Samnaun
Encyclopedia
Samnaun is a municipality
in the district of Inn in the Swiss
canton
of Graubünden
.
for the villages of Tschlin
and Ramosch
. By 1220 the first permanent farm houses are mentioned. These farm houses and fields were given as a gift to the Marienberg Abbey
by the counts of Tarasp
in the 12th Century.
Samnaun has an area, , of 56.2 km² (21.7 sq mi). Of this area, 46.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 11.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.9% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (41.2%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
The municipality is located in the Ramosch sub-district, of the Inn district. It is located in a left side valley of the Engadin
valley, at an elevation of 1700–1840 m (5,577.4–6,036.7 ft). It consists of five village sections; Compatsch, Laret, Plan (Plaun), Ravaisch and Samnaun.
In the 19th century, Samnaun could only be reached by road from Spiss
in Austria. Thus Samnaun was excluded from the Swiss customs territory, and retains a privileged 'duty-free' status, albeit not without controversy, in the twenty-first century. The exception was maintained even after a road was built in 1905 linking Samnaun to Martina
in the Inn valley.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.1% male and 50.9% female. The age distribution, , in Samnaun is; 267 children or 8.7% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 155 teenagers or 5.1% are 10 to 14, and 281 teenagers or 9.2% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 460 people or 15.0% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 541 people or 17.6% are 30 to 39, 462 people or 15.1% are 40 to 49, and 385 people or 12.5% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 209 people or 6.8% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 189 people or 6.2% are 70 to 79, there are 103 people or 3.4% who are 80 to 89, and there are 17 people or 0.6% who are 90 to 99.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 45.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(29.2%), the FDP
(15.5%) and the SPS
(7.2%).
In Samnaun about 53.6% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Samnaun has an unemployment rate of 1.01%. , there were 46 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 26 businesses involved in this sector. 52 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 10 businesses in this sector. 743 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 105 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
spoken by the residents of Samnaun is a version of the Bavarian dialect.
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 Inn 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...
.
History
The valley was first used as a seasonal mountain pastureTranshumance in the Alps
Transhumance in the Alps, or seasonal migration between valley and high pastures is a traditional practice that has shaped much of the landscape in the Alps, as without it, most areas below 2000 m would be forests.While tourism and industry contribute today much to Alpine economy, seasonal...
for the villages of Tschlin
Tschlin
Tschlin is a municipality in the district of Inn in the canton of Graubünden in the extreme east of Switzerland.-History:While Bronze and Iron Age items have been found in Tschlin, the first mention of the village is in the 10th Century. In the 10th Century, bishop Hildibald gave the chapterhouse...
and Ramosch
Ramosch
Ramosch is a municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:In 1956-58, on the hill Mottata , a significant prehistoric site was discovered...
. By 1220 the first permanent farm houses are mentioned. These farm houses and fields were given as a gift to the Marienberg Abbey
Marienberg Abbey
Marienberg Abbey is a Benedictine abbey in Mals, Vinschgau in South Tyrol, northern Italy. It was founded in 1149 or 1150 by Ulrich von Tarasp and other nobles.It has maintained a long tradition of education and, at 1,340 m, it is Europe’s highest abbey...
by the counts of Tarasp
Tarasp Castle
Tarasp Castle is a castle located in Switzerland, near Tarasp, in Lower Engadin, Graubünden. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-External links:* * *...
in the 12th Century.
Geography
The municipality is located in the Ramosch sub-district, of the Inn district. It is located in a left side valley of the Engadin
Engadin
The Engadin or Engadine is a long valley in the Swiss Alps located in the canton of Graubünden in southeast Switzerland. It follows the route of the Inn River from its headwaters at Maloja Pass running northeast until the Inn flows into Austria one hundred kilometers downstream...
valley, at an elevation of 1700–1840 m (5,577.4–6,036.7 ft). It consists of five village sections; Compatsch, Laret, Plan (Plaun), Ravaisch and Samnaun.
In the 19th century, Samnaun could only be reached by road from Spiss
Spiss
Spiss is a tiny municipality in the district of Landeck in Tyrol, Austria and is located 22 km south of the city of Landeck at the border of Switzerland. With only approximately 150 inhabitants it is one of the smallest communities in the district. Formerly a part of Nauders, it became its own...
in Austria. Thus Samnaun was excluded from the Swiss customs territory, and retains a privileged 'duty-free' status, albeit not without controversy, in the twenty-first century. The exception was maintained even after a road was built in 1905 linking Samnaun to Martina
Martina, Switzerland
Martina is a village in the Lower Engadine valley, in Graubünden, Switzerland. Its border crossing leads to Nauders in Austria. The village is part of the municipality of Tschlin....
in the Inn valley.
Demographics
Samnaun has a population (as of ) of . , 19.2% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 1%., the gender distribution of the population was 49.1% male and 50.9% female. The age distribution, , in Samnaun is; 267 children or 8.7% of the population are between 0 to 9 years old. 155 teenagers or 5.1% are 10 to 14, and 281 teenagers or 9.2% are 15 to 19. Of the adult population, 460 people or 15.0% of the population are between 20 to 29 years old. 541 people or 17.6% are 30 to 39, 462 people or 15.1% are 40 to 49, and 385 people or 12.5% are 50 to 59. The senior population distribution is 209 people or 6.8% of the population are between 60 to 69 years old, 189 people or 6.2% are 70 to 79, there are 103 people or 3.4% who are 80 to 89, and there are 17 people or 0.6% who are 90 to 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 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...
which received 45.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(29.2%), 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....
(15.5%) and the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(7.2%).
In Samnaun about 53.6% 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...
).
Samnaun has an unemployment rate of 1.01%. , there were 46 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 26 businesses involved in this sector. 52 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 10 businesses in this sector. 743 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 105 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1835 | 387 |
| 1850 | 313 |
| 1900 | 357 |
| 1950 | 424 |
| 2000 | 743 |
Languages
Most of the population speaks German (93.5%), with Portuguese being second most common ( 1.7%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 1.6%). Uniquely within Switzerland, the form of 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....
spoken by the residents of Samnaun is a version of the Bavarian dialect.
| Languages in Samnaun | ||||||
| Languagesuppe | Census 1980 | Census 1990 | Census 2000 | |||
| Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | ||
| 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.... |
569 | 95.31 % | 619 | 97.02 % | 695 | 93.54 % |
| Romanish | 4 | 0.67 % | 10 | 1.57 % | 6 | 0.81 % |
| 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... |
1 | 0.17 % | 3 | 0.47 % | 6 | 0.81 % |
| Population | 597 | 100 % | 638 | 100 % | 743 | 100 % |
See also
- LivignoLivignoLivigno is a town and comune in the province of Sondrio, in the region of Lombardy, Italy, located in the Italian Alps.- Geography :Livigno is located 1,816 metres above sea level. Livigno's main river is called Aqua Granda or Spöl. Trepalle, a frazione in the municipality of Livigno, is...
another duty free area in ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. - Campione d'ItaliaCampione d'ItaliaCampione d'Italia is an Italian comune of the Province of Como in the Lombardy region, occupying an enclave within the Swiss canton of Ticino, separated from the rest of Italy by Lake Lugano and mountains...
, a duty-free area located in an enclave surrounded by Swiss soil, but politically Italian.