Locarno (district)
Encyclopedia
The district of Locarno (also called Locarnese) is a district of Canton Ticino, Switzerland
. It has a population of (as of ).
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.2%. Out of the forested land, 47.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 3.0% is used for growing crops and 2.8% is used for alpine pastures. Of the water in the district, 0.5% is in lakes and 1.9% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 14.7% is unproductive vegetation and 9.6% is too rocky for vegetation.
, 971 people speak French
, 43,408 people speak Italian
, and 83 people speak Romansh. The remainder (4,034 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 47.5% male and 52.5% female. The population was made up of 21,828 Swiss men (35.1% of the population), and 7,688 (12.4%) non-Swiss men. There were 25,836 Swiss women (41.5%), and 6,847 (11.0%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 397 live births to Swiss citizens and 104 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 483 deaths of Swiss citizens and 86 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 86 while the foreign population increased by 18. There were 29 Swiss men and 22 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 317 non-Swiss men and 269 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 487 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 170 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.1%.
The age distribution, , in the Locarno District is; 5,081 children or 8.2% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 5,956 teenagers or 9.6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 6,214 people or 10.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 7,768 people or 12.5% are between 30 and 39, 10,299 people or 16.6% are between 40 and 49, and 8,443 people or 13.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 8,344 people or 13.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 6,067 people or 9.8% are between 70 and 79, there are 4,027 people or 6.5% who are over 80.
there were 29,582 single family homes (or 45.4% of the total) out of a total of 65,150 inhabited buildings. There were 7,996 two family buildings (12.3%) and 20,959 multi-family buildings (32.2%). There were also 6,613 buildings in the district that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
there were 43,636 apartments in the district. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 13,418. There were 3,749 single room apartments and 6,608 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 26,170 apartments (60.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 16,398 apartments (37.6%) were seasonally occupied and 1,068 apartments (2.4%) were empty.
The historical population is given in the following table:
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 30.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(21.47%), the SP
(18.43%) and the SVP
(11.71%). In the federal election, a total of 16,768 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 42.5%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 39,570 registered voters in the Locarno District, of which 21,970 or 55.5% voted. 394 blank ballots and 50 null ballots were cast, leaving 21,526 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT
which received 4,711 or 21.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD
+GenGiova (with 3,991 or 18.5%), the SSI (with 3,935 or 18.3%) and the PS
(with 3,590 or 16.7%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 242 blank ballots and 99 null ballots were cast, leaving 21,637 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 4,349 or 20.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 4,243 or 19.6%), the PPD (with 4,076 or 18.8%) and the LEGA (with 4,057 or 18.8%).
. There are 7,244 individuals (or about 12.64% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 2,709 individuals (or about 4.73% of the population) did not answer the question.
provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten
and in the Locarno District there were 1,319 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the district, 2,781 students attended the standard primary schools and 148 students attended the special school. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two year middle school followed by a two year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four year program to prepare for higher education. There were 2,410 students in the two year middle school and 37 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 947 students were in the four year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 478 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 1,080 who attend part-time.
The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields. There were 132 students in the professional program.
!colspan="1" align=center bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Area km²
|-
| || Locarno
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 19.27
|-
| || Muralto
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 0.60
|-
| || Orselina
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 1.94
|-
|bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | ||bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Total || bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" |
| bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" | 21.81
|-
|}
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....
. It has a population of (as of ).
Geography
The Locarno District has an area, , of 551.08 square kilometres (212.8 sq mi). Of this area, 35.25 km² (13.6 sq mi) or 6.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 320.45 km² (123.7 sq mi) or 58.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 26.96 km² (10.4 sq mi) or 4.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 12.76 km² (4.9 sq mi) or 2.3% is either rivers or lakes and 133.75 km² (51.6 sq mi) or 24.3% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.2%. Out of the forested land, 47.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 3.0% is used for growing crops and 2.8% is used for alpine pastures. Of the water in the district, 0.5% is in lakes and 1.9% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 14.7% is unproductive vegetation and 9.6% is too rocky for vegetation.
Demographics
the Locarno District has a population of . Of the Swiss national languages , 8,831 speak GermanGerman 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....
, 971 people speak 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...
, 43,408 people speak 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 83 people speak Romansh. The remainder (4,034 people) speak another language.
, the gender distribution of the population was 47.5% male and 52.5% female. The population was made up of 21,828 Swiss men (35.1% of the population), and 7,688 (12.4%) non-Swiss men. There were 25,836 Swiss women (41.5%), and 6,847 (11.0%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 397 live births to Swiss citizens and 104 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 483 deaths of Swiss citizens and 86 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 86 while the foreign population increased by 18. There were 29 Swiss men and 22 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 317 non-Swiss men and 269 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 487 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 170 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.1%.
