Weiach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Weiach
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 Weiach
Location in Switzerland
Weiach
Location in Canton of Zurich
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Zurich | |
| District | Dielsdorf | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 9.58 km2 (3.70 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 390 m (1,280 ft) | |
| Highest elevation
(Haggenberg (Stadlerberg))
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615 m (2,018 ft) | |
| Lowest elevation
(Rhine)
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332 m (1,089 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 1,990 | |
| • Density | 207.7/km2 (538.0/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
8187
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| Surrounded by | Fisibach (AG), Kaiserstuhl (AG), Hohentengen am Hochrhein (D), Glattfelden, Stadel bei Niederglatt, Bachs | |
Weiach is a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It is located in the Dielsdorf area within the canton of Zürich.
History of Weiach
Weiach was first mentioned in official records way back in 1271. It has been part of the Swiss Confederation (which is like the country of Switzerland today) since 1424.
Since 1962, there has been a gravel industry in Weiach. This means they dig up and process gravel, which is used for building roads and other construction.
On November 14, 1990, a sad event happened near Weiach. A plane, Alitalia Flight 404, crashed into Stadlerberg Mountain. The plane was trying to land at Zurich Airport. The crash was caused by a problem with the plane's navigation system. Sadly, all 40 passengers and 6 crew members on board died.
Geography and Location
Weiach covers an area of about 9.5 square kilometers (about 3.7 square miles). A big part of this land, almost 37%, is used for farming. Even more, nearly 50%, is covered by forests. About 11.7% of the land has buildings or roads on it. The rest, a small part, is made up of rivers or mountains.
Weiach is located about 390 meters (1,280 feet) above sea level. It sits in the northwest corner of the Zürich Lowlands. It is right on the border between the canton of Zürich and the canton of Aargau.
The Rhine River flows about 100 meters north of the village. This river forms the natural border with Germany. It also marks the lowest point in the canton of Zürich, at 332 meters (1,089 feet) above sea level.
Population Changes Over Time
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In 1470, records show that Weiach had 16 households. About 48 people over 15 years old had to pay taxes. For many centuries, the number of people living in Weiach depended on how well the land could provide food and jobs. The population usually stayed between 500 and 750 people.
From the late 1600s, many people started to leave Weiach to find work elsewhere. A lot of them moved to the United States. In fact, many American families with the last name Baumgardner have ancestors who came from Weiach.
In the 1960s and 1970s, some new apartment buildings were built. By the mid-1980s, Weiach started to become part of the larger city area around Zürich. This growth led to a building boom. Many new homes were built, especially starting on the edge of Sanzenberg.
Between 1991 and 2000, about 80 new apartment buildings were constructed. This caused the population to grow by over 35%. More people lived in Weiach during this time than ever before. The number of single-person households also increased a lot after 1990.
At the end of 2007, there were plans to build 55 more apartment buildings in the Bedmen area. If these plans go ahead, the population of Weiach will likely grow to over 1,000 people.
Who Lives in Weiach?
As of 31 December 2020, Weiach has a population of 1,990 people. About 10.1% of these people are from other countries. Over the last ten years, the population has grown by about 6.9%.
Most people in Weiach (about 93.6%) speak German. Albanian is the second most common language (1.5%), followed by Serbo-Croatian (1.2%).
In the 2007 election, the most popular political party was the SVP. They received 54.8% of the votes. Other popular parties included the SPS (12.9%), the CSP (9.4%), and the FDP (8%).
Looking at the age of the people in Weiach:
- Children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 26.7% of the population.
- Adults (20–64 years old) make up 61%.
- Seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12.4%.
About 80.4% of adults in Weiach (between 25 and 64 years old) have finished higher education. This includes either a non-mandatory upper secondary education or a university degree.
Weiach has a low unemployment rate of 2.46%. This means most people who want to work can find jobs.
As of 2005, many people worked in different types of jobs:
- 47 people worked in the primary economic sector. This includes jobs like farming and forestry. There were 17 businesses in this area.
- 120 people worked in the secondary sector. These jobs involve making things, like in factories or construction. There were 16 businesses in this area.
- 96 people worked in the tertiary sector. These are service jobs, like in shops, offices, or healthcare. There were 27 businesses in this area.
