Renan, Switzerland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Renan
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Renan village
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 Renan
Location in Switzerland
Renan
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Jura bernois | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 12.63 km2 (4.88 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 907 m (2,976 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 934 | |
| • Density | 73.95/km2 (191.53/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
2616
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| Surrounded by | La Ferrière, Sonvilier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Cernier, Fontaines, La Chaux-de-Fonds (NE) | |
Renan is a small town, also called a municipality, in the Jura Bernois area of the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the part of Switzerland where people speak French, known as the Bernese Jura.
Contents
History of Renan
Renan was first mentioned in official records in 1372, where it was called Renens. It used to have a German name, Rennen, but that name is not used anymore.
The village was once owned by the collegiate church of Saint-Imier. This church was part of a larger area called the seigniory of Erguel, which was under the control of the Prince-Bishop of Basel. A Prince-Bishop was a ruler who was both a religious leader and a political leader.
After France won a war in 1797, Renan became part of France. It was first in the French area called Mont-Terrible, and later in Haut-Rhin. When Napoleon was defeated and the Congress of Vienna happened in 1815, Renan became part of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland.
In 1831, some people who rebelled in Neuchâtel found safety in Renan. Later, in 1848, a leader named Ami Girard gathered about 200 volunteers from Renan. They marched to Neuchâtel and helped create the new Republic of Neuchâtel.
The village was part of the Erguel parish and changed to the Reformed faith along with the rest of the Erguel area. In 1627, the Prince-Bishop allowed a church to be built in Renan. It was finished in 1631 and was later fixed up in 1976-77.
In the late 1600s, Renan's economy grew a lot because the watchmaking industry became popular in the Saint-Imier valley. In 1874, a railway line connected the village to the national train network. However, the Great Depression in the 1930s badly hurt the Swiss watch industry and Renan's economy.
The watch industry recovered after World War II but faced problems again in the 1970s and did not survive locally. Today, Renan's economy mainly relies on farming. In 2005, more than one-third of all jobs in Renan were in farming.
Geography of Renan
Renan covers an area of about 12.62 square kilometers (4.87 square miles). A large part of this land, about 59.9%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 33.5% of the area. About 5.9% of the land has buildings or roads. A very small part, about 0.2%, is rivers or lakes, and another 0.2% is land that cannot be used for anything.
Most of the built-up areas are houses and other buildings (3.3%), while roads and other transport areas make up 1.9%. In the forested areas, 29.1% is dense forest, and 4.4% has orchards or small groups of trees. For farming, 7.7% is used for growing crops, 37.0% is pastures for animals, and 14.8% is used for mountain pastures. All the water in Renan is flowing water, like rivers.
The town is located in the upper part of the Saint-Imier valley. The high valley of Les Convers is also in Renan's territory. This is where the Suze river begins in marshy lands.
On January 1, 2010, Renan became part of a new administrative area called Arrondissement administratif Jura bernois.
Renan's Coat of Arms
The blazon (official description) of Renan's coat of arms is: Argent on a Bar Vert a Mullet Or. This means it has a silver background with a green horizontal stripe, and on that stripe, there is a golden star.
People in Renan (Demographics)
Renan has a population of about 851 people as of 2022. About 11.6% of the people living in Renan are from other countries. Over the past 10 years (2000-2010), the population grew by about 9.4%. Most of this growth was from people moving into the town.
Most people in Renan (about 70.6%) speak French as their main language. German is the second most common language (25.8%), and Italian is third (1.1%).
In 2008, about 49.5% of the population was male and 50.5% was female. About 28.9% of the people living in Renan in 2000 were born there. Another 24.5% were born in the same canton, and 29.3% were born elsewhere in Switzerland. About 10.4% were born outside Switzerland.
As of 2010, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 22.4% of the population. Adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.5%, and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17%.
In 2000, there were 358 single people and 374 married people in Renan. There were also 62 widows or widowers and 42 divorced people.
There were 107 households with only one person and 24 households with five or more people in 2000. Most apartments (74.8%) were lived in all the time.
Sights to See
The entire village of Renan is recognized as an important Swiss Heritage Site. This means it has special historical or cultural value.
Economy of Renan
In 2011, Renan had an unemployment rate of 2.31%. In 2008, there were 245 people working in the town.
These jobs were divided into three main types:
- Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming and forestry. In Renan, 80 people worked in this sector, with 28 businesses.
- Secondary sector: This includes jobs in manufacturing (making things) and construction. 38 people worked in this sector, with 10 businesses. Most of these jobs (91.7%) were in manufacturing.
- Tertiary sector: This includes jobs that provide services, like shops, restaurants, education, and healthcare. 127 people worked in this sector, with 14 businesses. A large number of these jobs (71.9%) were in healthcare.
In 2000, 97 workers came into Renan for work, while 222 workers left Renan to work elsewhere. This means more people leave Renan for work than come in. About 9.5% of the working population used public transportation to get to work, and 60.2% used a private car.
Religion in Renan
Based on the 2000 census:
- About 18.9% of the people were Roman Catholic.
- About 50.6% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a type of Protestant church).
- Smaller groups included Orthodox Christians (0.72%), Christian Catholics (0.48%), and other Christian churches (15.07%).
- There were also a few people who were Jewish or Muslim (0.84%).
- About 12.44% of the population did not belong to any church, or were agnostic (meaning they don't know if God exists) or atheist (meaning they don't believe in God).
Education in Renan
In Renan, about 32.3% of the population has finished upper secondary education (like high school). About 8.1% have gone on to higher education, such as a university or a specialized college.
The Canton of Bern school system starts with one year of optional Kindergarten. After that, students go to six years of Primary school. Then, they have three years of mandatory lower Secondary school, where students are grouped by their abilities. After lower Secondary, students can continue their education or start an apprenticeship (learning a trade on the job).
During the 2010-11 school year, 65 students attended classes in Renan. There was one kindergarten class with 17 students. The town had 3 primary classes with 48 students.
In 2000, 22 students came to Renan from other towns for school, while 83 students from Renan went to schools outside the town.
Transportation
Renan has its own railway station, Renan BE. This station is on the Biel/Bienne–La Chaux-de-Fonds line. Trains run every hour to Biel/Bienne and La Chaux-de-Fonds, making it easy to travel to nearby cities.
See also
In Spanish: Renan (Berna) para niños
