Les Ponts-de-Martel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Les Ponts-de-Martel
Les Ponts-de-Martel train station
Coat of arms
Les Ponts-de-Martel Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Les Ponts-de-Martel Location in Canton of Neuchâtel Show map of Canton of Neuchâtel
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Neuchâtel
Area
• Total	18.17 km2 (7.02 sq mi)
Elevation	1,009 m (3,310 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	1,230
• Density	67.69/km2 (175.3/sq mi)
Postal code	2316
Surrounded by	Brot-Plamboz, La Brévine, La Chaux-du-Milieu, La Sagne, Le Locle, Travers

Les Ponts-de-Martel is a small town, also called a municipality, in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. It's a quiet place with a rich history and beautiful natural areas.

History of Les Ponts-de-Martel

The town of Les Ponts-de-Martel was first mentioned in official records way back in 1360. At that time, it was simply known as Martel.

Exploring the Geography of Les Ponts-de-Martel

An aerial view of Les Ponts-de-Martel

An aerial view of the area from 1964

Les Ponts-de-Martel covers an area of about 18.2 square kilometers (about 7 square miles). This information is from 2009.

Land Use in Les Ponts-de-Martel

A large part of the land, about 59.2%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 30.5% of the area. Buildings and roads take up about 4.7% of the land. A small part, 0.4%, is made up of rivers or lakes. The remaining 5.3% is land that cannot be used for farming or building.

Most of the forested land is dense forest. The farming areas include fields for crops, pastures for animals, and alpine pastures in the mountains. All the water in the town comes from flowing rivers and streams.

Location and Hamlets

The town is located on the north side of a valley called Vallée de la Sagne et des Ponts. Les Ponts-de-Martel includes the main village and two smaller settlements, known as hamlets. These are Martel-Dernier and Petit-Martel. Another settlement, Le Joratel, became part of the nearby town of Brot-Plamboz in 1920.

Understanding the Coat of Arms

The blazon of Les Ponts-de-Martel's municipal coat of arms describes its design. It is split into two parts. The top part is blue and shows a silver bridge. The bottom part is red and features a golden hammer. This design represents the town's identity.

Population and People of Les Ponts-de-Martel

As of the latest information, Les Ponts-de-Martel has a population of 1,277 people. About 6.5% of the people living here are foreign nationals. Over the last ten years (2000–2010), the population has changed slightly.

Languages Spoken in Les Ponts-de-Martel

Most people in Les Ponts-de-Martel speak French as their main language. This was true for about 93.7% of the population in 2000. German is the second most common language, spoken by about 3.6% of residents. A small number of people also speak Albanian, Italian, and Romansh.

Where People Come From

In 2000, about 46.6% of the people living in Les Ponts-de-Martel were also born there. Another 28.8% were born in the same canton (Neuchâtel). About 13.4% came from other parts of Switzerland, and 7.9% were born outside of Switzerland.

Age Groups in the Community

In 2000, children and teenagers (up to 19 years old) made up 27% of the population. Adults (20–64 years old) were 53.3% of the population. Seniors (over 64 years old) made up 19.7%.

Households and Living in Les Ponts-de-Martel

In 2000, there were 497 private households in the town. On average, there were 2.4 people living in each household. About 155 households had only one person, and 60 households had five or more people. Most apartments were lived in all the time.

Population Changes Over Time

The chart below shows how the population of Les Ponts-de-Martel has changed throughout history. You can see how the number of people living here has gone up and down over the years.

The History of Peat Cutting

A peat field in Les Ponts-de-Martel

A map of the peat field published in 1923

From 1917 onwards, a company called the Swiss Peat Co-operative (S. T. G.) used a large area of peatland near Les Ponts-de-Martel. Peat is a type of soil made from decayed plants, often used as fuel.

Transporting Peat

To move the peat, they used narrow railway tracks. Some tracks could be moved, while others were fixed in place on wooden supports. The total length of these tracks was about 3,000 meters (almost 2 miles). There were also about 650 meters (about 0.4 miles) of fixed tracks at the station and loading areas.

At first, workers moved the peat by hand. But in 1920, they bought a special tractor with a petrol engine to make the work faster. This tractor ran on the 600 mm gauge tracks. There was also a separate, wider peat railway with a 1000 mm gauge. This railway was about 750 meters long and could handle steep slopes.

Economy and Work in Les Ponts-de-Martel

In 2010, the unemployment rate in Les Ponts-de-Martel was 4.1%. This means a small percentage of people looking for work could not find a job.

Types of Jobs

In 2008, many people worked in different areas:

• Primary sector: 82 people worked in farming and related businesses.
• Secondary sector: 91 people worked in manufacturing and construction.
• Tertiary sector: 271 people worked in services, like sales, transportation, hotels, and healthcare.

In total, 591 residents of the town had jobs, and about 43.5% of them were women.

Specific Job Areas

Looking closer at the jobs in 2008, there were:

• 67 jobs in agriculture (farming).
• 42 jobs in manufacturing (making things).
• 37 jobs in construction (building things).
• 73 jobs in sales or car repair.
• 24 jobs in moving and storing goods.
• 8 jobs in hotels or restaurants.
• 17 jobs in education.
• 69 jobs in healthcare.

Commuting to Work

In 2000, 265 workers came into Les Ponts-de-Martel for work, while 278 workers left the town to work elsewhere. This means slightly more people leave the town for work than come into it. About 24.9% of the workers who came into Les Ponts-de-Martel were from outside Switzerland. Most people used private cars (51.1%) to get to work, while 11.7% used public transportation.

Religion in Les Ponts-de-Martel

Based on the 2000 census, many people in Les Ponts-de-Martel belonged to different religious groups:

• About 9.3% were Roman Catholic.
• About 57.7% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a Protestant church).
• A smaller number of people belonged to other Christian churches, including Orthodox and Christian Catholic.
• About 0.69% of the population was Islamic.
• A few people were Buddhist or belonged to other churches.
• About 16.42% of the population said they belonged to no church, or were agnostic (not sure about God) or atheist (do not believe in God).

Education in Les Ponts-de-Martel

Education is important in Les Ponts-de-Martel. About 36.4% of the population has finished non-mandatory upper secondary education. This is like high school. About 8.6% have gone on to higher education, such as university.

School System

In the canton of Neuchâtel, where Les Ponts-de-Martel is located, most towns offer two years of optional kindergarten. After that, there are five years of required primary education. The next four years of required secondary education are taught at larger schools. Many students travel to these schools outside their home town.

The kindergarten in Les Ponts-de-Martel is shared with the nearby town of Brot-Plamboz. During the 2010-11 school year, there were 2 kindergarten classes with 34 students. In the same year, there were 5 primary classes with 87 students.

In 2000, 61 students came to Les Ponts-de-Martel from other towns to go to school. At the same time, 53 students from Les Ponts-de-Martel went to schools outside the town.

Notable People from Les Ponts-de-Martel

• Georges Schneider (1925–1963): A Swiss alpine skier who competed in four Winter Olympics.
• Louis Zutter (1865–1946): A Swiss gymnast.

Notable Residents

The village of Les Ponts-de-Martel was the original home of the famous Swiss watchmaker Mathey-Tissot.

See also

In Spanish: Les Ponts-de-Martel para niños