Bilten facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bilten
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Bilten Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Bilten Location in Canton of Glarus Show map of Canton of Glarus
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Glarus
District	n.a.
Area
• Total	15.86 km2 (6.12 sq mi)
Elevation	420 m (1,380 ft)
Population  (December 2020)
• Total	2,001
• Density	126.17/km2 (326.77/sq mi)
Postal code	8865
Surrounded by	Benken (SG), Niederurnen, Reichenburg (SZ), Schänis (SG), Schübelbach (SZ)

Bilten was once a municipality in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Since January 1, 2011, Bilten has become part of a larger municipality called Glarus Nord. It's a place with a long history and interesting facts about its people and land.

The beautiful Church of Bilten.

The "Miltsches Ritterhaus" is a famous building in Bilten.

A Look Back: Bilten's History

Bilten is a very old place. We know it was first mentioned way back in the year 1050. Back then, it was called Billitun.

Where is Bilten?

An aerial view of Bilten from 1925.

Bilten covers an area of about 15.9 square kilometers (about 6.1 square miles). A big part of this land, almost 38%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 50% of the area. About 8% of the land has buildings or roads. The rest, about 4%, is made up of rivers or mountains.

Bilten was the northernmost town in its canton. It is located near the southern end of the Linth river. The town itself is a long village with different parts. These include Oberbilten, Unterbilten, and Rufi. There is also a small village called Ussbühl right on the border with the Canton of Schwyz.

Who Lives in Bilten?

In 2010, Bilten had a population of 2,001 people. About 29% of the people living there were from other countries in 2007. Over the past 10 years, the number of people living in Bilten has grown by about 6.7%.

Most people in Bilten speak German, about 79%. Serbo-Croatian is the second most common language, spoken by about 5.5% of the people. Italian is the third most common language, spoken by about 3.9%.

In the 2007 national election, the most popular political party was the SVP. They received about 47% of the votes. The SPS was also popular, getting about 44% of the votes.

Many adults in Bilten have a good education. About 55% of people aged 25-64 have finished high school or gone on to higher education. This includes university or a special college called a Fachhochschule.

Bilten also has a low unemployment rate, which means most people who want to work can find jobs. In 2005, many people worked in farming. Others worked in manufacturing or service jobs like shops and offices.

Here is how the population of Bilten has changed over the years:

Getting Around Bilten

Bilten is easy to reach by car. It is located right on the A3 motorway. This is a major highway in Switzerland.

The Bilten railway station is also a convenient way to travel. It is a stop on the Zurich S-Bahn service S2. You can take a train from Bilten to places like Zürich Hauptbahnhof and Zürich Airport.