St. Silvester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
St. Silvester
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St. Silvester church
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 St. Silvester
Location in Switzerland
St. Silvester
Location in Canton of Fribourg
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Fribourg | |
| District | Sense | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 7.04 km2 (2.72 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 848 m (2,782 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 952 | |
| • Density | 135.23/km2 (350.2/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
1736
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| Surrounded by | Giffers, Le Mouret, Plasselb, Tentlingen | |
St. Silvester is a small town, also called a municipality, located in Switzerland. It's part of the Fribourg canton, specifically in the Sense district. Even though Fribourg is mostly French-speaking, St. Silvester is special because most of its residents speak German.
Contents
A Look at Its Past
St. Silvester has a long history! The first time it was ever written about was in the year 1148. Back then, it was known by a slightly different name: sancto Silvestro und Baselgin.
Where is St. Silvester?
St. Silvester covers an area of about 7.1 square kilometers (2.7 square miles). A big part of this land, about 53%, is used for farming. Forests cover another large portion, around 37.5% of the area.
About 8% of the land is built up with buildings and roads. A small amount, 2%, is made up of rivers or lakes. The municipality is located in the Sense district and is made up of several small hamlets.
What Does the Town's Flag Mean?
The official symbol, or coat of arms, for St. Silvester shows a church between two trees on a green hill against a blue background. This church on the coat of arms is actually the main parish church of the town.
Who Lives in St. Silvester?
St. Silvester has a population of about 900 people. Most of the people living here, around 95%, speak German as their main language. French is the second most common language, spoken by about 4% of the residents.
In 2008, about half of the population was male and half was female. Most people living in St. Silvester were born either in the town itself or somewhere else in the same canton.
The population of St. Silvester has changed over time. You can see how the number of people has grown and shrunk in the chart below:
How People Make a Living
In 2010, St. Silvester had a very low unemployment rate, meaning almost everyone who wanted a job had one. Many people work in farming, which is called the primary economic sector.
Some people also work in the secondary sector, which includes jobs like manufacturing and construction. The largest number of jobs are in the tertiary sector, which includes services like sales, transportation, restaurants, and education.
Many residents of St. Silvester travel to other towns for work. Most people use a private car to get to their jobs.
Religion in St. Silvester
According to a survey in 2000, most people in St. Silvester are Roman Catholic, making up about 85% of the population. About 7% belong to the Swiss Reformed Church.
A small number of people belong to other Christian churches or are Islamic or Buddhist. Some people also stated they did not belong to any church.
Schools and Learning
In St. Silvester, many adults have completed upper secondary education, which is like high school. Some have even gone on to higher education at a university or a specialized college.
The Canton of Fribourg has a specific school system. It starts with one year of optional Kindergarten, followed by six years of Primary school. After that, students attend three years of mandatory lower Secondary school.
After lower Secondary, students can choose to go to an optional upper Secondary school for three or four years. This can be a gymnasium (which prepares them for university) or a vocational program (which teaches job skills).
During the 2010-2011 school year, St. Silvester had 87 students in 4 classes. While there are kindergarten and primary classes in the municipality, many older students attend secondary and higher education classes in nearby towns.
See also
In Spanish: Sankt Silvester para niños
