La Brévine
Encyclopedia
La Brévine is a municipality
in the district of Le Locle in the canton
of Neuchâtel in Switzerland
. The village's microclimate
is often much colder than other nearby locations. On 12 January 1987, the local weather station
recorded a temperature of -41.8 C, the coldest ever recorded in Switzerland.
of Bémont is first mentioned in 1266 as Bemont, and Les Taillères was first mentioned in 1304 as Chaul de Estaleres).
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.9%. Out of the forested land, 37.5% of the total land area is heavily forested and 4.9% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.3% is used for growing crops and 32.9% is pastures and 20.4% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes.
The municipality is located in the Le Locle district, near the French
border. It consists of the village of La Brévine (elevation 1046 m (3,431.8 ft)) and the hamlets
of Le Brouillet, Bémont, Les Taillères and La Châtagne as well as scattered farm houses.
Lac des Taillères
is located 2 km (1.2 mi) from the village.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Azure bordered Or, a Fountain Argent.
Most of the population speaks French
(616 or 95.2%) as their first language, German
is the second most common (22 or 3.4%) and Portuguese
is the third (4 or 0.6%). There is 1 person who speaks Italian
and 1 person who speaks Romansh.
, the population was 48.9% male and 51.1% female. The population was made up of 308 Swiss men (47.0% of the population) and 12 (1.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 324 Swiss women (49.5%) and 11 (1.7%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 326 or about 50.4% were born in La Brévine and lived there in 2000. There were 169 or 26.1% who were born in the same canton, while 85 or 13.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 28 or 4.3% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 27.5% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 56.1% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 16.4%.
, there were 252 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 332 married individuals, 36 widows or widowers and 27 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 249 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. There were 66 households that consist of only one person and 30 households with five or more people. , a total of 244 apartments (72.4% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 65 apartments (19.3%) were seasonally occupied and 28 apartments (8.3%) were empty.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
.
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 38.69% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the LPS Party
(21.44%), the FDP
(14.57%) and the SP
(10.17%). In the federal election, a total of 298 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 54.3%.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 258. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 121, of which 118 were in agriculture and 4 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 57 of which 28 or (49.1%) were in manufacturing and 28 (49.1%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 80. In the tertiary sector; 28 or 35.0% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 16 or 20.0% were in the movement and storage of goods, 17 or 21.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 1 was the insurance or financial industry, 3 or 3.8% were technical professionals or scientists, 8 or 10.0% were in education.
, there were 68 workers who commuted into the municipality and 109 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.6 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 20.6% of the workforce coming into La Brévine are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 3.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 42.2% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 13 individuals (or about 2.01% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. 47 (or about 7.26% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 39 individuals (or about 6.03% of the population) did not answer the question.
is often much colder than other nearby locations. On 12 January 1987, the local weather station
recorded a temperature of -41.8 C, the coldest ever recorded in Switzerland.
La Brévine has an average of 155.7 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 1633 mm (64.3 in) of precipitation
. The wettest month is December during which time La Brévine receives an average of 157 mm (6.2 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 14.1 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 15.9, but with only 142 mm (5.6 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is October with an average of 108 mm (4.3 in) of precipitation over 10.7 days.
). Of the 43 who completed tertiary schooling, 62.8% were Swiss men, 32.6% were 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 11 students in La Brévine. In the same year, there were 2 primary classes with a total of 40 students.
, there were 18 students in La Brévine who came from another municipality, while 30 residents 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 Le Locle 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....
. The village's microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
is often much colder than other nearby locations. On 12 January 1987, the local weather station
Weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
recorded a temperature of -41.8 C, the coldest ever recorded in Switzerland.
History
In the 17th century, La Brévine was used to refer to just the village. It wasn't until the 18th century that it came to mean the entire municipality. The hamletHamlet (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 Bémont is first mentioned in 1266 as Bemont, and Les Taillères was first mentioned in 1304 as Chaul de Estaleres).
