Mézières, Vaud
Encyclopedia
Mézières is a municipality
in the district of Lavaux-Oron in the canton
of Vaud
in Switzerland
.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 8.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 5.7%. Out of the forested land, 19.3% of the total land area is heavily forested and 4.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 38.2% is used for growing crops and 21.3% is pastures, while 1.7% is used for orchards or vine crops.
The municipality was part of the Oron District until it was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and Mézières became part of the new district of Lavaux-Oron.
The municipality is located in the Jorat
region at the intersection of the Vevey
-Moudon
and Oron
-Echallens
roads. It consists of the large linear village
of Mézières.
The municipalities of Carrouge
, Ferlens
and Mézières are considering a merger on at a date in the future into the new municipality with an, , undetermined name.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Azure, from a Coupeaux Vert rising a Potato Plant Vert flowered Argent and Or; in chief a Mullet of Six Argent.
Most of the population speaks French
(888 or 91.6%), with German
being second most common (42 or 4.3%) and Portuguese
being third (11 or 1.1%). There are 8 people who speak Italian
.
The age distribution, , in Mézières is; 135 children or 12.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 123 teenagers or 11.7% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 110 people or 10.4% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 153 people or 14.5% are between 30 and 39, 153 people or 14.5% are between 40 and 49, and 149 people or 14.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 115 people or 10.9% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 64 people or 6.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 43 people or 4.1% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 8 people or 0.8% who are 90 and older.
, there were 419 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 446 married individuals, 57 widows or widowers and 47 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.59 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.61 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 50.4% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 375 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.5 persons per household. There were 99 households that consist of only one person and 28 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 380 households that answered this question, 26.1% were households made up of just one person and there were 3 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 112 married couples without children, 125 married couples with children There were 32 single parents with a child or children. There were 4 households that were made up of unrelated people and 5 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 137 single family homes (or 57.6% of the total) out of a total of 238 inhabited buildings. There were 48 multi-family buildings (20.2%), along with 39 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (16.4%) and 14 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (5.9%).
, a total of 361 apartments (88.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 39 apartments (9.5%) were seasonally occupied and 10 apartments (2.4%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.8 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 2.42%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
.File:Théâtre du Jorat, Mézières, 1921.jpg | Théâtre Du Jorat
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 25.08% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(21.85%), the Green Party
(17.3%) and the FDP
(15.77%). In the federal election, a total of 336 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 46.3%.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 266. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 24, of which 18 were in agriculture and 6 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 32 of which 9 or (28.1%) were in manufacturing and 23 (71.9%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 210. In the tertiary sector; 66 or 31.4% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 11 or 5.2% were in the movement and storage of goods, 13 or 6.2% were in a hotel or restaurant, 3 or 1.4% were in the information industry, 5 or 2.4% were the insurance or financial industry, 24 or 11.4% were technical professionals or scientists, 38 or 18.1% were in education and 38 or 18.1% were in health care.
, there were 206 workers who commuted into the municipality and 359 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.7 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 10.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 68.1% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 5 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 0.52% of the population), and there were 35 individuals (or about 3.61% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 4 individuals (or about 0.41% of the population) who were Jewish
, and 11 (or about 1.14% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 3 individuals who belonged to another church. 130 (or about 13.42% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 29 individuals (or about 2.99% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 131 who completed tertiary schooling, 56.5% were Swiss men, 30.5% were Swiss women, 4.6% were non-Swiss men and 8.4% were non-Swiss women.
In the 2009/2010 school year there were a total of 138 students in the Mézières (VD) school district. In the Vaud cantonal school system, two years of non-obligatory pre-school are provided by the political districts. During the school year, the political district provided pre-school care for a total of 665 children of which 232 children (34.9%) received subsidized pre-school care. The canton's primary school program requires students to attend for four years. There were 75 students in the municipal primary school program. The obligatory lower secondary school program lasts for six years and there were 63 students in those schools.
, there were 317 students in Mézières who came from another municipality, while 63 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 Lavaux-Oron 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 Vaud
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
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
Mézières has an area, , of 3.5 square kilometre. Of this area, 2.13 square kilometre or 61.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.81 square kilometre or 23.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.56 square kilometre or 16.1% is settled (buildings or roads).Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 8.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 5.7%. Out of the forested land, 19.3% of the total land area is heavily forested and 4.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 38.2% is used for growing crops and 21.3% is pastures, while 1.7% is used for orchards or vine crops.
The municipality was part of the Oron District until it was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and Mézières became part of the new district of Lavaux-Oron.
The municipality is located in the Jorat
Jorat (Switzerland)
The Jorat is the area of the Canton of Vaud located between the Gros-de-Vaud, West and the Broye, East.-Geography:It is a mountain range that stretches from above Lausanne at the South and stretches toward Payerne at the North...
region at the intersection of the Vevey
Vevey
Vevey is a town in Switzerland in the canton Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne.It was the seat of the district of the same name until 2006, and is now part of the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut District...
