Auvernier
Encyclopedia
Auvernier is a municipality
in the district of Boudry
in the canton
of Neuchâtel in Switzerland
.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.2% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 19.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 20.8%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.2% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 4.8%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 0.0% is used for growing crops, while 46.4% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the water in the municipality, 1.8% is in lakes and 0.6% is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in the Boudry district, on the north-west bank of Lake Neuchatel
.
The municipalities of Auvernier, Bôle
and Colombier
are considering a merger on 1 January 2013 into the new municipality of Milvignes.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Azure, a Perch nainaint Argent.
Most of the population speaks French
(1,322 or 86.2%) as their first language, German
is the second most common (102 or 6.7%) and Italian
is the third (31 or 2.0%). There is 1 person who speaks Romansh.
, the population was 48.2% male and 51.8% female. The population was made up of 627 Swiss men (39.2% of the population) and 144 (9.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 727 Swiss women (45.5%) and 100 (6.3%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 290 or about 18.9% were born in Auvernier and lived there in 2000. There were 569 or 37.1% who were born in the same canton, while 369 or 24.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 263 or 17.2% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 20.3% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 60.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 19.2%.
, there were 595 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 733 married individuals, 107 widows or widowers and 98 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 680 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. There were 242 households that consist of only one person and 37 households with five or more people. , a total of 657 apartments (91.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 43 apartments (6.0%) were seasonally occupied and 18 apartments (2.5%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.1 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.7%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
. The entire village of Auvernier is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
(or stilt house) settlements which are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps
UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 21.72% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the LPS Party
(19.9%), the FDP
(19.85%) and the SP
(19.37%). In the federal election, a total of 702 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 60.4%.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 345. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 36, of which 31 were in agriculture, 4 were in forestry or lumber production and 1 was in fishing or fisheries. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 112 of which 94 or (83.9%) were in manufacturing and 18 (16.1%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 197. In the tertiary sector; 48 or 24.4% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 6 or 3.0% were in the movement and storage of goods, 30 or 15.2% were in a hotel or restaurant, 2 or 1.0% were in the information industry, 3 or 1.5% were the insurance or financial industry, 41 or 20.8% were technical professionals or scientists, 9 or 4.6% were in education and 13 or 6.6% were in health care.
, there were 262 workers who commuted into the municipality and 595 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.3 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 1.9% of the workforce coming into Auvernier are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 18.4% used public transportation to get to work, and 61.9% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 7 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 0.46% of the population), there were 9 individuals (or about 0.59% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
, and there were 22 individuals (or about 1.44% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 8 individuals (or about 0.52% of the population) who were Jewish
, and 3 (or about 0.20% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 4 individuals who were Buddhist
. 366 (or about 23.87% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 57 individuals (or about 3.72% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 365 who completed tertiary schooling, 55.9% were Swiss men, 31.8% were Swiss women, 8.2% were non-Swiss men and 4.1% were non-Swiss women.
In the canton of Neuchâtel most municipalities provide two years of non-mandatory kindergarten
, followed by five years of mandatory primary education. The next four years of mandatory secondary education is provided at thirteen larger secondary schools, which many students travel out of their home municipality to attend. During the 2010-11 school year, there was one kindergarten class with a total of 18 students in Auvernier. In the same year, there were 4 primary classes with a total of 72 students.
, there were 136 students from Auvernier who 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 Boudry
Boudry (district)
Boudry District is one of the six districts of the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. It has a population of . The district capital is the town of Boudry.-Municipalities:The district consists of the following 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 Neuchâtel 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....
.
History
Auvernier is first mentioned in 1011 as Averniacum. The municipality was formerly known by its German name Avernach, however, that name is no longer used.Geography
Auvernier has an area, , of 1.7 square kilometre. Of this area, 0.79 square kilometre or 47.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.06 square kilometre or 3.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.8 square kilometre or 47.6% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.04 km² (9.9 acre) or 2.4% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.6% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.2% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 19.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 20.8%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.2% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 4.8%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 0.0% is used for growing crops, while 46.4% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the water in the municipality, 1.8% is in lakes and 0.6% is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in the Boudry district, on the north-west bank of Lake Neuchatel
Lake Neuchâtel
Lake Neuchâtel is a lake in Romandy, Switzerland . The lake lies mainly in the canton of Neuchâtel, but is also shared by the cantons of Vaud, of Fribourg, and of Bern....
.
