Berken
Encyclopedia
Berken is a municipality
in the Oberaargau administrative district in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 3.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.6%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 3.6% of the area. 28.8% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 41.7% is used for growing crops and 10.8% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive area it is all unproductive vegatation.
The small municipality is located on the left bank of the Aare river. It includes the hamlets
of Ober- and Niederberken and Christenhof. It belongs to the parish
of Herzogenbuchsee
.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 68.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the local small left-wing parties (11.1%), the FDP
(5.7%) and the SPS
(3.7%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 19.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 58.8% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 21.6%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Berken about 65.4% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
Berken has an unemployment rate of 0%. , there were 20 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 6 businesses involved in this sector. 9 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 2 businesses in this sector. 20 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 1 business in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
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 Oberaargau administrative district 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....
.
Geography
Berken has an area, , of 1.39 km² (0.536682000443624 sq mi). Of this area, 0.74 km² (0.285715597358476 sq mi) or 53.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while0.42 km² (0.162162906608865 sq mi) or 30.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.16 km² (0.0617763453748056 sq mi) or 11.5% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.06 km² (14.8 acre) or 4.3% is either rivers or lakes and 0.02 km² (4.9 acre) or 1.4% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 3.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.6%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 3.6% of the area. 28.8% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 41.7% is used for growing crops and 10.8% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive area it is all unproductive vegatation.
The small municipality is located on the left bank of the Aare river. It includes the hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Ober- and Niederberken and Christenhof. It belongs to the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Herzogenbuchsee
Herzogenbuchsee
Herzogenbuchsee is a municipality in the Oberaargau administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.The population is 6,646 , counting the villages in the Oberaargau. The traditional name was Buchsi.- History :...
.
Demographics
Berken has a population (as of ) of . Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -12.3%. All of the population speaks German.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 68.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the local small left-wing parties (11.1%), 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....
(5.7%) and the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(3.7%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 19.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 58.8% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 21.6%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Berken about 65.4% 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...
).
Berken has an unemployment rate of 0%. , there were 20 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 6 businesses involved in this sector. 9 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 2 businesses in this sector. 20 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 1 business in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1570 | 2 Houses |
| 1850 | 77 |
| 1900 | 114 |
| 1950 | 74 |
| 2000 | 51 |