Villiers, Switzerland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Villiers
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 Villiers
Location in Switzerland
Villiers
Location in Canton of Neuchâtel
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Neuchâtel | |
| District | Val-de-Ruz | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 10.59 km2 (4.09 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 760 m (2,490 ft) | |
| Population
(December 2011)
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| • Total | 450 | |
| • Density | 42.5/km2 (110.1/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
2057
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| Surrounded by | Dombresson, Enges, Le Pâquier, Lignières, Nods (BE), Saint-Imier (BE), Savagnier, Villeret (BE) | |
Villiers was once a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It was located in the Val-de-Ruz area of the Neuchâtel region.
On January 1, 2013, Villiers joined with 14 other nearby towns. They all became part of a new, larger municipality called Val-de-Ruz.
Contents
History of Villiers
Villiers is quite old! The first time it was ever written about was in the year 1191. Back then, it was called in Vilar. Later, in 1308, people started calling it de Villier.
Geography and Landscape
Villiers covered an area of about 10.6 square kilometers (about 4 square miles). Imagine a square that's roughly 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) on each side – that's how big it was!
Most of the land in Villiers was used for farming (44.5%) or covered in forests (53.1%). Only a small part (2.6%) had buildings or roads. The rest was unproductive land.
The town of Villiers is located in a valley called Val de Ruz. It sits at the bottom of a mountain called Chaumont. The Seyon river also starts nearby.
Villiers included the main village, a smaller settlement called Clémesin, and several high mountain pastures. These pastures are areas where animals graze in the summer.
Villiers' Coat of Arms
Every town has a special symbol, called a coat of arms. Villiers' coat of arms is red. It features a silver heart in the middle. Above the heart, there is a silver eight-pointed star.
Population and People
In 2011, Villiers had a population of 450 people. Over the ten years before that (2000-2010), the number of people living there grew by about 14.8%. This growth happened because more people moved into Villiers than left, and more babies were born than people died.
Most people in Villiers (96.2%) speak French as their main language. A smaller number speak German (2.3%) or English (0.5%).
In 2008, about half the population was male (50.1%) and half was female (49.9%). Most residents were Swiss citizens.
About 28.2% of the people living in Villiers in 2000 were born there. Many others were born in the same region (canton) of Switzerland.
In 2000, children and teenagers (ages 0-19) made up 32% of the population. Adults (ages 20-64) were 60.9%, and seniors (over 64) were 7.1%.
There were 135 households in Villiers in 2000. On average, about 2.9 people lived in each home. Most apartments were lived in all year round.
The chart below shows how the population of Villiers has changed over many years:
Economy and Jobs
In 2010, the unemployment rate in Villiers was 3.6%. This means that 3.6% of people who wanted to work couldn't find a job.
Most jobs in Villiers were in three main areas:
- Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming. In 2008, 27 people worked in this sector.
- Secondary sector: This includes jobs like manufacturing (making things) and construction (building things). There were 64 people working here.
- Tertiary sector: This includes jobs that provide services, like working in shops, restaurants, or offices. 31 people worked in this sector.
Many people who lived in Villiers traveled to other towns for work. In 2000, 155 people left Villiers to work, while only 52 people came into Villiers for their jobs. Most people (67.2%) used a private car to get to work.
Religion
In 2000, about 52% of the people in Villiers belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. About 14.7% were Roman Catholic. Some people belonged to other Christian churches. A small number (0.76%) were Jewish. About 29.44% of the population did not belong to any church or had no specific religious belief.
Education
Many adults in Villiers have a good education. About 37.1% of the population finished upper secondary education (like high school). About 12.7% went on to higher education, such as university.
In the Neuchâtel region, children usually attend two years of non-mandatory kindergarten. After that, they have five years of mandatory primary school. Then, they go to secondary school for four years.
Villiers shared its kindergarten with the nearby towns of Le Pâquier and Dombresson. Its primary school was shared with Dombresson. In the 2010-2011 school year, there were 3 kindergarten classes with 50 students and 8 primary classes with 156 students across these towns.
In 2000, 86 students from Villiers traveled to schools outside the municipality.
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