THURGAU (TAurgovie), a canton of Switzerland, bounded N. partly by the Lake of Constanz, and partly by the Rhine, which divides it from the canton of Schaffhausen; F.. and S. by the canton of St. Gallen, and W. by that of Zurich. The river Thur, which come. from the canton of St. Gallen and is joined by the Sitter from Appenzell, has given its name to the canton Thurgnu, or 'district of the Thur,' the river crossing the middle poet of it from east to west. The valley of the Dear is separated from the basin of the Lake of Constacz by a succession of hills which rise in terraces on both sides, and are intersected by several valleys. On the south and west sides other bills divide the Thurgau from the valley of the Toss in the canton of Zurich. The whole country belongs to the plateau or table land of Switzerland, and is a considerable distance from the Alpine region. The climate of Thurgau Is comparatively mild ; a great part of the country is planted with fruit-trees, especially apple, pear, and cherry : the vine also thrives in several bealities. The produce of corn is not sufficient for the consumption. Honied cattle are nume rous. The rivers mid the lake abound with fish. The area of the canton is 26S square miles ; the population lu 1851 was 88,903, of whom about 67,000 are Protestants, and the rest Catholics. German
is the language of the country. The principal manufactures consist of cotton goods, linen, cotton yarn, and silks. The other exports consist of wine, cattle, oats, dried fruit, and cider. The principal imports are—iron end metal ware, woollen goods, outton-yarn, salt, colonial articles, and wheat.
Thurgan is divided into eight districts—Frauenfeld, Arbon, Biechof sell, Tobel, Weinfelden, Gottlieben, Steckborn, and Diessenhofen. The principal towns are—Frauenfdd, which la the haul town of the canton, situated in a fertile valley near the confluence of the Murg with the Thur. The Inhabitants amount to 3544. The old castle, formerly the residence of the Swiss yogten or governors of Thurgan; the town house, where the Helvetic diet used to assemble in the time of the old confederation; the arsenal ; and the Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, are the chief buildings. Steckborn, a small town on the Zellersee, or smaller basin of the Lake of Constanz, has several SUMP factories, and about 2000 inhabitants. In the neighbourhood of Steckborn is the residence of Arenaberg, which was purchased by Queen Hortense, and in which she died in 1840. Thurgau returns 41 members to the Swiss national counciL