Eriswil
Encyclopedia
Eriswil is a municipality
in the Oberaargau administrative district in the Swiss
canton
of Bern.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 3.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.0%. 22.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 17.0% is used for growing crops and 46.7% is pastures, while 2.6% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in part of the Oberaargau
. It includes the village of Eriswil, the Gütergemeinden Vorder- and Hinterdorf, and the hamlets
of Neuligen and Schwendi. Schwendi joined the municipality in 1888-89 following a survey of the border with Wyssachen
.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 51.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(15.6%), the local small left-wing parties (11.7%) and the Green Party
(7.5%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25.3% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 55.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 19%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Eriswil about 66.6% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Eriswil has an unemployment rate of 0.75%. , there were 192 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 68 businesses involved in this sector. 111 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 26 businesses in this sector. 149 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 27 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 Oberaargau administrative district 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 Bern.
Geography
Eriswil has an area, , of 11.36 km² (4.4 sq mi). Of this area, 7.61 km² (2.9 sq mi) or 67.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 2.97 km² (1.1 sq mi) or 26.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.73 km² (0.281854575772551 sq mi) or 6.4% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.1% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.1% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 3.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.0%. 22.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 17.0% is used for growing crops and 46.7% is pastures, while 2.6% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in part of the Oberaargau
Oberaargau
The Oberaargau is the region that encompasses the upper watershed of the Aar River in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On the north, lie the Jura Mountains, and on the south the hills leading to the Emmental...
. It includes the village of Eriswil, the Gütergemeinden Vorder- and Hinterdorf, and the 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...
of Neuligen and Schwendi. Schwendi joined the municipality in 1888-89 following a survey of the border with Wyssachen
Wyssachen
Wyssachen is a municipality in the Oberaargau administrative district in the Swiss canton of Bern.-Geography:Wyssachen has an area of . Of this area, 70.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 22.5% is forested...
.
Demographics
Eriswil has a population (as of ) of . , 4.8% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -5.7%. Most of the population speaks German (97.5%), with Albanian being second most common ( 0.8%) and French being third ( 0.3%).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 51.6% 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....
(15.6%), the local small left-wing parties (11.7%) and 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:...
(7.5%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25.3% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 55.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 19%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Eriswil about 66.6% 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...
).
Eriswil has an unemployment rate of 0.75%. , there were 192 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 68 businesses involved in this sector. 111 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 26 businesses in this sector. 149 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 27 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1730 | 1,726 |
| 1764 | 2,092 |
| 1850 | 1,973 |
| 1900 | 2,083 |
| 1950 | 1,847 |
| 2000 | 1,439 |