Work continues on the construction of what will become - at 57km - the longest tunnel in the world, the Gotthard base tunnel. (Keystone/Urs Flueler)
Keystone
The A2 motorway along with the railway line through the existing Gotthard tunnel are a lifeline for canton Ticino. They enter Ticino in the Leventina valley. (Keystone/Martin Ruetschi)
Keystone
Rare snow storms led to chaotic conditions on Ticino's motorways this winter, like this scene near Lugano. (Keystone/Karl Mathis)
Keystone
The operations centre of the Swiss Federal Railways in Bellinzona. This screen allows staff to monitor rail traffic between Erstfeld on the north side of the Alps and Chiasso on Ticino's border with Italy. (Keystone/Karl Mathis)
Keystone
A new employee is put through his paces on a simulator in the train driver centre in Bellinzona, which opened in 2007. (Keystone/Karl Mathis)
Keystone
Railway employees at a depot in Bellinzona went on strike in 2008, protesting against plans to move some of the work to other parts of Switzerland. (Keystone/Karl Mathis)
Keystone
Closed: Despite massive protests, the company Von Roll ceased operations at the Monteforno steel factory in Bodio in 1994. More than 450 people lost their jobs. (ex-press/Nadja Frey)
Ex-press
An employee at the Argor-Heraeus gold refinery in Mendrisio produces one-kilogramme gold bars. (Keystone/Karl Mathis)
Keystone
An employee at work at Chocolat Alprose factory in Caslano. (Dukas/Rémy Steinegger)
A Mikron Tool technician inspects the quality of cutting tools at the company plant in Agno. (Keystone/Martin Ruetschi)
Keystone
Fox Town in Mendrisio is a factory outlet shopping centre which attracts many cross border shoppers from Italy, who come to buy discount clothing - often Italian brands. (Didier Ruef/pixsil.com)
Pixsil
Lugano is one of Switzerland's most important banking sectors. These cars are parked in front of the Bank BSI - Banca della Svizzera Italiana. (Keystone/Martin Ruetschi)
Keystone
A couple enjoys a spring day at a sidewalk cafe on the promenade of the lakeside tourist town of Ascona. (Keystone/Martin Ruetschi)
Keystone
Thousands of film fans flock to Locarno's Piazza Grande each August for the International Film Festival Locarno. (Keystone/Martial Trezzini)
Keystone
Players from AC Bellinzona celebrate their victory over Neuchâtel Xamax after penalty kicks in the 2008 Swiss Football Cup. (Ti-Press/EQ Images)
The Ambri ice hockey team summon up the courage to face their Ticino rivals, HC Lugano, at the start of a game in Lugano played in January 2009. (Keystone/Karl Mathis)
Keystone
Russian Artem Silchenko jumps from a 26-meter-high cliff during a practice session for the Cliff Diving World Championships in Brontallo, in 2006. Silchenko became World Champion at the event. (Keystone/Karl Mathis)
Keystone
Solar panels placed on the roof of an old Ticino house show how rural regions have moved into the 21st century. (RDB/Anton J. Geisser)
RDB
The San Giovanni Battista chapel in Mogno in the Valle Maggia has become a village landmark. Built by star architect, Mario Botta, it is made of marble and gneiss from local quarries. (Lucyna Koch)
Inside the airy San Giovanni Battista chapel. (Lucyna Koch)
Ticino has produced more than its share of renowned architects, and the Architecture Academy promotes good design. It is part of Ticino's only university which opened its doors in 1996. (Keystone/Karl Mathis)
Keystone
A family home in Locarno by architect, Livio Vacchini. (Dieter Leistner/artur architekturbilder)
Border guards patrol in Chiasso, one of the main crossing points with Italy. (Dukas/Rémy Steinegger)
Asylum seekers outside an asylum centre in Chiasso. Across Switzerland, asylum issues are hotly debated with political parties often at odds on the best way forward. Switzerland currently has one of the most restrictive asylum policies in Europe and has been criticised by the United Nations refugee agency. (Keystone/Ti-Press/Gabriele Putzu)
Keystone
Ticino in the 21st century.
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How do the people of Ticino live, work and play today?
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.