3 Economy
The capital Lausanne is the major city in the canton. There are light industries concentrated around the capital, and the federal school of engineering EPFL. In 1998, 71.7% of the workers worked in the tertiary sector and 20.8% in the secondary.
The canton is the second largest producer of wine in Switzerland. Most of the wine produced in the canton is white wine, and most vineyards are located on the steep shores of Lake Geneva. There is agriculture in the areas away from Lake Geneva. Sugar beet is important around Orbe, tobacco in the La Broye Valley and fruits are grown on the foot of the Jura mountains. Cattle breeding and pasture are common in the Alps and the Jura mountains. There is a salt mine at Bex. Tourism is important in many towns along the Lake Geneva. Major lakeside resorts include Lausanne, Montreux or Vevey.
4 Demographics
The population is French speaking and mostly Protestant.
The major population centres of the canton are: Lausanne (approx. 275,000 inhabitants in 2000), Montreux- Vevey (70,000 inhabitants) and Yverdon-les-Bains. The region around Nyon is often considered part of the agglomeration of Geneva. All of these are on Lake Geneva, except for Yverdon, which is on Lake Neuchâtel.
Other cities and towns include: Morges, Renens, Rolle.
See also: Municipalities of the canton of Vaud
5 External links
Cantons of Switzerland
Swiss wine regions
