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Gland is a commune of the Vaud canton, Switzerland. Even though French is the main language, there are over 80 nationalities living in this city with a population of 10,185 (2002). Since it is ideally located halfway between the cities of Geneva and Lausanne, many international companies and organizations settled there, among others Sun Microsystems, the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Ramsar Convention and the Worldwide Fund for Nature.
History
Gland is known to have been a prehistoric settlement. During the Roman period a farm called Villa Glanis was there. Until the 1960s, Gland was merely a small farming village (essentially vineyards and cattle). The opening of the highway linking Geneva with Lausanne brought many commuters to this quiet place. It is only since the mid-1980s that Gland has started to grow into a city with its own businesses and shopping centers.
Miscellaneous
In the 1930s, a defensive line was built at the edge of Gland. Its purpose was to stop a tank invasion from the west. The big concrete blocks that make up the defences are similar to the shape of the chocolate bar "Toblerone" and thus the line was called the Toblerone Line. Since the line has been left to nature since its construction, it was decided to keep these concrete blocks and to make a hiking trail along their route.
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