Wartau

Wartau

Coat of arms
Wartau
Coordinates: 47°5′N 9°29′E / 47.083°N 9.483°ECoordinates: 47°5′N 9°29′E / 47.083°N 9.483°E
Country Switzerland
Canton St. Gallen
District Werdenberg
Government
 • Mayor Beat Tinner
Area[1]
 • Total 41.73 km2 (16.11 sq mi)
Elevation 468 m (1,535 ft)
Population (Dec 2013[2])
 • Total 5,220
 • Density 130/km2 (320/sq mi)
Postal code 9476-9479
SFOS number 3276
Surrounded by Balzers (LI), Flums, Mels, Sargans, Sevelen, Triesen (LI), Walenstadt
Website www.wartau.ch
SFSO statistics

Wartau is a municipality in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of Werdenberg in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Geography

Wartau Castle

Wartau has an area, as of 2006, of 41.8 km2 (16.1 sq mi). Of this area, 47.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 37.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 6.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (9.5%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes).[3]

It includes the villages of Wartau, Azmoos and Oberschan and the hamlets of Fontnas and Gretschins. Trübbach, known as the residence of Martina Hingis, is a village of Wartau.

Coat of arms

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules a Vine Stump Vert leaved issuant from Coupeaux of the same and in chief a Mullet Or[4]

Demographics

Wartau has a population (as of 31 December 2013) of 5,220.[2] As of 2007, about 23.3% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Of the foreign population, (as of 2000), 84 are from Germany, 176 are from Italy, 424 are from ex-Yugoslavia, 53 are from Austria, 25 are from Turkey, and 155 are from another country.[5] Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 6.7%. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (88.5%), with Albanian being second most common ( 3.2%) and Italian being third ( 2.9%).[3] Of the Swiss national languages (as of 2000), 4,161 speak German, 9 people speak French, 135 people speak Italian, and 11 people speak Romansh.[6]

The age distribution, as of 2000, in Wartau is; 637 children or 13.5% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 666 teenagers or 14.2% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 565 people or 12.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 762 people or 16.2% are between 30 and 39, 731 people or 15.5% are between 40 and 49, and 561 people or 11.9% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 358 people or 7.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 283 people or 6.0% are between 70 and 79, there are 119 people or 2.5% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 22 people or 0.5% who are between 90 and 99.[6]

In 2000 there were 530 persons (or 11.3% of the population) who were living alone in a private dwelling. There were 976 (or 20.7%) persons who were part of a couple (married or otherwise committed) without children, and 2,775 (or 59.0%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 269 (or 5.7%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 46 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 26 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 14 who lived household made up of unrelated persons, and 68 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing.[6]

In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 42.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP (23.2%), the SP (15.7%) and the CVP (7.3%).[3]

In Wartau about 70.2% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).[3] Out of the total population in Wartau, as of 2000, the highest education level completed by 991 people (21.1% of the population) was Primary, while 1,759 (37.4%) have completed their secondary education, 440 (9.4%) have attended a Tertiary school, and 232 (4.9%) are not in school. The remainder did not answer this question.[6]

Heritage sites of national significance

The prehistoric settlement and sacrifice site at Gretschins-Herrenfeld and Ochsenberg, as well as the nearby medieval castle ruins and the Walser Rathaus (Town Council house) auf Palfries are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance.[7]

The villages of Azmoos and Oberschan as well as the hamlets of Fontnas and Gretschins are designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.[8]

Economy

As of 2007, Wartau had an unemployment rate of 1.46%. As of 2005, there were 174 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 57 businesses involved in this sector. 933 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 45 businesses in this sector. 720 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 159 businesses in this sector.[3]

As of October 2009 the average unemployment rate was 2.7%.[9] There were 253 businesses in the municipality of which 49 were involved in the secondary sector of the economy while 151 were involved in the third.[10]

As of 2000 there were 1,017 residents who worked in the municipality, while 1,407 residents worked outside Wartau and 926 people commuted into the municipality for work.[11]

Religion

From the 2000 census, 42% are Roman Catholic, while 2,350 or 37..89% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there are 75 individuals (or about 1.59% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 55 individuals (or about 1.17% of the population) who belong to another Christian church., and 367 (or about 7.80% of the population) who are Islamic. There are 55 individuals (or about 1.17% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 261 (or about 5.55% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 133 individuals (or about 2.83% of the population) did not answer the question.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeindedaten nach 4 Hauptbereichen
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Swiss Federal Statistics Office – STAT-TAB Ständige und Nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Region, Geschlecht, Nationalität und Alter (German) accessed 18 August 2014
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 19-January-2010
  4. ↑ Flags of the World.com accessed 19-January-2010
  5. ↑ Der Kanton St. Gallen und seine Menschen in Zahlen - Ausgabe 2009 (German) accessed 30 December 2009
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Canton St. Gallen Statistics-Hauptergebnisse der Volkszählung 2000: Regionen- und Gemeindevergleich-Personen (German) accessed 30 December 2009
  7. ↑ Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance 21.11.2008 version, (German) accessed 19-Jan-2010
  8. ↑ ISOS site accessed 19-Jan-2010
  9. ↑ St Gallen Canton statistics-Unemployment (German) accessed 30 December 2009
  10. ↑ St Gallen Canton statistics-Businesses (German) accessed 31 December 2009
  11. ↑ St Gallen Canton statistics-Commuters (German) accessed 31 December 2009

External links

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