| 1. | a canton in W Switzerland. 181,800; 644 sq. mi. (1668 sq. km). |
| 2. | a town in and the capital of this canton. 40,500. |
Fribourg
canton, western Switzerland, bounded by Lake Neuchatel and the cantons of Vaud on the west and south and Bern on the east, with enclaves within Vaud. It lies in an elevated plain (Swiss Plateau) and rises from flat land in the west through a hilly region up to the PreAlps in the south and east. The highest summits are to the south in La Gruyere district and include the Vanil Noir (7,836 feet [2,389 metres]). The canton is bisected by the Sarine River (Saane), which flows from south to north (to join the Aare), and by its tributaries. On the west, La Broye flows northeast into Lakes Morat (Murtensee) and Neuchatel, and, in the southwest, La Veveyse flows south to Lake Geneva (Lac Leman).
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