Léchelles
Encyclopedia
Léchelles is a municipality
in the district of Broye
, in the canton of Fribourg
, Switzerland
. On 1 September 1994 the former municipality of Chandon
merged into the municipality of Léchelles, keeping the name Léchelles.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 3.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.7%. Out of the forested land, 36.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 27.9% is used for growing crops and 26.2% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is located in the Broye district, between Fribourg
and Payerne
. It consists of the linear village
of Léchelles and the village of Chandon.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Azure a Bend wavy Argent between two Mullets of the same. The coat of arms is new from the 1994 merger. The wavy stripe comes from the coat of arms of Chandon, while the two stars represent the two municipalities.
Most of the population speaks French
(457 or 90.9%) as their first language, German
is the second most common (41 or 8.2%) and English
is the third (3 or 0.6%). There is 1 person who speaks Italian
.
, the population was 50.1% male and 49.9% female. The population was made up of 266 Swiss men (44.3% of the population) and 35 (5.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 266 Swiss women (44.3%) and 34 (5.7%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 201 or about 40.0% were born in Léchelles and lived there in 2000. There were 177 or 35.2% who were born in the same canton, while 86 or 17.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 26 or 5.2% were born outside of Switzerland.
The age distribution, , in Léchelles is; 75 children or 14.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 58 teenagers or 11.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 69 people or 13.7% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 77 people or 15.3% are between 30 and 39, 69 people or 13.7% are between 40 and 49, and 62 people or 12.3% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 44 people or 8.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 31 people or 6.2% are between 70 and 79, there are 17 people or 3.4% who are between 80 and 89, and there is 1 person who is 90 and older.
, there were 222 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 242 married individuals, 22 widows or widowers and 17 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 194 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.5 persons per household. There were 60 households that consist of only one person and 18 households with five or more people. , a total of 188 apartments (90.8% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 13 apartments (6.3%) were seasonally occupied and 6 apartments (2.9%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.3 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.38%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
De Gottrau is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance
.
the most popular party was the SP
which received 37.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(21.1%), the SVP
(18.0%) and the FDP
(8.4%).
The SPS gained an additional 8.6% of the vote from the 2007 Federal election
(28.9% in 2007 vs 37.5% in 2011). The CVP lost popularity (26.6% in 2007), the SVP retained about the same popularity (18.2% in 2007) and the FDP moved from below fourth place in 2007 to fourth. A total of 202 votes were cast in this election, of which 2 or 1.0% were invalid.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 80. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 28, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 10 of which 5 were in manufacturing and 5 were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 42. In the tertiary sector; 28 or 66.7% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 5 or 11.9% were in a hotel or restaurant, 1 was a technical professional or scientist, 5 or 11.9% were in education.
, there were 23 workers who commuted into the municipality and 195 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 8.5 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 16.4% used public transportation to get to work, and 66% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 2 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 0.40% of the population), and there were 26 individuals (or about 5.17% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish
, and 2 (or about 0.40% of the population) who were Islam
ic. 31 (or about 6.16% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 20 individuals (or about 3.98% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 50 who completed tertiary schooling, 66.0% were Swiss men, 28.0% were Swiss women.
The Canton of Fribourg school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten
, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend a three or four year optional upper Secondary school. The upper Secondary school is divided into gymnasium
(university preparatory) and vocational programs. After they finish the upper Secondary program, students may choose to attend a Tertiary school or continue their apprenticeship
.
During the 2010-11 school year, there were a total of 59 students attending 3 classes in Léchelles. A total of 103 students from the municipality attended any school, either in the municipality or outside of it. There was one kindergarten class with a total of 19 students in the municipality. The municipality had 2 primary classes and 40 students. During the same year, there were no lower secondary classes in the municipality, but 24 students attended lower secondary school in a neighboring municipality. There were no upper Secondary classes or vocational classes, but there was one upper Secondary student and 26 upper Secondary vocational students who attended classes in another municipality. The municipality had no non-university Tertiary classes, but there was one non-university Tertiary student and 5 specialized Tertiary students who attended classes in another municipality.
, there were 28 students in Léchelles who came from another municipality, while 58 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 Broye
Broye (district)
Broye District is a one of the seven districts of the Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland, lying in the vicinity of Lake Neuchâtel. Its territory is non-contiguous and Broye is fragmented into four parts, three of which exist as exclaves from the canton of Fribourg...
, in the canton of Fribourg
Canton of Fribourg
The Canton of Fribourg is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the west of the country. The capital of the canton is Fribourg. The name Fribourg is French, whereas is the German name for both the canton and the town.-History:...
, 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....
. On 1 September 1994 the former municipality of Chandon
Chandon (Fribourg)
Chandon was a former commune in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. On January 1, 1994, it merged with Léchelles to form Léchelles....
merged into the municipality of Léchelles, keeping the name Léchelles.
