The city on the bend of the Rhine and bordering France and Germany is considered the center of the Swiss chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Basel also boasts a number of top-class art and cultural institutions and its bold new buildings provide a fascinating contrast to the medieval backdrop. 

The city of Basel is the capital of the canton of Basel Stadt, which the city forms together with the municipalities of Riehen and Bettingen. With around 3700 hectares, it is the smallest canton in Switzerland and has around 200,000 inhabitants (170,000 of whom live in the city of Basel). The city of Basel is divided into 19 districts, 11 on the left bank of the Rhine and the others on the right. The "Altstadt Grossbasel" district comprises the historic part that was once surrounded by the first city wall. The "Suburbs" district, which was integrated into the city by means of an extended city wall after the great earthquake of 1356, adjoins it in a ring.