Editing Ticino (section)

==Geography==
{{See also|Geography of Switzerland}}
[[File:Ponte dei Salti DSC 0328 (4622162182).jpg|thumb|The [[Verzasca Valley]] (here near [[Lavertezzo]]) is the most central valley of Ticino<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ticino.ch/it/explore/excursions/itinerary/itineraries/details/Mergoscia---Corippo/138341.html | title=Mergoscia - Corippo | work=Agenzia turistica ticinese | accessdate=24 October 2023 | quote=Da [[Mergoscia]], centro geografico del Ticino, seguendo il sentiero sopra il lago di Vogorno fino a Corippo.}}</ref>]]

Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. With a few exceptions in the extreme north and south of the canton, it lies entirely in the [[Ticino (river)|Ticino]] basin, a tributary of the [[Po (river)|Po]]. Along with [[Valais]]<!--Gondo--> and the [[Grisons]]<!--Italian Grisons-->, it is one of the three cantons whose territory extends into the Po basin (lands to the south of the [[Alps]]). However, unlike the other Po basin cantons (and all other cantons), all settlements of Ticino are on the south side of the Alps, therefore separated from the [[Swiss Plateau]] (and most of the country) by the great Alpine barrier. The canton also comprehends some small areas in the [[Rhine]] basin in the north, at the [[Gotthard Pass]] and around [[Lai da Sontga Maria|lake of Santa Maria]]. The extreme south of the canton is drained by the Po as well, but through the [[Breggia (river)|Breggia]] and [[Adda (river)|Adda]],<ref name=Swisstopo>{{cite web | url=https://s.geo.admin.ch/96b443ac7f | title=Ticino on the Swiss National Map | publisher=[[Federal Office of Topography]] | accessdate=14 March 2022}}</ref> and Gaggiolo, [[Olona]], [[Lambro]].

The canton is traditionally (but not administratively) split into two regions. The northern region, the [[Sopraceneri]], is formed by the valleys around [[Lake Maggiore]] and includes the highest mountains of the canton and the main [[Main chain of the Alps|Alpine watershed]]. The southern region, the [[Sottoceneri]], is the region around [[Lake Lugano]], and marks the beginning of the southern Alpine foothills. Between the two regions is [[Monte Ceneri]], a moderately elevated mountain pass and important north–south axis.<ref name=Swisstopo/> The Sopraceneri is constituted by the districts of [[Bellinzona (district)|Bellinzona]], [[Blenio (district)|Blenio]], [[Leventina]], [[Locarno (district)|Locarno]], [[Riviera (district)|Riviera]] and [[Vallemaggia (district)|Vallemaggia]], and makes up about 85% of the territory and 43% of the population.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/it/articles/008550/2017-03-14/ | title=Sopraceneri | publisher=[[Historical Dictionary of Switzerland]] | accessdate=14 March 2022 |quote=Il S. comprende i distr. di Bellinzona, Riviera, Blenio, Leventina, Locarno e Vallemaggia, che si estendono su ca. 2379 km2, pari all'85% ca. del territorio cant., e contano 142'627 ab. (2008), ossia il 43% della pop. ticinese.}}</ref> The Sottoceneri is constituted by the districts of [[Lugano (district)|Lugano]] and [[Mendrisio (district)|Mendrisio]], and makes up about 15% of the territory and 57% of the population.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/it/articles/008549/2017-05-04/ | title=Sottoceneri | publisher=[[Historical Dictionary of Switzerland]] | accessdate=14 March 2022 |quote=Costituito dagli attuali distr. di Lugano e Mendrisio, il S., di ca. 432 km2 di estensione e con 189'123 ab. (2008), comprende ca. il 15% del territorio cant., ma il 57% della pop. ed è quindi caratterizzato da una densità demografica già nel passato piuttosto elevata (oltre 100 ab. per km2 nel 1808).}}</ref> While [[Lugano]], the largest city, is in the densely populated Sottoceneri, the two other main cities, [[Bellinzona]] and [[Locarno]], are in the Sopraceneri.

