| Tavannes | ||||||||||
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| Population | 3,478 (Dec 2010)[1] | |||||||||
| - Density | 237 /km2 (615 /sq mi) | |||||||||
| Area | 14.76 km2 (5.70 sq mi)[2] | |||||||||
| Elevation | 754 m (2,474 ft) | |||||||||
| Postal code | 2710 | |||||||||
| SFOS number | 0713 | |||||||||
| Mayor | Jean-Pierre Aellen | |||||||||
| Localities | La Tanne | |||||||||
| Surrounded by | Saicourt, Reconvilier, La Heutte, Sonceboz-Sombeval, Corgémont, Tramelan, Mont-Tramelan | |||||||||
| Website | www.tavannes.ch SFSO statistics |
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Tavannes
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Map of Tavannes
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Tavannes 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).
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The area around Tavannes was traversed by the early inhabitants of the Helvetic plain because of the natural tunnel through the Jura between the valley of the Suze and the valley of the Birse. Under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the Romans improved this road between 161 and 169 AD. The Roman administrator left an inscription in the cliff at Pierre-Pertuis to this effect.
Early mills were built along the Birse, utilizing its water as a source of power. Tavannes was one of the earliest inhabited locations in the district. Its name comes from the Celtic word tavan, which means tree trunk.
In the fourth century, as the Roman Empire crumbled, the Burgundians moved into the area around Tavannes. In 630, a monastery was established at Moutier-Grandval, and Tavannes belonged to its possessions.
The first mention of Tavannes (or its Latin equivalent Theisvenna) dates to 866. In 999, King Rudolph III of Burgundy gave the monastery of Moutier-Grandval and all its possessions to the Bishop of Basel. At Rudolph's death, the district passed into the Holy Roman Empire, to which it belonged for 760 years.
In the spring of 1530, Guillaume Farel preached the Reformation in Tavannes and surrounding areas, with great success.
After the French Revolution, the French Republican Army invaded the district in 1792 and forcibly recruited local soldiers to its ranks. Some were enthusiastic, among them Théophile Voirol, who after rapid promotions, became a general. He later became a French noble and Governor of Algeria.
The city government was not established until after the Bishopric of Basel was dissolved in 1797.
Tavannes has an area of 14.8 km2 (5.7 sq mi). Of this area, 48.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 42.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 9.1% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.1%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).[3]
Tavannes has a population (as of 31 December 2010) of 3,478.[1] As of 2007[update], 18.3% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 7%. Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks French (84.0%), with German being second most common ( 6.0%) and Italian being third ( 3.6%).
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SPS which received 30.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (27.3%), the FDP (15.6%) and the Green Party (9.7%).
The age distribution of the population (as of 2000[update]) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 24.3% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 58.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.3%. In Tavannes about 61.5% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).
Tavannes has an unemployment rate of 3.16%. As of 2005[update], there were 64 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 22 businesses involved in this sector. 403 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 48 businesses in this sector. 603 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 115 businesses in this sector.[3]