Canton of Jura

The canton of Jura is one of the Cantons of Switzerland. It is the newest of the 26 Swiss cantons and is in the northwestern part of Switzerland. It was created in 1979 from some of the French-speaking parts of the Canton of Bern. The capital is Delémont. It borders the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Solothurn, Bern and Neuchâtel and the French department of Jura.

 Geography 

It includes parts of the Jura mountains in the south and the Jura plateau in the north. The Jura plateau is hilly and almost entirely limestone.

To the north and the west of Jura is France. The canton of Solothurn and Basel-Landschaft are east of Jura, while the canton of Bern is south of Jura. The River Doubs and the river Birs drain the lands.

 History 
The king of Burgundy 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 Empire for more than 800 years. After the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 the Jura had close ties with the Swiss Confederation. In the Congress of Vienna the Jura was given to the Canton Bern. This act caused dissension. The Jura was French-speaking and Roman Catholic, whereas the canton of Bern was mostly German-speaking and Protestant. The people of the Jura region called for independence. After a long struggle, 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 Jura. 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 Switzerland using the title "Republic and Canton" are Ticino, Canton Geneva, and Canton Neuchâtel. In each case the title asserts the autonomy of the canton and its nominal sovereignty within the Swiss Confederation.

 Economy 
Agriculture is important in Canton Jura. Cattle breeding is significant and there is also horse breeding. The main industries are watches, clothing and tobacco. There are a growing number of small and middle-sized businesses.

 People 
The people are almost all French-speaking. The majority is Roman Catholic.

 Districts 
Jura is divided into 3 districts:

 Delémont - capital: Delémont
 Porrentruy  - capital: Porrentruy
 Franches-Montagnes - capital: Saignelégier

 Municipalities 
This is a list of the canton's 83 municipalities by district.

 Porrentruy 
 Alle
 Asuel
 Beurnevésin
 Boncourt
 Bonfol
 Bressaucourt
 Buix
 Bure
 Charmoille
 Chevenez
 Coeuve
 Cornol
 Courchavon
 Courgenay
 Courtedoux
 Courtemaîche
 Damphreux
 Damvant
 Fahy
 Fontenais
 Fregiécourt
 Grandfontaine
 Lugnez
 Miécourt
 Montenol
 Montignez
 Montmelon
 Ocourt
 Pleujouse
 Porrentruy
 Réclère
 Roche-d'Or
 Rocourt
 Saint-Ursanne
 Seleute
 Vendlincourt Delémont 
 Bassecourt
 Boécourt
 Bourrignon
 Châtillon
 Corban
 Courchapoix
 Courfaivre
 Courrendlin
 Courroux
 Courtételle
 Delémont
 Develier
 Ederswiler
 Glovelier
 Mervelier
 Mettembert
 Montsevelier
 Movelier
 Pleigne
 Rebeuvelier
 Rossemaison
 Saulcy
 Soulce
 Soyhières
 Undervelier
 Vellerat
 Vermes
 Vicques Franches-Montagnes 
 Le Bémont
 Les Bois
 Les Breuleux
 La Chaux-des-Breuleux
 Les Enfers
 Epauvillers
 Epiquerez
 Les Genevez
 Goumois
 Lajoux
 Montfaucon
 Montfavergier
 Muriaux
 Le Noirmont
 Le Peuchapatte
 Les Pommerats
 Saignelégier
 Saint-Brais
 Soubey

Related pages
 French language

 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.

 References 

 Other websites 

 Republic and Canton of Jura  official site
 Jura Tourism
 Official Statistics