Kanton

Kanton is the German term for a cantonal subdivision, used to describe a territorial unit with a degree of autonomy within a larger federation or state. The word is borrowed from the French canton and is most closely associated with the Swiss political system, where cantons are the member states of the Swiss Confederation.

In Switzerland, there are 26 cantons. Each canton has its own constitution, parliament, and government, and they exercise significant authority in internal affairs. Typical areas of cantonal competence include education, healthcare, policing, taxation, and transportation planning, all within the framework of the federal constitution. Cantons coordinate with the federal government through inter-cantonal bodies and participate in national decision‑making, while also allowing direct democratic processes such as referendums at the cantonal level. Cantons vary widely in size, population, wealth, and linguistic composition, with several cantons being multilingual.

Historically, some Swiss cantons were divided into half-cantons, which had unique representation in federal institutions. Today the structure is unified, but the legacy of half-cantons remains part of Switzerland’s constitutional and political history.

Outside Switzerland, the term Kanton can appear in German-language contexts to denote similar administrative districts in historical or regional usage. In general, cantons share the common feature of being subnational units with a recognized degree of self-government within a larger state framework.