The Swiss federal state is made up of various. . .
Der Schweizer Bundesstaat besteht aus verschiedenen. . .
Correct answer: B
- A federal statesBundesländern
- B cantons.Kantonen.
- C districts.Distrikten.
- D provinces.Provinzen.
Why
The member states of Switzerland are called cantons. Together with the Confederation they form the federal state.
Common mistakes
- A: federal states
- Federal states (Bundesländer) exist in Germany and Austria, not in Switzerland.
- D: provinces.
- Provinces exist, for example, in Italy or Canada. In Switzerland they are called cantons.
Topic
Three levels of government and 26 cantons
Switzerland is a federal state. Federalism means: power is distributed across several levels. Switzerland has three levels of government. The highest level is the Confederation, that is the whole of Switzerland. The middle level is the cantons. The lowest level is the municipalities. Each level has its own tasks, its own authorities and levies its own taxes.
Confederation
1
Foreign policy · Monetary policy · Customs · Social security
Canton
26 = 20 + 6
Halbkanton: former name for the 6 cantons with only half a cantonal vote, for example Basel-Stadt.
Municipality
≈ 2,200 (2021)
What happens at the border or applies to the whole country (army, customs, foreign policy, franc) is done by the Confederation. What happens on your doorstep (school, police, water, fire service) is done by the canton and the municipality.
How the state works
Federalism: Confederation, cantons, municipalities
Sources
Last checked: September 2026
Question 56 of the official question list of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.