Höfen, Thun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Höfen
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Höfen Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Höfen Location in Canton of Bern Show map of Canton of Bern
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Thun
Area
• Total	4.62 km2 (1.78 sq mi)
Elevation	705 m (2,313 ft)
Highest elevation (Stockbeissern)	833 m (2,733 ft)
Lowest elevation (Amsoldingersee)	641 m (2,103 ft)
Population  (Dec 2011)
• Total	444
• Density	96.10/km2 (248.9/sq mi)
Postal code	3631
Surrounded by	Niederstocken, Oberstocken, Reutigen, Zwieselberg, Amsoldingen, Übeschi and Pohlern

Höfen is a former municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014 the former municipalities of Höfen, Niederstocken and Oberstocken merged into the new municipality of Stocken-Höfen.

Geography

Aerial view with Amsoldinger Lake and Höfen (1952)

Before the merger, Höfen had a total area of 4.6 km² (1.8 sq mi). Of this area, 3.42 km² (1.32 sq mi) or 74.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.74 km² (0.29 sq mi) or 16.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.27 km² (0.10 sq mi) or 5.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.1 km² (25 acres) or 2.2% is either rivers or lakes and 0.08 km² (20 acres) or 1.7% is unproductive land.

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.8%. 14.5% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.5% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 23.9% is used for growing crops and 48.2% is pastures, while 2.2% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in lakes. Of the unproductive areas, 1.7% is unproductive vegetation.

The lake Uebeschisee is located partially in the former municipality.

Demographics

Höfen had a population (as of 2011) of 444. As of 2007^[update], 2.1% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -3.5%. Most of the population (as of 2000^[update]) speaks German (98.7%), with French being second most common ( 0.3%) and Rhaeto-romance being third ( 0.3%).

In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP which received 49.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the Green Party (12.3%), the SPS (11.6%) and the local small left-wing parties (10.7%).

The age distribution of the population (as of 2000^[update]) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 29.4% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 59.3% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 11.3%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Höfen about 77.7% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).

Höfen has an unemployment rate of 0.92%. As of 2005^[update], there were 65 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 26 businesses involved in this sector. 9 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 56 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 10 businesses in this sector. The historical population is given in the following table: