Riviera District facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Riviera District Distretto di Riviera
District
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Ticino
Capital	Riviera
Area
• Total	145.2 km2 (56.1 sq mi)
Population  (2020)
• Total	10,346
• Density	71.253/km2 (184.55/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Municipalities	2

The Riviera District is a cool area in the Ticino region of Switzerland. It's like a county or a big neighborhood. As of 31 December 2020, about 10,346 people live here. The main town, or capital, of the district is also called Riviera.

Exploring the Geography of Riviera District

The Riviera District covers an area of about 166.49 square kilometers. That's roughly 64 square miles! A big part of this land is covered by forests.

How Land is Used in Riviera

About 5.9% of the land is used for farming. This means people grow crops or raise animals there. Forests cover a huge 58.4% of the district, making it a very green place.

Around 4.5% of the land has buildings and roads. This is where people live and move around. Rivers and lakes make up 1.7% of the area. The remaining 25.9% is land that isn't used for farming or building. This might be rocky areas or high mountains.

What the Land Looks Like

Most of the built-up areas are homes and other buildings. Roads and paths also take up some space. In the forests, almost half of the district is dense woodland. Some areas also have small groups of trees or orchards.

For farming, a small part is used for growing crops. Another part is used for pastures where animals graze. All the water in the district is from flowing rivers. The unproductive areas are often rocky or have plants that aren't useful for farming.

Who Lives in Riviera District?

Let's look at the people who call the Riviera District home. It's a mix of different cultures and ages.

Languages Spoken in Riviera

In 2000, most people in the district spoke Italian. About 9,978 people spoke Italian. A smaller number spoke German (343 people) or French (97 people). Only a few people, 12, spoke Romansh. Some people also spoke other languages.

Population Makeup

In 2008, the population was split evenly between males and females. About half were men and half were women. Most people living in the district were Swiss citizens. However, a good number were also people from other countries.

How the Population Changes

In 2008, more babies were born than people passed away. This means the population grew naturally. Also, some people moved into Switzerland, while others moved out. Overall, the Swiss population slightly decreased, but the number of people from other countries increased. This led to a small growth in the total population.

Age Groups in Riviera

In 2009, the Riviera District had a good mix of all ages.

• About 10% of the population were young children (0-9 years old).
• Around 11.2% were teenagers (10-19 years old).
• Adults aged 20-59 made up a large part of the population.
• Older adults, aged 60 and above, made up about 24% of the population.

Homes in the District

In 2000, there were over 9,000 buildings where people lived. More than half of these were single-family homes. There were also many buildings with two families or multiple families living in them. Some buildings were used for both homes and businesses.

Most apartments in the district had four rooms. Many apartments were lived in all year round. Some were used only during certain seasons, like for holidays. A small number of apartments were empty.

Historical Population Growth

The table below shows how the population of the Riviera District has changed over many years. You can see how it has grown a lot since 1850.

How Riviera District is Governed

Like any place, the Riviera District has a government. People vote to choose their leaders and decide on important issues.

Voting in Elections

In the 2007 federal election, which is for the whole country, about 48% of the people who could vote actually did. This is called the voter turnout. The most popular political party was the FDP.

In the 2007 local elections for the Ticino region, even more people voted. The PLRT was the most popular party in these elections. People also voted for leaders who would be part of the Consiglio di Stato, which is like the state council.

Religious Beliefs in Riviera

In 2000, most people in the Riviera District were Roman Catholic. About 77.5% of the population followed this religion. A smaller number, about 3.4%, belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Some people belonged to other churches, and a few did not state their religion.

Learning and Education in Riviera

The Riviera District has a good education system for its young people. In 2009, there were 2,199 students in total.

School Levels in Ticino

Children can start with up to three years of kindergarten, which is not required but helps them get ready for school. In Riviera, 332 children were in kindergarten.

Primary school lasts for five years. Most students attend a standard primary school. A smaller number go to a special school if they need extra support.

After primary school, students go to lower secondary school. They can choose different paths:

• A two-year middle school, followed by a two-year program to prepare for a job.
• A four-year program that gets them ready for higher education, like university.

Higher Education and Job Training

Upper secondary school prepares students for a job or for university.

• Some students choose vocational training. This means they learn a specific trade while also going to school. This can take three or four years.
• Other students go to a professional program. This program lasts three years and prepares them for jobs in fields like engineering, nursing, or computer science.

Circles and Municipalities

The Riviera District is made up of different towns, called municipalities. These are grouped into a "Circle." The table below shows the two main municipalities in the Circle of Riviera.

Circle of Riviera
Coat of arms	Municipality	Population (31 December 2020)	Area km2
	Biasca	6,094	59.13
	Riviera	4096	86.07
	Total	10264	21.81

See also

In Spanish: Distrito de Riviera para niños