Rüschegg is a 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 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....

. It is also a Swiss Reformed Church

Swiss 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...

 parish.

Geography

Rüschegg has an area of 57.4 km² (22.2 sq mi). Of this area, 41.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 49.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.9% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (6.5%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).

It includes the villages Heubach, Hirschhorn, Gambach and Graben. Rüschegg lies in the Alpenvorland at the foot of Ochsen

Ochsen

The Ochsen is a 2,188 metres high mountain in the Bernese Alps, overlooking Schwefelbergbad in the canton of Bern.This mountain will have both the joy of walkers and make-up artists.There is louigrat, the easiest path...

 (2188 m (7,178.5 ft)), Bürglen (2165 m (7,103 ft)) and Gantrisch

Gantrisch

The Gantrisch is a mountain in the north-western Bernese Alps, located between the Simmental and the Aar valley in the canton of Bern. The mountain lies near Gurnigel Pass, from where it is usually climbed. A trail leads to the summit....

 (2175 m (7,135.8 ft)), which form the southern border of the municipality.

The neighboring municipalities are Rüeggisberg

Rüeggisberg

Rüeggisberg is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Rüeggisberg has an area of . Of this area, 64.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.2% is forested...

, Rüti bei Riggisberg

Rüti bei Riggisberg

Rüti bei Riggisberg is a former municipality in the district of Seftigen in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.On January 1, 2009, the Rüti bei Riggisberg became part of the municipality of Riggisberg.-Geography:...

, Därstetten

Därstetten

Därstetten is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Därstetten has an area, , of . Of this area, or 46.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 39.9% is forested...

, Oberwil im Simmental

Oberwil im Simmental

Oberwil im Simmental is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:...

, Guggisberg

Guggisberg

Guggisberg is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the Swiss canton of Bern.-History:Guggisberg is first mentioned in 1076 as Mons Guchani. The next earliest reference to the community dates from 1148, when Guggisberg was mentioned in a document of Pope Eugene III...

 and Wahlern

Wahlern

Wahlern is a former municipality of the canton of Bern in Switzerland and seat of the Bern-Mittelland administrative district. On 1 January 2011, the former municipalities of Wahlern and Albligen merged in the new municipality of Schwarzenburg.-Geography:...

.

Demographics

Rüschegg has a population (as of ) of . , 2.6% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 1.2%. Most of the population speaks German (97.4%), with English being second most common ( 0.6%) and Albanian being third ( 0.6%).

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 47.4% 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....

 (13.6%), the FDP

Free Democratic Party of Switzerland

The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....

 (11.1%) 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:...

 (10.5%).

The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 27.2% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 55.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.1%. In Rüschegg about 70.3% 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...

).

Rüschegg has an unemployment rate of 1.96%. , there were 184 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 76 businesses involved in this sector. 57 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 19 businesses in this sector. 177 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 35 businesses in this sector.