'Neuchâtel' is a
canton of
Switzerland. It is located in the west of Switzerland. The population is 167,990 (
2005). The
capital is
Neuchâtel.
Geography
The canton of Neuchâtel is located in the west of Switzerland. To its northeast it borders the
canton of Bern, the northwest
France. The
Lake Neuchâtel lies southeast of the canton, while the canton of
Vaud is southwest of the canton of Neuchâtel. The canton lies in the central area of the
Jura Mountains. Lake Neuchâtel drains the lands in the south, whilst the River Doubs drains the northern areas.
The canton is commonly divided into three regions. The ''Vignoble'' region is located along the lake. Its name derives from the many vineyards found there. The region called ''Les Vallées'' lies further north. The two largest valleys of the canton of Neuchâtel lie in this region: the ''Ruz Valley'' and the ''Val de Travers''. Both valley lie at about 700m. The highest region of the canton, however, is the ''Neuchâtelois Mountains'' at 900 to 1065m. This region is made up of a long valley home to
La Chaux-de-Fonds,
Le Locle and
La Brévine.
History
The name of the canton goes back to the Roman designation of ''Novum Castellum'' (new castle). Rudolph III of Burgundy mentioned Neuchâtel in his will in
1032. The dynasty of
Count Ulrich von Fenis took over the town and its territories in
1034. The dynasty prospered and by
1373 all the lands now part of the canton belonged to the count. In
1405 the cities of
Bern and
Neuchâtel entered a union. The lands of Neuchâtel passed to the lords of
Freiburg about a century later, and then in
1504 to the
French house of Orléans-Longueville.
The French preacher
Guillaume Farel brought the teachings of the
Protestant Reformation to the area in
1530. When the house of Orléans-Longueville became extinct in
1707, the lands of Neuchâtel (also known then by the
German name ''Neuenburg'') went to King
Frederick I of Prussia. The
Kingdom of Prussia governed the area until
1848, with the exception of the period between
1806 and
1814 when the lands went as a sovereign principality to
Napoleon's chief of staff
Louis Alexandre Berthier. During the Prussian time some families of Neuchatel were engaged in slave labor. David de Pury was a Hoffactor for the Portuguese Monarch. Jean-Pierre de Pury founded Purrysburg in South Carolina owned and traded with slaves.
Jacques Louis Poutales became a slave owner in
Grenada.
Pierrre Alexandre DuPeyrou became slave owner in the
Dutch colony
Surinam.
Charles Daniel de Meuron became slave owner in
South Africa Other slave owners and producers of
tobacco were from the Neuchatel familiy Coulon. The activities of this families made Neuchatel rich. Members of the slave owner families tried to keep Neuchatel Prussian, when it became part of Switzerland.
Louis Agassiz was from Neuchatel too.
In
1815 the canton of Neuchâtel became part of the Swiss confederation as a full member. For the first time, the Swiss admitted a canton that did not have a republican administration. This situation changed in
1848 when a peaceful revolution took place and established a Republic. King
Frederick William IV of Prussia did not give in immediately and several attempts at counter-revolution took place. In
1857 Frederick William renounced his claims on the area.
Economy
The canton is well-known for its wines, which are grown along the Lake Neuchâtel. There are
dairy farming and cattle breeding in the valleys, but it is for the breeding of horses that Neuchâtel has a fine reputation. Watch making is well established in the canton, with fine mechanics and microchip production being established more recently.
Demographics
The population is almost entirely
French and
Arpitan speaking. About two thirds are
Protestant and about one third
Roman Catholic.
Districts
Municipalities
The following is a list of
municipalities (''communes'') by district.
See also
★
Neuchâtel - Capital city of the canton.
★
French language
★
Franco-Provençal language
External links
★
Official Site
★
Official Statistics
★
Tourism: Neuchâtel and surroundings "Watch Valley"
★
Portal Neuch.ch
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