Mézières, Vaud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mézières
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Mézières village
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 Mézières
Location in Switzerland
Mézières
Location in Canton of Vaud
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Vaud | |
| District | Lavaux-Oron | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 3.48 km2 (1.34 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 750 m (2,460 ft) | |
| Population
(December 2007)
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| • Total | 1,059 | |
| • Density | 304.3/km2 (788.2/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Les Méziérois Les Grands Pantets |
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| Postal code |
1083
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| Surrounded by | Carrouge (VD), Ferlens (VD), Servion, Les Cullayes, Montpreveyres | |
Mézières was once a small town, or municipality, located in the Lavaux-Oron area of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. In 2016, Mézières joined with two other towns, Carrouge and Ferlens, to form a new, bigger municipality called Jorat-Mézières.
Contents
History of Mézières
Mézières is quite old! The first time it was ever written about was in the year 1228. Back then, it was known by a slightly different name: Messeretes.
Geography of Mézières
Mézières covers an area of about 3.5 square kilometers (1.4 square miles). Imagine a square about 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) on each side – that's roughly the size!
Most of this land is used for farming. About 61% of the area is farmland. Forests cover another 23% of the land. The remaining 16% is where buildings, roads, and other developed areas are.
- Farmland: A big part of the farmland (38%) is used for growing crops. About 21% is used for pastures where animals graze. A small part (1.7%) has orchards or vineyards.
- Forests: Most of the forested land (19.3% of the total area) is dense forest. The rest (4%) has smaller groups of trees or orchards.
- Developed Areas: In the built-up areas, about 8.6% is covered by houses and other buildings. Roads and other ways to get around make up 5.7%.
Mézières is located in a region called Jorat. It sits where two important roads meet: one goes from Vevey to Moudon, and the other from Oron to Echallens. The town itself is a long village, meaning buildings are spread out along a main road.
Mézières's Coat of Arms
A blazon is a special way to describe a coat of arms. The coat of arms for Mézières is blue. It shows a green potato plant with white and gold flowers growing from green hills. At the top, there is a six-pointed silver star.
Population and People
As of 2008, Mézières had a population of 1,059 people. About 12.9% of these people were foreign nationals, meaning they were not originally from Switzerland but lived there. Over ten years (from 1999 to 2009), the population grew by about 10.6%. This growth was mostly because people moved into the town.
Languages Spoken
Most people in Mézières speak French. In 2000, about 91.6% of the population spoke French. The next most common language was German, spoken by about 4.3% of the people. A smaller number of people spoke Portuguese (1.1%) or Italian.
Age Groups
In 2009, the population of Mézières included:
- Children (0-9 years old): 12.8%
- Teenagers (10-19 years old): 11.7%
- Young adults (20-29 years old): 10.4%
- Adults (30-59 years old): 43.2%
- Seniors (60 years and older): 21.8%
Households and Homes
In 2000, there were 375 homes in Mézières, with about 2.5 people living in each home on average.
- About 26% of homes had only one person living in them.
- There were 125 homes with married couples and children.
- There were 32 homes with single parents and children.
Most of the buildings in Mézières were single-family homes (57.6%). There were also multi-family buildings (20.2%) and buildings used for both homes and businesses (16.4%).
The population of Mézières has changed over time:
- In 1803, there were 290 people.
- By 1900, the population had grown to 498.
- In 2000, it reached 969 people.
- The population continued to grow, reaching 1,059 by 2007.
Important Buildings
The Théâtre du Jorat is a very important building in Mézières. It is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. This means it's a special place that is protected because of its historical or cultural importance.
Economy and Jobs
In 2010, the unemployment rate in Mézières was 2.7%. This means that only a small number of people who wanted to work couldn't find a job.
Types of Jobs
In 2008, there were 266 full-time equivalent jobs in Mézières. These jobs were in different areas:
- Primary Sector: This includes jobs like farming and forestry. There were 24 jobs in this area.
- Secondary Sector: This includes jobs in manufacturing (making things) and construction (building things). There were 32 jobs in this area.
- Tertiary Sector: This includes jobs that provide services. This was the largest sector, with 210 jobs. Examples include:
- Sales and vehicle repair (31.4%)
- Moving and storing goods (5.2%)
- Hotels and restaurants (6.2%)
- Information industry (1.4%)
- Insurance and finance (2.4%)
- Technical and scientific jobs (11.4%)
- Education (18.1%)
- Healthcare (18.1%)
Many people who live in Mézières travel to other towns for work. In 2000, 359 residents worked outside the municipality, while 206 people came into Mézières for work. Most people (68.1%) used a private car to get to work, while 10.8% used public transportation.
Religion
Based on information from 2000, most people in Mézières belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (52.3%). The next largest group was Roman Catholic (27.0%). A smaller number of people belonged to other Christian churches, or were Islamic or Jewish. About 13.4% of the population said they didn't belong to any church, or were agnostic or atheist.
Education in Mézières
Education is important in Mézières. In 2000, about 41.5% of the population had finished high school (called "upper secondary education" in Switzerland). Also, 13.5% had gone on to get a higher education, like from a university.
School System
In the 2009/2010 school year, there were 138 students in the Mézières school district.
- In the Vaud canton (like a state), children can go to two years of non-required pre-school.
- The primary school program lasts for four years. In Mézières, there were 75 students in primary school.
- The required lower secondary school program lasts for six years. There were 63 students in these schools.
Many students travel for school. In 2000, 317 students came to Mézières from other towns to attend school. At the same time, 63 students who lived in Mézières went to schools outside the municipality.
See also
In Spanish: Mézières (Vaud) para niños