The age distribution, , in the Locarno District is; 5,081 children or 8.2% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 5,956 teenagers or 9.6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 6,214 people or 10.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 7,768 people or 12.5% are between 30 and 39, 10,299 people or 16.6% are between 40 and 49, and 8,443 people or 13.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 8,344 people or 13.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 6,067 people or 9.8% are between 70 and 79, there are 4,027 people or 6.5% who are over 80.
there were 29,582 single family homes (or 45.4% of the total) out of a total of 65,150 inhabited buildings. There were 7,996 two family buildings (12.3%) and 20,959 multi-family buildings (32.2%). There were also 6,613 buildings in the district that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).
there were 43,636 apartments in the district. The most common apartment size was the 3 room apartment of which there were 13,418. There were 3,749 single room apartments and 6,608 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 26,170 apartments (60.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 16,398 apartments (37.6%) were seasonally occupied and 1,068 apartments (2.4%) were empty.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1850 | 22,362 |
| 1880 | 24,361 |
| 1900 | 24,594 |
| 1950 | 33,218 |
| 1980 | 50,778 |
| 1990 | 52,286 |
| 2000 | 57,327 |
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 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....
which received 30.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(21.47%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(18.43%) and 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...
(11.71%). In the federal election, a total of 16,768 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 42.5%.
In the Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 39,570 registered voters in the Locarno District, of which 21,970 or 55.5% voted. 394 blank ballots and 50 null ballots were cast, leaving 21,526 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT
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....
which received 4,711 or 21.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PPD
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...
+GenGiova (with 3,991 or 18.5%), the SSI (with 3,935 or 18.3%) and the PS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(with 3,590 or 16.7%).
In the Consiglio di Stato election, 242 blank ballots and 99 null ballots were cast, leaving 21,637 valid ballots in the election. The most popular party was the PLRT which received 4,349 or 20.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were; the PS (with 4,243 or 19.6%), the PPD (with 4,076 or 18.8%) and the LEGA (with 4,057 or 18.8%).
Religion
From the , 41,145 or 71.8% were Roman Catholic, while 6,229 or 10.9% 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...
. There are 7,244 individuals (or about 12.64% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 2,709 individuals (or about 4.73% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In the Locarno District there was a total of 9,332 students . The Ticino education systemEducation in Switzerland
The education system in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system mainly to the cantons...
provides up to three 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...
and in the Locarno District there were 1,319 children in kindergarten. The primary school program lasts for five years and includes both a standard school and a special school. In the district, 2,781 students attended the standard primary schools and 148 students attended the special school. In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two year middle school followed by a two year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four year program to prepare for higher education. There were 2,410 students in the two year middle school and 37 in their pre-apprenticeship, while 947 students were in the four year advanced program.
The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college. In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student). There were 478 vocational students who were attending school full-time and 1,080 who attend part-time.
The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields. There were 132 students in the professional program.
Circles and municipalities
!colspan="1" align=center bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Area km²
|-
| || Locarno
Locarno
Locarno is the capital of the Locarno district, located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore in the Swiss canton of Ticino, close to Ascona at the foot of the Alps. It has a population of about 15,000...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 19.27
|-
| || Muralto
Muralto
Muralto is a municipality in the district of Locarno, in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-Roman settlement:In the second half of the 19th Century, the ruins of a Roman settlement were discovered. However, all the items discovered in these early excavations are either lost or they are kept in...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 0.60
|-
| || Orselina
Orselina
Orselina is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Orselina is first mentioned in 1182 as Concilio Meziano. In 1323 it was mentioned as Orsarina...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 1.94
|-
|bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | ||bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Total || bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" |
| bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" | 21.81
|-
|}
!colspan="1" align=center bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Area km²
|-
| || Ascona
Ascona
Ascona is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.It is located on the shore of Lake Maggiore.The town is a popular tourist destination, and holds a yearly jazz festival, the Ascona Jazz Festival....
