Fontaines, Switzerland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fontaines
|
||
|---|---|---|
|
||
 Fontaines
Location in Switzerland
Fontaines
Location in Canton of Neuchâtel
|
||
| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Neuchâtel | |
| District | Val-de-Ruz | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 10.14 km2 (3.92 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 768 m (2,520 ft) | |
| Population
(December 2011)
|
||
| • Total | 1,132 | |
| • Density | 111.64/km2 (289.14/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
2046
|
|
| Surrounded by | Boudevilliers, Cernier, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, La Chaux-de-Fonds, La Sagne, Les Hauts-Geneveys, Renan (BE) | |
Fontaines was once a municipality in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. It was located in the Val-de-Ruz district.
On January 1, 2013, Fontaines joined with several other towns. These included Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les Hauts-Geneveys, Montmollin, Le Pâquier, Savagnier, and Villiers. Together, they formed the new, larger municipality of Val-de-Ruz.
Contents
History of Fontaines
Fontaines is a very old place. It was first written about in the year 1228. Back then, its name was spelled Fontanes.
Geography of Fontaines
Fontaines covered an area of about 10.1 square kilometers (3.9 square miles).
- Most of this land, about 63%, was used for agriculture. This means it was used for farming.
- About 28.5% of the land was covered by forests.
- Around 7.5% of the land was settled. This includes buildings and roads.
- A small part, about 0.4%, was made up of rivers or lakes.
- A tiny bit, 0.2%, was land that couldn't be used for anything.
The village of Fontaines is located in the Val-de-Ruz area. It also had two separate pieces of land, called exclaves, up in the mountains. These mountain areas are near a pass called La Vue-des-Alpes, which is about 1,283 meters (4,209 feet) high.
Coat of Arms
Every town has a special symbol called a coat of arms. Fontaines' coat of arms is blue. On it, there is a silver (white) fountain. This design represents the town's name, which means "fountains" in French.
People of Fontaines
In 2011, Fontaines had a population of 1,132 people.
- About 12.3% of the people living there were from other countries.
- Over ten years (from 2000 to 2010), the population grew by about 21.5%.
Languages Spoken
Most people in Fontaines speak French. In 2000, about 91% of the population spoke French as their main language.
- The second most common language was German, spoken by about 3.6% of people.
- Italian was the third most common, spoken by about 2.4%.
Age Groups
In 2000, the population of Fontaines was divided into different age groups:
- Children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up about 29.4% of the population.
- Adults (20–64 years old) made up about 60.9%.
- Seniors (over 64 years old) made up about 9.8%.
Homes and Households
In 2000, there were 331 private homes in Fontaines. On average, about 2.7 people lived in each home.
- About 76 homes had only one person living in them.
- About 29 homes had five or more people.
The historical population of Fontaines is shown in this chart:
Economy of Fontaines
In 2010, the unemployment rate in Fontaines was 3.3%. This means a small number of people who wanted to work couldn't find a job.
Types of Jobs
Jobs are often grouped into three main types:
- Primary Sector: This involves jobs that get raw materials from nature. In Fontaines, 32 people worked in this sector, mostly in agriculture (farming).
- Secondary Sector: This involves making things. In Fontaines, 366 people worked in this sector. Most of them (84.1%) worked in manufacturing (making goods in factories), and others worked in construction.
- Tertiary Sector: This involves providing services. In Fontaines, 84 people worked in this sector. Examples include jobs in shops, restaurants, transportation, and education.
In 2008, there were 447 full-time jobs in Fontaines. About 41.5% of the workers were women.
Commuting to Work
Many people travel for work. In 2000:
- 269 workers came into Fontaines from other places to work.
- 359 workers left Fontaines to work in other towns.
This means more people left Fontaines for work than came in. About 13% of the workers who came into Fontaines were from outside Switzerland.
How people got to work:
- 12.6% used public transportation (like buses or trains).
- 68.3% used a private car.
Religion in Fontaines
In 2000, people in Fontaines followed different religions:
- About 23.7% were Roman Catholic.
- About 45.3% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.
- A smaller number of people belonged to other Christian churches, Islam, or Buddhism.
- About 22.8% of the population did not belong to any church, or were agnostic or atheist.
Education in Fontaines
Education is very important in Switzerland.
- About 35% of the people in Fontaines had finished upper secondary education. This is like high school.
- About 14% had gone on to higher education, like university or a specialized college.
In the canton of Neuchâtel, where Fontaines is located, education usually starts with two years of non-mandatory kindergarten. After that, there are five years of mandatory primary school. Then, students go to secondary school for four more years. Many students travel to larger towns for secondary school.
During the 2010-2011 school year:
- Fontaines had 2 kindergarten classes with 29 students.
- There were 5 primary classes with 90 students.
In 2000, 12 students who lived in other towns came to school in Fontaines. However, 151 students from Fontaines went to schools outside the municipality.
