Affoltern im Emmental
| Affoltern im Emmental | ||||||||||
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| Population | 1,143 (Dec 2010)[1] | |||||||||
| - Density | 99 /km2 (257 /sq mi) | |||||||||
| Area | 11.51 km2 (4.44 sq mi)[2] | |||||||||
| Elevation | 801 m (2,628 ft) | |||||||||
| Postal code | 3416 | |||||||||
| SFOS number | 0951 | |||||||||
| Mayor | Christian Kobel | |||||||||
| Localities | Weier, Rinderbach, Eggerdingen, Heiligenland, Hirsegg | |||||||||
| Surrounded by | Walterswil, Dürrenroth, Sumiswald, Rüegsau, Heimiswil, Wynigen | |||||||||
| Website | www.affolternimemmental.ch SFSO statistics |
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 Affoltern im Emmental
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Map of Affoltern im Emmental
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Affoltern im Emmental is a municipality in the district of Trachselwald in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The hamlets of Weier, Rinderbach, Eggerdingen, Heiligenland and Hirsegg belong to Affoltern im Emmental.
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[edit] History
Affoltern is first mentioned in 1261 as Affolterra.[3]
[edit] Demographics
Affoltern has a population (as of 31 December 2010) of 1,143.[1] As of 2007[update], 3.6% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -3.5%. Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (98.1%), with Serbo-Croatian being second most common ( 0.7%) and French being third ( 0.3%).
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP which received 56.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP (9.8%), the SPS (9.4%) and the CSP (8.3%).
The age distribution of the population (as of 2000[update]) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 26.2% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 56.3% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.5%. In Affoltern about 76.2% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule).
Affoltern has an unemployment rate of 0.67%. As of 2005[update], there were 190 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 66 businesses involved in this sector. 193 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 25 businesses in this sector. 184 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 35 businesses in this sector.[4] The historical population is given in the following table:[3]
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1764 | 758 |
| 1850 | 1,140 |
| 1900 | 1,142 |
| 2000 | 1,212 |
[edit] Geography
Affoltern im Emmental has an area, as of 2009[update], of 11.51 km2 (4.44 sq mi). Of this area, 8.32 km2 (3.21 sq mi) or 72.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while2.27 km2 (0.88 sq mi) or 19.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.87 km2 (0.34 sq mi) or 7.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and 0.01 km2 (2.5 acres) or 0.1% is unproductive land.[5]
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 0.4% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 4.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.4%.. 18.7% of the total land area is heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 42.2% is used for growing crops and 28.7% is pastures, while 1.4% is used for orchards or vine crops.[5]
As indicated by the name Affoltern i.E. is situated in the Emmental. It is bordered by Walterswil, Dürrenroth, Sumiswald, Rüegsau, Heimiswil and Wynigen. The well-known mountain Lueg is located in Affoltern.
[edit] Transportation
A train station is located in Weier, which connects it to Huttwil in the one direction and Lützelflüh in the other.
[edit] Etymology
The name Affoltern is a derivation of the old German for apple-tree, "Affal Tra". The apple-tree features prominently in Affoltern's coat of arms.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB, online database – Datenwürfel für Thema 01.2 - Bevölkerungsstand und -bewegung (German) accessed 29 September
- ^ Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeindedaten nach 4 Hauptbereichen
- ^ a b Affoltern in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- ^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 17-Jul-2009
- ^ a b Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics 2009 data (German) accessed 25 March 2010
- This article incorporates information from the German Wikipedia.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Affoltern im Emmental |
- Affoltern im Emmental in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- Official website