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 4.97
|-
| || Brissago
Brissago
Brissago is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:An ax and ceramic pieces from the Neolithic era as well as Roman coins and other finds, discovered in 1846 in Brenscino, indicate that the area was prehistorically settled. In 1863, during the...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 17.79
|-
| || Ronco sopra Ascona
Ronco sopra Ascona
Ronco sopra Ascona is a municipality near Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Ronco sopra Ascona is first mentioned in 1264 as Roncha. In 1498 it was mentioned as Ronca de Scona. Ronco sopra Ascona and Ascona a Vicinanza by 1321. The vicinanza had its own statutes by 1369,...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 5.02
|-
| || Losone
Losone
Losone is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:The peat bogs of Arcegno, the rock shelters of Quarigo and the rock carvings in soapstone and gneiss appear to confirm that Losone has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. In 1934 and again in...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 9.53
|-
|bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | ||bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Total || bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" |
| bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" | 37.31
|-
|}
!colspan="1" align=center bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Area km²
|-
| || Onsernone
Onsernone
Onsernone is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Ticino, near the city of Locarno. The river Isorno runs through this valley.The municipality was created in 1995 by a merger of Comologno, Crana and Russo.-History:...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 29.86
|-
| || Mosogno
Mosogno
Mosogno is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Mosogno is first mentioned in 1277 as Mosogno. In 1352 it was mentioned as Muxognio. In the Middle Ages, it was one of the five Squadre that made up the community of Onsernone. It became an...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 8.61
|-
| || Vergeletto
Vergeletto
Vergeletto is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.- History :In the Middle Ages Vergeletto belonged to the Onsernone Vicinanza and to the squadra of Russo. In 1803 the municipality of Vergeletto also included the municipality of Gresso, both...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 40.79
|-
| || Isorno
Isorno
Isorno is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.The municipality was created in 2001 by a merger of Auressio, Berzona and Loco.-History:...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 17.11
|-
| || Gresso
Gresso
Gresso is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The municipality was formed in 1882 by splitting from Vergeletto.-History:...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 11.08
|-
|bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | ||bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Total || bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" |
| bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" | 107.45
|-
|}
!colspan="1" align=center bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Area km²
|-
|
Gambarogno
Gambarogno is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It was created on 25 April 2010 through the merger of the municipalities of Caviano, Contone, Gerra Gambarogno, Indemini, Magadino, Piazzogna, San Nazzaro, Sant'Abbondio and Vira...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 51.8
|-
|bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | ||bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Total || bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" |
| bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" | 51.8
|-
|}
!colspan="1" align=center bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Area km²
|-
| || Centovalli
Centovalli
Centovalli is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 25 October 2009 the municipalities of Borgnone, Intragna and Palagnedra merged into the municipality of Centovalli.-History:...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 51.1
|-
| || Tegna
Tegna
Tegna is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-Geography:Tegna has an area, , of . Of this area, or 11.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 59.5% is forested...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 2.89
|-
| || Verscio
Verscio
Verscio is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-Geography:Verscio has an area, , of . Of this area, or 15.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 65.3% is forested...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 3.00
|-
| || Cavigliano
Cavigliano
Cavigliano is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Between 1884 and 1989, archaeological excavations discovered objects from the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman era, including tombs and coins from the 1st to 3rd Centuries. The modern municipality...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 5.48
|-
|bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | ||bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Total || bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" |
| bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" | 62.47
|-
|}
!colspan="1" align=center bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Area km²
|-
| || Lavertezzo
Lavertezzo
Lavertezzo is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Lavertezzo is first mentioned in 1327 as Laverteze. In the Middle Ages, Lavertezzo was a Squadra of the Vicinanza of Verzasca...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 58.11
|-
| || Vogorno
Vogorno
Vogorno is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The village is located above Lago di Vogorno, a reservoir formed by the Verzasca Dam.-Geography:...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 23.88
|-
| || Corippo
Corippo
Corippo is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.With a population of just 17 , it is the smallest municipality in Switzerland...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 7.73
|-
| || Brione (Verzasca)
Brione (Verzasca)
Brione is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:During the Middle Ages it was part of a squadra in the community of Verzasca. Later, it formed a Vicinanza together with Gerra. In 1852 they both became independent municipalities...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 48.56
|-
| || Frasco
Frasco
Frasco is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Frasco is first mentioned in 1235 as Felasco. During the Middle Ages, Frasco was part of the greater Vicinanza of Verzasca. In 1395, it and Sonogno formed a single political municipality, which...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 25.72
|-
| || Sonogno
Sonogno
Sonogno is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It is located in Valle Verzasca.-History:Sonogno is first mentioned in 1200 as Sornono. In 1417 it was mentioned as Senognio. During the Middle Ages, Sonogno was part of the Vicinanza of Verzasca and...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 37.52
|-
| || Cugnasco-Gerra
Cugnasco-Gerra
Cugnasco-Gerra is a municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It was formed on January 1, 2009, through the merger of Cugnasco and Gerra .-Location:Cugnasco-Gerra has an area, , of .Cugnasco is on the outskirts of the Magadino valley...
|| align="center" | || align="center" | 35.72
|-
|bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | ||bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | Total || bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" |
| bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="center" | 237.24
|-
|}