Versam
Former municipality in Graubünden, Switzerland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Versam is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. The municipalities of Valendas, Versam, Safien and Tenna merged on 1 January 2013 into the new municipality of Safiental.[1]
Versam | |
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 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location of Versam | |
  Versam  Versam | |
| Coordinates: 46°47′N 9°20′E | |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Canton | Graubünden |
| District | Surselva |
| Area | |
• Total | 16.77 km2 (6.47 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 909 m (2,982 ft) |
| Population (Dec 2011) | |
• Total | 226 |
| • Density | 13.5/km2 (34.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 7104 |
| SFOS number | 3587 |
| ISO 3166 code | CH-GR |
| Surrounded by | Bonaduz, Flims, Präz, Rhäzüns, Safien, Sagogn, Tenna, Trin, Valendas |
| Website | www.versam.ch |
History
Versam is first mentioned in 1050 as a valle Versamia.[2]
Geography
Versam had an area, as of 2006[update], of 16.8 km2 (6.5 sq mi). Of this area, 16.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 70.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (10.6%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).[3]
The former municipality is located in the Ilanz sub-district of the Surselva district. It is located above the Vorderrhein canyon at the entrance to the Safien Valley. It consists of the linear village of Versam and the hamlets of Versam-Station, Arezen, Calörtsch and Sculms.
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Demographics
As of 2011[update], Versam had a population of 226.[4] The historical population is as follows:[2]
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 255 |
| 1950 | 354 |
| 1900 | 316 |
| 1850 | 396 |
| 1803 | 357 |
As of 2008[update], 4.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals.[5]
As of 2000[update]:
- most of the population speaks Swiss German (98.0%), with Romansh being second most common ( 1.6%) and Spanish being third ( 0.4%).[3]
- the gender distribution was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.[6]
- the age distribution was as follows:[5]
| Age group | Population | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0-9yrs) | 35 | 13.7% |
| Teenagers (10-19yrs) | 33 | 12.9% |
| Adults (20-29yrs) | 12 | 4.7% |
| Adults (30-39yrs) | 41 | 16.1% |
| Adults (40-49yrs) | 36 | 14.1% |
| Adults (50-59yrs) | 25 | 9.8% |
| Seniors (60-69yrs) | 29 | 11.4% |
| Seniors (70-79yrs) | 25 | 9.8% |
| Seniors (80-89yrs) | 15 | 5.9% |
| Seniors (90-99yrs) | 4 | 1.6% |
Education
In Versam about 78.9% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).[3] The nearest fachhochschules to Versam are in Chur, such as the Chur University of Applied Sciences and Fachhochschule Graubünden.
Politics
In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 42.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP (30.7%), the FDP (16.7%) and the CVP (9.1%).[3]
Economy
Transportation
Versam-Safien station, on the line of the Rhaetian Railway that links Chur and Disentis, is located and some 250 metres (820 ft) lower than the village of Versam, and about 3.6 km (2.2 mi) to the north. To solve this, a PostAuto bus service provides a direct connection between the railway station and the village, as well as to Thalkirch and Tenna.[7][8]
Versam was connected to Tenna in 1994 with the completion of the Aclatobel Tunnel.
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Gallery
Ruinaulta canyon as seen from Islabord bus stop
Versam's church as seen from a PostAuto trip
Chalets in Versam
Safien Valley from Versam
Chur from Versam
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