{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.administrative-territorial-entity-of-switzerland","code":"thing-q7631075","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q7631075/","name":"administrative territorial entity of Switzerland","alternateNames":["greater region of Switzerland","former district of the canton of Vaud","former subdistrict of the canton of Ticino","administrative territorial entity of the canton of Ticino","area not part of a municipality of Switzerland","territory shared by several municipalities of Switzerland","subdistrict of the canton of Graubünden","administrative territorial entity of the canton of Lucerne","administrative territorial entity of the canton of Schwyz","administrative territorial entity of the canton of Zürich","administrative territorial entity of the canton of Thurgau","municipality of the canton of Graubünden"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.2","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.PLC"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"Any territorial unit used for administration in Switzerland, including the twenty-six cantons, the districts and subdistricts into which many cantons are divided such as those of Vaud and Ticino, the municipalities that form the lowest tier, and special cases such as areas not part of any municipality and territories shared by several municipalities; Swiss administrative entities reflect the federal structure in which cantons hold wide autonomy, while statistical greater regions are statistical groupings rather than administrative units.","purpose":"Let an agent explain the administrative divisions of Switzerland at each level, distinguish cantons, districts, municipalities and statistical regions, identify specific units with sources, and support geographic and civic questions.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Federal structure","Cantonal autonomy","Varied district systems","Municipal mergers"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"The divisions of Switzerland.","layers":[{"id":"levels","name":"Levels","description":"Levels and types.","findings":[{"id":"levels-finding","name":"Levels","description":"Levels.","questions":[{"text":"What levels of administrative division exist in Switzerland, and how do cantons, districts, municipalities and greater regions differ?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which canton or level is meant?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"special","name":"Special","description":"Special territories.","findings":[{"id":"special-finding","name":"Special","description":"Special.","questions":[{"text":"What are areas not part of a municipality and territories shared by municipalities?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits a specific territory?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"govern","name":"Govern","description":"Governance.","layers":[{"id":"cantons","name":"Cantons","description":"Cantonal autonomy.","findings":[{"id":"cantons-finding","name":"Cantons","description":"Cantons.","questions":[{"text":"What powers do cantons hold, and how do they organise their districts and municipalities?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits a specific canton?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"municipal","name":"Municipal","description":"Municipalities.","findings":[{"id":"municipal-finding","name":"Municipal","description":"Municipalities.","questions":[{"text":"How are Swiss municipalities governed, and why have many merged?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits a specific municipality?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"data","name":"Data","description":"Boundaries and data.","layers":[{"id":"boundaries","name":"Boundaries","description":"Boundaries and codes.","findings":[{"id":"boundaries-finding","name":"Boundaries","description":"Boundaries.","questions":[{"text":"Where are official boundary data and municipality codes published?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the data current?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"statistics","name":"Statistics","description":"Statistical regions.","findings":[{"id":"statistics-finding","name":"Statistics","description":"Statistics.","questions":[{"text":"How are greater regions used in federal statistics?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits Swiss statistics?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"learn","name":"Learn","description":"History and comparison.","layers":[{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History.","findings":[{"id":"history-finding","name":"History","description":"History.","questions":[{"text":"How did Swiss divisions develop from the old confederation to the federal state?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"compare","name":"Compare","description":"Comparison.","findings":[{"id":"compare-finding","name":"Compare","description":"Comparison.","questions":[{"text":"How do Swiss divisions compare with those of other federations?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which misconceptions arise?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Name and locate Swiss cantons, districts and municipalities from federal and cantonal official sources.","Note mergers and boundary changes with their effective dates.","Explain that the subdivision system differs between cantons."],"mustNot":["Assume every canton has districts or the same tiers of administration.","Use outdated municipality names or boundaries after a merger as if they were current.","Attribute a power to a canton or municipality that belongs to another level.","Present a territorial dispute or separatist claim as settled without a source."],"requiresHuman":["Using a boundary or unit assignment to decide a person's taxes, voting rights or services."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Swiss federalism gives real power to cantons and communes; misplacing a person affects their rights and duties.","Language and identity are tied to cantons and communes and deserve respect."],"affectedParties":["Residents","Cantonal and communal authorities","Users of official statistics"]},"owners":{"steward":"The Confederation and the cantons; each canton defines its own subdivisions.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Official commune register of the Federal Statistical Office","Cantonal registers"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q3268571","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"administrative territorial entity of a single country","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"canton","type":"related","note":"the Swiss canton as a unit type"},{"target":"commune","type":"related","note":"municipalities as communes"},{"target":"administrative territorial entity of Australia","type":"related","note":"another country division entry"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.administrative-territorial-entity-of-switzerland","Wikidata: Q7631075 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7631075)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Territorial area:  square kilometres - Area is calculated from the unit's mapped boundaries using a stated boundary date and treatment of water surfaces.","Boundary length:  kilometres - Boundary length is measured from official geographic boundary data and depends on mapping resolution and the treatment of detached territories."]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Territorial unit of Switzerland","Cantons, districts, municipalities, regions","Cantons are sovereign members of the federation, unlike provinces elsewhere","Not physical; defined territories."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain levels","distinguish unit types","identify units","support civic questions"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Outdated boundaries after municipal mergers","Assuming uniform district systems across cantons","Confusing statistical and administrative units"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Swiss Federal Constitution and cantonal constitutions","Cantonal laws on districts and municipalities","Federal statistical geography codes"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Administrative territorial units of Switzerland.","cantons","districts and subdistricts","municipalities","greater regions for statistics","special territories such as unincorporated areas"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q7631075: administrative territorial entity of Switzerland","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7631075","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Subdivisions of Switzerland","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subdivisions_of_Switzerland","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should each level be a separate entry?","How should federal statistical data be linked?","How should cantonal systems be documented?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q7631075/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q7631075/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-12T03:55:22Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T12:16:34+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}