Undervelier Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Undervelier

Former municipality of Switzerland

Undervelier village

Coat of arms

Undervelier

Location in Switzerland

Undervelier

Location in Canton of Jura

Switzerland

Area

• Total

14 km² (5 sq mi)

Elevation

536 m (1,759 ft)

Population

(2011)

• Total

296

• Density

21.1/km² (54.8/sq mi)

Postal code

2863

Surrounded by

Saulcy, Glovelier, Bassecourt, Courfaivre, Soulce, Souboz(BE), Sornetan(BE), Monible(BE), Rebévelier(BE)

Undervelier was once a small town, or municipality, in the Jura canton of Switzerland. It was located in the Delémont area. On January 1, 2013, Undervelier joined with several other towns. These towns were Bassecourt, Courfaivre, Glovelier, and Soulce. Together, they formed a new, larger municipality called Haute-Sorne.

History of Undervelier
Geography of Undervelier
Coat of Arms
People of Undervelier (Demographics)
Interesting Places to See
Economy and Jobs
Religion in Undervelier
Education in Undervelier
Images for kids
See also

History of Undervelier

Undervelier was first mentioned in official records in the year 1179. Back then, its name was written as Undreviller. For a while, it was also known as Underswiler, but that name is not used anymore.

Geography of Undervelier

The village of Undervelier

Undervelier covered an area of about 14 square kilometers (about 5.4 square miles). A large part of this land, about 73%, was covered by forests. About 24% of the land was used for farming. Only a small portion, about 2%, had buildings or roads. There were also small areas of rivers and unproductive land.

The village itself is nestled between two canyons of the Sorne river. It sits at the base of the Pichoux mountain.

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Undervelier is quite unique. It shows three black pointed shapes. These shapes come out from the left side of a golden shield.

People of Undervelier (Demographics)

A view of Undervelier

In 2011, Undervelier had a population of 296 people. Over the ten years from 2000 to 2010, the number of people living there decreased a little.

Most people in Undervelier speak French. In 2000, about 80% of the population spoke French as their main language. The next most common language was German, spoken by about 15% of the people. A small number, about 2%, spoke Italian.

In 2008, the population was split evenly between males and females. About 42% of the people living in Undervelier in 2000 were born there. Another 21% were born in the same canton (Jura).

The population of Undervelier has changed over time. You can see how the number of people has varied in the chart below:

Interesting Places to See

A road winding through one of the Gorges of Pichoux

The entire Les Forges area in Undervelier is very special. It is listed as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. This means it is a place of national importance.

Some cool places to visit include:

The cave of Sainte-Colombe.
The beautiful Gorges of Pichoux, which are like narrow river canyons.
The Vellerat Posé, known for its green scenery.
The chapel called Place Roland Béguelin, which has amazing stained glass windows.

Economy and Jobs

In 2010, the unemployment rate in Undervelier was 7.4%. This means about 7 out of every 100 people looking for a job couldn't find one.

Most jobs in Undervelier were in farming and forestry. There were also jobs in manufacturing (making things) and construction (building things). A smaller number of people worked in services, like shops, restaurants, or technical jobs.

Many people who lived in Undervelier traveled to other towns for work. In 2000, about 77 residents worked outside the municipality. About 10% of workers used public transportation, while over 50% drove their own cars.

Religion in Undervelier

The village church in Undervelier

Based on a survey in 2000, most people in Undervelier were Roman Catholic, making up about 58% of the population. About 16% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. There were also people who followed other Christian churches, Islam, or Buddhism. About 15% of the population did not belong to any church.

Education in Undervelier

In Undervelier, about 32% of the adults had finished high school. A smaller group, about 5%, had gone on to higher education, like university.

The school system in the Canton of Jura starts with two years of optional Kindergarten. After that, students go to six years of Primary school. Then, they attend three years of mandatory lower Secondary school. After this, students can choose to go to an upper Secondary school or start an apprenticeship to learn a trade.

In the 2009-2010 school year, no students were attending school directly in Undervelier. However, some students from Undervelier went to schools in other towns.