Riex Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Riex

Former municipality of Switzerland

Vineyards near Riex village

Coat of arms

Riex

Location in Switzerland

Riex

Location in Canton of Vaud

Switzerland

Area

• Total

1.37 km² (0.53 sq mi)

Elevation

437 m (1,434 ft)

Population

• Total

290

• Density

212/km² (548/sq mi)

Surrounded by

Cully, Epesses, Forel (Lavaux)

Riex is a small village in Switzerland. It used to be its own municipality. It is located in the beautiful canton of Vaud. Riex is part of the Lavaux-Oron area.

On July 1, 2011, Riex joined with four other villages. These were Cully, Epesses, Grandvaux, and Villette (Lavaux). They all became part of a new, bigger municipality called Bourg-en-Lavaux.

History of Riex Village
Geography and Landscape
Riex Coat of Arms
Population and People
- Age Groups in Riex
- Historical Population Changes
Important Heritage Sites
Economy and Jobs
- Types of Jobs
Religion in Riex
Weather in Riex
Education and Schools
Images for kids
See also

History of Riex Village

Riex is an old village. It was first written about in the year 1184. Back then, its name was spelled Ruez.

Geography and Landscape

Riex covers an area of about 1.37 square kilometers (0.53 square miles). Most of this land, about 75.9%, is used for farming. This includes fields for crops and vineyards.

About 9.5% of the area is covered by forests. The remaining land, about 10.9%, has buildings and roads. A very small part, 0.7%, is unproductive land.

Riex is famous for being in the Lavaux vineyards. These vineyards are known all over the world. The village itself is a haufendorf. This means it's an old village that grew without a clear plan. Its buildings are often close together around a central area. The village also includes the Tower of Gourze.

Riex Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Riex has a special design. It is split into two parts: red on one side and silver on the other. At the bottom, there is a green, uneven base. From this base, a green grape vine grows. It has grapes that are the opposite color of the background.

Population and People

In 2009, Riex had a population of 290 people. About 14.9% of the people living there were from other countries.

Most people in Riex speak French. In 2000, about 86.3% of the population spoke French. The next most common language was German, spoken by 7% of the people. A small number of people, 2.3%, spoke Portuguese.

Many people living in Riex were born there or in the same canton. In 2000, about 26% of the people were born in Riex. Another 37% were born in the Vaud canton. About 16.7% were born elsewhere in Switzerland. Around 17% were born outside of Switzerland.

Age Groups in Riex

In 2009, the population of Riex included different age groups:

Children aged 0-9 years old made up 10.7% of the population.
Teenagers aged 10-19 years old made up 11.7% of the population.
Young adults aged 20-29 years old made up 10.7% of the population.
Adults aged 30-59 years old made up 42.8% of the population.
Seniors aged 60-89 years old made up 24.2% of the population.

Historical Population Changes

The number of people living in Riex has changed over many years. Here is a chart showing how the population has grown and shrunk:

Important Heritage Sites

Riex is home to some very special places. Part of the village is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site called "Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces". This means it's a place of great importance to the world.

The entire village of Riex is also listed as a Swiss heritage site. This means it's protected for its history and culture.

Economy and Jobs

In 2010, Riex had a low unemployment rate of 1.7%. This means most people who wanted to work had jobs.

Types of Jobs

Jobs in Riex are divided into three main types:

Primary sector: This includes jobs that get raw materials from nature. In Riex, this is mostly agriculture, like farming and working in vineyards. In 2008, 39 people worked in this sector.
Secondary sector: These jobs turn raw materials into finished products. This includes manufacturing and construction. In 2008, 6 people worked in this sector.
Tertiary sector: These jobs provide services to people. This includes things like hotels, restaurants, and professional services. In 2008, 38 people worked in this sector.

Many people who live in Riex travel to other towns for work. In 2000, 106 residents worked outside the municipality. About 65.6% of workers used a private car to get to their jobs.

Religion in Riex

Based on information from 2000, here's a look at the religious groups in Riex:

About 23% of the population were Roman Catholic.
About 56.7% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.
A small number of people, about 1%, were members of an Orthodox church.
About 3.33% belonged to other Christian churches.
Around 15% of the population did not belong to any church. They might be agnostic or atheist.

Weather in Riex

Riex gets a good amount of rain or snow each year. On average, it has 125.6 days with precipitation. The total amount of rain or snow is about 1255 millimeters (49.4 inches) per year.

The wettest month is June. During June, Riex gets about 128 millimeters (5 inches) of rain or snow. It rains or snows for about 11.4 days in June. May has the most days with precipitation, averaging 12.3 days. However, it gets less rain than June, about 110 millimeters (4.3 inches).

The driest month is February. It receives about 85 millimeters (3.3 inches) of precipitation over 10.1 days.

Education and Schools

Many adults in Riex have a good education. In 2000, about 37.7% of the population had finished upper secondary education. This is like high school. About 19.3% had gone on to higher education, like a university.

In the 2009/2010 school year, there were 32 students in the Riex school district. The canton of Vaud provides two years of optional pre-school. The primary school program lasts for four years. The lower secondary school program is six years long.

In 2000, 45 students from Riex went to schools outside the municipality.