Aargau (Fr. Argovie), one of the more northerly Swiss
cantons, comprising the lower course of the river Aar (q.v.),
whence its name. Its total area is 541.9 sq. m., of which
517.9 sq. m. are classed as ``productive'' (forests covering
172 sq. m. and vineyards 8.2 sq. m.). It is one of the least
mountainous Swiss cantons, forming part of a great table-land,
to the north of the Alps and the east of the Jura, above which
rise low hills. The surface of the country is beautifully
diversified, undulating tracts and well-wooded hills alternating
with fertile valleys watered mainly by the Aar and its
tributaries. It contains the famous hot sulphur springs of
Baden (q.v.) and Schinznach, while at Rheinfelden there are
very extensive saline springs. Just below Brugg the Reuss
and the Limmat join the Aar, while around Brugg are the ruined
castle of Habsburg, the old convent of Konigsfelden (with
fine painted medieval glass) and the remains of the Roman
settlement of Vindonissa [Windisch]. The total population
in 1900 was 206,498, almost exclusively German-speaking, but
numbering 114,176 Protestants to 91,039 Romanists and 990
Jews. The capital of the canton is Aarau (q.v.), while
other important towns are Baden (q.v.), Zofingen (4591
inhabitants), Reinach (3668 inhabitants), Rheinfelden (3349
inhabitants), Wohlen (3274 inhabitants), and Lenzburg (2588
inhabitants). Aargau is an industrious and prosperous canton,
straw-plaiting, tobacco-growing, silk-ribbon weaving, and
salmon-fishing in the Rhine being among the chief industries.
As this region was, up to 1415, the centre of the Habsburg
power, we find here many historical old castles (e.g.
Habsburg, Lenzburg, Wildegg), and former monasteries (e.g.
Wettingen, Muri), founded by that family, but suppressed in
1841, this act of violence being one of the main causes
of the civil war called the ``Sonderbund War,'' in 1847 in
Switzerland. The cantonal constitution dates mainly from
1885, but since 1904 the election of the executive council
of five members is made by a direct vote of the people. The
legislature consists of members elected in the proportion of
one to every 1100 inhabitants. The ``obligatory referendum''
exists in the case of all laws, while 5000 citizens have the
right of ``initiative'' in proposing bills or alterations
in the cantonal constitution. The canton sends 10 members
to the federal Nationalrat, being one for every 20,000,
while the two Standerate are (since 1904) elected by
a direct vote of the people. The canton is divided into
eleven administrative districts, and contains 241 communes.
1415 the Aargau region was taken from the Habsburgs by the Swiss
Confederates. Bern kept the south-west portion (Zofingen,
Aarburg, Aarau, Lenzburg, and Brugg), but some districts,
named the Freie Amter or ``free bailiwicks'' (Mellingen,
Muri, Villmergen, and Bremgarten), with the county of Baden,
were ruled as ``subject lands'' by all or certain of the
Confederates. In 1798 the Bernese bit became the canton of
Aargau of the Helvetic Republic, the remainder forming the
canton of Baden. In 1803, the two halves (plus the Frick
glen, ceded in 1802 by Austria to the Helvetic Republic)
were united under the name of Kanton Aargau, which was then
admitted a full member of the reconstituted Confederation.
See also Argovia (published by the Cantonal Historical
Society), Aarau, from 1860; F. X. Bronner, Der Kanton Aargau,
2 vols., St Gall and Bern, 1844; H. Lehmann, Die argauische
Strohindustrie, Aarau, 1896; W. Merz, Die mittelalt.
Burganlagen und Wehrbauten d. Kant. Argau (fine illustrated
work on castles), Aarau, 2 vols., 1904--1906; W. Merz and
F. E. Welti, Die Rechtsquellen d. Kant. Argau, 3 vols.,
Aarau, 1898--1905; J. Muller, Der Aargau, 2 vols., Zurich,
1870; E. L. Rochholz, Aargauer Weisthumer, Atarau, 1877; E.
Zschokke, Geschichte des Aargaus, Aarau, 1903. (W. A. B. C.)
From Gutenberg Encyclopedia (1911).