Bernese Jura

Jura Bernois District
Arrondissement administratif Jura bernois
District

Country   Switzerland
Canton  Bern
Capital Courtelary
Area
 • Total 541 km2 (209 sq mi)
Population (December 2013)
 • Total 52,775
 • Density 98/km2 (250/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Municipalities 40

Bernese Jura (French: Jura Bernois) is the name for the French-speaking area of the Swiss canton of Bern, and from 2010 one of five administrative divisions of the canton.[1]

Comprising the three French-speaking districts in the northern part of the canton, it contains 49 municipalities with an area of 541.75 km2 (209.17 sq mi) and a population (as of December 2013) of 52,775. More than 90% of the population of the three districts speak French.

The Bernese Jura of today comprises only three out of a total of seven districts which were known as the Bernese Jura during the period of 1815–1979. Of the remaining four, three seceded as the canton of Jura in 1979, while the fourth, the Laufen district, joined the canton of Basel-Landschaft in 1994.

History

Further information: History of the canton of Bern and Jurassic separatism
Territories of the bishopric of Basel in the 16th century

Most of the territory of the Bernese Jura was passed from the County of Burgundy to the Bishopric of Basel in AD 999.

It was annexed by France during the Napoleonic period, 1798-1814. In 1814, the Congress of Vienna accorded it to the canton of Bern to compensate for the loss of the new canton of Vaud.

From 1815 to 1979, the term Bernese Jura also included the territory now forming the canton of Jura, which seceded following a national popular vote on 24 September 1978.

Its administrative capital was Biel/Bienne from 1815 to 2009. Since 2010, Biel/Bienne has been made the administrative capital of a separate district, and the administrative capital of the remaining Bernese Jura is now Courtelary.

Representation

According to the canton's constitution, one of the seven members of the Executive Council of Bern has to be a French-speaking citizen of this area. Of the 160 seats in the Grand Council of Bern, 12 seats are reserved for the Bernese Jura and an additional three seats are guaranteed for the French-speaking population of the bilingual district of Biel/Bienne.

Administrative divisions

Historically, the region was divided into three districts (2004 population estimates):

In 2010 the three districts were dissolved and merged together to form the Arrondissement administratif Jura bernois.[2]

Gorges du Pichou
Flag Name Population
(31 December 2013)[3]		 Area in km²
Belprahon 314 3.83
Champoz 157 7.17
Corcelles 212 6.77
Corgémont 1,621 17.61
Cormoret 481 13.49
Cortébert 714 14.78
Court 1,432 24.61
Courtelary 1,290 22.17
Crémines 539 9.48
Eschert 364 6.58
Grandval 362 8.23
La Ferrière 553 14.20
La Neuveville 3,611 6.81
Loveresse 321 4.72
Mont-Tramelan 113 4.64
Moutier 7,608 19.60
Nods 738 26.66
Orvin 1,201 21.59
Perrefitte 456 8.57
Péry-La Heutte 1,844 23.79
Petit-Val 411 23.85
Plateau de Diesse 2,053 25.55
Rebévelier 45 3.54
Reconvilier 2,284 8.24
Renan 854 12.63
Roches 211 9.05
Romont 195 7.03
Saicourt 609 13.76
Saint-Imier 4,949 20.89
Sauge 772 13.44
Saules 156 4.28
Schelten 40 5.57
Seehof 69 8.41
Sonceboz-Sombeval 1,849 15.00
Sonvilier 1,246 23.79
Sorvilier 255 6.89
Tavannes 3,563 14.78
Tramelan 4,419 24.83
Valbirse 3,919 18.67
Villeret 923 16.23
Total (46) 52,775 541.75

Mergers

See also

References

  1. ↑ Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz, Mutationsmeldungen 2009 / Répertoire officiel des communes de Suisse, Mutations 2009 / Elenco ufficiale dei Comuni della Svizzera, Mutazione 2009 (Report). Federal Statistical Office. 2009. 2776. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz (German) accessed 4 April 2011
  3. ↑ Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB, online database – Datenwürfel für Thema 01.2 - Bevölkerungsstand und -bewegung (German) accessed 18 August 2014

External links

Coordinates: 47°10′29″N 7°18′21″E / 47.17472°N 7.30583°E