Port, Berne

Port
Country Switzerland Canton Berne District Nidau 47°7′N 7°15′E / 47.117°N 7.25°E / 47.117; 7.25Coordinates: 47°7′N 7°15′E / 47.117°N 7.25°E / 47.117; 7.25
Population	3,206 (December 2007[update])
- Density	1,282 /km2 (3,321 /sq mi)
Area	2.5 km2 (0.97 sq mi)
Elevation	448 m (1,470 ft)
Postal code	2562
SFOS number	0745
Surrounded by	Aegerten, Bellmund, Biel/Bienne, Brügg, Ipsach, Jens, Nidau
Website	www.port.ch SFSO statistics
Port

Port

Port is a municipality in the canton of Bern in Switzerland, located in the district of Nidau.

History

Port is first mentioned in 1228 as Port.^[1]

Geography

Port has an area of 2.4 square kilometers (0.9 sq mi). Of this area, 29.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 30.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 36.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (3.7%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).^[2]

The town lies on the Nidau-Büren channel, which links Lake Biel with Solothurn, dug out during the Jura water correction. Since then the community has been split into two parts on either side of the canal. The regulating dam Port, commissioned in 1939 and a small foot bridge, erected in the 1980s, connect both sides.

Demographics

Port has a population (as of 2007^[update]) of 3,206, of which 8.6% are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 15.3%. Most of the population (as of 2000^[update]) speaks German (83.9%), with French being second most common (10.9%) and Italian being third ( 1.6%).

In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP which received 28.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS (23.5%), the FDP (23%) and the Green Party (9.4%).

The age distribution of the population (as of 2000^[update]) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 20.3% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 18%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Port about 81.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule).

Port has an unemployment rate of 1.25%. As of 2005^[update], there were 13 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 5 businesses involved in this sector. 422 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 32 businesses in this sector. 297 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 73 businesses in this sector.^[2] The historical population is given in the following table:^[1]

References

• Barrage de régulation de PortPDF (873 KB) par l'Office de l'économie hydraulique du canton de Berne
• Régulation du niveau des lacs du Pied du Jura en cas de cruePDF (704 KB) par l'Office de l'économie hydraulique du canton de Berne
• D'une gestion technique à une gestion intégrée: l'exemple de la région des trois lacsPDF (4.94 MB)

External links

• Official website

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