Medel (Lucmagn) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Medel (Lucmagn)
Coat of arms
Medel (Lucmagn) Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Medel (Lucmagn) Location in Canton of Graubünden Show map of Canton of Graubünden
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Graubünden
District	Surselva
Area
• Total	136.22 km2 (52.59 sq mi)
Elevation	1,332 m (4,370 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	344
• Density	2.525/km2 (6.541/sq mi)
Postal code	7184
Localities	Curaglia, Platta
Surrounded by	Blenio (TI), Disentis/Mustér, Quinto (TI), Sumvitg, Tujetsch, Vrin

Medel (also known as Medel (Lucmagn)) is a small town, or municipality, located in the Surselva Region of Switzerland. It's part of the canton of Graubünden.

History of Medel

Medel (Lucmagn) was first mentioned in old records way back in 1315. At that time, it was called de valle Mederis, which means "of the Medel Valley."

Geography and Nature

Curaglia village

Medel Valley, looking north

Aerial view of Medel Valley (1954)

Medel (Lucmagn) covers a large area of about 136.2 square kilometers (52.6 square miles). A big part of this land, about 66.8%, is made up of non-productive areas like rivers, glaciers, and mountains. This means it's a very natural and wild place!

About 17.8% of the land is used for farming, and 14.9% is covered by forests. Only a small part, 0.6%, has buildings or roads.

Medel is located in the Medelserrhein river basin. It includes the Medel Valley, which is about 16 kilometers (10 miles) long. This valley is important because it connects the Upper Graubünden area with the Ticino canton.

The municipality has several small settlements, or villages, located at different heights, from 1,332 to 1,621 meters (4,370 to 5,318 feet) above sea level. The main village is Curaglia. Other villages include Soliva, Mutschnengia, Platta, Drual/Matergia, Pardé, Fuorns, and S. Gions.

You can also find about 50 old, abandoned farmhouses and summer herding camps in the area. These include places like Pali, Biscuolm, and Casura. Before 1943, Medel (Lucmagn) was known as Medels im Oberland.

People and Culture

Medel (Lucmagn) has a population of around 398 people (as of 2023). Over the last ten years, the number of people living here has gone down a bit.

Most people in Medel speak Romansh, which is a very old language spoken in parts of Switzerland. About 92.8% of the population speaks Romansh. German is the second most common language (5.7%), and Italian is spoken by a small number of people (0.4%).

In 2007, during the Swiss federal election, the most popular political party in Medel was the CVP. They received 67% of the votes. This shows that many people in Medel supported this party.

About 53.7% of the adults in Medel (between 25 and 64 years old) have completed higher education, like going to a university or a specialized college.

Medel (Lucmagn) has a very low unemployment rate, which means most people who want to work have jobs. In 2005, many people worked in farming (85 people). Some worked in manufacturing or construction (13 people), and others worked in services like shops or hotels (57 people).

The number of people living in Medel has changed over time:

See also

In Spanish: Medel (Lucmagn) para niños