent canton. To the north, it bordersGermany (Baden-Württemberg) andFrance (Grand Est). The three countries meet in the middle of the Rhine, about 150 metres north of theDreiländereck monument.[10]
Basel-Stadt is ahalf-canton. This means that the canton only sends one representative to theCouncil of States. The capital of the cantonBasel-Stadt is the city of Basel. The present constitution of the canton dates from 1889. In 1966 Basel-Stadt became the first German-speaking canton to allow women to vote, five years before the right to vote was extended to all Swiss women in 1971.[12]
The parliament of the canton is theGrand Council, which has 100 members, who are elected for four years at a time. There are eight different political parties represented in the parliament; the largest party is theSocial Democratic Party, with 32 seats.
The executive of the canton (Regierungsrat) is made up of seven members.
The population of the canton (as of 31 July 2021) is 201,156.[2] As of 2007[update], the population included 56,106 foreigners, or about 30.29% of the total population.[16] The population (as of 2000[update]) is nearly evenly split betweenRoman Catholics (25%) andProtestants (27%). About 10% of the population was classed as adhering to another religion, while 36% did not belong to an organized religion.[17]
The economic area of Basel is considered to be the second largest economic centre in Switzerland, after Zurich.The chemical industry and the pharmaceutical industry are of greatest significance in the canton. There are a number of multinationals in the city of Basel, attracting workers from both cantons of Basel and the areas across the border in France and Germany. Banking and finance are important as is the service sector in general. Small and middle-sized businesses employ a significant number of people, both in the city as the two municipalities. The canton is also known for its banking sector, and for being the worldwide seat of theBank for International Settlements.
Economically, the neighbouring lands in Germany and France are not separated from the area of the canton of Basel-Stadt. Good transport links across the border, as well as supportive local governments, facilitate this link.
The fact that three nation-states come together in one spot near Basel (Dreiländereck) helps attract tourists. The site is clearly identified and a popular destination for primary school classes. The carnival attracts a large number of people from across Switzerland and the neighbouring countries.
In 2014, there were 104 workers in Basel-Stadt who worked in theprimary sector (the total for all of Switzerland is 3.3%). In the same year thesecondary sector employed 36,441 or about 19.0% of the total workforce. Of those in the secondary sector, nearly half of the workers were involved in the production of pharmaceutical products. Thetertiary sector employed 154,896 or about 80.9% of the total, which is slightly higher than 74.9% nationwide. Of those in the tertiary sector, health care, education and retail sales made up about a quarter. Some of the other major tertiary fields included job placement (5.1%), management and business consulting (4.1%), public administration (3.9%), architectural and engineering offices (3.7%) and financial services (3.5%).[19]
Tram service for commuting within the Basel city area
There is aninternational airport at Basel-Mulhouse, actually located 4 km (2.5 mi) inside French territory but with customs-free access from the city. The canton is well connected by both trains and motorways to the rest of Switzerland and the neighbouring areas in France and Germany.
Basel is a major railway station of Switzerland, connected toParis andBerlin with direct fast trains.
There is a port at Basel for ships on the Rhine. This port is of great significance to landlocked Switzerland, as it offers the country's only direct connection to the sea. The port benefits from good connections to both rail and road.
Basler Fasnacht early-morning parade with Lanterns.
TheCarnival of Basel (Basler Fasnacht) is a major cultural event in the year. The carnival is one of the biggest in Switzerland and attracts large crowds, despite the fact that many of its central traditions are played out in the early morning starting at 4am (Morgestraich) and followed by a continuous run of festivities for 72 hours.
The Autumn Fair in Basel (Basler Herbstmesse) is the biggest in Switzerland.
The canton of Basel is renowned for two of its biscuits. TheBasler Läckerli is a hard biscuit made of honey, almonds, candied peel andKirsch, and is enjoyed as a speciality all year round. The Basler Brunsli is made of almonds and generally enjoyed atChristmas all around Switzerland.
The Basel Messe convention center is the location of several international events. The largest areArt Basel, an art show for modern and contemporary works, andBaselWorld, a major watch and jewellery show.
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