cantons
Bern, Zurich, Geneva
Cantons are territorial divisions within a country, most famously the 26 member states of Switzerland.
The word suggests semi-autonomous regions with their own governments: Each canton sets its own tax rates.
In heraldry, a canton is a small square in the corner of a shield.
The verb canton means to divide into districts or to quarter troops in a locality.
Swiss financial center
Portions of a whole
- districtsDefined administrative regions
- boundariesLines marking separation
- territoriesAreas under jurisdiction
- jurisdictionsAreas of legal control
municipalities · communes · regions · borders · demarcation · zones · quarters · precincts
Divided governmental authority system
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
- self-governmentRuling oneself independently
- decentralizationDistributing power from center
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
constitution · legislature · referendum · direct democracy · devolution · home rule · confederation · bicameral
Hereditary symbolic emblem
- emblemRepresentational sign or device
- shieldHandheld defensive armor
- blazonHeraldic shield notation
- escutcheonShield bearing heraldry
banner · tincture · charge · field · crest · motto · ordinaries · armorial
Regional language variations
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
- festivalsOrganized communal celebrations
- cuisineCharacteristic cooking style
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
costumes · heritage · customs · yodeling · alphorn · crafts · regional identity · gastronomy
Zurich
Swiss financial center
subdivisions
Portions of a whole
- districtsDefined administrative regions
- boundariesLines marking separation
- territoriesAreas under jurisdiction
jurisdictions · municipalities · communes · regions · borders · demarcation · zones · quarters · precincts · capital
federalism
Divided governmental authority system
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
- self-governmentRuling oneself independently
- decentralizationDistributing power from center
autonomy · constitution · legislature · referendum · direct democracy · devolution · home rule · confederation · bicameral · council
coat of arms
Hereditary symbolic emblem
escutcheon · banner · tincture · charge · field · crest · motto · ordinaries · armorial
dialects
Regional language variations
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
- festivalsOrganized communal celebrations
- cuisineCharacteristic cooking style
folklore · costumes · heritage · customs · yodeling · alphorn · crafts · regional identity · gastronomy · local customs
- regionsregion, regions, area, areas, zone
- geography termsmap, atlas, globe, compass, coordinates
- governancegovernance, government, democracy, vote, parliament
- SwitzerlandBern, Geneva, Zurich, Basel, Lausanne
- jurisdictionscounty, city, province, state, counties
- territoriesprovince, state, region, country, colony
cantonswholes
Complete unified amounts
nation · country · federation · confederation · nation-state
cantonscentralized government
Authority held by one body
central authority · empire · monarchy · national government · federal government
cantonsnation-states
Self-governing territorial polities
federations · empires · unions · confederations · blocs
- Canton SystemQing single-port trade restriction
- bel cantoElegant Italian vocal style