# Major regions of Switzerland

A thematic map of the Atlas of Switzerland, the national atlas published by ETH Zurich. The map is drawn in the browser; this file describes it and lists its variants and links, but not the data values shown on the map.

- Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/major-regions-of-switzerland/
- Short title: Major regions
- Map id: 489
- Categories: Landscape and Space › Spatial development › Analysis regions
- Keywords: Boundaries, Demography, Economy, State
- Published: 2018-02-12
- Last revised: 2021-11-09
- Content language: English
- Other languages: [Deutsch](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/de/thema/grossregionen-der-schweiz.md), [Français](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/fr/theme/grandes-regions-de-la-suisse.md), [Italiano](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/it/tema/grandi-regioni-della-svizzera.md)

## Description

In view of Switzerland’s integration into the European regional statistical system NUTS (“Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics”) by EUROSTAT, the FSO developed the classification of Switzerland into institutional major regions in 1992. The result, through consolidation of cantons, was seven major regions at NUTS 2 level: Lake Geneva region (GE, VD, VS), Espace Mittelland (BE, FR, JU, NE, SO), Northwestern Switzerland (AG, BL, BS), Zurich (ZH), Eastern Switzerland (AR, AI, GL, GR, SH, SG, TG), Central Switzerland (LU, NW, OW, SZ, UR, ZG) and Ticino (TI). They are also congruent with the OECD TL2 regions and are used for regional and international comparisons.

## Sources

- Martin Schuler, Pierre Dessemonet, Dominique Joye (2005): [Die Raumgliederungen der Schweiz](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/querschnittsthemen/raeumliche-analysen/raeumliche-gliederungen/raeumliche-typologien.assetdetail.342284.html). Neuchâtel: Bundesamt für Statistik. Statistik der Schweiz

## Data sources

- Atlas of Switzerland: [Administrative Einheiten 1:500.000 (Gemeinden, Bezirke, Kantone)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- FSO (2017): [Die Raumgliederung der Schweiz 2017](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/querschnittsthemen/raeumliche-analysen/raeumliche-gliederungen.assetdetail.2546562.html)
- FSO: [Die Raumgliederung der Schweiz 2016 -MS-Excel Version , Les niveaux géographiques de la Suisse 2016 -Version MS-Excel](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/querschnittsthemen/raeumliche-analysen/raeumliche-gliederungen.assetdetail.2118475.html)
- swisstopo [J160089] (2010): [Gemeindegrenzen GG25](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/landscape/boundaries3D)
- swisstopo [J160089] (2010): [Landeskarte 1:500.000](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/maps/national/lk500)

## Data owners

- [Atlas of Switzerland (AoS)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- [Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO)](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/)
- [Swiss Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo)](http://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/)

## Citation

The terms of use ask to name the Atlas of Switzerland and the data owners, and to keep the source references in exports, screenshots and embeds. Cite the map as:

> Atlas of Switzerland (2021): Major regions of Switzerland. ETH Zürich. Map data © AoS, FSO, swisstopo. https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/major-regions-of-switzerland/

## Links

The map opens at its full extent; a link cannot set the map position.

- Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/major-regions-of-switzerland/
- Short link, stays valid when the title changes: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/t/489/
- Side by side with another map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/comparison/?lt=489&rt={id of the other map}&ru={u of the other map, or leave out}

Embed in another website (allowed by the terms of use, as long as the source references stay visible):

```html
<iframe src="https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/embed/?id=489&dm=e&ig=1" style="border:0;width:100%;height:600px;max-width:100%;" loading="lazy" title="Thematic map 'Major regions' in the Atlas of Switzerland" allowfullscreen sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups" allow="geolocation" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"></iframe>
```

In the embed URL, `dm` sets what is shown: `e` the map with its title bar (default), `p` also the values of an object clicked on the map, `m` only the map with a button that opens it in the atlas. `ig=1` (default) lets the map react to scrolling and dragging only after a click into it, `ig=0` right away. The size can be changed in `style`.

For the use and citation of maps and data, see the [terms of use](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/terms-of-use/).