The Ticino, which gives its name to the canton, is the largest river of Ticino. It flows from the northwest through the [[Bedretto Valley]] and the [[Leventina Valley]] to enter Lake Maggiore near [[Locarno]]. Its main tributaries are the [[Brenno (river)|Brenno]] in the [[Blenio Valley]] and the [[Moesa (river)|Moesa]] in the [[Mesolcina Valley]] in the [[Grisons]]. The lands of most of the canton are shaped by the river, which in its mid portion forms a wide valley, commonly known as the ''Riviera''. The western lands of the canton, however, are drained by the [[Maggia (river)|Maggia]]. The [[Verzasca Valley]] is between the Leventina Valley and the Maggia Valley. There is also a smaller area that drains directly into the [[Lake Lugano]]. Most of the land is considered within the Alps, but a small area is part of the plain of the Po which drains the north of [[Italy]].

[[File:Pizzo Campo Tencia.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|High Alpine landscape on [[Pizzo Campo Tencia]]]]

Although it includes the lowest point of Switzerland (Lake Maggiore) as well as its lowest town ([[Ascona]]), the topography of Ticino is extremely rugged, as it is the canton with the [[List of Swiss cantons by elevation|fourth largest elevation difference]]. It lies essentially within the Alps, in particular the [[Lepontine Alps]], the [[Saint-Gotthard Massif]] and the [[Lugano Prealps]]. The longest and deepest valleys are those of the Ticino, Verzasca and Maggia. The two highest mountains are the [[Rheinwaldhorn]] and the [[Basòdino]]. Other notable mountains are [[Pizzo Rotondo]] (highest of the Gotthard Massif), [[Pizzo Campo Tencia]] (highest fully within the canton), [[Monte Generoso]] (highest south of Lake Lugano) and [[Monte Tamaro]] (most prominent of the canton). For an exhaustive list, see [[list of mountains of Ticino]].

The area of the canton is {{convert|2812|km2|sqmi}}, of which about three-quarters are considered productive to trees or crops.<ref name="BFS Tessin">{{cite web | last = Federal Department of Statistics | title = Regional Statistics for Ticino | year = 2008 | url = http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/regionen/regionalportraets/tessin/blank/kennzahlen.html | access-date = 23 November 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080625193115/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/regionen/regionalportraets/tessin/blank/kennzahlen.html | archive-date = 25 June 2008 | url-status = dead }}</ref> Forests cover about a third of the area, but also the lakes [[Lake Maggiore|Maggiore]] (or ''Verbano'') and [[Lake Lugano|Lugano]] (or ''Ceresio'') make up a considerable minority. The canton shares borders with three other cantons across the main ridge of the Alps: [[Valais]] to the northwest, to which it is connected by the [[Nufenen Pass]], [[Canton of Uri|Uri]] to the north, to which it is connected by the [[Gotthard Pass]] and the [[Grisons]] to the northeast, to which it is connected by the [[Lukmanier Pass]] and the [[Mesolcina]] Valley; the latter valley, a few kilometres north of Bellinzona, being the only (natural)<!--Natural, see Gotthard Base Tunnel--> low elevation access to another canton. Ticino shares international borders with [[Italy]] as well. To the southwest is the region of [[Piedmont]] and to the southeast is the region of [[Lombardy]]. The main border crossing between Italy and Switzerland is that of [[Chiasso]], in the extreme south of the canton.<ref name=Swisstopo/>

===Climate===
{{multiple image
 | total_width = 360
 | image1 = Olivenkultur am Luganersee bei Gandria.jpg
 | alt1 = Gandria
 | image2 = Auf der Isole di Brissago.jpg
 | alt2 = Brissago Islands
 | footer = Olive trees at [[Gandria]] (Lake Lugano) and palm trees on the [[Brissago Islands]] (Lake Maggiore)
}}

