Le Pâquier, Neuchâtel
Encyclopedia
Le Pâquier is a municipality
in the district of Val-de-Ruz
in the canton
of Neuchâtel in Switzerland
.
The municipalities of Boudevilliers
, Cernier
, Chézard-Saint-Martin
, Coffrane
, Dombresson
, Engollon
, Fenin-Vilars-Saules
, Fontainemelon
, Fontaines
, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane
, Les Hauts-Geneveys
, Montmollin
, Le Pâquier and Savagnier
are seeking approval from the voters to merge on 1 January 2013 into the new municipality of Val-de-Ruz.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.0%. Out of the forested land, 45.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 5.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.9% is used for growing crops and 36.2% is pastures and 8.8% is used for alpine pastures.
The municipality is located in the Val-de-Ruz district, in the north-east portion of the valley near the Neuchâtel-Saint-Imier
road.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Argent, issuant from a Base Vert a Pine-tree of the same.
Most of the population speaks French
(207 or 89.6%) as their first language, German
is the second most common (22 or 9.5%) and Portuguese
is the third (2 or 0.9%).
, the population was 53.4% male and 46.6% female. The population was made up of 103 Swiss men (49.5% of the population) and 8 (3.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 93 Swiss women (44.7%) and 4 (1.9%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 95 or about 41.1% were born in Le Pâquier and lived there in 2000. There were 72 or 31.2% who were born in the same canton, while 44 or 19.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 13 or 5.6% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 27.3% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 61.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 11.3%.
, there were 102 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 115 married individuals, 8 widows or widowers and 6 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 83 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.7 persons per household. There were 20 households that consist of only one person and 11 households with five or more people. , a total of 79 apartments (78.2% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 15 apartments (14.9%) were seasonally occupied and 7 apartments (6.9%) were empty. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.94%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 28.94% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(26.6%), the LPS Party
(14.26%) and the FDP
(12.34%). In the federal election, a total of 97 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 58.1%.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 39. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 26, of which 24 were in agriculture and 1 was in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 4, all of which were in manufacturing. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 9. In the tertiary sector; 2 were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 5 were in a hotel or restaurant and 1 was a technical professional or scientist.
, there were 18 workers who commuted into the municipality and 67 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 3.7 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 1.6% used public transportation to get to work, and 58.1% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 26 individuals (or about 11.26% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 1 individual who belonged to another church. 43 (or about 18.61% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 11 individuals (or about 4.76% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 32 who completed tertiary schooling, 43.8% were Swiss men, 46.9% were Swiss women.
In the canton of Neuchâtel most municipalities provide two years of non-mandatory kindergarten
, followed by five years of mandatory primary education. The next four years of mandatory secondary education is provided at thirteen larger secondary schools, which many students travel out of their home municipality to attend. The kindergarten in Le Pâquier is combined with Dombresson
and Villiers
. During the 2010-11 school year, there were 3 kindergarten classes with a total of 50 students between the municipalities. In the same year, there was one primary class with a total of 16 students.
, there were 13 students in Le Pâquier who came from another municipality, while 28 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 Val-de-Ruz
Val-de-Ruz (district)
Val-de-Ruz District is a district of the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, consisting of the region of Val de Ruz and the surrounding Jura Mountains. The district capital is the town of Cernier...
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 Neuchâtel 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....
.
The municipalities of Boudevilliers
Boudevilliers
Boudevilliers is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.-Geography:Boudevilliers has an area, , of . Of this area, or 61.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 32.2% is forested...
, Cernier
Cernier
Cernier is the capital of the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les Hauts-Geneveys,...
, Chézard-Saint-Martin
Chézard-Saint-Martin
Chézard-Saint-Martin is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les...
, Coffrane
Coffrane
Coffrane is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les Hauts-Geneveys,...
, Dombresson
Dombresson
Dombresson is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les Hauts-Geneveys,...
, Engollon
Engollon
Engollon is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les Hauts-Geneveys,...
, Fenin-Vilars-Saules
Fenin-Vilars-Saules
Fenin-Vilars-Saules is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les...
, Fontainemelon
Fontainemelon
Fontainemelon is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les Hauts-Geneveys,...
, Fontaines
Fontaines, Switzerland
Fontaines is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les Hauts-Geneveys,...
, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane
Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane
Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les...
