Basel (French Bâle), city in northern Switzerland, capital of the half-canton of Basel-Stadt, on the Rhine River. In 1833 the two independent half-cantons, Basel-Stadt and Basel-Land (or Basel-Landschaft), were created from the former Basel Canton. Basel-Stadt, covering 37 sq km (14 sq mi) and with a population (1991 estimate) of 193,512, comprises the city of Basel and two adjoining communities; Basel-Land, covering 428 sq km (165 sq mi) and with a population of 231,063, has its capital at Liestal. The city of Basel is surrounded by a rich agricultural region where fruit trees and grapevines are cultivated and cattle are raised. The city is a major industrial center in which pharmaceuticals, chemicals, machinery, printed materials, and textiles are produced. Thousands of people from France and Germany cross the border to work in Basel every day. It is also the site of an annual industrial fair. Most inhabitants of the region speak German. In Basel are the Münster, consecrated as a cathedral in 1019 and as an abbey church in 1528, and the first Swiss university, founded in 1460 by Pope Pius II. The Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus taught at the university and is buried in the Münster.
The city was founded in AD374 as the Roman frontier post Basilia. It was ruled by bishops of the Western church after the 5th century, and in the 11th century it became an imperial city governed by bishop-princes. From 1431 to 1439, the city was the site of a famous Roman Catholic council called to bring about reforms in the church. In 1501 Basel joined the Swiss Confederation and became a center of the Swiss Reformation movement. In 1986 the Rhine was severely polluted by a chemical spill from a pharmaceutical manufacturer in Basel. Population (1998) 168,735.
