A canton is a type of
administrative division
Administrative divisions (also administrative units, administrative regions, subnational entities, or constituent states, as well as many similar generic terms) are geographical areas into which a particular independent sovereign state is divi ...
of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as
counties,
departments, or
provinces. Internationally, the most politically important cantons are the
Swiss cantons. As the constituents of the
Swiss Confederation, theoretically and historically, they are semi-sovereign states.
The term is derived from the
French word ''
canton'', meaning "corner" or "district" (from which "
cantonment" is also derived).
In specific countries
Cantons exist or previously existed in the following countries:
*
Cantons of Belgium
*
Cantonal Government of Bohol
*
Cantons of Bolivia
*
Cantons of Bosnia and Herzegovina: federal units of the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Serbo-Croatian: ''Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine'' / ''Федерација Босне и Херцеговине'') is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities composing Bo ...
*Canada:
Canadian French equivalent for the English word "
township", since the translation ''municipalité'' is already used for a different level of government (see
township).
**
Cantons of Quebec
*
Cantons of Costa Rica: national second order subdivision of the first order
Provinces. Cantons are further subdivided into the third order
Districts. Each canton has its own
municipality, or local government.
*
Cantons of Ecuador: subdivisions below the
provinces of Ecuador.
*
Cantons of El Salvador: divisions of a
municipality outside the more urban ''caserios'', which border the town or city. ''Cantones'' can be thought as the more rural parts of a city or town, generally far from the actual urban population.
*
Cantons of France: a subdivision of ''
arrondissements'' and ''
départements'', grouping several ''
communes.''
*
Cantons of Lebanon: unofficial
militias and factions during the
Lebanese Civil War and afterwards. Most areas have been returned to Lebanese government control.
*
Cantons of Luxembourg: first order administrative subdivisions
*
Cantonal Government of Negros: short-lived provisional government in the Visayas during the Filipino-American Wars in the 19th–20th centuries
Republic of Negros.
*
Cantons of Rojava (Western Kurdistan,
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
)
*
Cantons of Switzerland: each a semi-sovereign
state within
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
.
*
Cantons of Togo: Subdivisions of Togo's prefectures, and further divided into villages.
*subdivisions of
vingtaines in
Jersey
*subdivisions of the
parishes of Guernsey
In former countries
*
Cantons of Prussia: military enrollment districts between 1733 and 1813
* Cantons of
Eastern Rumelia, the subdivisions below the
departments.
*
Cantons of the Soviet Union, subdivisions of several autonomous regions of the
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
before 1941.
*In the
Republic of New Granada, cantons were subdivisions below the
provinces.
*In the
First Spanish Republic in 1873, "
Cantonalists" took over the city of
Cartagena, Spain, a major
Spanish Navy base, and declared the city independent (see
Cantonal Rebellion).
References
{{Authority control
Types of administrative division
*