Echarlens
Encyclopedia
Echarlens is a municipality
in the district of Gruyère
in the canton
of Fribourg in Switzerland
.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 6.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.6%. Out of the forested land, 11.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 20.5% is used for growing crops and 46.9% is pastures and 7.1% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is located in the Gruyère district. It consists of the village of Echarlens near the A12 motorway
and the Bulle-Fribourg road.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Pally of Six Argent and Gules overall in chief a Mullet of Five Or.
Most of the population speaks French
(510 or 92.4%) as their first language, German
is the second most common (18 or 3.3%) and Portuguese
is the third (12 or 2.2%). There are 2 people who speak Italian
and 1 person who speaks Romansh.
, the population was 49.7% male and 50.3% female. The population was made up of 294 Swiss men (42.7% of the population) and 48 (7.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 313 Swiss women (45.5%) and 33 (4.8%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 161 or about 29.2% were born in Echarlens and lived there in 2000. There were 232 or 42.0% who were born in the same canton, while 71 or 12.9% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 67 or 12.1% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 26.3% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 63.4% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 10.3%.
, there were 224 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 281 married individuals, 23 widows or widowers and 24 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 207 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. There were 57 households that consist of only one person and 17 households with five or more people. , a total of 191 apartments (90.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 15 apartments (7.1%) were seasonally occupied and 5 apartments (2.4%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 10 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
.
the most popular party was the SP
which received 31.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(19.1%), the FDP
(17.5%) and the CVP
(14.6%).
The SPS gained an additional 6.4% of the vote from the 2007 Federal election
(24.9% in 2007 vs 31.3% in 2011). The SVP moved from third in 2007 (with 19.6%) to second in 2011, the FDP moved from second in 2007 (with 24.0%) to third and the CVP retained about the same popularity (18.4% in 2007). A total of 236 votes were cast in this election, of which 4 or 1.7% were invalid.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 71. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 34, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 13 of which 5 or (38.5%) were in manufacturing and 8 (61.5%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 24. In the tertiary sector; 7 or 29.2% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 2 or 8.3% were in the movement and storage of goods, 5 or 20.8% were in a hotel or restaurant, 3 or 12.5% were technical professionals or scientists, 4 or 16.7% were in education.
, there were 28 workers who commuted into the municipality and 233 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 8.3 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 8.4% used public transportation to get to work, and 71.9% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there was 1 member of an Orthodox church
. There were 7 (or about 1.27% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There was 1 person who was Hindu
. 52 (or about 9.42% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 22 individuals (or about 3.99% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 70 who completed tertiary schooling, 61.4% were Swiss men, 27.1% were Swiss women.
The Canton of Fribourg school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten
, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend a three or four year optional upper Secondary school. The upper Secondary school is divided into gymnasium
(university preparatory) and vocational programs. After they finish the upper Secondary program, students may choose to attend a Tertiary school or continue their apprenticeship
.
During the 2010-11 school year, there were a total of 101 students attending 5 classes in Echarlens. A total of 143 students from the municipality attended any school, either in the municipality or outside of it. There was one kindergarten class with a total of 21 students in the municipality. The municipality had 4 primary classes and 80 students. During the same year, there were no lower secondary classes in the municipality, but 28 students attended lower secondary school in a neighboring municipality. There were no upper Secondary classes or vocational classes, but there were 15 upper Secondary students and 16 upper Secondary vocational students who attended classes in another municipality. The municipality had no non-university Tertiary classes, but there was one non-university Tertiary student and 3 specialized Tertiary students who attended classes in another municipality.
, there were 42 students in Echarlens who came from another municipality, while 60 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Gruyère
Gruyère (district)
Gruyère District is a district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It has a population of . Its capital is Bulle.-Municipalities:-Mergers and name changes:...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Fribourg in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Geography
Echarlens has an area, , of 4.6 square kilometre. Of this area, 3.46 square kilometre or 74.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.63 square kilometre or 13.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.44 square kilometre or 9.5% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.2% is either rivers or lakes and 0.07 km² (17.3 acre) or 1.5% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 6.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.6%. Out of the forested land, 11.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 20.5% is used for growing crops and 46.9% is pastures and 7.1% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is located in the Gruyère district. It consists of the village of Echarlens near the A12 motorway
A12 motorway (Switzerland)
The A12 motorway, an Autobahn in western Switzerland, is a divided highway connecting the A9 to the A1.The A12 runs from the A9 in Vevey along the Freiburger Alps via Fribourg to the A1 in Bern and thus represents an important link to Western Switzerland...
and the Bulle-Fribourg road.