The municipalities of Auvernier, Bôle
Bôle
Bôle is a municipality in the district of Boudry in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.-Geography:Bôle has an area, , of . Of this area, or 27.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 45.0% is forested...
and Colombier
Colombier, Neuchâtel
Colombier is a municipality in the district of Boudry in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.-History:Colombier is first mentioned in 1228 as Columbier....
are considering a merger on 1 January 2013 into the new municipality of Milvignes.
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 Azure, a Perch nainaint Argent.
Demographics
Auvernier has a population of . , 13.3% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010 ) the population has changed at a rate of 2.1%. It has changed at a rate of 4.2% due to migration and at a rate of -0.5% due to births and deaths.Most of the population 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...
(1,322 or 86.2%) as their first language, 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....
is the second most common (102 or 6.7%) 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...
is the third (31 or 2.0%). There is 1 person who speaks Romansh.
, the population was 48.2% male and 51.8% female. The population was made up of 627 Swiss men (39.2% of the population) and 144 (9.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 727 Swiss women (45.5%) and 100 (6.3%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 290 or about 18.9% were born in Auvernier and lived there in 2000. There were 569 or 37.1% who were born in the same canton, while 369 or 24.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 263 or 17.2% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 20.3% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 60.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 19.2%.
, there were 595 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 733 married individuals, 107 widows or widowers and 98 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 680 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. There were 242 households that consist of only one person and 37 households with five or more people. , a total of 657 apartments (91.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 43 apartments (6.0%) were seasonally occupied and 18 apartments (2.5%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.1 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.7%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
The prehistoric lake shore settlement at Baie D‘Auvernier and Auvernier CastleAuvernier Castle
Auvernier Castle is a castle in the municipality of Auvernier of the Canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-References:...
are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
Swiss 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 village of Auvernier 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:...
.
World heritage site
It is home to the La Saunerie and Les Graviers prehistoric pile-dwellingStilt house
Stilt houses or pile dwellings or palafitte are houses raised on piles over the surface of the soil or a body of water. Stilt houses are built primarily as a protection against flooding, but also serve to keep out vermin...
(or stilt house) settlements which are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps
Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps
Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps is a series of prehistoric pile-dwelling settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 B.C. on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands...
UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site.
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 21.72% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the LPS Party
Liberal Party of Switzerland
The Liberal Party of Switzerland was a party with economically liberal policies. It was known as a party of the upper class. On 1 January 2009 it merged with the larger Free Democratic Party to establish FDP.The Liberals....
(19.9%), 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....
(19.85%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(19.37%). In the federal election, a total of 702 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 60.4%.
Economy
, Auvernier had an unemployment rate of 3%. , there were 43 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 12 businesses involved in this sector. 117 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 14 businesses in this sector. 236 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 68 businesses in this sector. There were 754 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 41.5% 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 345. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 36, of which 31 were in agriculture, 4 were in forestry or lumber production and 1 was in fishing or fisheries. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 112 of which 94 or (83.9%) were in manufacturing and 18 (16.1%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 197. In the tertiary sector; 48 or 24.4% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 6 or 3.0% were in the movement and storage of goods, 30 or 15.2% were in a hotel or restaurant, 2 or 1.0% were in the information industry, 3 or 1.5% were the insurance or financial industry, 41 or 20.8% were technical professionals or scientists, 9 or 4.6% were in education and 13 or 6.6% were in health care.
, there were 262 workers who commuted into the municipality and 595 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.3 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 1.9% of the workforce coming into Auvernier are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 18.4% used public transportation to get to work, and 61.9% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 350 or 22.8% were Roman Catholic, while 715 or 46.6% 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 7 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 0.46% of the population), there were 9 individuals (or about 0.59% of the population) who belonged 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 22 individuals (or about 1.44% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 8 individuals (or about 0.52% of the population) who were Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 3 (or about 0.20% 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 4 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...
. 366 (or about 23.87% 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 57 individuals (or about 3.72% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Auvernier about 588 or (38.4%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 365 or (23.8%) 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 365 who completed tertiary schooling, 55.9% were Swiss men, 31.8% were Swiss women, 8.2% were non-Swiss men and 4.1% were non-Swiss women.
In the canton of Neuchâtel most municipalities provide two years of non-mandatory kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, followed by five years of mandatory primary education. The next four years of mandatory secondary education is provided at thirteen larger secondary schools, which many students travel out of their home municipality to attend. During the 2010-11 school year, there was one kindergarten class with a total of 18 students in Auvernier. In the same year, there were 4 primary classes with a total of 72 students.
, there were 136 students from Auvernier who attended schools outside the municipality.