Saxon, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Saxon is a municipality
, in the district of Martigny, in the canton
of Valais
, in Switzerland
.
The municipality is located in the Martigny district, along the left bank of the Rhone
. It stretches from the Pierre-à-Voir (2476 metres (8,123.4 ft)) down to the Rhone. It consists of the villages of Saxon and Gottefrey and scattered hamlets
.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Gules a trefoil branch Argent
Most of the population speaks French
(2,845 or 85.9%) as their first language, Portuguese
is the second most common (154 or 4.6%) and Albanian
is the third (112 or 3.4%). There are 56 people who speak German
, 61 people who speak Italian
and 1 person who speaks Romansh.
, the population was 49.5% male and 50.5% female. The population was made up of 1,478 Swiss men (34.1% of the population) and 669 (15.4%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,570 Swiss women (36.2%) and 621 (14.3%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 1,441 or about 43.5% were born in Saxon and lived there in 2000. There were 780 or 23.6% who were born in the same canton, while 332 or 10.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 716 or 21.6% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 23.4% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 60.2% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 16.5%.
, there were 1,284 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,602 married individuals, 219 widows or widowers and 207 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 1,359 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. There were 410 households that consist of only one person and 88 households with five or more people. , a total of 1,309 apartments (73.4% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 320 apartments (17.9%) were seasonally occupied and 155 apartments (8.7%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 21.2 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 2.97%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 24.87% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(23.97%), the CVP
(20.95%) and the SP
(14.23%). In the federal election, a total of 1,306 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 56.0%.
In the 2009 Conseil d'Etat/Staatsrat
election a total of 1,287 votes were cast, of which 96 or about 7.5% were invalid. The voter participation was 53.7%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 54.67%. In the 2007 Swiss Council of States election
election a total of 1,281 votes were cast, of which 106 or about 8.3% were invalid. The voter participation was 55.5%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 59.88%.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 966. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 137, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 220 of which 72 or (32.7%) were in manufacturing, 4 or (1.8%) were in mining and 143 (65.0%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 609. In the tertiary sector; 286 or 47.0% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 16 or 2.6% were in the movement and storage of goods, 50 or 8.2% were in a hotel or restaurant, 4 or 0.7% were in the information industry, 10 or 1.6% were the insurance or financial industry, 36 or 5.9% were technical professionals or scientists, 23 or 3.8% were in education and 123 or 20.2% were in health care.
, there were 406 workers who commuted into the municipality and 878 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.2 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 9.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 69.2% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 12 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 0.36% of the population), there were 8 individuals (or about 0.24% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
, and there were 33 individuals (or about 1.00% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish
, and 206 (or about 6.22% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 5 individuals who were Buddhist
and 3 individuals who belonged to another church. 165 (or about 4.98% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 93 individuals (or about 2.81% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 219 who completed tertiary schooling, 53.0% were Swiss men, 32.9% were Swiss women, 9.1% were non-Swiss men and 5.0% were non-Swiss women.
, there were 5 students in Saxon who came from another municipality, while 211 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Saxon is home to the Bibliothèque communale et scolaire library. The library has 11,003 books or other media, and loaned out 16,696 items in the same year. It was open a total of 132 days with average of 19 hours per week during that year.
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 Martigny, 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
Saxon has an area, , of 23.2 square kilometre. Of this area, 31.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 50.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 9.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and 8.1% is unproductive land.The municipality is located in the Martigny district, along the left 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 stretches from the Pierre-à-Voir (2476 metres (8,123.4 ft)) down to the Rhone. It consists of the villages of Saxon and Gottefrey and scattered hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
.
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 Gules a trefoil branch Argent
Demographics
Saxon has a population of . , 28.8% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010 ) the population has changed at a rate of 29.8%. It has changed at a rate of 33.9% due to migration and at a rate of 1.3% 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...
(2,845 or 85.9%) as their first language, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
is the second most common (154 or 4.6%) and Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
is the third (112 or 3.4%). There are 56 people who speak 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....
, 61 people who speak 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...
and 1 person who speaks Romansh.
, the population was 49.5% male and 50.5% female. The population was made up of 1,478 Swiss men (34.1% of the population) and 669 (15.4%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,570 Swiss women (36.2%) and 621 (14.3%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 1,441 or about 43.5% were born in Saxon and lived there in 2000. There were 780 or 23.6% who were born in the same canton, while 332 or 10.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 716 or 21.6% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 23.4% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 60.2% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 16.5%.
, there were 1,284 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,602 married individuals, 219 widows or widowers and 207 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 1,359 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. There were 410 households that consist of only one person and 88 households with five or more people. , a total of 1,309 apartments (73.4% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 320 apartments (17.9%) were seasonally occupied and 155 apartments (8.7%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 21.2 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 2.97%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
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 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....
which received 24.87% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(23.97%), 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...
(20.95%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(14.23%). In the federal election, a total of 1,306 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 56.0%.
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 96 or about 7.5% were invalid. The voter participation was 53.7%, 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 1,281 votes were cast, of which 106 or about 8.3% were invalid. The voter participation was 55.5%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 59.88%.
Economy
, Saxon had an unemployment rate of 9.7%. , there were 225 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 88 businesses involved in this sector. 229 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 41 businesses in this sector. 734 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 116 businesses in this sector. There were 1,530 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 41.4% 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 966. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 137, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 220 of which 72 or (32.7%) were in manufacturing, 4 or (1.8%) were in mining and 143 (65.0%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 609. In the tertiary sector; 286 or 47.0% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 16 or 2.6% were in the movement and storage of goods, 50 or 8.2% were in a hotel or restaurant, 4 or 0.7% were in the information industry, 10 or 1.6% were the insurance or financial industry, 36 or 5.9% were technical professionals or scientists, 23 or 3.8% were in education and 123 or 20.2% were in health care.
, there were 406 workers who commuted into the municipality and 878 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.2 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 9.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 69.2% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 2,577 or 77.8% were Roman Catholic, while 224 or 6.8% 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 12 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 0.36% of the population), there were 8 individuals (or about 0.24% 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 33 individuals (or about 1.00% 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 206 (or about 6.22% 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 were 5 individuals who were 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 3 individuals who belonged to another church. 165 (or about 4.98% 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 93 individuals (or about 2.81% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Saxon about 1,008 or (30.4%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 219 or (6.6%) 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 219 who completed tertiary schooling, 53.0% were Swiss men, 32.9% were Swiss women, 9.1% were non-Swiss men and 5.0% were non-Swiss women.
, there were 5 students in Saxon who came from another municipality, while 211 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Saxon is home to the Bibliothèque communale et scolaire library. The library has 11,003 books or other media, and loaned out 16,696 items in the same year. It was open a total of 132 days with average of 19 hours per week during that year.