Evolène facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Evolène
Coat of arms
Evolène Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Evolène Location in Canton of Valais Show map of Canton of Valais
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Valais
District	Hérens
Area
• Total	209.83 km2 (81.02 sq mi)
Elevation	1,371 m (4,498 ft)
Highest elevation (Dent Blanche)	4,357 m (14,295 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	1,647
• Density	7.8492/km2 (20.329/sq mi)
Postal code	1983
Localities	Evolène, Arolla, Ferpècle, La Forclaz, La Gouille, Les Haudères, Lannaz, La Sage, La Tour, Villa
Surrounded by	Ayer, Bagnes, Bionaz (IT-AO), Grimentz, Hérémence, Saint-Martin, Zermatt
Twin towns	Châtelaillon-Plage (France)

Evolène is a small town, also called a municipality, in the Valais region of Switzerland. It is located in the Hérens district.

The municipality includes several villages. These are Evolène, Les Haudères, La Sage, Villa, La Forclaz, and Arolla. It also has smaller settlements like Lannaz and La Tour, and the valley of Ferpècle.

History of Evolène

Maison d’habitation in Les Haudères, a historic building.

Evolène has a long history. Ancient rock carvings at Alpage De Cotter show people lived here a very long time ago. The Maison d’habitation in Les Haudères is another important historic site. Both are recognized as important Swiss heritage sites.

The town was first mentioned in records around 1250. It was called Ewelina back then. Later, in 1444, it was known as in loco de Evolena.

In 1882, the larger Hérens municipality was divided. This created Evolène and Saint-Martin as separate towns.

The town's official symbol, its blazon or coat of arms, shows a mountain. It has two stars and a flying bird above it, all in gold, on a blue background with a green base.

The 1999 Avalanches

On February 21, 1999, Evolène experienced a series of powerful avalanches. These events caused significant damage and sadness. A huge amount of snow had fallen in the Alps during that winter.

By late January and February, the snow was very deep. It stayed stable for a while because the temperature was steady. However, things changed on February 18. The weather forecast predicted warmer temperatures. Between Thursday night and Friday morning, the temperature rose by 5 degrees Celsius. This quick warming made the old and new snow layers mix. This increased the risk of avalanches to level 3 (out of 5).

On Saturday, February 20, the danger level went up to 4. This was because 20 to 30 centimeters (7.9 to 11.8 in) of fresh snow fell. This new snow could easily slide off the older layers. The temperature stayed steady until Sunday, February 21. Then, around midday, it rose quickly due to the sun.

At 8:27 pm, two avalanches started above Villa. They were at an altitude of about 2,600 m (8,500 ft). These avalanches were a mix of fresh powder and older, spring snow. They destroyed trees and chalets in their path. The two avalanches joined together into one massive flow of snow and debris. It reached up to 15 m (49 ft) high. The snow stopped about 1,000 m (3,300 ft) down the slope. It blocked the main road between Evolène and Les Haudères.

Geography of Evolène

The beautiful Val d'Hérens valley.

Evolène is a large municipality in terms of land area. As of 2011, it covers about 210 square kilometers (81 sq mi). A small part, 17.7%, is used for farming. About 12.0% is covered by forests. Only 0.9% has buildings or roads. The largest part, 69.3%, is unproductive land like mountains.

The municipality is located in the Pennine Alps, south of Sion. It is part of the Val d'Hérens valley. Evolène is one of the biggest municipalities in Switzerland by area. This is because it includes a lot of rugged mountain land. The highest point in the area is Dent Blanche, a mountain that stands at 4,357 m (14,295 ft).

Because of its mountain location, Evolène faces natural challenges. These include avalanches and strong erosion from its main river. The river's power comes from three melting glaciers nearby.

The main village, Evolène, is built on a plateau above the river. This helps protect it from floods. A surrounding forest also shields it from avalanches. Thanks to this safe location, Evolène grew to be the largest village in the municipality.

