Randa
Encyclopedia
Randa is a municipality
in the district of Visp in the canton
of Valais
in Switzerland
. It is located between the Weisshorn
and the Dom in the Matter Valley.
Randa is first mentioned in 1305 as Randa.
In 1819, the village was almost totally destroyed by the blast from a huge avalanche
that fell nearby.
In 1991, a portion of the village was flooded following a large rockslide
from a cliff above the town.
The village is popular for tourists wishing to visit the area, as it is reachable by car and rail, and has a campsite which offers a taxi service to Zermatt
, a car-free town. The train-line, known as the Glacier Express
also connects to Zermatt offering visitors many ways to access the town.
Randa has an area, , of 54.5 square kilometre. Of this area, 8.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 9.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and 81.5% is unproductive land.
The municipality is located in the Visp district, in the Matter valley. It consists of the village of Randa and the hamlets
of Lerch, Wildi and Attermänze.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Divided by a Bend Argent, Gules a Mullet [of Six] of the First and Vert an Edelweiss proper slipped.
Most of the population speaks German
(320 or 79.2%) as their first language, Albanian
is the second most common (55 or 13.6%) and Serbo-Croatian
is the third (17 or 4.2%). There is 1 person who speaks French
, 1 person who speaks Italian
.
, the population was 46.7% male and 53.3% female. The population was made up of 133 Swiss men (33.9% of the population) and 50 (12.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 160 Swiss women (40.8%) and 49 (12.5%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 240 or about 59.4% were born in Randa and lived there in 2000. There were 51 or 12.6% who were born in the same canton, while 26 or 6.4% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 84 or 20.8% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 27.7% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 59.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12.6%.
, there were 195 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 188 married individuals, 16 widows or widowers and 5 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 146 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.8 persons per household. There were 40 households that consist of only one person and 22 households with five or more people. , a total of 145 apartments (43.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 151 apartments (44.8%) were seasonally occupied and 41 apartments (12.2%) were empty. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.29%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 72.09% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(12.69%), the SVP
(11.9%) and the Green Party
(1.66%). In the federal election, a total of 166 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 59.3%.
In the 2009 Conseil d'Etat/Staatsrat
election a total of 147 votes were cast, of which 14 or about 9.5% were invalid. The voter participation was 54.2%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 54.67%. In the 2007 Swiss Council of States election
election a total of 164 votes were cast, of which 6 or about 3.7% were invalid. The voter participation was 59.6%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 59.88%.
, Randa had an unemployment rate of 3.1%. , there were 32 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 11 businesses involved in this sector. 46 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 6 businesses in this sector. 35 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 11 businesses in this sector. There were 188 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 41.0% of the workforce.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 86. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 13, of which 6 were in agriculture and 7 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 46 of which 9 or (19.6%) were in manufacturing and 37 (80.4%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 27. In the tertiary sector; 1 was in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 2 or 7.4% were in the movement and storage of goods, 12 or 44.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 1 was the insurance or financial industry, 2 or 7.4% were technical professionals or scientists, 5 or 18.5% were in education.
, there were 19 workers who commuted into the municipality and 138 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 7.3 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 46.3% used public transportation to get to work, and 35.6% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 4 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 0.99% of the population). There were 55 (or about 13.61% of the population) who were Islam
ic. 1 (or about 0.25% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 5 individuals (or about 1.24% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 13 who completed tertiary schooling, 76.9% were Swiss men, 15.4% were Swiss women.
, there was one student in Randa 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 Visp 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 Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
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....
. It is located between the Weisshorn
Weisshorn
The Weisshorn is a mountain in the Pennine Alps, in Switzerland. With its summit, it is one of the major peaks in the Alps and overtops the nearby Matterhorn by some 30 metres. It was first climbed in 1861 from Randa by John Tyndall, accompanied by the guides J.J...
and the Dom in the Matter Valley.
History
In 1819, the village was almost totally destroyed by the blast from a huge avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
that fell nearby.
