The Canton of the Valais: Introductory Note

The Canton of the Valais (Wallis in German) lies in the south of Switzerland. It is bordered on the south by Italy, on the west by France, on the north by the Cantons of Vaud and Bern and on the east by the Cantons of Ticino and Uri. With a surface area of 5,226 square kilometers (2,018 square miles), Valais is the third largest canton. According to the 2015 census, it has a population with 335,696 inhabitants. It is divided into 14 districts and half-districts and 160 communes. Two-thirds of the population is French-speaking and one-third German-speaking. Both...