Ayer, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Ayer is a village in the district of Sierre in the Swiss
canton
of Valais
. An independent municipality
before, it merged on 1 January 2009 with neighboring Chandolin
, Grimentz
, Saint Jean
, Saint-Luc
and Vissoie
to form the municipality of Anniviers
.
of the village coat of arms
is Gules tripant on Coupeaux Vert an Ibex Argent in chief four Mullets of Five of the last in cross.
(513 or 90.0%) as their first language, German
is the second most common (27 or 4.7%) and Serbo-Croatian
is the third (9 or 1.6%). There are 8 people who speak Italian
and 1 person who speaks Romansh.
Of the population in the village, 254 or about 44.6% were born in Ayer and lived there in 2000. There were 106 or 18.6% who were born in the same canton, while 92 or 16.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 95 or 16.7% were born outside of Switzerland. , there were 209 people who were single and never married in the village. There were 295 married individuals, 28 widows or widowers and 38 individuals who are divorced.
There were 76 households that consist of only one person and 11 households with five or more people. , a total of 229 apartments (19.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 871 apartments (74.0%) were seasonally occupied and 77 apartments (6.5%) were empty.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 51.77% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(22.92%), the FDP
(9.37%) and the SVP
(7.81%). In the federal election, a total of 333 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 63.7%.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 254. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 13, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 116 of which 16 or (13.8%) were in manufacturing and 76 (65.5%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 125. In the tertiary sector; 16 or 12.8% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 26 or 20.8% were in the movement and storage of goods, 59 or 47.2% were in a hotel or restaurant, 6 or 4.8% were technical professionals or scientists, .
, there were 52 workers who commuted into the village and 104 workers who commuted away. The village is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.0 workers leaving the village for every one entering.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 8 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 1.40% of the population), and there were 8 individuals (or about 1.40% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 14 (or about 2.46% of the population) who were Islam
ic. 38 (or about 6.67% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 24 individuals (or about 4.21% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 57 who completed tertiary schooling, 56.1% were Swiss men, 31.6% were Swiss women.
, there were 61 students from Ayer who attended schools outside the village.
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 Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
. An independent 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...
before, it merged on 1 January 2009 with neighboring Chandolin
Chandolin
Chandolin is a village in the district of Sierre in the Swiss canton of Valais. An independent municipality before, it merged on 1 January 2009 with neighboring Ayer, Grimentz, Saint Jean, Saint-Luc and Vissoie to form the municipality of Anniviers.-History:...
, Grimentz
Grimentz
Grimentz is a village in the district of Sierre in the Swiss canton of Valais. An independent municipality before, it merged on 1 January 2009 with neighboring Ayer, Chandolin, Saint Jean, Saint-Luc and Vissoie to form the municipality of Anniviers.-History:...
, Saint Jean
Saint-Jean, Switzerland
Saint-Jean is a village in the district of Sierre in the Swiss canton of Valais. An independent municipality before, it merged on 1 January 2009 with neighboring Ayer, Chandolin, Grimentz, Saint-Luc and Vissoie to form the municipality of Anniviers....
, Saint-Luc
Saint-Luc, Switzerland
Saint-Luc is a village in the district of Sierre in the Swiss canton of Valais. An independent municipality before, it merged on 1 January 2009 with neighboring Ayer, Chandolin, Grimentz, Saint Jean and Vissoie to form the municipality of Anniviers....
and Vissoie
Vissoie
Vissoie is a village in the district of Sierre in the Swiss canton of Valais.The village became an independent municipality in 1905 when it split from the municipalities of Ayer and Grimentz. However, on 1 January 2009 it merged with neighboring Ayer, Chandolin, Grimentz, Saint Jean and Saint-Luc...
to form the municipality of Anniviers
Anniviers
Anniviers is a municipality in the district of Sierre in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It was formed through the merger of six municipalities in Val d'Anniviers: Ayer, Chandolin, Grimentz, Saint-Jean, Saint-Luc and Vissoie...
.
History
Ayer is first mentioned in 1296.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 village 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 tripant on Coupeaux Vert an Ibex Argent in chief four Mullets of Five of the last in cross.
Demographics
Most of the population speaks FrenchFrench 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...
(513 or 90.0%) as their first language, 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....
is the second most common (27 or 4.7%) and Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
is the third (9 or 1.6%). 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...
and 1 person who speaks Romansh.
Of the population in the village, 254 or about 44.6% were born in Ayer and lived there in 2000. There were 106 or 18.6% who were born in the same canton, while 92 or 16.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 95 or 16.7% were born outside of Switzerland. , there were 209 people who were single and never married in the village. There were 295 married individuals, 28 widows or widowers and 38 individuals who are divorced.
There were 76 households that consist of only one person and 11 households with five or more people. , a total of 229 apartments (19.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 871 apartments (74.0%) were seasonally occupied and 77 apartments (6.5%) were empty.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
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 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 51.77% 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....
(22.92%), 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....
(9.37%) 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...
(7.81%). In the federal election, a total of 333 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 63.7%.
Economy
There were 312 residents of the village who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 42.9% 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 254. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 13, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 116 of which 16 or (13.8%) were in manufacturing and 76 (65.5%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 125. In the tertiary sector; 16 or 12.8% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 26 or 20.8% were in the movement and storage of goods, 59 or 47.2% were in a hotel or restaurant, 6 or 4.8% were technical professionals or scientists, .
, there were 52 workers who commuted into the village and 104 workers who commuted away. The village is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.0 workers leaving the village for every one entering.
Religion
From the , 444 or 77.9% were Roman Catholic, while 38 or 6.7% 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 8 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 1.40% of the population), and there were 8 individuals (or about 1.40% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 14 (or about 2.46% 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. 38 (or about 6.67% 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 24 individuals (or about 4.21% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Ayer about 215 or (37.7%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 57 or (10.0%) 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 57 who completed tertiary schooling, 56.1% were Swiss men, 31.6% were Swiss women.
, there were 61 students from Ayer who attended schools outside the village.