Bernese Jura

Jura Bernois District Arrondissement administratif Jura bernois
—  District  —
Court, Switzerland
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
Capital	Courtelary
Area
• Total	541 km2 (209 sq mi)
Population (December 2010)
• Total	51,668
• Density	96/km2 (250/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Municipalities	49

Bernese Jura (French: Jura Bernois) is the name for the French-speaking area of the Swiss canton of Bern, and from 2010 one of five administrative divisions of the canton.

Comprising the three French-speaking districts in the northern part of the canton, it contains 49 municipalities with an area of 541.75 km² (209.17 sq mi) and a population (as of December 2010) of 51,668 . More than 90% of the population of the three districts speak French.

The Bernese Jura of today comprises only three out of a total of seven districts which were known as the Bernese Jura during the period of 1815–1979. Of the remaining four, three seceded as the canton of Jura in 1979, while the fourth, the Laufen district, joined the canton of Basel-Landschaft in 1994.

History

Further information: History of the canton of Bern and Jurassic separatism

Territories of the bishopric of Basel in the 16th century

Most of the territory of the Bernese Jura was passed from the County of Burgundy to the Bishopric of Basel in AD 999. It was annexed by France during the Napoleonic period, 1798-1814. In 1814, the Congress of Vienna accorded it to the canton of Bern to compensate for the loss of the new canton of Vaud.

From 1815 to 1979, the term Bernese Jura also included the territory now forming the canton of Jura, which seceded following a national popular vote on 24 September 1978. Its administrative capital was Biel/Bienne from 1815 to 2009. Since 2010, Biel/Bienne has been made the administrative capital of a separate district, and the administrative capital of the remaining Bernese Jura is now Courtelary.

Representation

According to the canton's constitution, one of the seven members of the Executive Council of Bern has to be a French-speaking citizen of this area. Of the 160 seats in the Grand Council of Bern, 12 seats are reserved for the Bernese Jura and an additional three seats are guaranteed for the French-speaking population of the bilingual district of Biel/Bienne.

Administrative divisions

Historically (until 2001), the region was divided into three districts (2004 population estimates):

• District of Courtelary (22,224)
• District of La Neuveville (6,083)
• District of Moutier (23,098)

Gorges du Pichou

Flag	Name	Population (31 December 2010)	Area in km²
	Belprahon	297	3.83
	Bévilard	1,684	5.69
	Champoz	153	7.17
	Châtelat	111	4.15
	Corcelles	223	6.77
	Corgémont	1,548	17.61
	Cormoret	509	13.49
	Cortébert	703	14.78
	Court	1,393	24.61
	Courtelary	1,270	22.17
	Crémines	530	9.48
	Diesse	444	9.44
	Eschert	378	6.58
	Grandval	350	8.23
	La Ferrière	546	14.20
	La Heutte	483	8.09
	Lamboing	674	9.10
	La Neuveville	3,495	6.81
	Loveresse	316	4.72
	Malleray	1,967	10.25
	Monible	43	3.39
	Mont-Tramelan	120	4.64
	Moutier	7,466	19.60
	Nods	746	26.66
	Orvin	1,192	21.59
	Perrefitte	480	8.57
	Péry	1,357	15.71
	Plagne	361	7.48
	Pontenet	209	2.73
	Prêles	907	6.97
	Rebévelier	47	3.54
	Reconvilier	2,238	8.24
	Renan	851	12.63
	Roches	217	9.05
	Romont	199	7.03
	Saicourt	593	13.76
	Saint-Imier	4,771	20.89
	Saules	150	4.28
	Schelten	41	5.57
	Seehof	69	8.41
	Sonceboz-Sombeval	1,779	15.00
	Sonvilier	1,180	23.79
	Sornetan	126	5.65
	Sorvilier	263	6.89
	Souboz	132	10.71
	Tavannes	3,478	14.78
	Tramelan	4,254	24.83
	Vauffelin	438	5.96
	Villeret	887	16.23
	Total (49)	51,668	541.75

See also

• Radio Bernese Jura
• Italian Graubünden

References

This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the German Wikipedia.

External links

• Bernese Jura in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
• Bernese Jura Tourism
• Watch Valley