Lens, Valais
Encyclopedia
Lens is a municipality
in the district of Sierre in the canton
of Valais
in Switzerland
.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 11.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 4.0%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 3.8%. Out of the forested land, 33.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 5.8% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.4% is used for growing crops and 11.6% is pastures, while 9.1% is used for orchards or vine crops and 15.3% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes.
The municipality is located in the Sierre district, on the right bank of the Rhone
. It consists of the villages of Lens, Chelin, Flanthey, Vaas, Saint-Clément and Valençon as well as a portion of the resort of Crans-Montana
.
It is perched on the saddle of a hill that projects out into the valley. The adjacent hilltop features a bronze statue of Christ, some 28 metres (91.9 ft) in height. The statue, and the ornate chapel in its base, can be visited on foot by following a path up through the surrounding woods. The path is marked by a series of shrines depicting the Stations of the Cross
. The platform at the top commands a spectacular view up and down the Rhone valley, from Martigny (to the west), as far as Leuk
(to the east).
of the municipal coat of arms
is Azure four Mullets of Five Or between two Keys of the same in Saltire.
Most of the population speaks French
(2,876 or 85.7%) as their first language, German
is the second most common (128 or 3.8%) and Italian
is the third (110 or 3.3%). There is 1 person who speaks Romansh.
, the population was 48.9% male and 51.1% female. The population was made up of 1,267 Swiss men (33.7% of the population) and 573 (15.2%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,396 Swiss women (37.1%) and 529 (14.1%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 1,481 or about 44.1% were born in Lens and lived there in 2000. There were 624 or 18.6% who were born in the same canton, while 290 or 8.6% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 861 or 25.6% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 21.3% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 58.6% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 20.2%.
, there were 1,235 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,716 married individuals, 248 widows or widowers and 158 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 1,406 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 483 households that consist of only one person and 87 households with five or more people. , a total of 1,301 apartments (37.6% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 2,073 apartments (59.9%) were seasonally occupied and 85 apartments (2.5%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 8.5 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 7.46%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 36.06% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(24.32%), the SVP
(18.75%) and the SP
(12.34%). In the federal election, a total of 1,416 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 64.2%.
In the 2009 Conseil d'Etat/Staatsrat
election a total of 1,287 votes were cast, of which 104 or about 8.1% were invalid. The voter participation was 59.2%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 54.67%. In the 2007 Swiss Council of States election
election a total of 1,391 votes were cast, of which 99 or about 7.1% were invalid. The voter participation was 64.1%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 59.88%.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 1,036. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 105, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 173 of which 37 or (21.4%) were in manufacturing and 136 (78.6%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 758. In the tertiary sector; 176 or 23.2% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 44 or 5.8% were in the movement and storage of goods, 146 or 19.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 6 or 0.8% were in the information industry, 37 or 4.9% were the insurance or financial industry, 71 or 9.4% were technical professionals or scientists, 65 or 8.6% were in education and 75 or 9.9% were in health care.
, there were 401 workers who commuted into the municipality and 952 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.4 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 7.2% used public transportation to get to work, and 68.9% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 58 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 1.73% of the population), there were 2 individuals (or about 0.06% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
, and there were 19 individuals (or about 0.57% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 26 individuals (or about 0.77% of the population) who were Jewish
, and 59 (or about 1.76% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There was 1 person who was Buddhist
and 1 individual who belonged to another church. 169 (or about 5.03% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 178 individuals (or about 5.30% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 480 who completed tertiary schooling, 46.3% were Swiss men, 22.7% were Swiss women, 18.5% were non-Swiss men and 12.5% were non-Swiss women.
, there were 31 students in Lens who came from another municipality, while 325 residents attended schools outside the 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...
in the district of Sierre 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 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...
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
Lens has an area, , of 13.9 square kilometre. Of this area, 5.07 square kilometre or 36.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 5.48 square kilometre or 39.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.74 square kilometre or 19.7% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.1 km² (24.7 acre) or 0.7% is either rivers or lakes and 0.46 square kilometre or 3.3% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 11.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 4.0%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 3.8%. Out of the forested land, 33.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 5.8% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.4% is used for growing crops and 11.6% is pastures, while 9.1% is used for orchards or vine crops and 15.3% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes.
The municipality is located in the Sierre district, on the right bank of the Rhone
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
. It consists of the villages of Lens, Chelin, Flanthey, Vaas, Saint-Clément and Valençon as well as a portion of the resort of Crans-Montana
Crans-Montana
Crans-Montana is a ski resort in western Switzerland, in the heart of the Swiss Alps in the canton of Valais. It is located on a plateau above Sierre at an elevation of about 1500 m above sea level, allowing good view over the Valais Alps and Weisshorn in particular...
