Lausanne is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The canton is a member of the Swiss Confederation. Vaud is also called the Vaud region. That is why the residents of Vaud are also known as Vaudois.
The canton was only founded with the act of mediation. On February 19, 1803, the canton then joined the Confederation.
The location of the canton of Vaud
The area of today’s canton of Vaud begins on Lake Geneva and extends to Lake Neuchâtel. The canton is located in the western part of Switzerland. The French neighbors are Ain, Jura and Doubs. The canton of Geneva and Valais as well as Friborg, Bern and Neuchâtel are the Swiss neighbors of the Waadterland.
In terms of landscape, there are many bodies of water, alpine landscapes and what is known as the Central Plateau in the canton of Vaud. Valleys and the Jura form an optical bridge.
Vaud is also divided into four tourist regions. These are city lakes, Jura, rural areas and the Alps. The area between Lausanne and Montreux is known as the Vaudois Riviera. This area is particularly popular with tourists.
Tourism and the Waadterland
Tourism is one of the canton’s main sources of income. The tourist facilities, service providers and tourist attractions bring in more than 4.5 billion Swiss francs for the canton every year. The employees also benefit from it. Because here too the labor market is strongly influenced by tourism. With over 8.6 percent of jobs, tourism is a source of income for employees and companies.
The history of the Vaud region
The canton was founded in the Ice Age around 18,000 BC. Almost completely covered with glaciers. After the glaciers retreated and the Ice Age was drawing to a close, the first people settled in the area in the Stone Age. Around 13,500 BC Typically these were Christ Hunters and gatherers. The first peoples settled on the lakes. This was dated to 5,500 BC. Dated. Already around 2,000 BC These people learned how to extract metal from ore. This was a huge step in the development of the people who lived there. They started clearing.
When Julius Caesar 58 BC BC in the battle of Bibracte wants to prevent the Helvetians from emigrating to Gaul, he simply subordinated them to the Roman Empire. This brought economic growth to the entire area. The people of Waad now spoke Latin and learned trade and trade. They also adopted new building techniques from the Romans. The Burgundy populated the area of today’s canton from the 5th century and lived with the Helvetians. In the year 1000 the area was assigned to the Bishop of Lausanne.
Even historical battles were fought in this canton. From 1457 to 1576, Vaud was the center and venue of the terrible Burgundian Wars.
In 1536 the Bernese conquered Vaud. The Bernese forced the Waadter to reformation and ruled the area for 262 years. Vaud was largely spared from the war and lived peacefully. Only the uprising led by Major Davel received martial attention. Major Davel was executed on April 24, 1723. He is still an important figure for the canton and is revered as a folk hero.
In 1831 Vaud introduced the right to vote and be elected. The canton is also a real pioneer in matters of women and politics, as it was the first canton in Switzerland to introduce women’s suffrage. They have had a say since 1959.