Geography
La Brévine has an area, , of 41.8 square kilometre. Of this area, 22.41 square kilometre or 53.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 17.76 square kilometre or 42.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.97 square kilometre or 2.3% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.42 square kilometre or 1.0% is either rivers or lakes and 0.4 square kilometre or 1.0% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.9%. Out of the forested land, 37.5% of the total land area is heavily forested and 4.9% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.3% is used for growing crops and 32.9% is pastures and 20.4% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes.
The municipality is located in the Le Locle district, near the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
border. It consists of the village of La Brévine (elevation 1046 m (3,431.8 ft)) 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 Le Brouillet, Bémont, Les Taillères and La Châtagne as well as scattered farm houses.
Lac des Taillères
Lac des Taillères
Lac des Taillères is a lake in the la Brévine valley in the Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Its surface area is 0.45 km²....
is located 2 km (1.2 mi) from the village.
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 bordered Or, a Fountain Argent.
Demographics
La Brévine has a population of . , 3.2% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010 ) the population has changed at a rate of -0.1%. It has changed at a rate of -0.4% due to migration and at a rate of 1% 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...
(616 or 95.2%) 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 (22 or 3.4%) and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
is the third (4 or 0.6%). There is 1 person who speaks 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...
and 1 person who speaks Romansh.
, the population was 48.9% male and 51.1% female. The population was made up of 308 Swiss men (47.0% of the population) and 12 (1.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 324 Swiss women (49.5%) and 11 (1.7%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 326 or about 50.4% were born in La Brévine and lived there in 2000. There were 169 or 26.1% who were born in the same canton, while 85 or 13.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 28 or 4.3% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 27.5% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 56.1% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 16.4%.
, there were 252 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 332 married individuals, 36 widows or widowers and 27 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 249 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. There were 66 households that consist of only one person and 30 households with five or more people. , a total of 244 apartments (72.4% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 65 apartments (19.3%) were seasonally occupied and 28 apartments (8.3%) were empty.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
The Double House is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significanceSwiss 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...
.
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 38.69% 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....
(21.44%), 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....
(14.57%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(10.17%). In the federal election, a total of 298 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 54.3%.
Economy
, La Brévine had an unemployment rate of 1.1%. , there were 157 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 61 businesses involved in this sector. 60 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 13 businesses in this sector. 105 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 35 businesses in this sector. There were 315 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 41.6% 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 258. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 121, of which 118 were in agriculture and 4 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 57 of which 28 or (49.1%) were in manufacturing and 28 (49.1%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 80. In the tertiary sector; 28 or 35.0% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 16 or 20.0% were in the movement and storage of goods, 17 or 21.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 1 was the insurance or financial industry, 3 or 3.8% were technical professionals or scientists, 8 or 10.0% were in education.
, there were 68 workers who commuted into the municipality and 109 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.6 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 20.6% of the workforce coming into La Brévine are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 3.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 42.2% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 107 or 16.5% were Roman Catholic, while 447 or 69.1% 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 13 individuals (or about 2.01% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. 47 (or about 7.26% 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 39 individuals (or about 6.03% of the population) did not answer the question.
Weather
The village's microclimateMicroclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
is often much colder than other nearby locations. On 12 January 1987, the local weather station
Weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
recorded a temperature of -41.8 C, the coldest ever recorded in Switzerland.
La Brévine has an average of 155.7 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 1633 mm (64.3 in) of precipitation
Precipitation (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 December during which time La Brévine receives an average of 157 mm (6.2 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 14.1 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 15.9, but with only 142 mm (5.6 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is October with an average of 108 mm (4.3 in) of precipitation over 10.7 days.
Education
In La Brévine about 191 or (29.5%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 43 or (6.6%) 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 43 who completed tertiary schooling, 62.8% were Swiss men, 32.6% were 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 11 students in La Brévine. In the same year, there were 2 primary classes with a total of 40 students.
, there were 18 students in La Brévine who came from another municipality, while 30 residents attended schools outside the municipality.