La Chaux-du-Milieu
Encyclopedia
La Chaux-du-Milieu is a municipality
in the district of Le Locle in the canton
of Neuchâtel in Switzerland
.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.1%. Out of the forested land, 45.0% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.9% is used for growing crops and 28.3% is pastures and 19.9% is used for alpine pastures.
The municipality is located in the Le Locle district, in the Brévine valley.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Argent, issuant from base Vert three Pine trees of the same, and in chief a Crow volant Sable.
Most of the population speaks French
(389 or 97.7%) as their first language, German
is the second most common (4 or 1.0%) and Serbo-Croatian
is the third (2 or 0.5%). There is 1 person who speaks Italian
.
, the population was 50.2% male and 49.8% female. The population was made up of 225 Swiss men (48.5% of the population) and 8 (1.7%) non-Swiss men. There were 221 Swiss women (47.6%) and 10 (2.2%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 168 or about 42.2% were born in La Chaux-du-Milieu and lived there in 2000. There were 163 or 41.0% who were born in the same canton, while 40 or 10.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 22 or 5.5% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 27.6% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 58.8% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 13.6%.
, there were 164 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 211 married individuals, 15 widows or widowers and 8 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 144 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.7 persons per household. There were 34 households that consist of only one person and 20 households with five or more people. , a total of 144 apartments (78.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 26 apartments (14.2%) were seasonally occupied and 13 apartments (7.1%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 2.2 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
.
the most popular party was the SP
which received 23.25% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the LPS Party
(19.3%), the SVP
(18.85%) and the FDP
(14.45%). In the federal election, a total of 182 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 56.5%.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 100. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 57, of which 48 were in agriculture and 9 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 22 of which 19 or (86.4%) were in manufacturing and 3 (13.6%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 21. In the tertiary sector; 3 or 14.3% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 3 or 14.3% were in the movement and storage of goods, 5 or 23.8% were in a hotel or restaurant, 4 or 19.0% were in the information industry, 3 or 14.3% were technical professionals or scientists, 3 or 14.3% were in education and 1 was in health care.
, there were 32 workers who commuted into the municipality and 117 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 3.7 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 25.0% of the workforce coming into La Chaux-du-Milieu are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 8.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 53.2% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 10 individuals (or about 2.51% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 2 (or about 0.50% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 5 individuals who belonged to another church. 50 (or about 12.56% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 14 individuals (or about 3.52% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 29 who completed tertiary schooling, 69.0% were Swiss men, 24.1% 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 18 students in La Chaux-du-Milieu. In the same year, there were 2 primary classes with a total of 39 students.
, there were 20 students in La Chaux-du-Milieu who came from another municipality, while 49 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....
.
History
La Chaux-du-Milieu is first mentioned in 1310 as calvum de Escoblon. Later it was known as Chaux de Cachot and Chaux Baussan.Geography
La Chaux-du-Milieu has an area, , of 17.3 square kilometre. Of this area, 8.49 square kilometre or 49.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 8.35 square kilometre or 48.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.43 square kilometre or 2.5% is settled (buildings or roads) and 0.03 km² (7.4 acre) or 0.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.1%. Out of the forested land, 45.0% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.9% is used for growing crops and 28.3% is pastures and 19.9% is used for alpine pastures.
The municipality is located in the Le Locle district, in the Brévine valley.
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 Argent, issuant from base Vert three Pine trees of the same, and in chief a Crow volant Sable.
Demographics
La Chaux-du-Milieu has a population of . , 3.4% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010 ) the population has changed at a rate of 9.3%. It has changed at a rate of 2.4% due to migration and at a rate of 6.1% 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...
(389 or 97.7%) 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 (4 or 1.0%) and Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
is the third (2 or 0.5%). 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...
.
, the population was 50.2% male and 49.8% female. The population was made up of 225 Swiss men (48.5% of the population) and 8 (1.7%) non-Swiss men. There were 221 Swiss women (47.6%) and 10 (2.2%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 168 or about 42.2% were born in La Chaux-du-Milieu and lived there in 2000. There were 163 or 41.0% who were born in the same canton, while 40 or 10.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 22 or 5.5% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 27.6% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 58.8% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 13.6%.
, there were 164 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 211 married individuals, 15 widows or widowers and 8 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 144 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.7 persons per household. There were 34 households that consist of only one person and 20 households with five or more people. , a total of 144 apartments (78.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 26 apartments (14.2%) were seasonally occupied and 13 apartments (7.1%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 2.2 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
The Farm House Du Grand Cachot 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 SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
which received 23.25% 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....
(19.3%), 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...
(18.85%) and 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....
(14.45%). In the federal election, a total of 182 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 56.5%.
Economy
, La Chaux-du-Milieu had an unemployment rate of 2.9%. , there were 78 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 28 businesses involved in this sector. 29 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 6 businesses in this sector. 34 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 11 businesses in this sector. There were 203 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 42.9% 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 100. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 57, of which 48 were in agriculture and 9 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 22 of which 19 or (86.4%) were in manufacturing and 3 (13.6%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 21. In the tertiary sector; 3 or 14.3% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 3 or 14.3% were in the movement and storage of goods, 5 or 23.8% were in a hotel or restaurant, 4 or 19.0% were in the information industry, 3 or 14.3% were technical professionals or scientists, 3 or 14.3% were in education and 1 was in health care.
, there were 32 workers who commuted into the municipality and 117 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 3.7 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 25.0% of the workforce coming into La Chaux-du-Milieu are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 8.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 53.2% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 93 or 23.4% were Roman Catholic, while 229 or 57.5% 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 10 individuals (or about 2.51% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 2 (or about 0.50% 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 5 individuals who belonged to another church. 50 (or about 12.56% 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 14 individuals (or about 3.52% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In La Chaux-du-Milieu about 140 or (35.2%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 29 or (7.3%) 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 29 who completed tertiary schooling, 69.0% were Swiss men, 24.1% 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 18 students in La Chaux-du-Milieu. In the same year, there were 2 primary classes with a total of 39 students.
, there were 20 students in La Chaux-du-Milieu who came from another municipality, while 49 residents attended schools outside the municipality.