Canton of Schwyz

Canton Of Schwyz

Schwyz (Standard German Schwyz) is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne to the west and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz.

It is one of the founding cantons of Switzerland; Switzerland's Standard German name, Schweiz, is derived from the name of the canton, and the flag of Switzerland from its coat of arms. For the history of the name, see Schwyz. The Swiss Federal Charter is on display in Schwyz. Northeast of the town of Schwyz is the Einsiedeln Abbey.

In June 2008, Schwyz was the only one of Switzerland's 26 cantons to vote in favor of a failed measure that would have subjected Swiss citizenship applications to a popular vote.