The climate of Ticino is mostly influenced by the Mediterranean Sea, the Alps protecting it from north European weather.<ref>{{cite book |author=Lucy J. Sheppard |date=2013 |title=Forest Growth Responses to the Pollution Climate of the 21st Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yPvPBgAAQBAJ |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media]] |page=<!--No page number, see quote--> |isbn=9789401715782|quote=The Ticino region situated to the south of the Swiss Alps generally experiences a [[Mediterranean climate]], with hot but relatively moist summer seasons. The Alps form an arc around the plain of the Po valley, acting as a barrier against central European weather}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=P. Lionello |date=2006 |title=Mediterranean Climate Variability |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JD8CqjuA4SAC |publisher=[[Elsevier]] |page=346 |isbn=9780080460796|quote=The heaviest rain events take place when the cyclone path is in such a position that it produces the local convergence of moist Mediterranean air. In the Western Mediterranean, this feeding flow is southerly for northern Italy and Ticino}}</ref> As a consequence, the plains experience warm and moist summers, and mild winters. This climate is noticeably warmer and wetter than [[Climate of Switzerland|the rest of Switzerland]]'s. In German-speaking Switzerland, Ticino is nicknamed ''Sonnenstube'' (sun porch), owing to the more than 2,300 [[sunshine hours]] the canton receives every year, compared to 1,700 for Zurich.<ref name="SteinerKarnusian2014">{{cite book|author1=Jürg Steiner|author2=Manuschak Karnusian|author3=Omar Gisler|title=MARCO POLO Reiseführer Tessin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rn00AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA23|date=28 March 2014|publisher=Mair Dumont Marco Polo|isbn=978-3-8297-7172-6|page=23}}</ref> The canton can experience particularly heavy storms and rainfalls in summer. It is the region of Switzerland with the highest level of lightning discharge.<ref>{{cite news |date=7 August 2009 |title=Luganese fulminato, bersaglio prediletto di Zeus |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/ita/scienza-tecnica/luganese-fulminato--bersaglio-prediletto-di-zeus/410516 |work=[[Swissinfo]] |access-date=2 March 2022 |quote=I dati raccolti da MeteoSvizzera sono impressionanti: nel 2008 in un raggio di trenta chilometri attorno a Lugano, sono stati registrati più di 13 mila fulmini, mentre in località analoghe come quota a nord delle Alpi, ne sono stati registrati fra 3 mila e 6 mila.|trans-quote=The data collected by MeteoSwiss are impressive: in 2008 in a radius of thirty kilometres around Lugano, more than 13,000 lightning strikes were recorded, while in locations north of the Alps with a similar elevation, between 3,000 and 6,000 were recorded.}}</ref> Conversely, the canton can experience severe droughts in both summer and winter, making it the region most affected by forest fires in the country.<ref>{{cite book |author=M. Masellis |date=2012 |title=The Management of Burns and Fire Disasters: Perspectives 2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qzPwCAAAQBAJ |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media]] |page=520 |isbn=9789400903616|quote=The Ticino is the canton most affected by forest fires in all Switzerland. Its geographical position at the southern foot of the Alps determines a climate that is extremely favourable to the development and spread of forest fires.}}</ref>

The climate of Ticino is highly diverse as elevations range from Lake Maggiore, affected by [[subtropical climate]], to the high Alps, affected by [[Alpine climate|subarctic and tundra climate]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ticino.ch/en/itineraries/details/Isole-di-Brissago-Bosco-Gurin/138317.html | title=Isole di Brissago - Bosco Gurin | publisher=Agenzia turistica ticinese SA | accessdate=14 March 2022 |quote=The Trekking dei fiori, a new 5-day experience within the local nature and culture, spans the entire region of the Locarnese National Park Project, going from a subtropical climate to the alpine climate.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RlvwDwAAQBAJ | title=Landscapes and Landforms of Switzerland | publisher=Springer Nature | author=Reynard, Emmanuel | year=2020 | pages=325 | isbn=9783030432034 |quote=For its geographical location and its particular morphological configurations, the Upper Ticino is located between the harsh Alpine climate and the more temperate Mediterranean climate.}}</ref> Therefore, similarly to the rest of Switzerland, many different types of ecosystems are found in the region. In the lower areas, deciduous forests are omnipresent, while at high elevations they tend to be replaced by coniferous forests, except in the Sottoceneri ([[Lugano Prealps]]), where they are almost absent. The treeline is located at around 2,000 metres in the Sopraceneri and 1,600 metres in the Sottoceneri.<ref>{{cite thesis |type=PhD |author=Christiane M. A. De Micheli Schulthess |date=2001 |title=Aspects of Roman Pottery in Canton Ticino (Switzerland) |publisher=[[University of Nottingham]] |url=http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14275/1/364441_Vol1.pdf |quote=In the alpine region (Sopraceneri) the upper limit of the forests reaches 1900-2000m asl. This limit reaches 1600m asl in the subalpine region (Sottoceneri), characterized by the almost exclusive presence of hardwood forests.}}</ref> The [[Basòdino]], Ticino's second-highest mountain, is covered by the [[Basòdino Glacier|largest glacier of the canton]]. In winter, skiing is popular in the highest locations, notably in [[Airolo]] and [[Bosco/Gurin]]. In the lower regions, especially around Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano, vineyards, olive trees<ref>{{cite news |last=Irene |first=Solari |date=16 October 2021 |title=Alla scoperta dell'olio ticinese: "Un patrimonio di cui dovremmo essere fieri" |url=https://www.cdt.ch/ticino/alla-scoperta-dell-olio-ticinese-un-patrimonio-di-cui-dovremmo-essere-fieri-EA4750215 |work=[[Corriere del Ticino]] |access-date=20 February 2022 |quote=Il mese scorso l’olio d’oliva ticinese è stato inserito nel patrimonio culinario svizzero, annoverato tra i prodotti d’eccellenza del nostro Paese. |trans-quote=Last month, Ticino olive oil was included in the Swiss culinary heritage, counted among the products of excellence of our country. |archive-date=15 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415103751/https://www.cdt.ch/ticino/alla-scoperta-dell-olio-ticinese-un-patrimonio-di-cui-dovremmo-essere-fieri-EA4750215 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and other fruits common to southern Europe are grown.<ref>{{cite book |author=James Redfern |date=1971 |title=A Lexical Study of Raeto-Romance and Contiguous Italian Dialect Areas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m5RsDwAAQBAJ |publisher=[[Mouton Publishers]] |page=38 |isbn= 9783110824841|quote=The canton of the Ticino marks the geographic descent from high Alps to plain and is, therefore, a land of climatic as well as linguistic transition, where heat and abundant moisture favour almonds, figs, and all the fruits common to southern Europe, except the olive.}}</ref> Several types of cold hardy [[palm trees]] and other subtropical species may be grown here, and although none are native, their presence in the ecosystem is increasing.<ref>[https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/palm-trees-go-wild-in-ticino/1887788 Palm trees go wild in Ticino], [[Swissinfo]], February 15, 2001 ("Palm trees and other exotic species have become so common in the forests of Switzerland's southern canton of Ticino they must now be considered as "native".")</ref> Numerous gardens, especially near the lakes, such as the [[Brissago Islands]] and the [[Scherrer Park]], are renowned for their exotic plants.

===Diocese===
The [[Diocese of Lugano]] is co-extensive to the canton.

===Wine region===
{{Main|Ticino (wine region)}}

Ticino is one of the wine regions for [[Swiss wine]]. The defined region encompasses all of the canton plus the neighbouring Italian-speaking [[Moesa (district)|district of Moesa]] ([[Misox]] and [[Calanca]] valleys) in the [[canton of the Grisons]].