Ticino, (Italian), French and German Tessin, canton, southern Switzerland; wedge shaped, it protrudes into Italy to the west and south and is bounded by the cantons of Valais and Uri to the north and Graubünden to the northeast. About two-thirds of its area is reckoned as productive, much of it forested. The remainder consists of lakes, chiefly parts of Maggiore and Lugano, and glaciers. The Lepontine Alps rise in the north, reaching heights of 11,161 feet (3,402 m) at the Rheinwaldhorn and 10,738 feet (3,273 m) at the Basodino. The canton is dominated physically by three river systems occupying steep-sided valleys extending from the mountain frontier southward to Lake Maggiore. The chief system is that of the Ticino River, which rises in the northwest, flows east through the Bedretto valley and then southeast through the Leventina valley, receiving the left-bank tributaries Brenno (from the Blenio valley) and Moesa (from the Mesolcina valley) before curving westward above Bellinzona to enter the lake from the east. The wide, low valley formed by the combined Ticino and Brenno is called the Riviera. The western part of the canton is drained by the Maggia and its numerous right-bank tributaries, and the Verzasca valley lies between the Ticino and the Maggia. The remainder of the canton, a triangular fragment of broken hill country to the southeast, drains to Lake Lugano. The amount of lowland is small, occurring only in the lower river valleys and near the lakes.
Historically, Ticino represents the early, permanent Swiss conquests from the duchy of Milan and falls into three groups: the Leventina valley, conquered by Uri in 1440 (previously held 1403–22); Bellinzona (previously held 1419–22), the Riviera, and the Blenio valley, won in 1500 by Uri, Schwyz, and Nidwalden and confirmed by Louis XII of France in 1503; and Locarno, the Maggia valley, Lugano, and Mendrisio, seized in 1512 by the Confederates (Eidgenossen) when fighting for the Holy League against the French and confirmed by Francis I in the treaty of 1516. The districts formed Bellinzona and Lugano cantons of the Helvetic Republic in 1798 and were united in 1803 as Ticino canton, a full member of the Swiss Confederation. The three largest cities—Bellinzona, Locarno, and Lugano—alternated as capital until 1878, when Bellinzona became the permanent political capital. The constitution dates from 1830, but later political disturbances have caused considerable modifications.
Ticino has no mineral resources, but the canton possesses abundant waterpower for internal use and for export. Grazing is important in the valleys of the upper part of the canton (Sopraceneri). Wine is produced in large quantity in the extensive vineyards of the warmer south; wheat, potatoes, tobacco, and vegetables are also grown. The favourable climate, especially on the lakes, and the communications offered by the St. Gotthard railway and by several light electric and mountain lines, have made tourism the most important economic factor. Industries include the manufacture of metal products, electrical equipment, and clothing. The population is Italian speaking and Roman Catholic, coming under the jurisdiction of the bishopric of Lugano. Area 1,086 square miles (2,812 square km). Pop. (2007 est.) 324,851.