Surselva District

Surselva District District Surselva Bezirk Surselva
—  District  —
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Graubünden
Capital	Ilanz
Area
– Total	1,373.54 km2 (530.3 sq mi)
Population (2009)
– Total	21,915
– Density	16/km2 (41.3/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Municipalities	42

The view over the Rhine Valley from Obersaxen

Surselva District is an administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has an area of 1,373.39 km² (530.27 sq mi) and has a population of 21,915 (as of 31 December 2009).^[1]

The Surselva encompasses the valley of the Vorderrhein and all its side valleys, from the source near the Oberalppass all the way down towards Reichenau (where the Vorderrhein joins the Hinterrhein to form the then only Rhine called river). The district ends before that confluence at the huge forest on the giant debris of Flims Rockslide that is responsible for the name of the region: The debris area lack of water and soil and were ever left as a big forest as it was useless for farming. This forest (romonsch: selva) is the border for "Sur-selva" (meaning "above the forest"). The Surselva is one of the few areas in Switzerland that is mainly Romansh-speaking (another notable valley being the Engadin, the valley of the Inn). There are a few German-speaking communities in the Surselva, two notable ones being Obersaxen and Vals, which were founded in the thirteenth century by the Walser.

Sub division: Kreis

It consists of five Kreise (sub-districts) and forty-three municipalities:

Disentis sub-district
Municipality	Population (31 December 2009)[1]	Area (km²)
Breil/Brigels	1,277	50.84
Disentis/Mustér	2,121	91.08
Medel (Lucmagn)	451	136.20
Schlans	88	8.83
Sumvitg	1,310	101.83
Trun	1,173	43.03
Tujetsch	1,791	133.92

Ilanz sub-district
Municipality	Population (31 December 2009)[1]	Area (km²)
Castrisch	409	7.18
Falera	577	22.35
Ilanz	2,338	4.50
Laax	1,336	31.68
Ladir	109	7.21
Luven	205	6.83
Mundaun	311	8.59
Pitasch	107	10.81
Riein	66	15.82
Ruschein	360	12.54
Sagogn	661	6.95
Schluein	486	4.81
Schnaus	132	2.99
Sevgein	211	4.60
Valendas	292	22.79
Versam	242	16.77

Lumnezia/Lugnez sub-district
Municipality	Population (31 December 2009)[1]	Area (km²)
Cumbel	249	4.45
Degen	249	6.74
Duvin	88	17.91
Lumbrein	380	37.83
Morissen	242	5.69
St. Martin	36	22.93
Suraua	252	24.20
Vals	1,047	152.58
Vella	434	7.91
Vignogn	178	7.38
Vrin	246	71.23

Ruis sub-district
Municipality	Population (31 December 2009)[1]	Area (km²)
Andiast	228	13.63
Obersaxen	812	61.54
Pigniu	31	17.98
Rueun	416	11.58
Siat	181	13.48
Waltensburg/Vuorz	374	32.32

Safien sub-district (Safien valley)
Municipality	Population (31 December 2009)[1]	Area (km²)
Safien	314	100.58
Tenna	105	11.28

Languages

Romansh is the predominant language in the district, most of which speak the Sursilvan dialect. There is a large German-speaking minority in Surselva, notably the Walser settlements of Obersaxen and Vals. However, the percentage of Romansh-speakers is on the decline. Traditional Romansh-speaking cities such as Ilanz are losing ground to German.

Languages of Surselva District, GR
Languages	Census 2000
	Number	Percent
German	7,335	34.5 %
Romansh	12,606	59.4 %
Italian	289	1.4 %
TOTAL	21,231	100 %

A long distance hike is signposted to follow the main Vorderrhein River through the whole of the district^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Swiss Federal Statistical Office, MS Excel document – Bilanz der ständigen Wohnbevölkerung nach Kantonen, Bezirken und Gemeinden (German) accessed 25 August 2010
2. ^ Hiking Surselva, Switzerland on official tourism board