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Chapter

Cantons & Federalism

26 cantons, cantonal governments, federalism principles

Part of the complete Swiss citizenship test prep at einbuergerungstests.ch.

  • 4 lessons
  • 50 questions
  • ~78 minutes
  • Aligned to the federal 2025 test
  • All 26 cantons covered
  • German · French · Italian · English
  • Instant referenced answers
  • 1,500+ verified questions
  • Works offline on mobile

What you'll learn

The 26 Cantons of Switzerland

A brief preview from the first lesson of this chapter.

Switzerland consists of 26 cantons (Kantone/cantons/cantoni)—the member states of the Swiss Confederation. Each canton is a sovereign state within its sphere of competence, with its own constitution, parliament, government, and courts. The cantons are the foundation of Swiss federalism and existed before Switzerland became a unified federal state in 1848. Understanding the cantons is essential to understanding Switzerland—they're not mere administrative divisions but genuine political entities with significant autonomy. The 26 cantons vary dramatically in size, population, wealth, language, and political culture, creating Switzerland's remarkable diversity.

The German-Speaking Cantons

Most Swiss cantons are German-speaking. The 17 German-speaking cantons are: Zürich (ZH) - largest canton by population (~1.5 million), economic center; Bern (BE) - second-largest, capital of Switzerland; Luzern (LU) - Central Switzerland, traditional; Uri (UR) - founding canton, Alpine; Schwyz (SZ) - founding canton, gave Switzerland its name; Obwalden (OW) - half-canton, Central Switzerland; Nidwalden (NW) - half-canton, Central Switzerland; Glarus (GL) - still holds Landsgemeinde; Zug (ZG) - wealthy, low taxes; Solothurn (SO) - northwest; Basel-Stadt (BS) - half-canton, city of Basel; Basel-Landschaft (BL) - half-canton, surrounds Basel; Schaffhausen (SH) - north, Rhine Falls; Appenzell Ausserrhoden (AR) - half-canton, northeast; Appenzell Innerrhoden (AI) - half-canton, holds Landsgemeinde, most conservative; St. Gallen (SG) - northeast, textile history; Aargau (AG) - north-central; Thurgau (TG) - northeast, agricultural.

Sample questions

Sample questions

Five example questions from this chapter — with answers, explanations, and official sources.

01Easy

You move from Zurich (ZH) to Geneva (GE) for a new job. What changes regarding official languages and cantonal governance?

  • AOfficial language changes from German to French, but you remain in a full canton with 2 Council of States votes
  • BOfficial language changes from German to French, and you move to a half-canton with 1 Council of States vote
  • CBoth cantons are German-speaking, so no language change occurs
  • DYou must learn Italian because Geneva is in the Italian-speaking region
Correct answer
Official language changes from German to French, but you remain in a full canton with 2 Council of States votes
Explanation
Zurich is a German-speaking full canton sending 2 representatives to the Council of States, while Geneva is a French-speaking full canton also sending 2 representatives. The language changes from German to French, but both are full cantons with equal voting weight in federal matters. Geneva is in the French-speaking region, not the Italian-speaking region.

Source: Official

02Easy

A friend from abroad asks you why Switzerland has 26 cantons but only 46 seats in the Council of States (Ständerat). How do you explain this?

  • A20 full cantons send 2 representatives each, while 6 half-cantons send 1 representative each (20×2 + 6×1 = 46)
  • BAll cantons send 2 representatives, but 6 cantons share their representatives due to small population
  • CThe number varies based on population, with larger cantons getting more votes
  • DEach canton sends 1 representative, and there are 20 additional seats for major cities
Correct answer
20 full cantons send 2 representatives each, while 6 half-cantons send 1 representative each (20×2 + 6×1 = 46)
Explanation
The Council of States has 46 seats because Switzerland has 20 full cantons (each sending 2 representatives) and 6 half-cantons (each sending 1 representative). The half-cantons are Obwalden, Nidwalden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Stadt, and Basel-Landschaft. This gives smaller cantons a voice while maintaining balance.

Source: Official

03Medium

Which Swiss canton has the smallest population, and approximately how many residents does it have?

  • AAppenzell Innerrhoden (AI) is the smallest with approximately 16,000 residents
  • BUri (UR) is the smallest with approximately 36,000 residents
  • CObwalden (OW) is the smallest with approximately 38,000 residents
  • DGlarus (GL) is the smallest with approximately 40,000 residents
Correct answer
Appenzell Innerrhoden (AI) is the smallest with approximately 16,000 residents
Explanation
Appenzell Innerrhoden (AI) is Switzerland's smallest canton by population with approximately 16,000 residents. Despite its small size, it maintains full cantonal status as a half-canton. The other options are also among the smaller cantons, but each has more residents than Appenzell Innerrhoden.

Source: Official

04Medium

You're planning administrative business in Aargau. Which city is the cantonal capital where the government offices are located?

  • AAarau is the capital of Aargau, where the cantonal government is located
  • BWinterthur is the capital of Aargau and the largest city
  • CZurich is the capital of Aargau since it's the closest major city
  • DBaden is the capital of Aargau because of its thermal baths
Correct answer
Aarau is the capital of Aargau, where the cantonal government is located
Explanation
Aarau is the capital of Aargau (AG) where the cantonal government, parliament, and administrative offices are located. Winterthur is actually in the canton of Zurich, not Aargau. Zurich is its own canton's capital. Baden is a significant city in Aargau but not the capital. The cantonal capital is where official government business is conducted.

Source: Official

05Hard

You're helping a new resident complete a federal form that asks for their canton of residence using the two-letter abbreviation. They live in the canton with the capital city of Switzerland (Bern). What abbreviation should they use?

  • ABE for Bern, which is the canton containing the federal capital of Switzerland
  • BBR for Bern, using the first two letters of the city name
  • CBN for Bern, following standard postal abbreviation conventions
  • DZH for Zurich, which is Switzerland's largest city and economic center
Correct answer
BE for Bern, which is the canton containing the federal capital of Switzerland
Explanation
BE is the correct two-letter abbreviation for the canton of Bern, which contains Switzerland's federal capital (also called Bern). The abbreviation system for Swiss cantons doesn't always use the first two letters of the name. While Zurich (ZH) is the largest city, it's not where the federal government is based. Using BR or BN would be incorrect for official forms.

Source: Official

All lessons in this chapter

All lessons in this chapter

Full access in Premium — every lesson, every question, with progress tracking.

  1. 01

    The 26 Cantons of Switzerland

    24 minFull access

  2. 02

    Cantonal Governments and Institutions

    20 minFull access

  3. 03

    Federalism Principles in Practice

    18 minFull access

  4. 04

    Inter-cantonal Cooperation

    16 minFull access

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