Canton of St. Gallen
| Canton of St. Gallen
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Flag of the canton
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| Capital: | St. Gallen
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| Abbr.: | SG
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| Joined: | 1803
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| Population: | 455,200
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| Area: | 2,026 km²
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| Language: | German
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St. Gallen (German: Sankt Gallen) is a canton of Switzerland. St. Gallen is located in the north east of Switzerland. The area is 2,026 km² and population as of 2002 455,200. The capital is St. Gallen. There are alternative spellings for the canton: St. Gall, Saint Gall, Saint Gallen.
Cities and towns
Cities (with more than 10,000 inhabitants):
Geography
The canton is located in the north east of Switzerland. It is bounded to the north by Lake Constance (Bodensee). To the east lies the Rhine valley. Over the Rhine is Austria and Liechtenstein. To the south, the canton of St. Gallen is bounded by the cantons of Graubünden, Glarus and Schwyz. To the west lie the cantons of Zürich and Thurgau.
The two half cantons Appenzell Innerrhoden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden are completely surrounded by lands of the canton of St. Gallen.
The main rivers of the canton are the Rhine, Thur, Linth and Seez. The topography changes from the plains near river Rhine and Lake Constance towards the mountainous areas in the south. About one quarter of the land is covered in forests and more than half consists of Alpine pastures.
History
The lands of the canton St. Gallen represent aquisitions of the abbey of St. Gallen over centuries. The canton of St. Gallen was part of the canton Säntis during the Helvetic Republic. This was only possible after secularizing the abbey in 1798. In 1803 the area joined the Swiss Confederation as canton St. Gallen. The constitution was established in 1890.
Economy
Agricultural activity consists predominantly of dairy farming and cattle breeding in the mountainous areas. In the plains fruit and wine production are important, but there is also mixed farming.
Industries of the canton include optical goods, pyrotechnics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Tourism plays an important role in the many resorts. There is a thermal spa in Bad Ragaz and a great number of winter sports facilities.
Constituencies and municipalities
The canton is subdivided in following constituencies (Wahlkreise). The structure replaced districts (Bezirke) on January 1, 2003:
- St. Gallen with 113,019 inhabitants
- municipalities St. Gallen, Eggersriet, Wittenbach, Häggenschwil, Muolen, Waldkirch, Andwil, Gossau and Mörschwil, Goldach, Steinach, Berg, Tübach, Untereggen, Rorschacherberg, Rorschach and Thal
- Rheineck, St. Margrethen, Au, Berneck, Balgach, Diepoldsau, Widnau, Rebstein, Marbach, Altstätten, Eichberg, Oberriet and Rüthi
- Sennwald, Gams, Grabs, Buchs, Sevelen and Wartau
- Sargans, Vilters-Wangs, Bad Ragaz, Pfäfers, Mels, Flums, Walenstadt and Amden, Weesen, Schänis, Benken, Kaltbrunn, Rieden, Gommiswald, Ernetschwil, Uznach, Schmerikon, Rapperswil-Jona (separated until 2007), Eschenbach, Goldingen and St. Gallenkappel
- Wildhaus, Alt St. Johann, Stein, Nesslau, Krummenau, Ebnat-Kappel, Wattwil, Lichtensteig, Oberhelfenschwil, Brunnadern, Hemberg, St. Peterzell, Krinau, Bütschwil, Lütisburg, Mosnang, Kirchberg, Mogelsberg and Jonschwil, Oberuzwil, Uzwil, Flawil, Degersheim, Wil, Bronschhofen, Zuzwil, Oberbüren, Niederbüren and Niederhelfenschwil
See Municipalities of the canton of St. Gallen for an alphabetical list.
