Subdivisions of Switzerland Subdivisions of Switzerland The Swiss Confederation comprises the 26 cantons of Switzerland. Each canton has its individual structure for further subdivisions. For statistical purposes, Switzerland is subdivided into seven regions at the NUTS-2 level: The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848. Each canton has its own constitution, legislature, government and courts. Most of the cantons' legislatures are unicameral parliaments, their size varying
Districts of Switzerland Districts of Switzerland In contrast to centrally organised states, in the federally constituted Switzerland each canton is completely free to decide its own internal organisation. Therefore, there exists a variety of structures and terminology for the subnational entities between canton and municipality, loosely termed districts. Most cantons are divided into "Bezirke" (German for districts, singular "Bezirk"). They are also termed "Ämter" (Lucerne, singular "Amt"), "Amtsbezirke" (Bern, "Amtsbezirk"), "district" (in French) or "distretto" (Ticino and part of Graubünden). The "Bezirke" generally provide only administration and court organization. However, for historical reasons districts in cantons Graubünden and Schwyz are their own legal