| Roches | ||||||||||
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| Population | 217 (Dec 2010)[1] | |||||||||
| - Density | 24 /km2 (63 /sq mi) | |||||||||
| Area | 9.06 km2 (3.50 sq mi)[2] | |||||||||
| Elevation | 491 m (1,611 ft) | |||||||||
| Postal code | 2762 | |||||||||
| SFOS number | 0704 | |||||||||
| Surrounded by | Moutier, Belprahon, Grandval, Rebeuvelier (JU), Courrendlin (JU), Vellerat (JU), Châtillon (JU) | |||||||||
| Website | Roches.ch SFSO statistics |
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Roches
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Map of Roches
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Roches is a municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking Bernese Jura (Jura Bernois).
Roches has an area of 9.1 km2 (3.5 sq mi). Of this area, 24.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 71.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 3.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.6%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).[3]
Roches has a population (as of 31 December 2010) of 217.[1] As of 2007[update], 5.7% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -3.4%. Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks French (81.8%), with German being second most common (15.1%) and Italian being third ( 1.3%).
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SPS which received 41.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (28.8%), the local small left-wing parties (11.3%) and the Green Party (6.7%).
The age distribution of the population (as of 2000[update]) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 22.7% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.9% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 16.4%. In Roches about 52.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).
Roches has an unemployment rate of 2.44%. As of 2005[update], there were 19 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 7 businesses involved in this sector. 16 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 17 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 6 businesses in this sector.[3]