UNTERWALDEN, one of the four Waldstiitten, or forest cantons of Switzerland, forms part of the hill country which surrounds the lake of Lucerne (see SWITZERLAND). It is •25 in. in length by 21 to. in breadth, and has an area of 297 sq. miles. In 1870 the pop was 26,116; in 1877 it was 27.159. Unterwahleti is bounded on thee., s., and w. by lofty hills, and subsidiary ridges divide it into two parallel valleys—both of which open on the n. into the lake of Lucerne. The eastern valley is drained by the Engelberger Aa, the western valley by the Sarner Aa. Great highways run up these valleys from the shores of the lake, and in several places communicate with each other; but they do not connect Unterwalden with surrounding cantons. The canton is chiefly pastoral. Some attempts have been made to cultivate the vine, but they have not proved success ful. The language of the people is a Swiss-German dialect; their religion is Roman Catholic. Unterwalden is divided into two parts; not, however, corresponding with the two river basins of which it is formed. The forest of Kerns, or Kernwald, formed the
line of separation between these two districts, which were separate so early as 1150. One is named the Obwald, or district above the forest, and includes the whole of the western valley. The other is the Nidwald, which includes only the lower part of the eastern valley. Each division forms an independent republic, with its own administra,. lion. Both have a landesgemeinde, or parliament, composed of all the inhabitants 20 years of age, with the exception of a few heimathlosen (tramps); and each forms a half canton, that is, a canton which returns one member to the Swiss council of state. The landesgemeinde of each half-canton assembles in the open air late in the spring, when it passes new laws, pays off accounts, imposes taxes. and appoints the executry officers. The capital of the Nidwald is Stanz (pop. in 1870, 2,070), remarkable for its fine church and statue of Winkelricd. The capital of the Obwald is Sarnen, with a population of (1870) 3,720.