Signau
Encyclopedia
Signau is a municipality
in the administrative district of Emmental
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
.
Signau has an area, , of 22.08 km² (8.5 sq mi). Of this area, 12.2 km² (4.7 sq mi) or 55.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 7.91 km² (3.1 sq mi) or 35.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.76 km² (0.679539799122862 sq mi) or 8.0% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.24 km² (0.0926645180622084 sq mi) or 1.1% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.0% is unproductive land.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 3.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.9%. 34.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 23.2% is used for growing crops and 30.8% is pastures, while 1.2% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 50.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(13.3%), the FDP
(9.1%) and the CSP
(8.7%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 27% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 58.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.3%. In Signau about 70.5% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Signau has an unemployment rate of 0.62%. , there were 371 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 127 businesses involved in this sector. 291 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 40 businesses in this sector. 332 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 60 businesses in this sector.
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 administrative district of Emmental
Emmental (administrative district)
Emmental District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Emmental-Oberaargau administrative region. It contains 42 municipalities with an area of and a population of 93,082....
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 Bern 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
Signau lies in the EmmentalEmmental
For the cheese made in the region, see Emmental .The Emmental is a region in west central Switzerland, forming part of the canton of Bern. It is a hilly landscape comprising the basins of the Emme and Ilfis rivers. The region is mostly devoted to farming, particularly dairy farming...
.
Signau has an area, , of 22.08 km² (8.5 sq mi). Of this area, 12.2 km² (4.7 sq mi) or 55.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 7.91 km² (3.1 sq mi) or 35.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.76 km² (0.679539799122862 sq mi) or 8.0% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.24 km² (0.0926645180622084 sq mi) or 1.1% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.0% is unproductive land.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 3.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.9%. 34.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 23.2% is used for growing crops and 30.8% is pastures, while 1.2% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
Demographics
Signau has a population (as of ) of . , 3.6% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -3.7%. Most of the population speaks German (95.2%), with Albanian being second most common ( 1.8%) and French being third ( 0.6%).In the 2007 election 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 50.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(13.3%), 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....
(9.1%) and the CSP
Christian Social Party (Switzerland)
The Christian Social Party is a political party in Switzerland. The CSP is more social democratic than the CVP. With the moderate Christian left as its background, the CSP commits itself to social democratic and environmentalist political solutions...
(8.7%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 27% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 58.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.3%. In Signau about 70.5% 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...
).
Signau has an unemployment rate of 0.62%. , there were 371 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 127 businesses involved in this sector. 291 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 40 businesses in this sector. 332 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 60 businesses in this sector.