Neuchâtel

Neuch?tel is a city in Switzerland which is the capital of the Canton of Neuch?tel. Neuch?tel is also the name of the adjacent lake, Lake Neuch?tel. The city has approximately 31,500 inhabitants (2002), by and large French-speaking, although the city is sometimes referred to historically by the German name Neuenburg; Prussia ruled the area until 1848.

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Neuch?tel is located on the northwestern shore of the lake, a few km east of Peseux and west of Saint-Blaise. Its coordinates are .

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Neuch?tel is well known for its watchmaking and its variety of fondue, fondue Neuch?teloise. Today's main activities include tourism, the University of Neuch?tel with its world class Institute of Microtechnology, the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnologies (CSEM) a major tobacco manufacturer and several vineyards. Neuchatel is also home to Canadian based school, Neuchatel Junior College whose graduates include Prime Minister Joe Clark's daughter Catherine Clark. During summer 2002, Neuch?tel was one of five sites which held Expo.02, the 6th Swiss national exhibition which swallowed a large amount of tax money. Since there is very little land available between the lake on the south and the protected forest hills on the north, the freeway crossing the country from east to west tunnels under the city.

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Despite its relatively small population, Neuch?tel has several excellent museums, including the Latenium, Archeology museum focusing on the prehistorical times in the region of Neuch?tel and Hauterive, the MEN, ethnography museum, the museum of art and history includes the very first robots with the Jaquet-Droz programmable androids (made between 1770 and 1774, check the museum web site to have the demonstration information) and the "mus?e d'histoire naturelle", and a brand new very active theater.

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Robert Miles and Marcel Junod were born in Neuch?tel. Friedrich D?rrenmatt lived in Neuch?tel during 30 years of his life.

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The blazon of the town's coat-of-arms is: "Or, an Eagle displayed Sable beaked, langued and membered Gules, escutcheon Or, on a pale Gules three Chevrons Argent".

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City: :For alternate meanings see city (disambiguation)...

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