Northwestern Switzerland
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Northwestern Switzerland
| native_name = Nordwestschweiz
| settlement_type = Region
| image_map = Karte Nordwestschweiz 2013.2.png
| map_caption =
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{CHE}}
| area_total_km2 = 1958.2
| population_as_of = 2024
| population_total = 1225762
| population_footnotes = {{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00096/default/table?lang=en|title=Population on 1 January by NUTS 2 region|work=Eurostat|access-date=1 June 2024}}
| population_density_km2 = auto
| blank_name_sec1 = NUTS code
| blank_info_sec1 = CH03
| blank_name_sec2 = HDI (2018)
| blank_info_sec2 = 0.940{{cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=1 June 2018}}
{{color|green|very high}} · 4th
}}
Northwestern Switzerland ({{langx|de|Nordwestschweiz}}, {{langx|fr| Suisse du Nord-Ouest}}, {{langx|it|Svizzera nordoccidentale}}), is a subdivision of Switzerland as defined by the Federal Statistical Office for statistical purposes. It is classified as a NUTS-2 statistical region of Switzerland, and encompasses the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, and Aargau. It is different from the traditional region of the same name (Nordwestschweiz in German), which also includes Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft, certain northern parts of the Solothurn and only parts of the canton of Aargau.
Sub-division
The country of Switzerland is federally organized into 26 cantons, which are the primary sub-divisions of the country.{{cite web|work=Federal Statistical Office|title=Regional Portraits: Cantons|year=2011|url= http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/regionen/thematische_karten/maps/uebersichtskarte.html|access-date=21 December 2015|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430051050/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/regionen/thematische_karten/maps/uebersichtskarte.html|archive-date=30 April 2009}} For statistical purposes, the Federal Statistical Office organizes the country into broader level sub-divisions based on cardinal directions. These are classified as a NUTS-2 statistical regions of Switzerland, and incorporate various cantons within it.{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/nuts|title=NUTS classification|work=Eurostat|access-date=1 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/345175/629341/NUTS2021-NUTS2024.xlsx/2b35915f-9c14-6841-8197-353408c4522d?t=1717505289640|title=NUTS regions|work=Eurostat|access-date=1 June 2024}}
Geography
Northwestern Switzerland consists of the areas towards the north-western periphery of the country, bordering Grand Est of France to the west and Baden-Württemberg of Germany to the north. The Basel Trinational Eurodistrict extends across the three countries, in the area between the Rhine valley and the plain of Alsace.{{cite web|url=http://www.espaces-transfrontaliers.org/en/resources/territories/territory-factsheets/territories/territory/show/eurodistrict-trinational-de-bale/|title=Basel Trinational Eurodistrict|work=Transfrontaliers|access-date=1 June 2024}} The three countries meet in the middle of the Rhine River, slightly north of the Dreiländereck.{{cite web|title=Dreiländereck - Basel, Switzerland|url=http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMB8T6_Dreilndereck_Basel_Switzerland|work=Waymarking|access-date=24 June 2015}} The region encompasses an area of {{cvt|1958.2|km2}}, and had a population of over 1.22 million in 2024.
