The
Republic and Canton of the Jura , also known as the
Canton of Jura or
Canton Jura, is one of the
Cantons of SwitzerlandThe 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 until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
. It is the newest (created in 1979) of the 26 Swiss cantons, located in the northwestern part of
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
. The capital is
DelémontDelémont is the capital of the Swiss canton of Jura. The city has approximately 11,000 inhabitants as of 2007.-Geography:Delémont lies southwest of Basel, about halfway between Basel and Bienne...
. It shares borders with the Canton of Basel-Landschaft, the Canton of Bern, and the
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
département of Doubs.
The
King of BurgundyThe following is a list of the Kings of Burgundy.- Kings of the Burgundians :The Burgundians had left Bornholm c.300 and settled near the Vistula...
donated much of the land that today makes up Canton Jura to the Bishop of Basel in 999.
The
Republic and Canton of the Jura , also known as the
Canton of Jura or
Canton Jura, is one of the
Cantons of SwitzerlandThe 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 until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
. It is the newest (created in 1979) of the 26 Swiss cantons, located in the northwestern part of
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
. The capital is
DelémontDelémont is the capital of the Swiss canton of Jura. The city has approximately 11,000 inhabitants as of 2007.-Geography:Delémont lies southwest of Basel, about halfway between Basel and Bienne...
. It shares borders with the Canton of Basel-Landschaft, the Canton of Bern, and the
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
département of Doubs.
History
The
King of BurgundyThe following is a list of the Kings of Burgundy.- Kings of the Burgundians :The Burgundians had left Bornholm c.300 and settled near the Vistula...
donated much of the land that today makes up Canton Jura to the Bishop of Basel in 999. The area was a sovereign state within the
Holy Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period under a Holy Roman Emperor. The first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was Otto I, crowned in 962. The last was Francis II, who abdicated and dissolved the Empire in 1806 during...
for more than 800 years. After the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 the Jura had close ties with the Swiss Confederation. At the
Congress of ViennaThe Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from November, 1814 to June, 1815. Its objective was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic...
(1815), the Jura was given to the
canton of BerneThe canton of Bern is the second largest of the 26 Swiss cantons. Located in west-central Switzerland, it borders the Canton of Jura and the Canton of Solothurn to the north. To the west lie the Canton of Neuchâtel, the Canton of Fribourg and Vaud. To the south lies the Valais...
. This act caused dissension. The Jura was
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
-speaking and Roman Catholic, whereas the canton of Bern was mostly
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
-speaking and Protestant. The people of the Jura region called for independence. After a long struggle, which included some arson attacks by a youth organisation
Les Béliers, a constitution was accepted in 1977. In 1978 the split was made official when the Swiss people voted in favour of it, and in 1979 the Jura joined the Swiss Confederation as a full member. However, the southern part of the Jura region, which is also predominantly French-speaking but has a Protestant majority, opted not to join the newly-formed canton, and instead remained part of Bern. This area is now known as
Bernese JuraBernese Jura is the name for the French-speaking area of the Swiss canton of Bern. Comprising the three French-speaking districts in the northern part of the canton, it has a population of 51,405...
. The word Jura, therefore, may refer either to Canton Jura, or to the combined territory of Canton Jura and Bernese Jura.
On creation, the canton adopted the title Republic and Canton of the Jura. Other cantons in
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
using the title "Republic and Canton" are
TicinoCanton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
,
Canton GenevaThe Canton of Geneva is the westernmost canton or state of Switzerland, surrounded on almost all sides by France. The official name of this canton in French is République et Canton de Genève...
, and
Canton NeuchâtelNeuchâtel is a canton of western Switzerland. In 2007, its population was 169,782 of which 39,654 are foreigners. The capital is Neuchâtel.-History:...
. In each case the title asserts the autonomy of the canton and its nominal sovereignty within the Swiss Confederation.
Since 1994 the question of the Jura region has again been topical. In 2004 a federal commission has been proposing that the French-speaking southern Jura be reunited with the Canton of Jura, as the language question now seems to be more important than the denominational.
Geography
Canton Jura lies in the northwest of
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
. It consists of parts of the
Jura mountainsThe Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each. The mountain range sensu Johann Gottfried Ebel is located in France, Switzerland, and Germany...
in the south and the Jura plateau in the north. The Jura plateau is hilly and almost entirely
limestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite . The deposition of limestone strata is often a by-product and indicator of biological activity in the geologic record...
. The districts of
AjoieL’Ajoie is an area located in the Northwest part of Switzerland, in the canton of Jura, .It is a part of the Jura plain, composed of six geographic areas:...
and Franches-Montagnes lie in this region. The term "
JurassicThe Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma to Ma, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the "Age of Reptiles". The start of the period is marked by...
" is derived from the Jura Alps, strata of which date to that era.
To the north and the west of the Canton lies
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
. The
canton of SolothurnSolothurn is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the northwest of Switzerland. The capital is Solothurn.-History:The territory of the canton comprises land acquired by the capital...
and Basel-Landschaft are to east of the canton, while the canton of Bern bounds the Jura to the south. The River Doubs and the river
BirsThe Birs is a 73-km long river in Switzerland that flows through the Jura region and ends as a tributary to the Rhine between Basel and Birsfelden.- Picture gallery :...
drain the lands. The Doubs joins the
SaôneThe Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
and then the
RhôneThe Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, originating in Switzerland and running from there through the south-eastern corner of France...
