Gelterfingen
Encyclopedia
Gelterfingen is a municipality
in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.0%. 22.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 39.8% is used for growing crops and 27.8% is pastures, while 1.7% 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 61.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(15%), the local small left-wing parties (8.1%) and the CSP
(4.7%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 18.4% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.2% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 20.4%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Gelterfingen about 68.4% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Gelterfingen has an unemployment rate of 1.75%. , there were 43 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 16 businesses involved in this sector. 17 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 4 businesses in this sector. 15 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 6 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 Bern-Mittelland administrative district
Bern-Mittelland (administrative district)
Bern-Mittelland District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Bern-Mittelland administrative region, and is the only district in the region...
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....
.
History
Gelterfingen is first mentioned in 1345 as Geltolfingen und die Weiler Kramburg und Eggenhorn.Geography
Gelterfingen has an area, , of 3.49 km² (1.3 sq mi). Of this area, 2.42 km² (0.934367223793935 sq mi) or 69.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.84 km² (0.324325813217729 sq mi) or 24.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.19 km² (0.0733594101325817 sq mi) or 5.4% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.02 km² (4.9 acre) or 0.6% is either rivers or lakes.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.0%. 22.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 39.8% is used for growing crops and 27.8% is pastures, while 1.7% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
Demographics
Gelterfingen has a population (as of ) of . , 4.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -12.6%. Most of the population speaks German (98.8%), with Italian being second most common (0.4%) and Portuguese being third (0.4%).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 61.5% 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%), the local small left-wing parties (8.1%) 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...
(4.7%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 18.4% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.2% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 20.4%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Gelterfingen about 68.4% 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...
).
Gelterfingen has an unemployment rate of 1.75%. , there were 43 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 16 businesses involved in this sector. 17 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 4 businesses in this sector. 15 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 6 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1764 | 174 |
| 1850 | 299 |
| 1900 | 243 |
| 1950 | 297 |
| 1960 | 273 |
| 1990 | 302 |