La Chaux-de-Fonds

La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux de-Fonds in September 2005
La Chaux de-Fonds in September 2005
Flag of La Chaux-de-Fonds
Coat of arms of La Chaux-de-Fonds
Location of La Chaux-de-Fonds
Map
La Chaux-de-Fonds is located in Switzerland
La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds is located in Canton of Neuchâtel
La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds
Coordinates: 47°6.08′N 6°49.5′E / 47.10133°N 6.8250°E / 47.10133; 6.8250
CountrySwitzerland
CantonNeuchâtel
Government
 • ExecutiveConseil communal
with 5 members
 • MayorPrésident du Conseil communal (list)
Théo Huguenin-Elie
 • ParliamentConseil général
with 41 members
Area
 • Total5,566 km2 (2,149 sq mi)
Elevation
992 m (3,255 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2018)[2]
 • Total37,942
 • Density6.8/km2 (18/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)
2300
SFOS number6421
ISO 3166 codeCH-NE
Surrounded byFontaines, Fournet-Blancheroche (FR-25), Grand'Combe-des-Bois (FR-25), La Ferrière (BE), La Sagne, Le Locle, Les Bois (JU), Les Fontenelles (FR-25), Les Hauts-Geneveys, Les Planchettes, Renan (BE)
Twin townsWinterthur (Switzerland), Frameries (Belgium)
Websitechaux-de-fonds.ch
SFSO statistics
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Part ofLa Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle, Watchmaking Town Planning
CriteriaCultural: (iv)
Reference1302-001
Inscription2009 (33rd Session)
Area213.7 ha (528 acres)
Buffer zone2,867.5 ha (7,086 acres)

La Chaux-de-Fonds (French pronunciation: [laʃodəfɔ̃]) is a Swiss city in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometres south of the French border. After Geneva, Lausanne and Fribourg it is the fifth largest city in the Romandie, the French-speaking part of the country, with a population (as of December 2020) of 36,915.[3]

The city was founded in 1656. Its growth and prosperity are mainly bound up with watchmaking. It is the most important centre of the watch-making industry in the area known as the Watch Valley. Partially destroyed by a fire in 1794, La Chaux-de-Fonds was rebuilt following a grid street plan, which was and is still unique among Swiss cities, the only exception being the easternmost section of the city, which was spared by the fire. It creates an exciting and obvious transition from the old section to the newer section. The roads in the original section are very narrow and winding and open to the grid pattern near the town square. The famous architect Le Corbusier, the writer Blaise Cendrars and the carmaker Louis Chevrolet were born there. La Chaux-de-Fonds is a renowned centre of Art Nouveau.

In 2009 La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle, its sister city, were jointly awarded UNESCO World Heritage status for their exceptional universal value.

  1. ^ a b "Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeinden nach 4 Hauptbereichen". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Ständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeitskategorie Geschlecht und Gemeinde; Provisorische Jahresergebnisse; 2018". Federal Statistical Office. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Geburtsort und Staatsangehörigkeit". bfs.admin.ch (in German). Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2021.

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