Capital: Glarus (the smallest cantonal capital in Switzerland).
Municipalities: Only 3 large municipalities after a reform in 2011: Glarus Nord, Glarus, and Glarus Süd.
Language: German (Alemannic dialect).
Member of the Swiss Confederation since 1352.
Geography: The canton consists of deep valleys of the Linth River, surrounded by high mountains of the Glarus Alps.
The highest point is the Tödi (3,613 m).
The landscape is mountainous and green, with glaciers, lakes (such as Klöntalersee), and forests.
Approximately a quarter of the area is productive (meadows, forest).
Politics and democracy: Glarus is famous for the Landsgemeinde: an annual open-air people's assembly where citizens make direct decisions on laws, taxes, and other matters by a show of hands.
This is one of the last examples of direct democracy in Switzerland (along with Appenzell Innerrhoden).
Economy and history: Traditionally strong in industry (textiles, cotton, slate, machinery, and metal).
The wool and cotton industry flourished in the past.
Today, it remains above average in industrial activity, with hydroelectricity, tourism, and livestock farming/dairying in the mountains.
Glarus is a relatively small, mountainous, and traditional canton with a mix of nature, industry, and unique direct democracy.
It is located close to Zurich and is popular for hiking and alpine landscapes.
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