- Oberbalm
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Oberbalm 
Country Switzerland 
Canton Bern District Bern-Mittelland 46°52′N 7°24′E / 46.867°N 7.4°ECoordinates: 46°52′N 7°24′E / 46.867°N 7.4°E Population 865 (Dec 2010)[1] - Density 70 /km2 (181 /sq mi) Area 12.40 km2 (4.79 sq mi) Elevation 821 m (2,694 ft) Postal code 3096 SFOS number 0357 Mayor Philippe Schenk Localities Borisried Surrounded by Köniz, Niedermuhlern, Rüeggisberg, Wahlern, Wald Website Oberbalm.ch
SFSO statistics
OberbalmView map of Oberbalm Oberbalm, is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
Contents
Geography
Oberbalm has an area, as of 2009[update], of 12.41 square kilometers (4.79 sq mi). Of this area, 9.18 km2 (3.54 sq mi) or 74.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 2.58 km2 (1.00 sq mi) or 20.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.57 km2 (0.22 sq mi) or 4.6% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.02 km2 (4.9 acres) or 0.2% is either rivers or lakes.[2]
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.7%. Out of the forested land, 18.2% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 21.2% is used for growing crops and 50.5% is pastures, while 2.3% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.[2]
Demographics
Oberbalm has a population (as of 31 December 2010) of 865.[1] As of 2007[update], 3.1% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 3.1%. Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (98.9%), with French being second most common ( 0.1%) and Italian being third ( 0.1%).
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP which received 56.4% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS (11.3%), the Green Party (9.6%) and the local small left-wing parties (5.7%).
The age distribution of the population (as of 2000[update]) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.5% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.7% and the seniors (over 64 years old) make up 15.8%. In Oberbalm about 69.9% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).
Oberbalm has an unemployment rate of 2.1%. As of 2005[update], there were 193 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 71 businesses involved in this sector. 53 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 9 businesses in this sector. 51 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 15 businesses in this sector.[3]
Sights
The village of Oberbalm is famous for its church, the St. Sulpitius Church which contains frescoes from 1470. Oberbalm is a place of pilgrimage.
Each summer an open-air Rock Festival (Outdoor Elch) is held on top of Balmberg Hill.
References
- ^ a b Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB, online database – Datenwürfel für Thema 01.2 - Bevölkerungsstand und -bewegung (German) accessed 29 September
- ^ a b Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics 2009 data (German) accessed 25 March 2010
- ^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 29-May-2009
Categories:- Municipalities of Bern
- Municipalities of Switzerland
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