Waldenburg, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Waldenburg is a municipality
in the canton
of Basel-Country
in Switzerland
, and the capital of the district of the same name.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 3.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.6%. Out of the forested land, 60.0% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.1% is used for growing crops and 16.4% is pastures, while 1.3% is used for orchards or vine crops and 13.6% is used for alpine pastures.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Or, an Eagle displayed Vair, langued, beaked and membered Gules.
Most of the population speaks German
(1,067 or 80.3%), with Albanian
being second most common (104 or 7.8%) and Italian
being third (56 or 4.2%). There are 5 people who speak French
and 1 person who speaks Romansh.
, the gender distribution of the population was 48.9% male and 51.1% female. The population was made up of 881 Swiss citizens (72.9% of the population), and 327 non-Swiss residents (27.1%) Of the population in the municipality 363 or about 27.3% were born in Waldenburg and lived there in 2000. There were 304 or 22.9% who were born in the same canton, while 291 or 21.9% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 328 or 24.7% were born outside of Switzerland.
In there were 8 live births to Swiss citizens and 5 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 10 deaths of Swiss citizens and 3 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 2 while the foreign population increased by 2. There was 1 Swiss man who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 9 non-Swiss men and 8 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 1 and the non-Swiss population decreased by 5 people. This represents a population growth rate of -0.5%.
The age distribution, , in Waldenburg is; 78 children or 6.5% of the population are between 0 and 6 years old and 208 teenagers or 17.2% are between 7 and 19. Of the adult population, 159 people or 13.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 129 people or 10.7% are between 30 and 39, 216 people or 17.9% are between 40 and 49, and 240 people or 19.9% are between 50 and 64. The senior population distribution is 112 people or 9.3% of the population are between 65 and 79 years old and there are 66 people or 5.5% who are over 80.
, there were 561 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 624 married individuals, 76 widows or widowers and 67 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.6 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.56 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 47.2% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 523 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.5 persons per household. There were 163 households that consist of only one person and 69 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 533 households that answered this question, 30.6% were households made up of just one person and 5 were adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 150 married couples without children, 165 married couples with children There were 33 single parents with a child or children. There were 7 households that were made up unrelated people and 10 households that were made some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 211 single family homes (or 61.7% of the total) out of a total of 342 inhabited buildings. There were 68 multi-family buildings (19.9%), along with 41 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (12.0%) and 22 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (6.4%). Of the single family homes 62 were built before 1919, while 31 were built between 1990 and 2000.
there were 577 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 164. There were 12 single room apartments and 182 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 504 apartments (87.3% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 40 apartments (6.9%) were seasonally occupied and 33 apartments (5.7%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.7 new units per 1000 residents. the average price to rent a two room apartment was about 626.00 CHF (US$500, £280, €400), a three room apartment was about 860.00 CHF (US$690, £390, €550) and a four room apartment cost an average of 953.00 CHF (US$760, £430, €610). The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.51%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
. The entire old village of Waldenburg is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 39.66% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(18.52%), the Green Party
(16.47%) and the FDP
(15.14%). In the federal election, a total of 282 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 38.7%.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 571. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 26, of which 20 were in agriculture and 6 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 416 of which 403 or (96.9%) were in manufacturing and 13 (3.1%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 129. In the tertiary sector; 17 or 13.2% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 29 or 22.5% were in the movement and storage of goods, 29 or 22.5% were in a hotel or restaurant, 5 or 3.9% were in the information industry, 1 was the insurance or financial industry, 4 or 3.1% were technical professionals or scientists, 12 or 9.3% were in education and 7 or 5.4% were in health care.
, there were 520 workers who commuted into the municipality and 458 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.1 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 6.0% of the workforce coming into Waldenburg are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 23.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 45.9% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 27 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 2.03% of the population), there was 1 individual who belongs to the Christian Catholic Church
, and there were 11 individuals (or about 0.83% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish
, and 200 (or about 15.06% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 2 individuals who were Buddhist
, 2 individuals who were Hindu
and 1 individual who belonged to another church. 158 (or about 11.90% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 37 individuals (or about 2.79% of the population) did not answer the question.
. The wettest month is June during which time Waldenburg receives an average of 127 mm (5 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 12.9 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13.9, but with only 110 mm (4.3 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is October with an average of 79 mm (3.1 in) of precipitation over 9 days.
). Of the 130 who completed tertiary schooling, 56.2% were Swiss men, 22.3% were Swiss women, 14.6% were non-Swiss men and 6.9% were non-Swiss women.
, there were 18 students in Waldenburg who came from another municipality, while 96 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 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 Basel-Country
Basel-Country
Basel-Landschaft , is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. The capital is Liestal...
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....
, and the capital of the district of the same name.
Geography
Waldenburg has an area, , of 8.3 square kilometres (3.2 sq mi). Of this area, 2.61 km² (1 sq mi) or 31.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 5.18 km² (2 sq mi) or 62.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.48 km² (0.185329036124417 sq mi) or 5.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.1% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 3.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.6%. Out of the forested land, 60.0% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.1% is used for growing crops and 16.4% is pastures, while 1.3% is used for orchards or vine crops and 13.6% is used for alpine pastures.
