Schwyz

1. a canton of central Switzerland: played an important part in the formation of the Swiss confederation, to which it gave its name. Capital: Schwyz. Pop.: 133 300 (2002 est.). Area: 908 sq. km (351 sq. miles)

2. a town in E central Switzerland, capital of Schwyz canton: tourism. Pop.: 13 802 (2000)

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Schwyz

a canton in Switzerland. Area, 908 sq km. Population, 92,000 (1970). The capital is the city of Schwyz.

Schwyz is first mentioned in written sources as a community of free peasants in 972. It later became dependent on the Hapsburgs. In its struggle against the Austrian dynasty, Schwyz con cluded in 1291 a treaty of perpetual alliance with the other forest cantons of Uri and Unterwalden, thus forming the nucleus of the Swiss state. One of the economically backward cantons, Schwyz opposed the Protestant cantons and remained Catholic during the Reformation in the 16th century. As part of the Helvetian Republic from 1798 to 1803, it resisted centralization. During the 1830’s and 1840’s, Schwyz was a member of the League of Sarnen andtheSonderbund.

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References in periodicals archive

Baby windows are already in use in Davos (Canton Graubunden) and Einsiedeln (Canton Schwyz); the eight newborns accommodated in Einsiedeln since 2001 were looked after for one to two weeks before being placed in foster families.

Cry for help

-S&P rates Graubuenden, Lucerne and Schwyz on "unsolicited" basis

Recently, he walked 10 kilometres on the Via Jacobi from Einsiedeln SZ to Schwyz. He has even been giving guided tours of his home Canton, Thurgau.

10 questions with Luca Ruch

Hilfiker noted that SZKB had further growth potential and it was still enjoying strong demand in the canton of Schwyz.

-SZKB's CEO forecasts weaker 2011 results

Popular tax havens include Zug in Canton Zug and Wollerau in Canton Schwyz. However, even in some cheaper Cantons, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive municipality can vary as much as 30 per cent.

Minimising Swiss income tax: it is human nature to consider tax saving opportunities when it is too late and the tax form has landed with a thud on the doormat. So come on fellow procrastinators, there has never been a better time than now to start planning for the current tax year!

According to recent figures, Cantons Geneva, Valais and Schwyz have all seen a marked increase in the number of wealthy French and German citizens choosing to settle in the regions since banking secrecy came under fire.

A taxing problem

One way to learn about the relationship between the EU and Switzerland is to embark on a short journey to Canton Schwyz. Once there, continue to the fascinating Muotatal valley, where the mountains keep half the valley in constant shadow.

A love-hate relationship: Switzerland's relationship with the European Union (EU) could be described as mutually beneficial at best, but downright difficult at worst. Both accept the necessity of one another, but once in a while tensions bubble to the surface. We provide a closer look at some of the dynamics