Graubünden
Canton|short_name=Grisons|local_names=Graubünden
Grischun
Grigioni|coa_img_path=Graubünden.png|locatormap_img_path=Swiss_Canton_Map_GR.png|cantonalmap_img_path=Map_of_Canton_Graubunden.png|capital=
Chur|area=7105|area_rank=1st|area_scale=9|population=185700|population_rank=15th|population_asof=2003|population_density=26|since=1803|abbr=GR|languages=
German ,
Romansh,
Italian|executive=Regierungsrat
Regenza, Governo|executive_members=5|legislative=
Grosser Rat,
cussegl grond,
Grand Consiglio|parliament_members=120|highest=Piz Bernina|highest_m=4049|municipalities_number=211|districts_designation=Bezirke|districts_number=11|}}
Graubünden or
Grisons (
German:
Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun, French: Grisons) is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland.The area of the canton is
7,105 km². Only about a third of this is commonly regarded as productive land. Forests cover about a fifth of the total area. The canton is almost entirely mountainous, comprising the highlands of the
Rhine and
Inn river valleys. Many of its scenic areas are part of the
Swiss National Park or the
Ela Nature Park.
There are many significant elevations in the
Grison Alps, including the
Tödi with 3,614m and the highest peak
Piz Bernina with 4,048m. Many of the mountain ranges feature extensive glaciers, such as at the
Adula, the
Albula, the
Silvretta, the
Bernnina or the
Rätikon range. The mountain ranges in the central area are very deep, some of which are considered the deepest valleys in
Europe. These valleys were originally settled by the
Raeti (
Rhaeti) people of probably Celtic origin.
The canton borders on
Liechtenstein to the north,
Austria to the north and the east,
Italy to the south and southeast, and the cantons of
St. Gallen to the north west,
Canton of Glarus,
Uri to the west, and
Ticino to the south west. The capital city is
Chur. The world-famous resorts of
Davos and
St. Moritz are located in the canton.
Most of the lands of the canton were once part of a Roman province called
Raetia which was established in
15 BC. The area later was part of the lands of the diocese at
Chur.
In
1367 the
League of God's House (
Cadi,
Gottes Haus,
Ca' di Dio), was founded to resist the rising power of the
Bishop of Chur. This was followed by the establishment of the
Grey League (
Grauer Bund), sometimes called
Oberbund, in
1395 in the Upper Rhine valley. The name
Grey League is derived from the homespun grey clothes worn by the people. The name of this league later gave its name to the canton of Graubünden. A third league was established in
1436 by the people of ten bailiwicks in the former
Toggenburg countship, as the dynasty of Toggenburg had become extinct. The league was called
League of the Ten Jurisdictions (
Zehngerichtebund).
The first step towards the canton of Graubünden was when the league of the Ten Jurisdictions allied with the League of God's House in
1450. In
1471 the two leagues allied with the Grey League. This was caused when the
Habsburgs inherited the possessions of the extinct Toggenburg dynasty in
1496. This meant that the leagues allied with the Swiss Confederation. The Habsburgs were defeated at
Calven Gorge and
Dornach, helping the Swiss confederation and the allied leagues of the canton of Grison to be recognized.
The last traces of the bishop of Chur's jurisdiction were abolished in
1526. The
Musso war of the 1520 drove the Three Leagues closer to the Swiss Confederacy. The lands of the canton of Graubünden were part of the
Helvetic Republic, but the "perpetual ally" of
Switzerland became a canton in
1803. The constitution of the canton dates from
1892.
The arms of the three original leagues are now all part of the arms of coat of the canton of Graubünden.
The Graubünden are known for a dried-beef delicacy called
Bündnerfleisch and for a nut and honey pie known as
Bündner Nusstorte. Another specialty, predominantly made in the eastern part of Grison, is
Capuns, a hearty meal of meat, cheese and salad leaves.
Agriculture and tourism are the pillars of the canton's economy. Agriculture includes forests and mountain pasturage in summer, particularly of sheep and goats. Tourisms is concentrated in the mountains, particularly around the towns of
Davos /
Arosa,
Laax and
St. Moritz /
Pontresina. There are, however, a great number of other tourist resorts in the canton.
There is
wine production around the capital
Chur. Chur is also an industrial centre. In the southern valleys of
Mesolcina/Misox and
Poschiavo there is corn (maize) and
chestnut farming.
The languages spoken in the Graubünden are
German in the northwest (54%),
Romansh in the
Engadin and around
Disentis/Mustér (31%), and
Italian in the valleys
Mesolcina/Misox,
Calanca,
Bregaglia/Bergell, and
Poschiavo/Puschlav (15%).
The main religions are
Protestantism and
Catholicism. The percent of Roman Catholics is slightly greater(3.66%) than the Protestant population.
There are 209
municipalities in the canton (
as of April 2004).
See also: Municipalities of Switzerland*
Official Statistics*
Official Page (German, Italian and Romansh)
