BASEL (Fr. Bale)

This article appears in Volume V03, Page 462 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: BAR-BEC

BASEL (Fr. Bale) , one of the most northerly of the Swiss cantons, and the, only one (save Schaffhausen) that includes any
Jura, and is watered by the Birs and the Ergolz, both tributaries (left) of the Rhine. It is traversed by railways from Basel to Olten (25 m.) and to Laufen (14i m.), besides local lines from Basel to Fluhen (8 m.) for the frequented

pilgrimage

PILGRIMAGE (Fr. pelerinage, Lat. peregrinatio)

resort of Mariastein, and from Liestal to Waldenburg (84 m.); From 1803 to 1814 the

canton

was one of the six "Directorial Directorof the Confederation. Since 1833 it has been divided into two half cantons, with independent constitutions.
One is that of Basel Stadt or Bale Ville, including, besides the city of Basel, the three rural districts (all . to the north of the Rhine) of Riehen, Betting= and Klein I-ltiningen (the latter now united to the city). The

total

TOTAL

area of this half

canton

is 53.7 sq. m. only, of which 11 sq. m. are classed as " productive," forests occupying 1.5 sq. m., but its

total

TOTAL

population in 1900 was 112,227 (of whom 3066 inhabited the ruralLdistricts), mainly German-speaking, and numbering 73,063 Protestants, 37,10t Romanists (including the Old Catholics), and 1897

Jews

. The cantonal constitution

dates

DATES

from 1889. The executive of seven members and the legislature (Grossrat) of 13o members, as well as the one member sent to the Federal Standerat and the six sent to the Federal Nationalrat, are all elected by a, direct popular vote for the

term

TERM

of three years. Since 1875, 1000 citizens can claim a popular vote (facultative Referendum) on all bills, or can exercise the right of initiative whether as to

laws

LAWS

or the revision of the cantonal constitution.
The other half canton is that of Basel Landschaft or Bale Campagne, which is divided into four administrative districts and comprises seventy-four communes, its

capital

CAPITAL (i.e. capital stock or fund)
CAPITAL (Lat. caput, head)

being Liestal. Its total area is 165 sq. m., of which all but 5 sq.. m, is reckoned " productive " (including 55.9 sq. m. of forests). In 1900 its total population was 68,497, nearly all German-speaking, while there were 52,763 Protestants, 15,564 Romanists, and 130

Jews

.
The cantonal constitution

dates

DATES

from 1892, The executive of 5 members and the legislature or Landrat (one member per, Soo inhabitants or fraction over 400), as well as the single member sent to the Federal Standerat and the three sent to the Federal Nationalrat, are all elected by a direct popular vote for three years. The " obligatory Referendum "obtains in the case of all

laws

LAWS

, while 1500 citizens have the right of " initiative " whether as to laws or the revision of the cantonal constitution. Silk ribbon weaving, textile

industries

INDUSTRIES

and the manufacture of tiles are carried on. (W. A. B. C.)

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