TIC1'NO, one of the Swiss cantons situated on the Italian slope of the Alpe, takes its name from the river Ticino, which has its souroes in the great central group of the St-Gothard, flows southward along the Vol Levantine, passes by Belliozona, and then enters the Lago Maggiore at its northern extremity, and issues out of it at the oppo site end by the town of Sesto in Lombardy. [Po.] The canton is very mountainous, being intersected by several offsets from the great chain of the Lepontine and Rhaetian Alps. A number of valleys, large and small, lie between these offsets, the largest running nearly parallel to each other, and sloping towards the south. The principal valleys are the Val Levantine, which rune in a southern direction through the centre of the canton, and the Val Maggie, one of the largest in the canton, which in its upper part is called Val Lavizzara ; it is drained by the river 31aggia, a rapid Alpine stream, which euters the Lago Maggiore near Locaruo.
A ridge called Monte Cenere runs across the southern part of the canton from north-east to south-west. It detaches itself from the Bari Berg, aud runs to the east bank of the Lseo MAGGIORE. South of this ridge lies the basin of the Lake of Lugano, which is thus sepa rated from the rest or northern part of the canton, the waters of which run into the Lego Maggiore. The Lake of Lugano, called also Cereal°, lies within the territory of the canton, with the exception of its north east extremity, which stretches into Seistrian Lombardy. Its length is about 20 miles, but the breadth is little more than a mile, except in front of the town of Lugano, where it is about two miles wide : the surface is about 800 feet above the sea, and the greatest depth is 500 feet. A number of trading-boata lily on the lake. Its outlet is formed by the river Tress, which runs iuto the Lugo Maggiore. The Lake of Lugano separates the southern part of the canton, consisting of the district of Mendriaio and the circle of Ceresio, which form part of the district of Lugano, from the rest of the canton, which lies north of the lake.
The cantou is bounded N. by the cantons of Uri, Valais, and the Orisons; E. partly by the Orisons and partly by the Austriau province of Como; S. by the Milanese and Piedmont. The surface of the canton of Ticino may be divided into five regions :-1. The region of the vine, the fig, and the peach, which includes the lower valleys and hills, and extends to the height of 2100 fees above the Lego Maggiore. The olive, orange, and lemon-trees thrive in some favoured spots. 2. The region of the chestnut, the pear, the apple, aud cherry-tree, which rises about 1000 feet higher. 3. The region of the fir-tree, which rises to about 4500 feet above the level of the lake. 4. The alpiuo Natures, which reach as high as 6000 feet. 5. 'rho region of perpetual snow, which include, several Alpine summits betwoou 8000 and 9000 feet high. There ie consequently a great variety of climate as well as of productions in the canton. Horned cattle, sheep, goats,
and pigs are numerous ; there are few horses or mules. Wolves and bears are hunted in the mountains. The rivers and lakes abound in fish. The principal articles of export are cattle, cheese, wine and fruits, hay, hides, and marble. Core is imported from Lombardy. The manufactures are of no very great importance ; they consist chiefly of coarse cloth, leather, platted straw, and tobacco. The silk worm is retiree!.
The area of the canton is 1033 square miles, and the population In 1850 was 117,759, all Catholics but 50. The language of the canton is a dialect of Italian. Several thousand people emigrate every year to work in other countries, as masons, porters, glaziers, chocolate makers, and sellers of barometers.
The principal towns are :—Lsesano, a pretty thriving town on the north-west shore of the Lake of Lugano, in a lovely situation, enjoying an Italian climate, has some fine churches, some large mansions, an hospital, a theatre, manufactories of silk, paper, tobacco, leather, iron and copper works, and 5142 inhabitants. There are at Lugano many merchant., it being on one of the great high roads between Switzerland and Italy. A fair is held in the month of October. Lugano has a college, several elementary schools, and a reading-room. Three news papers are published in the Italian language. The country around Lugano is planted with vines, olives, and other sonthern trees, and full of country-house& Bellinzona, a walled town situated in the valley of the Ticino, on the high road of the SL-Gotherd, has a very fine church, a college, an arsenal, and 1926 inhabitants. Locarno, a small town with a fort on the Lego Maggiore, has several churches, a castle which is now the government-house, and 2676 inhabitauts. Afendrisio, a town of 1700 inhabitents, in a fertile oouutry, and on the high road to Como and Milan, has a college, several churches, a printing-preas, and some silk manufactories.
At the beginning of the 16th century the Swiss obtained possession of Locarno, Lugano, and the rest of the country, which they formed into several Landvogteyen, or bailliagas, some of which were under tlas exclusive dependence of the three Forest cantons, and others, such its Lugano sad Locarno, were subject to the whole Swiss confederation. Throe districts were slotted into one canton by the name of Ticino, and as each It was acknowledged by Bonaparte In his .Act of Mediation, and afterwards by the allied In 'eat. The franchise is vested la all natives of the canton wbo are 25 years old, and possessed of real property or capital of the value of at least 300 francs. Tho Great Council, or legislature, consists of 114 members, elected for 4 yearn; it appoints the executive, as well as the judges of the various courts. In ecclesiastical matters the canton of Ticino depends pertly on the bishop of Como and partly on the archbishop of Milan. The canton returns 6 members to the National Couucil of SWITZERLAND.