Nidwalden

Nidwalden, also known as Nidwald, is one of the 26 cantons that make up the Swiss Confederation. It is a small area in Central Switzerland, surrounded by beautiful mountains and south of Lake Lucerne. The main town is Stans, where the government and parliament are located.

Nidwalden is one of the smallest cantons in Switzerland, with a population of about 40,000 people. It shares borders with several other cantons, including Obwalden to the west, Schwyz to the north, Uri to the east, and Bern to the south.

Together with Obwalden, Nidwalden was once part of a larger area called Unterwalden. Unterwalden was one of the three original cantons that helped form the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1315, along with Uri and Schwyz. Over time, in the 14th and 15th centuries, Unterwalden split into the two separate cantons of Obwalden and Nidwalden.

History

The earliest signs of people living in the Nidwalden region go back to around 4000 to 3100 BC, with places near Stansstad showing old settlements. More items from the Late Bronze Age (1400–1100 BC) have also been found near Hergiswil and Ennetmoos. A grave from 500–100 BC for a young girl was discovered in Stans.

During the time of the Roman Empire, the area was home to people from Gallo-Roman or Celtic backgrounds. By the 8th century, Alemanni people moved into the valleys of what is now Nidwalden. A Roman Catholic church was built in Stans, likely by an Alemanni noble family, and later replaced by a new church in Buochs.

In the late 1200s, the main powers in Nidwalden were the Habsburgs, Murbach Abbey, and Engelberg Abbey. In 1291, Rudolph of Habsburg bought Obwalden, leading the people of Nidwalden (with Obwalden) to join Uri and Schwyz in an alliance that helped form the Old Swiss Confederacy.

In the late 1300s and early 1400s, early forms of government began. Nidwalden and Obwalden discussed important matters together but remained separate cantons. For instance, Obwalden did not join in taking over areas like Bellinzona, Riviera, and Blenio, which are now part of Ticino.

When French troops established the Helvetic Republic in 1798, Nidwalden resisted because they valued their self-government and freedom of worship. French forces attacked Nidwalden on September 9, 1798, causing damage to the area's infrastructure.

After Napoleonic rule ended in 1814, many changes were undone. Nidwalden adopted a new constitution in 1877, and in 1997, the open assembly called the Landsgemeinde was abolished.

Geography

See also: List of mountains of Nidwalden

Nidwalden is in the middle of Switzerland. To the north, it is bordered by Lake Lucerne. All around it are mountain chains called the Urner Alps. The canton covers 276.1 square kilometers, and about 40% of this land is where people live or grow food. Forests cover about one third of the area, and one quarter is mountains or glaciers that cannot be used.

Politics

Nidwalden has a local government with seven leaders and a parliament with 60 members. It also sends one representative to the Swiss Council of States.

The World Wildlife Fund studied energy policies in all Swiss cantons. Nidwalden received one of the lowest ratings, just above Zug and Schwyz. The study looked at six areas to see how well each canton is doing toward meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Municipalities

Nidwalden has eleven municipalities: Beckenried, Buochs, Dallenwil, Emmetten, Ennetbürgen, Ennetmoos, Hergiswil, Oberdorf, Stans, Stansstad and Wolfenschiessen. The main town and capital of Nidwalden is Stans.

Demographics

The canton of Nidwalden had a population of 43,520 people as of December 31, 2020. About 10% of these people, or 4,046, were from other countries. The population is almost evenly split between males and females, with slightly more males than females.

Most people in Nidwalden speak German. In the year 2000, around 76% of the population followed the Catholic religion, and about 12% followed the Swiss Reformed Church. A very small number of people spoke Italian or Serbo-Croatian. The population density was about 144 people for every square kilometer in 2005.

Historical population

Economy

Nidwalden was mostly known for farming until the 20th century, with people raising cows and making cheese to sell, especially to northern Italy. Around 1500, many people also worked as soldiers for other countries.

Starting in the mid-1800s, trade, factories, and tourism began to grow. Even so, farming stayed important until around the middle of the 1900s. Today, many small and medium businesses are the main employers. The biggest company is an airplane maker called Pilatus. These businesses work in many fields such as making machines, medical tools, selling goods worldwide, and creating optical and electronic products.

Farming and forestry are still valued today, especially raising cows and running family farms.

In recent years, more people have chosen to live and work in Nidwalden. This is because the taxes are low, it is located between Zürich and Milan, and it has beautiful natural surroundings.

Tourism

Because Nidwalden has many mountains, tourism plays a big role. The lakes and mountains draw visitors in both winter and summer. Popular places to visit include Klewenalp, Stanserhorn, the area around Bannalp, and Bürgenstock.

Culture

Nidwalden has a rich traditional culture kept alive by many local groups. You can enjoy traditional music, yodeling, dances, theaters, and festivals. The area also hosts modern cultural events like concerts and art galleries.

Notes and references