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Pally of Six Argent and Gules overall in chief a Mullet of Five Or.
Demographics
Echarlens has a population of . , 11.9% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 20.6%. Migration accounted for 17.8%, while births and deaths accounted for 5.9%.Most of the population speaks French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
(510 or 92.4%) as their first language, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
is the second most common (18 or 3.3%) and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
is the third (12 or 2.2%). There are 2 people who speak Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and 1 person who speaks Romansh.
, the population was 49.7% male and 50.3% female. The population was made up of 294 Swiss men (42.7% of the population) and 48 (7.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 313 Swiss women (45.5%) and 33 (4.8%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 161 or about 29.2% were born in Echarlens and lived there in 2000. There were 232 or 42.0% who were born in the same canton, while 71 or 12.9% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 67 or 12.1% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 26.3% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 63.4% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 10.3%.
, there were 224 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 281 married individuals, 23 widows or widowers and 24 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 207 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. There were 57 households that consist of only one person and 17 households with five or more people. , a total of 191 apartments (90.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 15 apartments (7.1%) were seasonally occupied and 5 apartments (2.4%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 10 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
The Notre-Dame De L’Assomption Church is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significanceSwiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
Politics
In the 2011 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2011
Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 23 October 2011.All of the Federal Assembly were to be elected: all 200 seats in the National Council and all 46 seats in the Council of States....
the most popular party was the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
which received 31.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
(19.1%), the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(17.5%) and the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(14.6%).
The SPS gained an additional 6.4% of the vote from the 2007 Federal election
Swiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
(24.9% in 2007 vs 31.3% in 2011). The SVP moved from third in 2007 (with 19.6%) to second in 2011, the FDP moved from second in 2007 (with 24.0%) to third and the CVP retained about the same popularity (18.4% in 2007). A total of 236 votes were cast in this election, of which 4 or 1.7% were invalid.
Economy
, Echarlens had an unemployment rate of 2.7%. , there were 42 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 19 businesses involved in this sector. 13 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 7 businesses in this sector. 38 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 11 businesses in this sector. There were 299 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 40.5% of the workforce.the total number of full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
jobs was 71. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 34, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 13 of which 5 or (38.5%) were in manufacturing and 8 (61.5%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 24. In the tertiary sector; 7 or 29.2% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 2 or 8.3% were in the movement and storage of goods, 5 or 20.8% were in a hotel or restaurant, 3 or 12.5% were technical professionals or scientists, 4 or 16.7% were in education.
, there were 28 workers who commuted into the municipality and 233 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 8.3 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 8.4% used public transportation to get to work, and 71.9% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 440 or 79.7% were Roman Catholic, while 29 or 5.3% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. Of the rest of the population, there was 1 member of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
. There were 7 (or about 1.27% of the population) who were Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There was 1 person who was Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. 52 (or about 9.42% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 22 individuals (or about 3.99% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Echarlens about 166 or (30.1%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 70 or (12.7%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
). Of the 70 who completed tertiary schooling, 61.4% were Swiss men, 27.1% were Swiss women.
The Canton of Fribourg school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend a three or four year optional upper Secondary school. The upper Secondary school is divided into gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
(university preparatory) and vocational programs. After they finish the upper Secondary program, students may choose to attend a Tertiary school or continue their apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
.
During the 2010-11 school year, there were a total of 101 students attending 5 classes in Echarlens. A total of 143 students from the municipality attended any school, either in the municipality or outside of it. There was one kindergarten class with a total of 21 students in the municipality. The municipality had 4 primary classes and 80 students. During the same year, there were no lower secondary classes in the municipality, but 28 students attended lower secondary school in a neighboring municipality. There were no upper Secondary classes or vocational classes, but there were 15 upper Secondary students and 16 upper Secondary vocational students who attended classes in another municipality. The municipality had no non-university Tertiary classes, but there was one non-university Tertiary student and 3 specialized Tertiary students who attended classes in another municipality.
, there were 42 students in Echarlens who came from another municipality, while 60 residents attended schools outside the municipality.