Avers
Encyclopedia
Avers is a municipality
in the district of Hinterrhein
in the Swiss
canton
of Graubünden
. It includes Juf
, the highest-altitude year-round settlement in Europe.
The following villages are part of the municipality: Campsut (and Maxsut, 1668 m (5,472.4 ft) ), Cröt (1715 m (5,626.6 ft)), Cresta (1960 m (6,430.4 ft)), Pürt (1921 m (6,302.5 ft)), Am Bach (1959 m (6,427.2 ft)), Juppa (2004 m (6,574.8 ft)), Podestatsch Hus (2046 m (6,712.6 ft)) and Juf
(2126 m (6,975.1 ft)).
The municipality is located in the Hinterrhein district and is the capital and only municipality in the Avers sub-district. It includes the Jufer valley, the Averser branch of the Rhine as well as the side valleys of Madris and Bergalga.
immigrants that settled the higher and remote valleys in Graubünden after migrating from the west. Their culture can be followed on a multi-day hike through all of the Canton of Graubünden, called the Walserweg.
Avers has a population (as of ) of . , 4.1% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -9.1%.
, the gender distribution of the population was 46.5% male and 53.5% female. The age distribution, , in Avers is; 28 people or 17.5% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 7 people or 4.4% are 10 to 14, and 5 people or 3.1% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 8 people or 5.0% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 22 people or 13.8% are 30 to 39, 27 people or 16.9% are 40 to 49, and 15 people or 9.4% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 18 people or 11.3% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 21 people or 13.1% are 70 to 79, there are 8 people or 5.0% who are 80 to 89, and there is 1 person or 0.6% who is 90 to 99.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 70.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(19%), the CVP
(5.8%) and the FDP
(4.7%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Avers about 66.6% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
Avers has an unemployment rate of 1.56%. , there were 51 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 18 businesses involved in this sector. 11 people are employed in the secondary sector and there is 1 business in this sector. 31 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 12 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
Church in Avers is listed as a Swiss heritage sites of national significance
.
) was to build houses with a Seelabalga ("soul-beam"). This was a sliding wooden door covering a small round hole through the wall, which was opened to allow the soul of a deceased inhabitant to depart.
. The wettest month is August during which time Avers receives an average of 150 mm (5.9 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 12.4 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13.2, but with only 113 mm (4.4 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 42 mm (1.7 in) of precipitation over 12.4 days.
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 Hinterrhein
Hinterrhein (district)
Hinterrhein District is an administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has an area of and has a population of .Hinterrhein District consists of five Kreise and twenty-eight municipalities...
in the Swiss
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....
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 Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
. It includes Juf
Juf
Juf is a village in the municipality of Avers in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. At above sea level, it is the highest village with permanent residents in Switzerland and in Europe. Juf has a population of about 24 inhabitants divided over 6 families in a concentrated settlement. They were...
, the highest-altitude year-round settlement in Europe.
History
Avers is first mentioned in 1292 as Anue or Avre. In 1354 it was mentioned as Auers.Geography
Avers has an area, , of 93.1 km² (35.9 sq mi). Of this area, 50% is used for agricultural purposes, while 5.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.5% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (44%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).The following villages are part of the municipality: Campsut (and Maxsut, 1668 m (5,472.4 ft) ), Cröt (1715 m (5,626.6 ft)), Cresta (1960 m (6,430.4 ft)), Pürt (1921 m (6,302.5 ft)), Am Bach (1959 m (6,427.2 ft)), Juppa (2004 m (6,574.8 ft)), Podestatsch Hus (2046 m (6,712.6 ft)) and Juf
Juf
Juf is a village in the municipality of Avers in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. At above sea level, it is the highest village with permanent residents in Switzerland and in Europe. Juf has a population of about 24 inhabitants divided over 6 families in a concentrated settlement. They were...
(2126 m (6,975.1 ft)).
The municipality is located in the Hinterrhein district and is the capital and only municipality in the Avers sub-district. It includes the Jufer valley, the Averser branch of the Rhine as well as the side valleys of Madris and Bergalga.
Demographics
Despite being surrounded by Romansh speaking areas and the Italian speaking side valley of Valle di Lei, the people here speak German due to the WalserWalser
The Walser are German-speaking people who live in the Alps of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein and Austria. The Walser people are named after the Wallis , the uppermost Rhône River valley...
immigrants that settled the higher and remote valleys in Graubünden after migrating from the west. Their culture can be followed on a multi-day hike through all of the Canton of Graubünden, called the Walserweg.
Avers has a population (as of ) of . , 4.1% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -9.1%.
, the gender distribution of the population was 46.5% male and 53.5% female. The age distribution, , in Avers is; 28 people or 17.5% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 7 people or 4.4% are 10 to 14, and 5 people or 3.1% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 8 people or 5.0% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 22 people or 13.8% are 30 to 39, 27 people or 16.9% are 40 to 49, and 15 people or 9.4% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 18 people or 11.3% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 21 people or 13.1% are 70 to 79, there are 8 people or 5.0% who are 80 to 89, and there is 1 person or 0.6% who is 90 to 99.
In the 2007 federal election
Swiss 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 70.2% 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....
(19%), the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(5.8%) and 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....
(4.7%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Avers about 66.6% 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...
).
Avers has an unemployment rate of 1.56%. , there were 51 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 18 businesses involved in this sector. 11 people are employed in the secondary sector and there is 1 business in this sector. 31 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 12 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1645 | 498 |
| 1850 | 293 |
| 1900 | 204 |
| 1950 | 167 |
| 1960 | 270 |
| 2000 | 160 |
Languages
German is spoken by the vast majority of the population and is the only official language of the municipality. 93.8% of the population speaks German, with Romansh being second most common ( 1.9%) and Italian being third ( 1.3%).| Languages in Avers | ||||||
| Language | Census of 1980 | Census of 1990 | Census of 2000 | |||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
| 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.... |
133 | 95.00 % | 124 | 96.88 % | 150 | 93.75 % |
| Romansh | 4 | 2.86 % | 2 | 1.56 % | 3 | 1.88 % |
| 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... |
3 | 2.14 % | 2 | 1.56 % | 2 | 1.25 % |
| Population | 140 | 100 % | 128 | 100 % | 160 | 100 % |
Heritage sites of national significance
The ReformedSwiss 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...
Church in Avers is listed as a Swiss heritage sites 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...
.
Houses
A custom in the Avers valley (found also in Bosco Gurin, TicinoTicino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
) was to build houses with a Seelabalga ("soul-beam"). This was a sliding wooden door covering a small round hole through the wall, which was opened to allow the soul of a deceased inhabitant to depart.
Weather
Avers has an average of 120.2 days of rain per year and on average receives 1091 mm (43 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 August during which time Avers receives an average of 150 mm (5.9 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 12.4 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13.2, but with only 113 mm (4.4 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 42 mm (1.7 in) of precipitation over 12.4 days.