Ticino

Economy

The hilly slopes of the canton are used extensively for the production of hydroelectricity. The electricity produced is used at home and sold for export. There is cattle breeding in the northern areas. The production of wine is important in the canton and exported to mainly other areas in Switzerland. The vineyards are mostly concentrated in the southern half of the canton where the climate is warmer. Other agricultural produce includes corn (maize), potatoes, tobacco and vegetables.

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The weather in the canton is often inverse to that north of the Alps. This, and a warmer climate in general, attracts many tourists from other Swiss cantons. The lakes together with the sunshine are considered attractive. Tourism is the single most important economic factor in the canton.

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There is also light industry, mostly concentrated around the three largest towns of Lugano, Locarno and Bellinzona.

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The canton is well connected to the rest of Switzerland. There are tunnels underneath the Gotthard massive, both for rail and road. The canton of Grisons is connected with a direct coach link, whereas the canton of Valais is connected by rail through a tunnel at the Simplon. There are good rail links to Milan and Rome in Italy as well as Germany via Basel and Zürich.

Related Topics:
Gotthard - Simplon - Milan - Rome - Italy - Germany - Basel - Zürich

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Because of the tourist trade there are a number of small railways in scenic areas in the mountains. Winter sports is important, despite being less developed.

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There are two major centres of education and research located in the canton of Ticino. The University of Italian speaking Switzerland (USI, Università della Svizzera Italiana) is the only Swiss university teaching in Italian. The University of Applied Sciences of Italian speaking Switzerland (SUPSI, Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana) on the other hand is a professional training college focused on a practical method of teaching in the areas of applied art, economy, social work, technology and production science.

Related Topics:
University of Italian speaking Switzerland - Italian - University of Applied Sciences of Italian speaking Switzerland

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