Muriaux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Muriaux
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Rocky peaks near the ruins of Spiegelberg by Muriaux village
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 Muriaux
Location in Switzerland
Muriaux
Location in Canton of Jura
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Jura | |
| District | Franches-Montagnes | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 16.88 km2 (6.52 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 947 m (3,107 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 490 | |
| • Density | 29.03/km2 (75.2/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
2338
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| Surrounded by | Le Noirmont, Goumois, Les Pommerats, Saignelégier, La Chaux-des-Breuleux, Les Breuleux, Le Peuchapatte, Villeret(BE), Saint-Imier(BE) | |
Muriaux is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Franches-Montagnes district. It is part of the Jura canton in Switzerland. On January 1, 2009, another nearby town, Le Peuchapatte, joined with Muriaux.
Contents
History of Muriaux
Muriaux was first mentioned in official records in the year 1301. Back then, it was known as Murival. For a while, the town also had a German name, Spiegelberg, but this name is no longer used today.
Geography and Landscape
Muriaux covers an area of about 16.89 square kilometers (6.5 square miles). A large part of this land, about 60.5%, is used for farming. This includes fields for growing crops and pastures for animals.
About 36.1% of Muriaux's land is covered by forests. The remaining small part, about 3.2%, has buildings and roads.
The town of Muriaux is made up of several spread-out settlements. These include the main village of Muriaux itself. There are also smaller communities called hamlets, such as Les Emibois, Les Chenevières, and Le Roselet. Muriaux also includes a separate piece of land called an exclave, named Le Cerneux-Veusil. This area is located between the towns of Saint-Imier and Les Breuleux. The former town of Le Peuchapatte, which merged with Muriaux, is also part of its geography.
Some towns in the Franches-Montagnes district, including Muriaux, are thinking about joining together in the future. This would create a new, larger town called Franches-Montagnes.
Muriaux's Coat of Arms
The coat of arms for Muriaux is a special design that represents the town. It shows a golden background with a silver circle that has a red border. At the bottom of the design, there are three green mountain peaks.
People and Population
Muriaux has a population of around 495 people (as of 2022). In 2008, about 4.6% of the people living in Muriaux were foreign nationals. Over the past ten years (from 2000 to 2010), the population of Muriaux grew by about 1.2%.
Most people in Muriaux speak French as their main language. In 2000, about 91.2% of the population spoke French. The second most common language is German, spoken by about 7.4% of the people. A small number of people also speak Italian.
In 2008, about 51.3% of the population were men and 48.7% were women. Many people living in Muriaux were born there or in the same canton.
The population of Muriaux includes people of all ages. In 2000, about 26.1% of the population were children and teenagers (under 19 years old). Adults (aged 20-64) made up 60.5%, and seniors (over 64) made up 13.5%.
The chart below shows how Muriaux's population has changed over time:
Interesting Sights
The entire village of Muriaux is recognized as an important Swiss Heritage Site. This means its buildings and landscape are historically valuable and protected.
Motor Museum
There used to be a small motor museum in Muriaux. It closed in 2008, but the collection of vehicles and items it displayed is still there.
Economy and Jobs
The main ways people make a living in Muriaux are through dairy farming and raising cattle. There are not many other types of jobs available in the village.
In 2010, the unemployment rate in Muriaux was 2.1%. This means a small number of people who wanted jobs could not find them.
Most jobs in Muriaux are in the primary economic sector, which includes farming. A smaller number of jobs are in the secondary sector, like manufacturing. The tertiary sector, which includes services like shops and restaurants, also provides some jobs.
Many people who live in Muriaux travel to other towns for work. In 2000, about 130 residents worked outside the municipality, while 67 people came into Muriaux for their jobs. Most people use a private car to get to work.
Transportation
Muriaux has two train stations: Muriaux and Les Emibois. These stations are on the train line that connects La Chaux-de-Fonds and Glovelier.
Religion in Muriaux
Based on a census from 2000, most people in Muriaux are Roman Catholic, making up about 64.7% of the population. Another large group, about 19.1%, belong to the Swiss Reformed Church. A smaller number of people belong to other Christian churches. Some people do not belong to any church, identifying as agnostic or atheist.
Education System
In Muriaux, many adults have completed a good level of education. About 32.1% of the population has finished upper secondary education, which is like high school. About 10.9% have gone on to higher education, such as university or a specialized college.
The school system in the Canton of Jura starts with two years of optional Kindergarten. After that, students attend six years of Primary school. Then comes three years of required lower Secondary school, where students are grouped by their abilities. After lower Secondary, students can choose to go to an optional upper Secondary school for three or four years, or they can start an apprenticeship to learn a trade.
In the 2009-2010 school year, no students were attending school directly in Muriaux. However, in 2000, 9 students from other towns came to Muriaux for school, while 54 students from Muriaux went to schools outside the municipality.
See also
In Spanish: Muriaux para niños
