Rances, Switzerland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rances
Coat of arms
Rances Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Rances Location in Canton of Vaud Show map of Canton of Vaud
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Vaud
District	Jura-Nord Vaudois
Area
• Total	9.83 km2 (3.80 sq mi)
Elevation	563 m (1,847 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	513
• Density	52.19/km2 (135.16/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Les Ransignolets
Postal code	1439
Surrounded by	Baulmes, Champvent, Mathod, Valeyres-sous-Rances, Sergey, L'Abergement

Rances (pronounced like rahns) is a small town, also called a municipality, located in Switzerland. It is found in the Jura-Nord Vaudois area of the canton of Vaud.

Discovering Rances: A Look at Its Past

Rances is an old place with a long history. It was first mentioned in old writings around the years 972-973. Back then, its name was Rancias.

The name Rances likely comes from an old Roman family name. However, the exact family name has been lost over time. One of the most important events in the town's history happened in 1548. In that year, a big fire accidentally destroyed almost the entire village.

Scientists and historians have done a lot of digging in Rances. These archeological digs, especially by the University of Geneva, have helped us learn more about its past.

Geography of Rances: Where It Is Located

Rances covers an area of about 9.8 square kilometers (about 3.8 square miles). A large part of this land, about 60%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 34.7% of the area. The rest of the land, about 5%, has buildings and roads. A very small part, 0.4%, is unproductive land.

Most of the built-up area is for homes and other buildings. Roads and other ways to travel make up a smaller part. In the forested areas, most of the land is covered with thick forests. Some parts have orchards or small groups of trees. For farming, people grow crops on about 35.7% of the land. Another 8.3% is used for pastures where animals graze. Some land is also used for orchards or vineyards.

Rances used to be part of the Orbe District. But this district was closed on August 31, 2006. After that, Rances became part of the new Jura-Nord Vaudois area.

The town is located on a high flat area. It sits above the Mujon river valley. The Mujon river is a small river that flows into the Zihl river.

Understanding the Rances Coat of Arms

Every town has a special symbol called a coat of arms. The coat of arms for Rances has a silver background. On it, there is a golden column. This column is wrapped around by a green vine with purple grapes.

People and Population in Rances

Rances has a population of about 450 people. A small part of the population, about 6.2%, are people from other countries. Over the last ten years (from 1999 to 2009), the number of people living in Rances has grown by 8%. This growth is due to people moving in and new births.

Most people in Rances speak French. About 96.7% of the population uses French as their main language. A smaller number of people speak German (1.2%) or Italian (0.7%).

Age Groups in Rances

The population of Rances includes people of all ages.

• About 11.6% of the people are children aged 0 to 9 years old.
• Teenagers, aged 10 to 19, make up about 12.8% of the population.
• Young adults, aged 20 to 29, are about 9.6% of the people.
• Adults aged 30 to 39 make up 14.8%.
• People aged 40 to 49 are 16.1%.
• Those aged 50 to 59 are 15.9%.
• Older adults, aged 60 to 69, are 9.2%.
• People aged 70 to 79 are 6.3%.
• Very old people, aged 80 to 89, are 3.6%.
• There is also one person who is 90 years old or older.

Family Life in Rances

In Rances, there are many different types of families.

• About 167 people are single and have never been married.
• There are 218 married people.
• 16 people are widows or widowers.
• 18 people are divorced.

There are about 166 homes in Rances. On average, each home has about 2.5 people living in it. Some homes have only one person, while others have five or more people. Many homes are married couples with or without children. There are also some single parents living with their children.

Homes and Buildings in Rances

In 2000, there were 122 inhabited buildings in Rances.

• 70 of these were single-family homes (57.4%).
• 22 were buildings with multiple families (18.0%).
• 25 buildings were used for both homes and other purposes (20.5%).
• 5 buildings were mainly for businesses but also had some homes (4.1%).

Most apartments (93.1%) are lived in all the time. Only a few are used seasonally or are empty.

Important Sights in Rances

The entire village of Rances is considered a special place. It is listed as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. This means it has important historical or cultural value.

Economy: How People Work in Rances

In 2010, the unemployment rate in Rances was 3.4%. This means a small number of people who wanted to work could not find jobs.

Types of Jobs in Rances

People in Rances work in different kinds of jobs:

• Primary Sector: About 30 people work in the primary sector. This includes jobs like farming. There are about 12 businesses in this area.
• Secondary Sector: Five people work in the secondary sector. This includes jobs like manufacturing (making things) and construction (building things). There are 2 businesses in this area.
• Tertiary Sector: About 42 people work in the tertiary sector. This includes jobs that provide services. For example, some work in sales, transportation, hotels, restaurants, or education. There are 10 businesses in this area.

Many people who live in Rances travel to other towns for work. In 2000, 171 people left Rances to work elsewhere. Only 5 people came into Rances for work. Most people (66.7%) use a private car to get to work. A smaller number (6.7%) use public transportation.

Religion in Rances

In 2000, people in Rances reported their religious beliefs:

• About 15% of the population were Roman Catholic.
• About 63.7% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.
• A small number (4.3%) belonged to other Christian churches.
• One person was Jewish.
• About 15% of the population did not belong to any church. They might be agnostic (not sure about God) or atheist (do not believe in God).
• About 3.6% of people did not answer the question about their religion.

Education in Rances

Education is important in Rances. Many adults have completed higher levels of schooling.

• About 40.3% of the population has finished non-mandatory high school education.
• About 11.5% have completed even higher education, like university or a special technical college.

Schooling for Children

In the 2009/2010 school year, there were 74 students in the Rances school district.

• In the Vaud area, children can go to two years of optional pre-school.
• The main primary school program lasts for four years. There were 43 students in the primary school in Rances.
• The required middle school program lasts for six years. There were 31 students in these schools.

Some students who live in Rances go to schools outside the town. Also, a few students from other towns come to Rances for school.

Images for kids

• 

  A view of Rances from above.

See also

In Spanish: Rances (Vaud) para niños