Canton (administrative division)

A canton is an administrative division of a country, e.g., a region or state. The word is derived from the Latin "canto" "section of a country." Cantons are generally relatively small in terms of area and population when compared to areas such as counties, departments or provinces.

In the Central American country of El Salvador, Cantons, or "Cantones", are divisions of a municipality outside or the actual town or city and the also outside the more urban "Caserios", which border the town or city. "Cantones" can be thought as the more rural parts of a city or town, generally far from the actual urban population.

The most internationally well-known cantons, which are the most politically important in their country's political system are those of Switzerland. The Swiss cantons are theoretically partially sovereign states.

Cantons in specific countries

Cantons exist (or existed) in the following countries:
*Cantons of Belgium
*Cantons of Bolivia
*Cantons of Bosnia and Herzegovina: a subdivision of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
*Canada: Canadian French equivalent for the English word "township", since the translation "municipalité" is already used for a different level of government (see township).
**Cantons of Quebec
*Cantons of Costa Rica: subdivisions below the provinces of Costa Rica
*Cantons of Ecuador: subdivisions below the provinces of Ecuador
*Cantons of France: a subdivision of "arrondissements" and departments of France, grouping several municipalities ("communes")
*Cantons of Luxembourg: a subdivision of the districts of Luxembourg
*Cantons of Switzerland: each a state within Switzerland
*subdivisions of vingtaines in Jersey.
*In the Ottoman Empire, a "kaza" was a district within a province, sometimes called a canton.
*Several automonous regions of the Soviet Union were subdivided into cantons before 1941.

In 1873, Cantonalists took over the city of Cartagena, Spain, a haven for the Spanish Navy, and declared the city independent.