Bolken facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bolken
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Bolken village school house
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 Bolken
Location in Switzerland
Bolken
Location in Canton of Solothurn
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Solothurn | |
| District | Wasseramt | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.12 km2 (0.82 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 496 m (1,627 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 590 | |
| • Density | 278.3/km2 (721/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
4556
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| Surrounded by | Aeschi, Etziken, Inkwil (BE), Niederönz (BE), Subingen | |
Bolken is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Wasseramt district. It's part of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It's a quiet place with a rich history and beautiful natural surroundings.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Bolken was first mentioned in old records way back in 1429. Back then, it was known as ze Bollikon. This shows that people have lived and worked in this area for a very long time!
Where is Bolken?
Bolken covers an area of about 2.12 square kilometers (which is about 0.82 square miles). It's located in the Wasseramt district. The land here was shaped by a huge ancient glacier called the Rhone glacier, which left behind a special type of landscape called a moraine.
Bolken is right on the border with the Canton of Bern. The town itself is a haufendorf village. This means it's an old-fashioned village where the buildings are packed closely together in an unplanned way, often around a central area. Bolken is also home to the beautiful Inkwilersee (Inkwiler lake).
Land Use in Bolken
Most of Bolken's land is used for farming. About 64.6% of the area is farmland, where crops are grown and animals graze. Forests cover about 21.7% of the land, providing green spaces and homes for wildlife. The rest of the land, about 12.3%, is where buildings and roads are found. A small part, about 1.9%, is covered by rivers or lakes.
Bolken's Symbol
Every town has a special symbol, like a flag or a badge, called a coat of arms. Bolken's coat of arms is described as: Gules a Ploughshare Argent between two Mullets of Five of the last in chief. This means it has a red background (Gules). On it, there's a silver (Argent) ploughshare, which is the cutting part of a plough used for farming. Above the ploughshare, there are two silver five-pointed stars (Mullets of Five). This design likely shows the importance of farming in Bolken's history.
Who Lives in Bolken?
Bolken has a population of about 590 people. Most people in Bolken speak German, which is the main language for about 95.1% of the residents. A smaller number of people speak French or Albanian.
The population of Bolken is made up of slightly more men than women. In 2008, about 51.6% of the people were male and 48.4% were female. Most people living in Bolken are Swiss citizens.
When it comes to age, Bolken has a good mix. In 2000, about 10.6% of the population were young children (0-6 years old), and 18.8% were teenagers (7-19 years old). The largest group, about 36.8%, were adults between 25 and 44 years old.
Most households in Bolken have about 2.7 people on average. Many households are families with children, and some are single-person households.
How Bolken's Population Has Grown
The chart below shows how Bolken's population has changed over many years:
Special Places in Bolken
Bolken is home to some very old and important sites. There are prehistoric pile-dwelling settlements here. These are ancient villages built on stilts over water or wet ground. They are so important that they are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means they are recognized globally as having outstanding value to humanity!
The Inkwilersee, the lake near Bolken, has settlements from the Stone Age (Paleolithic and Neolithic) and the Bronze Age along its shore. This makes it a very special place for understanding ancient human history. It's listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
How People Work in Bolken
In Bolken, people work in different types of jobs.
- The primary sector involves jobs like farming. In 2008, about 21 people worked in this area.
- The secondary sector includes jobs in manufacturing and construction. About 7 people worked in this sector.
- The tertiary sector covers jobs in services, like hotels, restaurants, information, and education. Around 14 people worked in these kinds of jobs.
Many people who live in Bolken travel to other towns for work. About 16.2% of working people use public transportation, while 65.8% use a private car to get to their jobs.
Beliefs and Learning
Religion in Bolken
In 2000, most people in Bolken were either Roman Catholic (30.1%) or belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (48.1%). A smaller number of people belonged to other Christian churches or were Islamic. About 14.93% of the population did not belong to any church.
Education in Bolken
Education is important in Bolken. About 38.4% of the people have finished upper secondary education, which is like high school. Also, about 14.5% have gone on to higher education, either at a university or a specialized college.
See also
In Spanish: Bolken para niños
