Northwestern Switzerland

The North West Switzerland (French Suisse du Nord -Ouest, Italian Svizzera nordoccidentale, Romansch Romansch dal Nordvest or Nordvest da la Romansch ) is an inter-cantonal economic area in the northwest of Switzerland. It covers essentially the entire United Basel region and is connected to the Tarifverbund Northwestern Switzerland almost identical.

Geography

Northwestern Switzerland in the narrow sense

The North West Switzerland is in the narrower and original meaning of several ( partial) cantons, geographically form a unit. The natural boundary to other major regions of Switzerland is formed by the mountain chain of the Jura.

For North West Switzerland are in the strict sense:

• The Canton of Basel-Stadt
• The Canton of Basel-Landschaft
• The districts of Rheinfelden and running Castle in the canton of Aargau and four other municipalities in the district of Brugg and one of the district of Aarau (see Frick valley )
• The districts Dorneck and Thierstein in the canton of Solothurn (see Schwarzbubenland )

For Northwestern Switzerland in the narrow sense therefore all German-speaking communities north include the Jura ( the German Jurassic community Ederswiler is due to their membership in the Canton of Jura usually not counted in the North West Switzerland ).

Northwestern Switzerland in the broader sense

Often the term is used in a broader sense and includes all of the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Aargau and Solothurn (eg University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland).

According to the Federal Statistical Office are part of the Greater Region North West Switzerland the cantons of Aargau ( overall ), Basel-Stadt and Basel-Land, but not the Canton of Solothurn.

Population

In the north-western Switzerland about 1,075,000 people live; over 88 % of them live in the urban area of the agglomeration of Basel. The proportion of foreigners is in 2010 with 24.1% by 0.4 percentage points below the national average.

Cities in the North West Switzerland:

• The urban suburbs of Basel: Riehen, Birsfelden, Muttenz, Pratteln, Munich stone, Binningen, Oberwil BL, Allschwil, Reinach BL and Aesch BL (all above 10,000 inhabitants)
• The cantonal capital Liestal BL
• The district capital of Rheinfelden AG
• Over a historical city status (and thus the historic city center), but rather have low population of the district places running BL and Waldenburg BL and Laufenburg

Economy

Seen not only geographically, but also economically Northwest Switzerland is a unified region. The economic center is Basel. From all over the North West Switzerland commute over 54,000 people according to Basel-Stadt, as retaining nearly 30,000 foreign cross-border workers. Total work against 50,000 commuters in the north-west Switzerland. With an unemployment rate of 2.3 % of the workforce, the north-western Switzerland, despite the high number of commuters just below the Swiss average.

Special case cantonal borders

The cantonal boundaries within the North West Switzerland lost in complicated and confusing lines crisscrossing the region. Separate the city from the neighboring suburbs, although the transition is smooth and no limit is observed. An incorporation as in Zurich there has never been due to the cantonal and national boundaries in Basel. Had already been incorporated only the adjacent municipalities, as Basel today would include approximately 265,000 inhabitants. With all structurally contiguous locations it would even be around 330,000. Impossible was also an incorporation of foreign adjacent suburbs, such as Saint- Louis ( France).

But not only the city is separated from the land; also entire valleys and villages are cut off from their canton and form enclaves and enclaves. The best example of this are the places Solothurn Rodersdorf, Metzerlen, Hofstetten, Flueh, Bättwil and Witterswil. They form a contiguous enclave and are of the Canton of Solothurn by the Laufen (Canton Basel-Landschaft ) completely separated. Another Solothurn exclave is the place Huggerwald. Next to it is the Baselbieter community Rye Castle, which forms an exclave of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft. Within a few kilometers can be readily crosses four cantonal borders. Only 7 km away from the Frick valley of Basel-Stadt; between the Dornach and the Frick Valley, 6 km and only just 3.6 km away from the Canton of Solothurn Canton of Basel-Stadt.

Such historically contingent boundaries are directly responsible for the North West Switzerland a challenge and for certain problems. Both Schwarzbubenland as well as the Frick valley are made of geographic, economic and linguistic reasons, the economic center of Basel belonging. In many areas ( esp. in schools ), the cantons are working closely together. The Public Transport Authority ( Tarifverbund Northwestern Switzerland), for example, lead inter-cantonal lines. But with four different laws, regulations and special provisions in the Basel region so closely linked loses the region of efficiency.

Another problem is the special situation of the city of Basel. About 80,000 people commute to Basel to earn money. The region utilizes the services of the city in claim; you go shopping in Basel, uses the urban infrastructure or uses cultural offerings. But the taxes are paid in a different canton. This means that the financial situation deteriorated in Basel persistent, therefore services must be removed. For this, the city is losing population for decades, who establish themselves in the suburban surroundings, but often keep their jobs in Basel. It all the more understandable that Basel-Stadt eagerly wants a reunion with Basel-Landschaft is. However, this is rejected by the other side again and again, as many fear an increased tax burden. In this sense, has also been discussed on the establishment of a canton Northwestern Switzerland, which the four ( sub-) should unite cantons, so that the above-mentioned shortcomings and injustices could be resolved.

The Canton North West Switzerland

The recent initiatives for establishment of the canton Northwestern Switzerland, there were in 1999, when four Canton parliamentarians of the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Aargau and Solothurn in four motions a method for forming a canton Northwestern Switzerland called for (see link), these were, however, rejected by the parliaments. One of the reasons was that such steps with the entire canton or not should be made, as you would otherwise just re- create new boundaries.