-Moudon
Moudon
Moudon is a municipality in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It was the seat of the district of Moudon and is now in the Broye-Vully district.-History:...
and Oron
Oron
Oron may refer to:*Oron , one of the major states in the old Calabar Kingdom*Oron , Switzerland*Oron-la-Ville, Switzerland*Oron-le-Châtel, Switzerland*Oron, Moselle, France*Oron, Nigeria, a city and local government area in Akwa Ibom State...
-Echallens
Echallens
Echallens is a municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:The territory of the municipality was already settled very early. There are remains of a Bronze Age foundry....
roads. It consists of the large linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
of Mézières.
The municipalities of Carrouge
Carrouge
Carrouge is a municipality in the district of Broye-Vully in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-Geography:Carrouge has an area, , of . Of this area, or 70.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 19.7% is forested...
, Ferlens
Ferlens
Ferlens is a municipality in the district of Lavaux-Oron in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-Geography:Ferlens has an area, , of . Of this area, or 69.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 22.6% is forested...
and Mézières are considering a merger on at a date in the future into the new municipality with an, , undetermined name.
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, from a Coupeaux Vert rising a Potato Plant Vert flowered Argent and Or; in chief a Mullet of Six Argent.
Demographics
Mézières has a population of . , 12.9% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of 10.6%. It has changed at a rate of 8.9% due to migration and at a rate of 2.4% 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...
(888 or 91.6%), with 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....
being second most common (42 or 4.3%) 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...
being third (11 or 1.1%). There are 8 people who 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...
.
The age distribution, , in Mézières is; 135 children or 12.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 123 teenagers or 11.7% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 110 people or 10.4% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 153 people or 14.5% are between 30 and 39, 153 people or 14.5% are between 40 and 49, and 149 people or 14.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 115 people or 10.9% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 64 people or 6.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 43 people or 4.1% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 8 people or 0.8% who are 90 and older.
, there were 419 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 446 married individuals, 57 widows or widowers and 47 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.59 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.61 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 50.4% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 375 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.5 persons per household. There were 99 households that consist of only one person and 28 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 380 households that answered this question, 26.1% were households made up of just one person and there were 3 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 112 married couples without children, 125 married couples with children There were 32 single parents with a child or children. There were 4 households that were made up of unrelated people and 5 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 137 single family homes (or 57.6% of the total) out of a total of 238 inhabited buildings. There were 48 multi-family buildings (20.2%), along with 39 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (16.4%) and 14 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (5.9%).
, a total of 361 apartments (88.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 39 apartments (9.5%) were seasonally occupied and 10 apartments (2.4%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.8 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 2.42%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
The Théâtre Du Jorat 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...
.File:Théâtre du Jorat, Mézières, 1921.jpg | Théâtre Du Jorat
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 25.08% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(21.85%), the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(17.3%) 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....
(15.77%). In the federal election, a total of 336 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 46.3%.
Economy
, Mézières had an unemployment rate of 2.7%. , there were 26 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 8 businesses involved in this sector. 35 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 11 businesses in this sector. 282 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 59 businesses in this sector. There were 489 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 45.4% 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 266. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 24, of which 18 were in agriculture and 6 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 32 of which 9 or (28.1%) were in manufacturing and 23 (71.9%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 210. In the tertiary sector; 66 or 31.4% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 11 or 5.2% were in the movement and storage of goods, 13 or 6.2% were in a hotel or restaurant, 3 or 1.4% were in the information industry, 5 or 2.4% were the insurance or financial industry, 24 or 11.4% were technical professionals or scientists, 38 or 18.1% were in education and 38 or 18.1% were in health care.
, there were 206 workers who commuted into the municipality and 359 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.7 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 10.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 68.1% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 262 or 27.0% were Roman Catholic, while 507 or 52.3% 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 5 members of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
(or about 0.52% of the population), and there were 35 individuals (or about 3.61% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 4 individuals (or about 0.41% of the population) who were Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 11 (or about 1.14% 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 3 individuals who belonged to another church. 130 (or about 13.42% 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 29 individuals (or about 2.99% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Mézières about 402 or (41.5%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 131 or (13.5%) 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 131 who completed tertiary schooling, 56.5% were Swiss men, 30.5% were Swiss women, 4.6% were non-Swiss men and 8.4% were non-Swiss women.
In the 2009/2010 school year there were a total of 138 students in the Mézières (VD) school district. In the Vaud cantonal school system, two years of non-obligatory pre-school are provided by the political districts. During the school year, the political district provided pre-school care for a total of 665 children of which 232 children (34.9%) received subsidized pre-school care. The canton's primary school program requires students to attend for four years. There were 75 students in the municipal primary school program. The obligatory lower secondary school program lasts for six years and there were 63 students in those schools.
, there were 317 students in Mézières who came from another municipality, while 63 residents attended schools outside the municipality.