, Les Hauts-Geneveys
Les Hauts-Geneveys
Les Hauts-Geneveys is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les...
, Montmollin
Montmollin
Montmollin is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les Hauts-Geneveys,...
, Le Pâquier and Savagnier
Savagnier
Savagnier is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les Hauts-Geneveys,...
are seeking approval from the voters to merge on 1 January 2013 into the new municipality of Val-de-Ruz.
Geography
Le Pâquier has an area, , of 9.6 square kilometre. Of this area, 4.4 square kilometre or 45.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 4.89 square kilometre or 51.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.26 square kilometre or 2.7% is settled (buildings or roads) and 0.03 km² (7.4 acre) or 0.3% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.0%. Out of the forested land, 45.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 5.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.9% is used for growing crops and 36.2% is pastures and 8.8% is used for alpine pastures.
The municipality is located in the Val-de-Ruz district, in the north-east portion of the valley near the Neuchâtel-Saint-Imier
Saint-Imier
Saint-Imier is a municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking Bernese Jura .Observatoire Astronomique de Mont-Soleil is located above the village....
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 Argent, issuant from a Base Vert a Pine-tree of the same.
Demographics
Le Pâquier has a population of . , 5.6% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of -4.4%. It has changed at a rate of -5.8% due to migration and at a rate of 2.7% due to births and deaths.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...
(207 or 89.6%) 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 (22 or 9.5%) 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 (2 or 0.9%).
, the population was 53.4% male and 46.6% female. The population was made up of 103 Swiss men (49.5% of the population) and 8 (3.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 93 Swiss women (44.7%) and 4 (1.9%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 95 or about 41.1% were born in Le Pâquier and lived there in 2000. There were 72 or 31.2% who were born in the same canton, while 44 or 19.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 13 or 5.6% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 27.3% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 61.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 11.3%.
, there were 102 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 115 married individuals, 8 widows or widowers and 6 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 83 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.7 persons per household. There were 20 households that consist of only one person and 11 households with five or more people. , a total of 79 apartments (78.2% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 15 apartments (14.9%) were seasonally occupied and 7 apartments (6.9%) were empty. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.94%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss 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...
the most popular party was 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...
which received 28.94% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(26.6%), the LPS Party
Liberal Party of Switzerland
The Liberal Party of Switzerland was a party with economically liberal policies. It was known as a party of the upper class. On 1 January 2009 it merged with the larger Free Democratic Party to establish FDP.The Liberals....
(14.26%) and 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....
(12.34%). In the federal election, a total of 97 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 58.1%.
Economy
, Le Pâquier had an unemployment rate of 1.8%. , there were 37 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 16 businesses involved in this sector. 4 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 2 businesses in this sector. 10 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 6 businesses in this sector. There were 124 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 42.7% 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 39. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 26, of which 24 were in agriculture and 1 was in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 4, all of which were in manufacturing. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 9. In the tertiary sector; 2 were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 5 were in a hotel or restaurant and 1 was a technical professional or scientist.
, there were 18 workers who commuted into the municipality and 67 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 3.7 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 1.6% used public transportation to get to work, and 58.1% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 16 or 6.9% were Roman Catholic, while 147 or 63.6% 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 were 26 individuals (or about 11.26% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 1 individual who belonged to another church. 43 (or about 18.61% 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 11 individuals (or about 4.76% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Le Pâquier about 69 or (29.9%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 32 or (13.9%) 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 32 who completed tertiary schooling, 43.8% were Swiss men, 46.9% were Swiss women.
In the canton of Neuchâtel most municipalities provide two years of non-mandatory 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 five years of mandatory primary education. The next four years of mandatory secondary education is provided at thirteen larger secondary schools, which many students travel out of their home municipality to attend. The kindergarten in Le Pâquier is combined with Dombresson
Dombresson
Dombresson is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les Hauts-Geneveys,...
and Villiers
Villiers
-Places:In Canada* Villiers, Ontario, a small settlement near PeterboroughIn France* Villiers, Indre, in the Indre département* Villiers, Vienne, in the Vienne département* Villiers-Adam, in the Val-d'Oise département...
. During the 2010-11 school year, there were 3 kindergarten classes with a total of 50 students between the municipalities. In the same year, there was one primary class with a total of 16 students.
, there were 13 students in Le Pâquier who came from another municipality, while 28 residents attended schools outside the municipality.