In 1991, a portion of the village was flooded following a large rockslide
Randa rockslides
In April and May 1991, two consecutive rockslides occurred from a cliff above the town of Randa in the Matter valley of Switzerland. The rockslides released a cumulative volume of approximately 30 million cubic meters of debris, with each of the rockslide stages occurring over several hours...
from a cliff above the town.
The village is popular for tourists wishing to visit the area, as it is reachable by car and rail, and has a campsite which offers a taxi service to Zermatt
Zermatt
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
, a car-free town. The train-line, known as the Glacier Express
Glacier Express
The Glacier Express is an express train connecting railway stations of the two major mountain resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt in the Swiss Alps. The train is operated jointly by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and Rhaetian Railway...
also connects to Zermatt offering visitors many ways to access the town.
Geography
The municipality is located in the Visp district, in the Matter valley. It consists of the village of Randa and the hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Lerch, Wildi and Attermänze.
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 Divided by a Bend Argent, Gules a Mullet [of Six] of the First and Vert an Edelweiss proper slipped.
Demographics
Randa has a population of . , 22.7% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010 ) the population has changed at a rate of -9.7%. It has changed at a rate of -3.5% due to migration and at a rate of -2.8% due to births and deaths.Most of the population speaks 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....
(320 or 79.2%) as their first language, Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
is the second most common (55 or 13.6%) and Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
is the third (17 or 4.2%). There is 1 person who 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...
, 1 person who speaks 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...
.
, the population was 46.7% male and 53.3% female. The population was made up of 133 Swiss men (33.9% of the population) and 50 (12.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 160 Swiss women (40.8%) and 49 (12.5%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 240 or about 59.4% were born in Randa and lived there in 2000. There were 51 or 12.6% who were born in the same canton, while 26 or 6.4% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 84 or 20.8% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 27.7% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 59.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12.6%.
, there were 195 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 188 married individuals, 16 widows or widowers and 5 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 146 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.8 persons per household. There were 40 households that consist of only one person and 22 households with five or more people. , a total of 145 apartments (43.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 151 apartments (44.8%) were seasonally occupied and 41 apartments (12.2%) were empty. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.29%.
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 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...
which received 72.09% 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....
(12.69%), 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...
(11.9%) and the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(1.66%). In the federal election, a total of 166 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 59.3%.
In the 2009 Conseil d'Etat/Staatsrat
Conseil d'Etat (Switzerland)
In Switzerland, Conseil d'Etat is the name of the council constituting the cantonal government of French-speaking cantons. It is not to be confused with the Conseil des États which is a chamber of the Swiss parliament....
election a total of 147 votes were cast, of which 14 or about 9.5% were invalid. The voter participation was 54.2%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 54.67%. In the 2007 Swiss Council of States election
Swiss Council of States election, 2007
Elections were held to the Council of States of Switzerland in October and November 2007 as part of the 2007 federal election. All 46 members of the Council of States were elected from all cantons of Switzerland. The first round was held on 21 October...
election a total of 164 votes were cast, of which 6 or about 3.7% were invalid. The voter participation was 59.6%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 59.88%.
Economy
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 86. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 13, of which 6 were in agriculture and 7 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 46 of which 9 or (19.6%) were in manufacturing and 37 (80.4%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 27. In the tertiary sector; 1 was in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 2 or 7.4% were in the movement and storage of goods, 12 or 44.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 1 was the insurance or financial industry, 2 or 7.4% were technical professionals or scientists, 5 or 18.5% were in education.
, there were 19 workers who commuted into the municipality and 138 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 7.3 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 46.3% used public transportation to get to work, and 35.6% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 328 or 81.2% were Roman Catholic, while 11 or 2.7% 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 4 members of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
(or about 0.99% of the population). There were 55 (or about 13.61% 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. 1 (or about 0.25% 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 5 individuals (or about 1.24% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Randa about 178 or (44.1%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 13 or (3.2%) 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 13 who completed tertiary schooling, 76.9% were Swiss men, 15.4% were Swiss women.
, there was one student in Randa who came from another municipality, while 28 residents attended schools outside the municipality.