Cantons of Switzerland#Half-cantons

Half-cantons (French demi - canton, Italian semicantone, Romansh mez Chantun ) is no longer official, but still denomination for those six Swiss cantons, which are represented by only one seat in the Senate, while there are two seats in the other cantons, and in the calculation of the stator Mehrs only have half a cantonal vote. In the Old Confederation ( to 1798 ) outweighed the term semi- state.

These six cantons:

• Obwalden ( OW) and Nidwalden (NW ), common name Unterwalden;
• Basel- Stadt (BS ) and Basel- Country (BL ), separated since 1833;
• Appenzell Ausserrhoden (AR) and Appenzell Innerrhoden (AI ), separated since 1597th

In the new legends of the Swiss Federal Constitution of 1999, the term is no longer used. It is one in Article 142, paragraph 4, the cantons concerned and says, this " cantons " would have " per half a cantonal vote". The new official counting, as is also apparent from Article 1, these cantons thus considered as " very ", under which Switzerland is now composed of 26 (and no longer 23) cantons.

On the actual status of these cantons, however, has not changed. Apart from the smaller representation in the Senate and half a cantonal vote ever since, each " half- Canton " the same internal autonomy as a " full- Canton ".

Appenzell

In the wake of the Reformation, in 1597 the canton of Appenzell divided into a Catholic Innerrhoden and Ausserrhoden a reformed (country subdivision ).

Basel

In the canton of Basel in 1833 led a conflict between the politically dominant town and patronized landscape for splitting ( Basel Canton separation).

Unterwalden

Unterwalden, however, is always divided in Obwalden and Nidwalden.

Schwyz

In the 1830s, the canton was temporarily divided into two half-cantons, namely in Inner and Ausserschwyz.

Special case Glarus

The canton of Glarus had developed in the course of the Reformation to a canton with a Catholic minority. Since 1623 both denominations had their own particular rural community from, in addition to the general rural community. Although these denominational rural communities ( " Protestant Glarus " and " Catholic Glarus ") took over many of the public duties ( up to order bailiffs common lordships ), the formation of a separate federal state or semi- state came in contrast to Appenzell not: Glarus was not divided into two half-cantons and maintained his unit as a federal state and Canton.

Unofficial common cantonal coats of arms of Obwalden and Nidwalden

Old coat of arms of Unterwalden

Coat of arms ( historical ) Appenzell and the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden today