is the southernmost canton of Switzerland, where the Italian language is predominantly spoken, as well as Lombard dialects. The capital city is Bellinzona. The canton is named after the Ticino River. Within Switzerland it borders on the cantons of Wallis, Uri and Graubünden. The southern neighbor is Italy. Most of the cantons belong to the Alps, but a small part belongs to the Po Valley, which is mainly in northern Italy. The Monte Ceneri Pass divides the canton into two parts. The northern, much more mountainous part, called Sopraceneri, consists of two large Swiss valleys around Lake Maggiore: the Ticino Valley and the Maggia Valley. The southern part, called Sottoceneri, is situated around Lake Lugano.

The longest river in the canton is Ticino, which shapes the landscape and in its central part forms into a wide valley, commonly known as the Riviera. Of great importance here are Lake Lugano at Lugano and Lake Maggiore near Locarno. The canton has a mild climate with a high number of sunny days, ideal conditions for local wineries. It is worth mentioning the local specialty White Merlot and Gotthard Tunnel, which is the longest railway tunnel in the world.