Arch, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Arch is a municipality
in the Seeland administrative district
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
. It is also a church parish of the Swiss Reformed Church
.
The first historical mention of the town was in 1236 as Archo. In 1561, a ferry across the Aare was set up.
, a Swiss trademark for sustainable construction. Because of these buildings, the municipality is ranked third among the municipalities of the canton in energy awareness.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 0.6% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 6.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 6.4%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 2.4% of the area. 25.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 40.3% is used for growing crops and 10.0% is pastures, while 1.3% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 50.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(17.6%), the FDP
(10.6%) and the Green Party
(8.6%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 26.1% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.8% and the seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Arch about 77.7% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
). In Arch there is a primary school and a secondary school, which is shared with the municipalitiesRüti bei Büren
and Leuzigen
.
Arch has an unemployment rate of 1.07%. , there were 35 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 17 businesses involved in this sector. 289 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 29 businesses in this sector. 170 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 45 businesses in this sector.
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 Seeland administrative district
Seeland (administrative district)
Seeland District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Seeland administrative region. It contains 46 municipalities with an area of and a population of 67,209....
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 Bern 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 also a church parish of the Swiss Reformed Church
Swiss 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...
.
History
Notable structures
In Arch there are two blocks of multi-family homes and one of single-family homes, built to conform with MINERGIEMinergie
MINERGIE is a registered quality label for new and refurbished low-energy-consumption buildings. This label is mutually supported by the Swiss Confederation, the Swiss Cantons and the Principality of Liechtenstein along with Trade and Industry. The label is registered in Switzerland and around the...
, a Swiss trademark for sustainable construction. Because of these buildings, the municipality is ranked third among the municipalities of the canton in energy awareness.
Geography
Arch has an area, , of 6.37 km² (2.5 sq mi). Of this area, 3.29 km² (1.3 sq mi) or 51.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while1.75 km² (0.675678777536936 sq mi) or 27.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.02 km² (0.393824201764386 sq mi) or 16.0% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.31 km² (0.119691669163686 sq mi) or 4.9% is either rivers or lakes and 0.04 km² (9.9 acre) or 0.6% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 0.6% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 6.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 6.4%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 2.4% of the area. 25.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 40.3% is used for growing crops and 10.0% is pastures, while 1.3% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
Demographics
Arch has a population (as of ) of . , 7.2% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 7.1%. Most of the population speaks German (94.6%), with French being second most common ( 1.5%) and Italian being third ( 0.6%).In the 2007 election 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 50.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(17.6%), the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(10.6%) 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:...
(8.6%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 26.1% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.8% and the seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Arch about 77.7% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
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...
). In Arch there is a primary school and a secondary school, which is shared with the municipalitiesRüti bei Büren
Rüti bei Büren
Rüti bei Büren is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is also a reformed church parish.-Geography:...
and Leuzigen
Leuzigen
Leuzigen is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is situated between the cities Biel/Bienne and Solothurn and borders on the river Aare. Population is steadily at 1100 and has been remarkably stable in the past...
.
| Historical population | |
|---|---|
| Year | Population |
| 1764 | 234 |
| 1850 | 512 |
| 1950 | 796 |
| 1990 | 1313 |
| 2002 | 1577 |
| 2003 | 1553 |
Arch has an unemployment rate of 1.07%. , there were 35 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 17 businesses involved in this sector. 289 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 29 businesses in this sector. 170 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 45 businesses in this sector.
External links
- Vereinigung für Heimatpflege Büren Distributor of numerous publications about Arch and the Büren district