Aargau (Fr. Argovie), a Swiss canton, bounded by Zurich, Zug, Lucerne, Bern, Soleure, Basel, and the Rhine, which separates it from Baden; area, 542 sq.m.; pop. in 1870, 198,873, of whom 107,703 were Protestants, 89,180 Roman Catholics, and 1,542 Jews. The country is diversified by hills, mountains, and valleys, the soil well cultivated, and extensive vineyards abound. It is watered by the rivers Aar, Reuss, and Limmat, the two latter being navigable. Cottons, silks, and linens, woven by hand, are the principal manufactures, and, with straw bats, cheese, corn, wine, and cattle, form the chief exports. The canton is divided into the following eleven districts: Aarau (pop. 19,247), Baden (28,462), Brem-garten (18,751), Brugg (17,102), Kulm (20,790), Laufenburg (14,407), Lensburg (18,497), Muri (14,297), Rheinfelden (11,417), Zofingen (26,-986), and Zurzach (13,861). Capital, Aarau. The canton was organized in 1803. Each of the 50 electoral districts elects a member of the grand council for every 260 voters and for a fraction of over 130; state officers and teachers of state schools are ineligible.

The grand council elects from its number a governing council (Regierungsrath) of eleven members, three of whom at least must be Protestants and three Catholics. - On Feb. 13, 1841, all the convents of the canton were abolished and their property confiscated. The protest of several Catholic cantons against this measure was so vigorously supported by the Austrian government, that the government of the canton in 1843 reestablished four female convents. Most of the cantons were satisfied with this, but the minority were induced by it to organize the Sonderbund. In 1862 the grand council declared in favor of the emancipation of the Jews, but the people voted it down.