Saanen
Encyclopedia
Saanen is a municipality
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
. It is the capital of the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district
.
The villages Gstaad
, Abländschen, Bissen
, Ebnit, Gruben, Grund
, Kalberhöni, Saanen, Saanenmöser, Schönried, and Turbach are part of the municipality.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 54.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(17.1%), the SPS
(8%) and the local small left-wing parties (6.2%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 24.3% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.3% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 15.4%. In Saanen about 65.1% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Saanen has an unemployment rate of 1.95%. , there were 520 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 215 businesses involved in this sector. 1162 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 114 businesses in this sector. 3118 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 391 businesses in this sector.
boarding school
and summer camp
located in Saanen. Originally, called Kinderheim Chalet Pfrundacker, the school later became known as John F. Kennedy International School. Founded in 1949 by Fred Sicking and his wife, the school is an accredited
institution, with 75 boarding and day students, whose ages range from 5 to 14. It is an English language
school and offers daily ski
instruction in the Swiss Alps
. JFK School has a student-teacher ratio of 3 to 1.
, Germany
(1991) Cannes
, France
Ordino/La Massana
, Andorra
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 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 the capital of the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district
Obersimmental-Saanen (administrative district)
Obersimmental-Saanen District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Oberland administrative region. It contains 7 municipalities with an area of and a population of 16,784....
.
Geography
Saanen has an area of 119.7 km² (46.2 sq mi). Of this area, 52.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 33.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 4.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (9.4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).The villages Gstaad
Gstaad
Gstaad is a village in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Berne in southwestern Switzerland. Part of the municipality of Saanen, Gstaad is known as one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the world....
, Abländschen, Bissen
Bissen
Bissen is a commune and town in central Luxembourg, in the canton of Mersch. It is situated on the river Attert., the town of Bissen, which lies in the east of the commune, has a population of 2,871. Bissen is home to a steel factory, operated by Arcelor, the world's second-largest steel...
, Ebnit, Gruben, Grund
Grund
Grund can refer to:* Grund , a producer of haircare products* Bad Grund, a town in Lower Saxony, Germany* Bad Grund , a Samtgemeinde in Lower Saxony, Germany* Saas-Grund, a town in Valais, Switzerland...
, Kalberhöni, Saanen, Saanenmöser, Schönried, and Turbach are part of the municipality.
Demographics
Saanen has a population (as of ) of . , 23.7% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -1.3%. Most of the population speaks German (82.1%), with French being second most common (3.6%) and Portuguese being third (3.5%).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 54.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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....
(17.1%), the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(8%) and the local small left-wing parties (6.2%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 24.3% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.3% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 15.4%. In Saanen about 65.1% 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...
).
Saanen has an unemployment rate of 1.95%. , there were 520 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 215 businesses involved in this sector. 1162 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 114 businesses in this sector. 3118 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 391 businesses in this sector.
John F. Kennedy International School
John F. Kennedy International School is a privatePrivate school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
and summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
located in Saanen. Originally, called Kinderheim Chalet Pfrundacker, the school later became known as John F. Kennedy International School. Founded in 1949 by Fred Sicking and his wife, the school is an accredited
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
institution, with 75 boarding and day students, whose ages range from 5 to 14. It is an English language
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...
school and offers daily ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
instruction in the Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
. JFK School has a student-teacher ratio of 3 to 1.
Twin towns—Sister cities
Saanen is twinned with: DarmstadtDarmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(1991) Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Ordino/La Massana
La Massana
La Massana is one of the seven parishes of the Principality of Andorra. It is located in the northwest of the country. . La Massana is also the name of the main town of the parish. The name Massana derives from the Latin name mattianam for a variety of apple.The parish is extremely mountainous and...
, Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...