.
It is perched on the saddle of a hill that projects out into the valley. The adjacent hilltop features a bronze statue of Christ, some 28 metres (91.9 ft) in height. The statue, and the ornate chapel in its base, can be visited on foot by following a path up through the surrounding woods. The path is marked by a series of shrines depicting the Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
. The platform at the top commands a spectacular view up and down the Rhone valley, from Martigny (to the west), as far as Leuk
Leuk
Leuk is a municipality in the district of Leuk in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.Since it controls access to the Gemmi Pass, it had some importance from the time of Roman Raetia. The Leukerbad thermal baths are just North of Leuk, towards the pass...
(to the east).
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 municipal 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 Azure four Mullets of Five Or between two Keys of the same in Saltire.
Demographics
Lens has a population of . , 28.6% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 9.8%. It has changed at a rate of 11.9% due to migration and at a rate of 0% due to births and deaths.Most of the population speaks French
French 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...
(2,876 or 85.7%) 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 (128 or 3.8%) and 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...
is the third (110 or 3.3%). There is 1 person who speaks Romansh.
, the population was 48.9% male and 51.1% female. The population was made up of 1,267 Swiss men (33.7% of the population) and 573 (15.2%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,396 Swiss women (37.1%) and 529 (14.1%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 1,481 or about 44.1% were born in Lens and lived there in 2000. There were 624 or 18.6% who were born in the same canton, while 290 or 8.6% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 861 or 25.6% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 21.3% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 58.6% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 20.2%.
, there were 1,235 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,716 married individuals, 248 widows or widowers and 158 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 1,406 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 483 households that consist of only one person and 87 households with five or more people. , a total of 1,301 apartments (37.6% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 2,073 apartments (59.9%) were seasonally occupied and 85 apartments (2.5%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 8.5 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 7.46%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Sights
The entire village of Lens is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage SitesInventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
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 36.06% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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....
(24.32%), 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...
(18.75%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(12.34%). In the federal election, a total of 1,416 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 64.2%.
In the 2009 Conseil d'Etat/Staatsrat
Conseil d'Etat (Switzerland)
In Switzerland, Conseil d'Etat is the name of the council constituting the cantonal government of French-speaking cantons. It is not to be confused with the Conseil des États which is a chamber of the Swiss parliament....
election a total of 1,287 votes were cast, of which 104 or about 8.1% were invalid. The voter participation was 59.2%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 54.67%. In the 2007 Swiss Council of States election
Swiss Council of States election, 2007
Elections were held to the Council of States of Switzerland in October and November 2007 as part of the 2007 federal election. All 46 members of the Council of States were elected from all cantons of Switzerland. The first round was held on 21 October...
election a total of 1,391 votes were cast, of which 99 or about 7.1% were invalid. The voter participation was 64.1%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 59.88%.
Economy
, Lens had an unemployment rate of 3.7%. , there were 181 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 54 businesses involved in this sector. 184 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 29 businesses in this sector. 974 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 149 businesses in this sector. There were 1,554 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 42.2% 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 1,036. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 105, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 173 of which 37 or (21.4%) were in manufacturing and 136 (78.6%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 758. In the tertiary sector; 176 or 23.2% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 44 or 5.8% were in the movement and storage of goods, 146 or 19.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 6 or 0.8% were in the information industry, 37 or 4.9% were the insurance or financial industry, 71 or 9.4% were technical professionals or scientists, 65 or 8.6% were in education and 75 or 9.9% were in health care.
, there were 401 workers who commuted into the municipality and 952 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.4 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 7.2% used public transportation to get to work, and 68.9% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 2,674 or 79.7% were Roman Catholic, while 179 or 5.3% 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 58 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 1.73% of the population), there were 2 individuals (or about 0.06% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is the Swiss member church of the Union of Utrecht, also known as Old Catholic Church, originally founded by the jansenists, with a later influx of discontented Catholics following their disappointment with the First Vatican Council. It has 14,000...
, and there were 19 individuals (or about 0.57% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 26 individuals (or about 0.77% of the population) who were Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 59 (or about 1.76% 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. There was 1 person who was Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and 1 individual who belonged to another church. 169 (or about 5.03% 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 178 individuals (or about 5.30% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Lens about 1,024 or (30.5%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 480 or (14.3%) 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 480 who completed tertiary schooling, 46.3% were Swiss men, 22.7% were Swiss women, 18.5% were non-Swiss men and 12.5% were non-Swiss women.
, there were 31 students in Lens who came from another municipality, while 325 residents attended schools outside the municipality.