Basel-Landschaft
Suburban half-canton surrounding Basel-City since 1833 split—Roche and Novartis commuters from Basel-Landschaft benefit from pharma proximity while governance fragmentation complicates regional coordination.
Canton of Basel-Landschaft surrounds Basel-City—creating commuter dynamics where residents work in the urban core while living in suburban/rural territory. The split between half-cantons (Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft) since 1833 reflects historical governance disputes.
The canton benefits from Basel-City's pharmaceutical presence: Roche and Novartis employees living in Basel-Landschaft commute to facilities; supply chain companies locate in the canton. This economic linkage creates prosperity that independent development might not achieve.
The Jura foothills provide recreational landscape for urban workers; agriculture maintains presence where development pressure permits. This mixed economy—commuter employment, some manufacturing, agriculture—lacks the distinctive character that defines independent cantonal identity.
Basel-Landschaft demonstrates how urban-suburban splits create governance fragmentation: coordination between half-cantons requires negotiation that unified administration wouldn't need. Whether merger makes sense remains periodic political question.