ObwaldenObwalden or Obwald (Kanton Obwalden ˈɔbˌvaldn̩; Chantun Sursilvania; Canton d'Obwald; Canton Obvaldo) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of seven municipalities and the seat of the government and parliament is in Sarnen. It is traditionally considered a "half-canton", the other half being Nidwalden. Obwalden lies in Central Switzerland and contains the geographical centre of Switzerland. It is bordered by the canton of Lucerne to the north, the canton of Nidwalden and Uri to the east and the canton of Bern to the south.
Helvetic RepublicThe Helvetic Republic (République Hélvetique, Helvetische Republik, Repubblica Elvetica) was a sister republic of France that existed between 1798 and 1803, during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was created following the French invasion and the consequent dissolution of the Old Swiss Confederacy, marking the end of the ancien régime in Switzerland. Throughout its existence, the republic incorporated most of the territory of modern Switzerland, excluding the cantons of Geneva and Neuchâtel and the old Prince-Bishopric of Basel.
Canton of LucerneThe canton of Lucerne (Kanton Luzern ˈkantɔn luˈtsɛrn Chantun Lucerna Canton de Lucerne Canton Lucerna) is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population of the canton (as of ) is . , the population included 57,268 foreigners, or about 15.8% of the total population. The cantonal capital is Lucerne. The canton of Lucerne comprises territories acquired by its capital Lucerne, either by treaty, armed occupation or purchase.
Reuss (river)The Reuss (Swiss German: Rüüss) is a river in Switzerland. With a length of and a drainage basin of , it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland (after the Rhine, Aare and Rhône). The upper Reuss forms the main valley of the canton of Uri. The course of the lower Reuss runs from Lake Lucerne to the confluence with the Aare at Brugg and Windisch. The Reuss is one of the four major rivers taking their source in the Gotthard region, along with the Rhine, Ticino and Rhône.
Canton of ZugThe canton of Zug or Zoug (Kanton Zug, Standard German: tsuːk, Alemannic German: tsuːɡ̊; Chantun Zug; Canton de Zoug; Canton Zugo) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. It is located in central Switzerland and its capital is Zug. At the canton is one of the smallest of the Swiss cantons in terms of area. It is not subdivided into districts, but eleven municipalities. The first trace of a settlement in the canton dates from approximately 14,000 BC, with additional finds from the Paleolithic (12,400-9250 BC) and the Mesolithic (9250-5500 BC).
Lake LucerneNOTOC Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee, literally "Lake of the four forested settlements" (in English usually translated as forest cantons), lac des Quatre-Cantons, lago dei Quattro Cantoni) is a lake in central Switzerland and the fourth largest in the country. The lake has a complicated shape, with several sharp bends and four arms. It starts in the south–north bound Reuss Valley between steep cliffs above the Urnersee from Flüelen towards Brunnen to the north before it makes a sharp bend to the west where it continues into the Gersauer Becken.
BellinzonaBellinzona (ˌbɛlɪnˈzoʊnə , bellinˈtsoːna, Ticinese belĩˈtsɔna; Bellinzone bɛlɛ̃zon; Bellenz ˈbɛlɛnts; Blizuna bliˈtsuːnə) is a municipality, a historic Swiss town, and the capital of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The town is famous for its three castles (Castelgrande, Montebello, Sasso Corbaro) that have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2000. The town lies east of the river Ticino, at the foot of the Alps. It stretches along the river valley, surrounded by the southern ranges of the Lepontine Alps to the east and west, and by the Lugano Prealps to the south.
History of SwitzerlandSince 1848 the Swiss Confederation has been a federal republic of relatively autonomous cantons, some of which have a history of federation that goes back more than 700 years, putting them among the world's oldest surviving republics. The early history of the region is tied to that of Alpine culture. Switzerland was inhabited by the Helvetii, and it came under Roman rule in the 1st century BC. The Gallo-Roman culture was amalgamated with Germanic influence during Late Antiquity, with the eastern part of Switzerland becoming Alemannic territory.
Canton of SchwyzThe canton of Schwyz (Kanton Schwyz ʃviːts Chantun Sviz; Canton de Schwytz; Canton Svitto) is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne to the west and Lake Zürich in the north, centred on and named after the town of Schwyz. It is one of the founding cantons of Switzerland; Switzerland's name is derived from the name of the canton, and the flag of Switzerland from its coat of arms. For the history of the name, see Schwyz. The Swiss Federal Charter is on display in Schwyz.
GersauGersau is a municipality and district in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland, sitting on the shores of Lake Lucerne. Gersau was for many centuries an independent micro-state in permanent alliance with the Swiss Confederation. Gersau is first mentioned in 1064 as Gersouwe. The estates of Gersau gradually came into the hands of the Habsburgs, but in 1333, under dukes Albert II and Otto IV the Merry of Austria, the jurisdiction and rights over Gersau fell into the hands of Lucerne nobility.
