Belfaux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Belfaux
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Belfaux village
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 Belfaux
Location in Switzerland
Belfaux
Location in Canton of Fribourg
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Fribourg | |
| District | Sarine | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 8.88 km2 (3.43 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 584 m (1,916 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 3,342 | |
| • Density | 376.35/km2 (974.7/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
1782
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| Surrounded by | Autafond, Chésopelloz, Corminboeuf, Givisiez, Grolley, La Sonnaz, Misery-Courtion | |
Belfaux is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is part of the Sarine district. Long ago, it had a German name, Gumschen, but people don't use that name anymore.
Contents
History of Belfaux
Belfaux was first mentioned in old writings way back in the 12th century. It was called Bellofago then. Later, in 1229, its name changed slightly to Bellfozen.
A big change happened on January 1, 2016. Belfaux grew bigger by joining with the nearby town of Autafond.
Belfaux's Geography
Belfaux covers an area of about 6.5 square kilometers (about 2.5 square miles). A large part of this land, about 53.4%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 31% of the area.
Around 14.6% of the land has buildings or roads on it. A very small part, about 0.5%, is made up of rivers or lakes. The town is located in the Sarine district. Belfaux includes the villages of Belfaux, Cutterwil, and Autafond.
Belfaux's Coat of Arms
The coat of arms for Belfaux shows a green beech tree with a maroon trunk and branches. It stands on three green hills. The background color of the shield is gold.
People of Belfaux (Demographics)
Belfaux has a population of about 3,300 people (as of 2023). About 20.9% of the people living here are from other countries. Over the past ten years (2000–2010), the number of people living in Belfaux grew by 18.1%.
Most people in Belfaux (about 85.4%) speak French as their main language. German is the second most common language, spoken by about 7.5% of the people.
In 2008, a little more than half of the population (50.6%) were boys and men, and 49.4% were girls and women. About 27.3% of the people were children and teenagers (under 20 years old). Adults (20–64 years old) made up 61.8% of the population, and seniors (over 64 years old) were about 10.9%.
In 2000, there were 836 homes in Belfaux. On average, about 2.6 people lived in each home.
Important Buildings and Sites
Belfaux has two very important historical sites. These are the Saint-Etienne Church and the mansion de Lanthen-Heid. Both are considered important Swiss heritage sites.
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Saint-Etienne Church
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Mansion de Lanthen-Heid
Belfaux's Economy
In 2010, the unemployment rate in Belfaux was 3.5%. This means a small number of people who wanted to work couldn't find jobs.
Belfaux has different types of jobs:
- Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming, forestry (working with trees), and fishing. In 2008, about 47 people worked in this area.
- Secondary sector: These are jobs in manufacturing (making things in factories) and construction (building things). About 170 people worked in this sector.
- Tertiary sector: This includes jobs in services, like shops, restaurants, schools, and healthcare. About 281 people worked in this sector.
Many people who live in Belfaux travel to other towns for work. In 2000, about 889 people left Belfaux to work elsewhere, while 288 people came into Belfaux for work. Most people (66.4%) used a private car to get to work, while 17% used public transportation like trains or buses.
Religion in Belfaux
According to the 2000 census, most people in Belfaux (77.1%) were Roman Catholic. About 7.3% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. There were also smaller groups of people who were Orthodox Christian or belonged to other Christian churches. About 2.26% of the population followed Islam. A small number of people were Buddhist or followed other religions. About 5.15% of the people said they had no religion or were agnostic or atheist.
Education in Belfaux
In Belfaux, many people have a good education. About 33.6% of the population have finished high school (upper secondary education). Also, about 14.8% have gone on to higher education, like university or a special technical college.
The school system in Fribourg canton works like this:
- One year of optional Kindergarten.
- Six years of Primary school.
- Three years of lower Secondary school, where students are grouped by their skills.
- After that, students can choose to go to a three or four-year upper Secondary school. This can be a gymnasium (which prepares them for university) or a vocational program (which prepares them for a specific job).
- After upper Secondary, students can go to a Tertiary school or start an apprenticeship (learning a trade on the job).
During the 2010–11 school year, 277 students attended 14 classes in Belfaux. Many students from Belfaux also went to schools in nearby towns.
Transportation in Belfaux
Belfaux has two train stations: Belfaux-Village and Belfaux CFF. These stations are on different train lines. They offer regular train services to important cities like Fribourg/Freiburg, Yverdon-les-Bains, Ins, and Neuchâtel. This makes it easy for people to travel to and from Belfaux.
See also
In Spanish: Belfaux para niños
