Bivio
Encyclopedia
Bivio is a municipality
in the district of Albula
of the Swiss
canton
of Graubünden
.
Bivio has an area, , of 76.7 km² (29.6 sq mi). Of this area, 48.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 2.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (48.6%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
The village is located on the roads to the Julier
and Septimer pass
. It is the only traditionally Italian language village north of the continental divide
. However, the German
-speaking population is now in the majority, with large Romansh- and Italian-speaking minorities. It consists of the village of Bivio and the hamlets
of Stalveder, Mott, Cavreccia and Valetta da Beiva. Until 1902 Bivio was known as by its Italian name Stalla.
Neighboring municipalities are Marmorera
, Bever
(exclave), Silvaplana
, Sils im Engadin/Segl
, Stampa
(exclave Maloja
), Soglio
, Avers
and Mulegns
.
, the gender distribution of the population was 47.5% male and 52.5% female. The age distribution, , in Bivio is; 21 people or 10.3% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 12 people or 5.9% are 10 to 14, and 3 people or 1.5% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 23 people or 11.3% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 29 people or 14.2% are 30 to 39, 24 people or 11.8% are 40 to 49, and 29 people or 14.2% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 30 people or 14.7% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 24 people or 11.8% are 70 to 79, there are 7 people or 3.4% who are 80 to 89, and there are 2 people or 1.0% who are 90 to 99.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 35.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(26.5%), the SPS
(24.5%) and the CVP
(13.5%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Bivio about 58.5% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
Bivio has an unemployment rate of 1.55%. , there were 21 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 9 businesses involved in this sector. 9 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 68 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 21 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following timeline:
. The wettest month is August during which time Bivio receives an average of 138 mm (5.4 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 11.9 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13.1, but with only 125 mm (4.9 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 56 mm (2.2 in) of precipitation over 11.9 days.
, three languages have been spoken in the municipality, with Italian as the official language. However, German has become more and more common over the decades. The local Italian dialect is a sub-dialect of Lombard (Bargajot). The local version of Romansh
is somewhere between the two main dialects: Surmiran
and Puter. German language breaks up as well into local dialects.
In 1880, 67.5% spoke a Romance language (either Italian or Romansh), and in 1910, 67.44% (including 26.36% of Italian speakers). This percentage sank to 43.0% in 1941. Today, German is the only official language in municipal proceedings.
Most of the population speaks German (55.4%), with Italian being second most common (29.4%) and Romansh being third (12.3%).
mountain shrine in the Julier pass, is listed as a Swiss heritage sites of national significance
.
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 Albula
Albula (district)
Albula District is one of the eleven administrative districts in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It has an area of 723.13 km² and has a population of ....
of 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...
.
History
Bivio is first mentioned about 840 as de stabulo Bivio. At one time it was known, in German, as Stallen and until 1895/1903 by its Italian name Stalla.Geography
The village is located on the roads to the Julier
Julier Pass
The Julier Pass is a mountain pass in Switzerland, in the Albula Range of the Alps. It connects the Engadin valley with the rest of Graubünden...
and Septimer pass
Septimer Pass
Septimer Pass is a high mountain pass in the canton of Graubünden in the Swiss Alps between the valleys of Bregaglia and Oberhalbstein ....
. It is the only traditionally Italian language village north of the continental divide
Continental divide
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea...
. However, the 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....
-speaking population is now in the majority, with large Romansh- and Italian-speaking minorities. It consists of the village of Bivio and 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 Stalveder, Mott, Cavreccia and Valetta da Beiva. Until 1902 Bivio was known as by its Italian name Stalla.
Neighboring municipalities are Marmorera
Marmorera
Marmorera is a municipality in the district of Albula in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.Until the end of the 19th century, its population was almost exclusively Romansh-speaking...
, Bever
Bever, Switzerland
Bever is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Bever has an area, , of . Of this area, 14.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 14.9% is forested...
(exclave), Silvaplana
Silvaplana
Silvaplana is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden and the name of a lake in the municipality.-History:...
, Sils im Engadin/Segl
Sils im Engadin/Segl
Sils im Engadin/Segl is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Name and coat of arms:The municipality's name is a combination of the German and Romansh names. Sils im Engadin is the German name while Segl is the Romansh. The coat of arms is Per fess Azure a...
, Stampa
Stampa
Stampa is a former municipality in the Maloja district of the Swiss canton, Graubünden. It is now part of the municipality of Bregaglia.-Geography:Stampa has an area, , of . Of this area, 14.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.8% is forested...
(exclave Maloja
Maloja
Maloja may refer to:* Maloja , an administrative district in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.* Maloja Pass, an alpine pass in the Swiss canton of Graubünden....
), Soglio
Soglio, Switzerland
Soglio is a former municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden close to the border with Italy. It's now part of the municipality of Bregaglia.-Geography:...
, Avers
Avers
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.-History:...
and Mulegns
Mulegns
Mulegns is a municipality in the district of Albula in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Around 600-500 BC, a copper mine and smelter were built in the Val Faller near modern Mulegns. The village was founded by a Walser group during the 15th Century. It was first mentioned in...
.
Demographics
Bivio has a population (as of ) of . , 14.3% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -13.5%., the gender distribution of the population was 47.5% male and 52.5% female. The age distribution, , in Bivio is; 21 people or 10.3% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 12 people or 5.9% are 10 to 14, and 3 people or 1.5% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 23 people or 11.3% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 29 people or 14.2% are 30 to 39, 24 people or 11.8% are 40 to 49, and 29 people or 14.2% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 30 people or 14.7% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 24 people or 11.8% are 70 to 79, there are 7 people or 3.4% who are 80 to 89, and there are 2 people or 1.0% who are 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 35.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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....
(26.5%), the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(24.5%) and 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...
(13.5%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Bivio about 58.5% 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...
).
Bivio has an unemployment rate of 1.55%. , there were 21 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 9 businesses involved in this sector. 9 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 68 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 21 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following timeline:
Weather
Bivio has an average of 132.1 days of rain per year and on average receives 1198 mm (47.2 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 Bivio receives an average of 138 mm (5.4 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 11.9 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13.1, but with only 125 mm (4.9 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 56 mm (2.2 in) of precipitation over 11.9 days.
Languages
Since the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, three languages have been spoken in the municipality, with Italian as the official language. However, German has become more and more common over the decades. The local Italian dialect is a sub-dialect of Lombard (Bargajot). The local version of Romansh
Romansh
Romansh is one of the four national languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian and French...
is somewhere between the two main dialects: Surmiran
Surmiran
Sursilvan is a group of dialects of the Romansh language. It is spoken in Surmeira and in the Albula Valley in Switzerland.-The "Hail Mary" in Surmiran:...
and Puter. German language breaks up as well into local dialects.
In 1880, 67.5% spoke a Romance language (either Italian or Romansh), and in 1910, 67.44% (including 26.36% of Italian speakers). This percentage sank to 43.0% in 1941. Today, German is the only official language in municipal proceedings.
Most of the population speaks German (55.4%), with Italian being second most common (29.4%) and Romansh being third (12.3%).
| Languages in Bivio | ||||||
| Language | 1980 Census | 1990 Census | 2000 Census | |||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
| German | 88 | 36.97% | 120 | 53.81% | 113 | 55.39% |
| Romansh | 44 | 18.49% | 20 | 8.97% | 25 | 12.25% |
| Italian | 100 | 42.02% | 76 | 34.08% | 60 | 29.41% |
| Population | 238 | 100% | 223 | 100% | 204 | 100% |
Heritage sites of national significance
The archeological discovery of a RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
mountain shrine in the Julier pass, 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...
.