History
Léchelles is first mentioned in 1243 as Leschieres. The municipality was formerly known by its German name Leitern, however, that name is no longer used.Geography
Léchelles has an area, , of 8.8 square kilometre. Of this area, 4.82 square kilometre or 55.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 3.32 square kilometre or 37.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.58 square kilometre or 6.6% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.03 km² (7.4 acre) or 0.3% is either rivers or lakes.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 3.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.7%. Out of the forested land, 36.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 27.9% is used for growing crops and 26.2% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is located in the Broye district, between Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
and Payerne
Payerne
Payerne is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It was the seat of the district of Payerne, and is now part of the district of Broye-Vully....
. It consists of the linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
of Léchelles and the village of Chandon.
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 a Bend wavy Argent between two Mullets of the same. The coat of arms is new from the 1994 merger. The wavy stripe comes from the coat of arms of Chandon, while the two stars represent the two municipalities.
Demographics
Léchelles has a population of . , 10.3% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 16%. Migration accounted for 11.6%, while births and deaths accounted for 4.2%.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...
(457 or 90.9%) 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 (41 or 8.2%) and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is the third (3 or 0.6%). There is 1 person who speaks 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...
.
, the population was 50.1% male and 49.9% female. The population was made up of 266 Swiss men (44.3% of the population) and 35 (5.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 266 Swiss women (44.3%) and 34 (5.7%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 201 or about 40.0% were born in Léchelles and lived there in 2000. There were 177 or 35.2% who were born in the same canton, while 86 or 17.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 26 or 5.2% were born outside of Switzerland.
The age distribution, , in Léchelles is; 75 children or 14.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 58 teenagers or 11.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 69 people or 13.7% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 77 people or 15.3% are between 30 and 39, 69 people or 13.7% are between 40 and 49, and 62 people or 12.3% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 44 people or 8.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 31 people or 6.2% are between 70 and 79, there are 17 people or 3.4% who are between 80 and 89, and there is 1 person who is 90 and older.
, there were 222 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 242 married individuals, 22 widows or widowers and 17 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 194 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.5 persons per household. There were 60 households that consist of only one person and 18 households with five or more people. , a total of 188 apartments (90.8% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 13 apartments (6.3%) were seasonally occupied and 6 apartments (2.9%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.3 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.38%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
The MansionMansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
De Gottrau is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
Politics
In the 2011 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2011
Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 23 October 2011.All of the Federal Assembly were to be elected: all 200 seats in the National Council and all 46 seats in the Council of States....
the most popular party was the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
which received 37.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(21.1%), 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...
(18.0%) and 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....
(8.4%).
The SPS gained an additional 8.6% of the vote from the 2007 Federal election
Swiss 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...
(28.9% in 2007 vs 37.5% in 2011). The CVP lost popularity (26.6% in 2007), the SVP retained about the same popularity (18.2% in 2007) and the FDP moved from below fourth place in 2007 to fourth. A total of 202 votes were cast in this election, of which 2 or 1.0% were invalid.
Economy
, Léchelles had an unemployment rate of 2.3%. , there were 41 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 18 businesses involved in this sector. 12 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 5 businesses in this sector. 48 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 9 businesses in this sector. There were 250 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 44.0% 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 80. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 28, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 10 of which 5 were in manufacturing and 5 were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 42. In the tertiary sector; 28 or 66.7% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 5 or 11.9% were in a hotel or restaurant, 1 was a technical professional or scientist, 5 or 11.9% were in education.
, there were 23 workers who commuted into the municipality and 195 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 8.5 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 16.4% used public transportation to get to work, and 66% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 380 or 75.5% were Roman Catholic, while 54 or 10.7% 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 2 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 0.40% of the population), and there were 26 individuals (or about 5.17% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 2 (or about 0.40% 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. 31 (or about 6.16% 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 20 individuals (or about 3.98% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Léchelles about 164 or (32.6%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 50 or (9.9%) 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 50 who completed tertiary schooling, 66.0% were Swiss men, 28.0% were Swiss women.
The Canton of Fribourg school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend a three or four year optional upper Secondary school. The upper Secondary school is divided into gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
(university preparatory) and vocational programs. After they finish the upper Secondary program, students may choose to attend a Tertiary school or continue their apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
.
During the 2010-11 school year, there were a total of 59 students attending 3 classes in Léchelles. A total of 103 students from the municipality attended any school, either in the municipality or outside of it. There was one kindergarten class with a total of 19 students in the municipality. The municipality had 2 primary classes and 40 students. During the same year, there were no lower secondary classes in the municipality, but 24 students attended lower secondary school in a neighboring municipality. There were no upper Secondary classes or vocational classes, but there was one upper Secondary student and 26 upper Secondary vocational students who attended classes in another municipality. The municipality had no non-university Tertiary classes, but there was one non-university Tertiary student and 5 specialized Tertiary students who attended classes in another municipality.
, there were 28 students in Léchelles who came from another municipality, while 58 residents attended schools outside the municipality.