Safien
Encyclopedia
Safien is a municipality
in the district of Surselva
in the Swiss
canton
of Graubünden
.
Safien has an area, , of 100.6 km² (38.8 sq mi). Of this area, 45.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (35.4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
The municipality is the capital of the Safien sub-district of the Surselva district in the mid and upper Safien valley. The only other municipality in the sub-district is Tenna
, which occupies the lower Safien valley. The valley is drained by the Rabiusa
river.
The municipality consists of the village of Safien-Platz (elevation: 1350 m (4,429.1 ft)) and scattered hamlets
and single farm houses throughout the valley.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Gules a Cross gyronny Argent and Sable It is based on the simple design of the sub-district, with different colors.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.5% male and 50.5% female. The age distribution, , in Safien is; 49 children or 15.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 43 teenagers or 14.0% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 24 people or 7.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 37 people or 12.0% are between 30 and 39, 39 people or 12.7% are between 40 and 49, and 36 people or 11.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 30 people or 9.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 28 people or 9.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 18 people or 5.8% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 4 people or 1.3% who are between 90 and 99.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 62.4% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(18.8%), the FDP
(7.4%) and the CVP
(5.4%).
In Safien about 61.7% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Safien has an unemployment rate of 0.46%. , there were 89 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 35 businesses involved in this sector. 15 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 32 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 12 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
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 Surselva
Surselva (district)
Surselva District is an administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has an area of and has a population of ....
in 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...
.
Geography
The municipality is the capital of the Safien sub-district of the Surselva district in the mid and upper Safien valley. The only other municipality in the sub-district is Tenna
Tenna, Switzerland
Tenna is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-Coat of arms:The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules St. Valentin clad Argent and caped Or with his dexter raised in blessing and holding in sinister a crosier of the last...
, which occupies the lower Safien valley. The valley is drained by the Rabiusa
Rabiusa
The Rabiusa is a 32 km long tributary of the Rhine. The river originates in the district Hinterrhein in the canton of Graubünden, in the mountains surrounding the Bärenhorn , where the old bridle path from Safien to Splügen crosses the Safierberg Pass...
river.
The municipality consists of the village of Safien-Platz (elevation: 1350 m (4,429.1 ft)) and scattered 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...
and single farm houses throughout the 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 Gules a Cross gyronny Argent and Sable It is based on the simple design of the sub-district, with different colors.
Demographics
Safien has a population (as of ) of . , 0.3% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -15%. Most of the population speaks German (96.1%), with Italian being second most common ( 1.6%) and Albanian being third ( 1.6%)., the gender distribution of the population was 49.5% male and 50.5% female. The age distribution, , in Safien is; 49 children or 15.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 43 teenagers or 14.0% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 24 people or 7.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 37 people or 12.0% are between 30 and 39, 39 people or 12.7% are between 40 and 49, and 36 people or 11.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 30 people or 9.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 28 people or 9.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 18 people or 5.8% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 4 people or 1.3% who are between 90 and 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 62.4% 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....
(18.8%), 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....
(7.4%) 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...
(5.4%).
In Safien about 61.7% 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...
).
Safien has an unemployment rate of 0.46%. , there were 89 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 35 businesses involved in this sector. 15 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 32 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 12 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1803 | 770 |
| 1850 | 685 |
| 1900 | 455 |
| 1950 | 453 |
| 2000 | 308 |