, whereas the Birs is a tributary to the
RhineThe Rhine is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe, at , with an average discharge of more than ....
.
Districts
Jura is divided into 3 districts:
- Delémont
The District of Delémont is one of the three districts of the canton of Jura, Switzerland. Its capital, and that of the canton, is the city of Delémont. The district is almost entirely French-speaking and is home to a population of 35,175 ....
(German: Delsberg) - capital: DelémontDelémont is the capital of the Swiss canton of Jura. The city has approximately 11,000 inhabitants as of 2007.-Geography:Delémont lies southwest of Basel, about halfway between Basel and Bienne...
- Porrentruy
The District of Porrentruy is one of the three districts of the canton of Jura, Switzerland. Its capital is the town of Porrentruy. The French-speaking district has a population of 24,012 ....
(German: Pruntrut) - capital: PorrentruyPorrentruy is a Swiss municipality and seat of the district of the same name located in the canton of Jura.-Geography:The municipality lies on both sides of the Allaine River, in Ajoie at the foot of the Jura Mountains on the north...
- Franches-Montagnes
The District of Franches-Montagnes is one of the three districts of the canton of Jura, Switzerland. Its capital is the town of Saignelégier...
(German: Freiberge) - capital: SaignelégierSaignelégier is a municipality in the canton of Jura in Switzerland. It is the seat of the district of Franches-Montagnes.The bog and nature preserve around étang de la Gruère is located in the municipality.-External links:*http://www.saignelegier.ch...
Municipalities
There are 64
municipalities in the cantonThe following are the 64 municipalities of the canton of Jura, as of 2009....
.
Demographics
The population is almost entirely
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
-speaking. Just one municipality is
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
-speaking:
EderswilerEderswiler is a municipality in the district of Delémont in the canton of Jura in Switzerland. It is the only German-speaking municipality in the canton, where all others are French-speaking....
. The majority of the population is Roman Catholic (75% ) with a small
ProtestantProtestantism is a branch within Christianity, containing many denominations with some differing practices and doctrines, that principally originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the major divisions within Christianity, together with the Roman...
minority (13%). The population of the canton is 69,555 (2007) of which 8,195 (or 11.8%) are foreigners.
Economy
AgricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
is important in Canton Jura.
CattleCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
breeding is significant, but there is also
horse breedingHorse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. While feral and wild horses breed successfully without human assistance, planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired...
. The main industries are
watchA watch is a timepiece that is made to be worn on a person. It is usually a wristwatch, worn on the wrist with a strap or bracelet. In addition to the time, modern watches often display the day, date, month and year, and electronic watches may have many other functions.Most inexpensive and...
es, textiles and
tobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as an organic pesticide, and in the form of nicotine tartrate it is used in some medicines. In consumption it most commonly appears in the forms of smoking, chewing, snuffing, or...
. There is a growing number of small and middle-sized businesses. Nevertheless, it remains one of the weakest cantons economically, at only 30% of the Swiss average. This is also evident from the number of houses - including the historically valuable - which are uninhabited, and have been left to decay.
Culture
The
eau de vieAn eau de vie is a clear, colorless fruit brandy that is produced by means of fermentation and double distillation...
DamassineDamassine is a liqueur produced by distillation of the Damassine prune from the Damassinier tree. .According to local tradition, the Crusaders or Bernard de Clairvaux brought seeds for the Damassinier plant back from the Orient . The Romans might have already known the fruit, cited in the Duhamel...
is one typical
produceProduce is a generalized term for a group of farm-produced goods, not limited to fruit and vegetables. More specifically, the term "produce" often implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as where they were harvested. In supermarkets the term is also used to refer to the...
of the
AjoieL’Ajoie is an area located in the Northwest part of Switzerland, in the canton of Jura, .It is a part of the Jura plain, composed of six geographic areas:...
area. (see
http://www.terroir-jura.ch Terroir Jura and
http://www.jura.ch/portal/site/acju/ Jura Infos)
Further reading
- Ganguillet, Gilbert: Le conflit jurassien. Un cas de mobilisation ethno-régionale en Suisse, Zürich 1986.
- Harder, Hans-Joachim: Der Kanton Jura. Ursachen und Schritte zur Lösung eines Schweizer Minderheitenproblems, Frankfurt am Main 1978.
- Hauser, Claude: Aux origines intellectuelles de la Question jurassienne. Culture et politique entre la France et la Suisse romande (1910-1950), Diss. Fribourg 1997.
- Henecka, Hans Peter: Die jurassischen Separatisten. Eine Studie zur Soziologie des ethnischen Konflikts und der sozialen Bewegung, Meisenheim am Glan 1972.
- Jenkins, John R.G.: Jura Separatism in Switzerland, Oxford 1986.
- Ruch, Christian: Struktur und Strukturwandel des jurassischen Separatismus zwischen 1974 und 1994, Bern 2001.
- Schwander, Marcel: Jura. Konfliktstoff für Jahrzehnte, Zürich/Köln 1977.
- Steppacher, Burkard: Die Jurafrage in der Schweiz, München 1985.
External links