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 Or, an Eagle displayed Vair, langued, beaked and membered Gules.
Demographics
Waldenburg has a population of . , 27.2% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of -9.8%.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....
(1,067 or 80.3%), with 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...
being second most common (104 or 7.8%) and 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...
being third (56 or 4.2%). There are 5 people who speak 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...
and 1 person who speaks Romansh.
, the gender distribution of the population was 48.9% male and 51.1% female. The population was made up of 881 Swiss citizens (72.9% of the population), and 327 non-Swiss residents (27.1%) Of the population in the municipality 363 or about 27.3% were born in Waldenburg and lived there in 2000. There were 304 or 22.9% who were born in the same canton, while 291 or 21.9% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 328 or 24.7% were born outside of Switzerland.
In there were 8 live births to Swiss citizens and 5 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 10 deaths of Swiss citizens and 3 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 2 while the foreign population increased by 2. There was 1 Swiss man who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 9 non-Swiss men and 8 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 1 and the non-Swiss population decreased by 5 people. This represents a population growth rate of -0.5%.
The age distribution, , in Waldenburg is; 78 children or 6.5% of the population are between 0 and 6 years old and 208 teenagers or 17.2% are between 7 and 19. Of the adult population, 159 people or 13.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 129 people or 10.7% are between 30 and 39, 216 people or 17.9% are between 40 and 49, and 240 people or 19.9% are between 50 and 64. The senior population distribution is 112 people or 9.3% of the population are between 65 and 79 years old and there are 66 people or 5.5% who are over 80.
, there were 561 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 624 married individuals, 76 widows or widowers and 67 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.6 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.56 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 47.2% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 523 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.5 persons per household. There were 163 households that consist of only one person and 69 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 533 households that answered this question, 30.6% were households made up of just one person and 5 were adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 150 married couples without children, 165 married couples with children There were 33 single parents with a child or children. There were 7 households that were made up unrelated people and 10 households that were made some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 211 single family homes (or 61.7% of the total) out of a total of 342 inhabited buildings. There were 68 multi-family buildings (19.9%), along with 41 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (12.0%) and 22 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (6.4%). Of the single family homes 62 were built before 1919, while 31 were built between 1990 and 2000.
there were 577 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 164. There were 12 single room apartments and 182 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 504 apartments (87.3% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 40 apartments (6.9%) were seasonally occupied and 33 apartments (5.7%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.7 new units per 1000 residents. the average price to rent a two room apartment was about 626.00 CHF (US$500, £280, €400), a three room apartment was about 860.00 CHF (US$690, £390, €550) and a four room apartment cost an average of 953.00 CHF (US$760, £430, €610). The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.51%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
The prehistoric hill settlement and medieval government center of Gerstelfluh and the villa Gedeon Thommen with park are listed as 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...
. The entire old village of Waldenburg is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
.
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 39.66% 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....
(18.52%), 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:...
(16.47%) 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....
(15.14%). In the federal election, a total of 282 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 38.7%.
Economy
, Waldenburg had an unemployment rate of 4.5%. , there were 37 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 11 businesses involved in this sector. 445 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 14 businesses in this sector. 160 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 36 businesses in this sector. There were 675 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 40.3% 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 571. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 26, of which 20 were in agriculture and 6 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 416 of which 403 or (96.9%) were in manufacturing and 13 (3.1%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 129. In the tertiary sector; 17 or 13.2% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 29 or 22.5% were in the movement and storage of goods, 29 or 22.5% were in a hotel or restaurant, 5 or 3.9% were in the information industry, 1 was the insurance or financial industry, 4 or 3.1% were technical professionals or scientists, 12 or 9.3% were in education and 7 or 5.4% were in health care.
, there were 520 workers who commuted into the municipality and 458 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.1 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 6.0% of the workforce coming into Waldenburg are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 23.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 45.9% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 275 or 20.7% were Roman Catholic, while 613 or 46.2% 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 27 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 2.03% of the population), there was 1 individual who belongs to the Christian Catholic Church
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is the Swiss member church of the Union of Utrecht, also known as Old Catholic Church, originally founded by the jansenists, with a later influx of discontented Catholics following their disappointment with the First Vatican Council. It has 14,000...
, and there were 11 individuals (or about 0.83% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 200 (or about 15.06% 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 were 2 individuals who were Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, 2 individuals who were 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...
and 1 individual who belonged to another church. 158 (or about 11.90% 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 37 individuals (or about 2.79% of the population) did not answer the question.
Weather
Waldenburg has an average of 140.4 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 1155 mm (45.5 in) of precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
. The wettest month is June during which time Waldenburg receives an average of 127 mm (5 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 12.9 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13.9, but with only 110 mm (4.3 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is October with an average of 79 mm (3.1 in) of precipitation over 9 days.
Education
In Waldenburg about 469 or (35.3%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 130 or (9.8%) 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 130 who completed tertiary schooling, 56.2% were Swiss men, 22.3% were Swiss women, 14.6% were non-Swiss men and 6.9% were non-Swiss women.
, there were 18 students in Waldenburg who came from another municipality, while 96 residents attended schools outside the municipality.