Other villages in the area include Arolla, Les Haudères, La Sage, La Forclaz, and Villa. These villages do not have the same natural protection as Evolène. So, they are smaller and face more risks. Les Haudères is close to Evolène, at the end of the Val d'Hérens. Villa and La Sage are about 300 meters (980 ft) higher than Evolène. They face south, getting lots of sunlight. They are also near large Swiss mountain meadows. These meadows stretch up to 2,700 meters (8,900 ft) high.

The villages of Evolène and Les Haudères, and the small settlement of Lana, are listed as Swiss Heritage Sites.

Climate in Evolène

People of Evolène (Demographics)

The downtown area of Evolène.

A view of Evolène from above.

Evolène has a population of about 1,647 people as of as of December 2020^[update]. In 2008, about 7.7% of the people living there were from other countries. Over the past 10 years (1999–2009), the population grew by 5.5%. This growth was partly due to people moving in and partly from births.

Most people in Evolène speak French. In 2000, about 96.6% of the population spoke French as their main language. Portuguese was the second most common, spoken by 1.3% of people. German was third, spoken by 0.9%. A small number of people also spoke Italian.

In 2008, the population was almost evenly split between males and females. About 49.1% were male and 50.9% were female. Most residents were Swiss citizens.

Many people in Evolène were born there. In 2000, about 75.8% of the population were born in Evolène. Another 7.3% were born in the same region (canton). About 6.4% were born elsewhere in Switzerland, and 8.0% were born outside Switzerland.

The age groups in Evolène (as of 2000) are:

• Children and teenagers (0–19 years old): 24.4%
• Adults (20–64 years old): 59.7%
• Seniors (over 64 years old): 15.9%

In 2000, there were 579 private homes in Evolène. On average, there were 2.6 people living in each home. About 25.6% of homes had only one person. There were also 52 homes with five or more people.

Language and Culture

Evolène is special because it is one of the few places in French-speaking Switzerland where people still use a language called Arpitan. This language is also known as "Franco-Provençal." Evolène is considered the last strong place for the Arpitan language in Switzerland. However, children learn French in school. So, only about a third of children regularly speak Arpitan among themselves.

Religion in Evolène

According to the 2000 census, most people in Evolène are Roman Catholic. About 90.6% of the population identified as Catholic. A smaller group, 2.6%, belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. A few people belonged to other Christian churches or other religions. About 3.48% of the population did not follow any religion.

Education in Evolène

Education is important in Evolène. About 30.9% of the people have finished upper secondary education. This is schooling that is not required but helps prepare for higher studies. About 7.6% of the population has gone on to higher education. This includes attending a university or a specialized college (Fachhochschule).

In 2000, 118 students from Evolène went to schools outside the municipality.

Events and Activities

The lively Carnaval celebration in Evolène.

Evolène is a great place for people who love nature. It is also popular for winter sports like skiing. Many writers and artists enjoy visiting because of its peaceful surroundings.

A unique event in Evolène is the traditional annual cow fights. These friendly competitions happen around early May each year. They celebrate the cows being released from their winter shelters. The events are shared between Evolène, Les Haudères, and La Sage.

Economy of Evolène

Evolène's economy involves different types of jobs. In 2010, the unemployment rate was 3.2%.

In 2008, many people worked in the primary economic sector. This includes farming and forestry. There were 179 people working in this sector, with about 80 businesses.

The secondary sector includes manufacturing and construction. In 2008, 99 people worked in this sector, with 23 businesses. About 51.6% of these jobs were in construction.

The largest number of jobs were in the tertiary sector. This sector includes services like sales, hotels, and healthcare. In 2008, 287 people worked here, with 91 businesses. Many jobs were in hotels and restaurants (41.2%). Others were in sales, transportation, or healthcare.

In 2000, most people who worked in Evolène also lived there. However, 238 workers traveled outside the municipality for their jobs. This means more people leave Evolène for work than come into it. About 6.4% of workers used public transportation. Most, 61.3%, used a private car to get to work.

Twin Town

Evolène has a special connection with another town. It is twinned with Châtelaillon-Plage, a town in France.

Images for kids

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  Evolène, Switzerland

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  Coat of arms of Evolène

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  Flag of Evolène

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  Les Haudères, a village in the Val d'Hérens

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  Evolène town

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  View from above of Evolène

See also

In Spanish: Evolène para niños