= Sub-divisions =
It encompasses the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, and Aargau. It is different from the traditional region of the same name (Nordwestschweiz in German), which also includes Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft, certain northern parts of the Solothurn and only parts of the canton of Aargau.{{cite web|url=https://eco.jura.ch/fr/Actualites/La-Suisse-du-Nord-Ouest-compte-parmi-les-regions-les-plus-innovantes-d-Europe.html|title=La Suisse du Nord-Ouest compte parmi les régions les plus innovantes d’Europe|trans-title=Northwestern Switzerland is one of the most innovative regions in Europe|lang=fr|work=Eco Jura|date=10 May 2021|access-date=1 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://sbpv.ch/en/dipi_faq/northwestern-switzerland/|title=North western Switzerland|work=SBPV|access-date=1 June 2024}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" style="font-size: 85%"
! S.No. ! style=max-width:2em; | Arms {{lang|de|Standesfarben}} were used to identify the (historical) cantons when the full banner was not available for display, although there is overlap; Unterwalden and Solothurn share the same colours, as do Basel and Appenzell, and with the accession of the modern cantons, Valais and Basel-City, and St. Gallen and Thurgau.Louis, Mühlemann, {{lang|de|Wappen und Fahnen der Schweiz, 700 Jahre}} {{lang|la|Confoederatio Helvetica}}, Lengnau, 3rd ed. 1991. Swiss Armed Forces, {{lang|de|Fahnenreglement}}, Reglement 51.340 d (2013).[https://www.vtg.admin.ch/content/dam/vtg-internet/de/documents/aktuell/themen/internationale-beziehungen/milit%C3%A4rprotokoll/fahnenreglement51340d.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111201755/https://www.vtg.admin.ch/content/dam/vtg-internet/de/documents/aktuell/themen/internationale-beziehungen/milit%C3%A4rprotokoll/fahnenreglement51340d.pdf |date = 11 November 2020 }}}} ! Code ! Name ! Capital ! GDP (2020){{cite web|url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/national-economy/national-accounts/gross-domestic-product-canton.assetdetail.10647599.html|title=Cantonal gross domestic product (GDP)|work=Federal Statistical Office|date=12 November 2019|access-date=10 September 2021}} !GDP per ! scope="col" data-sort-type="number"| Population ! Area {{small|(km{{sup|2}})}} ! Density ! Municipalties (2018){{cite web|url=https://www.agvchapp.bfs.admin.ch/de/communes/query|title=Gemeinden - Suche {{!}} Applikation der Schweizer Gemeinden|work=Swiss Federal Statistical Office|language=de|access-date= 22 October 2018}} |
| 1
{{Background color|black| }}{{Background color|SkyBlue| }} | style=text-align:center; | AG ! style=text-align:left; | Aargau | style=text-align:center; | 1803 | Aarau | style=padding-right:1em | 43,590 | style=padding-right:1em | 63,177 | style=padding-right:1em {{Swiss populations ref|CH-AG}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-AG|CH-AG}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|AG}}}} | style=padding-right:1em | 212 |
| 2
! File:Wappen Basel-Stadt matt.svg {{Background color|white| }}{{Background color|black| }} | style=text-align:center; | BS ! style=text-align:left; | Basel-Stadt | style=text-align:center; | 1501 (as Basel until 1999) | Basel | style=padding-right:1em; | 37,168 | style=padding-right:1em; | 189,354 | style=padding-right:1em {{Swiss populations ref|CH-BS}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-BS|CH-BS}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|BS}}}} | style=padding-right:1em; | 3 | German |
| 3
! File:Wappen Basel-Landschaft matt.svg {{Background color|white| }}{{Background color|red| }} | style=text-align:center; | BL ! style=text-align:left; | Basel-Landschaft | style=text-align:center; | 1501 (as Basel until 1999) | Liestal | style=padding-right:1em; | 20,567 | style=padding-right:1em; | 70,866 | style=padding-right:1em; {{Swiss populations ref|CH-BL}}{{density|disp=table|{{Swiss populations|CH-BL|CH-BL}}|{{Swiss area|km=yes|BL}}}} | style=padding-right:1em | 86 | German |
Economy
File:Grossraum_Basel.png is one of the major industrial centers]]
The region is economically developed, and Basel area is one of the major economic centers of the country.{{cite web|url=https://www.sih-vintes.ch/en/tours/the-economoy-of-northwestern-switzerland-61.html|title=The Economoy of Northwestern Switzerland|work=SIH Vintes|access-date=1 June 2024}} Major industries include pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and textiles. The economic development started in the early 1900s, when mineral deposits were found in the area. This led to setting up of various industries in Pratteln. The construction of the Hauenstein Railway between Basel and Olten furthered economic growth as it connected the region with the other parts of the country. Liestal serves as the center of the textile industries, and is one of the most industrialized towns in the region.
Notes
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References
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{{Regions of Switzerland}}
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