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Surselva Region

Coordinates: 46°46′N 9°05′E / 46.76°N 9.09°E / 46.76; 9.09
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Surselva Region
Regiun Surselva (Romansh)
Region Surselva (German)
District
Flag of Surselva Region
Coat of arms of Surselva Region
Map
Country Switzerland
Canton Graubünden
Area
 • Total1,373.56 km2 (530.33 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total21,318
 • Density16/km2 (40/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Municipalities15

Surselva Region is one of the eleven administrative districts in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It was created on 1 January 2017 as part of a reorganization of the canton.[1]

Surselva Region has an area of 1,373.56 square kilometers (530.33 sq mi), with a population of 21,318 as of 31 December 2020.[2]. Its area corresponds exactly to that of its predecessor, Surselva District, but all of its former subdistricts (Kreise) – Disentis, Ilanz, Lumnezia/Lugnez, Ruis and Safien – have politically ceased to exist.

Surselva (literally, 'above the forest') is the name of the valley of the Anterior Rhine in the local (Sursilvan) dialect of Romansh. The eponymous forest is that of the Flims rockslide; the region "below the forest" is Sutselva, where the Sutsilvan dialect used to be spoken.

Geography

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The Surselva near Trun

The Surselva encompasses the valley of the Vorderrhein/Rein Anteriur (the Surselva) and all its side valleys, from the source near the Oberalp Pass all the way down towards Reichenau (where the Vorderrhein joins the Hinterrhein/Rein Posteriur to form the Alpine Rhine). The region ends before that confluence at the huge forest on the giant debris of Flims Rockslide that is responsible for the name of the region: The debris area lack of water and soil and were ever left as a big forest as it was useless for farming. This forest (Romansh: silva) is the border for Sur-silva (meaning 'above the forest').

The Surselva is one of the few areas in Switzerland that is mainly Romansh-speaking (another notable valley being the Engadine, the valley of the Inn). The most important community in the Surselva is Disentis/Mustér, with its Benedictine monastery, which dates back to 720. There are a few German-speaking communities in the Surselva, e.g. Obersaxen and Vals, which were founded in the thirteenth century by the Walser.

A long-distance hike is signposted to follow the full length of the main valley of the Anterior Rhine.[3]

Municipalities

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Surselva Region had 17 municipalities at the time of its formation. On 1 January 2018 the former municipalities of Andiast and Waltensburg/Vuorz merged into the municipality of Breil/Brigels, for a total of 15 municipalities.

Municipality Population
(31 December 2020)[2]
Area (km2)[4]
Falera 625 22.36
Laax 1,974 31.71
Sagogn 736 6.92
Schluein 611 4.79
Vals 946 175.56
Lumnezia 1,996 165.48
Ilanz/Glion 4,797 133.48
Safiental 937 151.42
Breil/Brigels 11,253 50.64
Disentis/Mustér 2,009 90.99
Medel (Lucmagn) 344 136.22
Sumvitg 1,104 101.88
Tujetsch 1,183 133.91
Trun 1,161 51.9
Obersaxen Mundaun 1,164 70.36

Linguistic demography

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Romansh is the predominant language in the region, mostly the Sursilvan dialect. There is a large German-speaking minority in Surselva, notably the Walser settlements of Obersaxen and Vals. However, the percentage of Romansh-speakers is in decline. Traditional Romansh-speaking cities such as Ilanz are losing ground to German.[citation needed]

Languages of Surselva Region, GR
Languages Census 2000
Number Percent
German 7,335 34.5%
Romansh 12,606 59.4%
Italian 289 1.4%
TOTAL 21,231 100%

History

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Surselva District (Romansh: District da la Surselva) was an administrative district in the canton of the Grisons, Switzerland, from 2000 until 2016.[5] It had an area of 1,373.39 km2 (530.27 sq mi) and a population of 21,325 in 2015.

It was formed in 2000 by a merger of the former Vorderrhein and Glenner districts. During its existence there were several changes in its composition:

It consisted of five Kreise (sub-districts) and forty-three municipalities. It was replaced with the Surselva Region (the same area but with a simpler political structure) on 1 January 2017 as part of a reorganization of the canton.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Swiss Federal Statistical Office – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz – Mutationsmeldungen 2016 accessed 16 February 2017
  2. ^ a b "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.
  3. ^ "85 Senda Sursilvana, Andermatt-Chur". Chur, Switzerland: Graubünden Ferien Schweiz. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  4. ^ Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeindedaten nach 4 Hauptbereichen
  5. ^ "Grisons Map: Map of local districts and communities" (PDF) (official website). Chur, Switzerland: Canton Grisons. January 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  6. ^ a b c d "Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz: Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis" (official website) (in German and French). Neuchâtel, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 2016-01-11.

46°46′N 9°05′E / 46.76°N 9.09°E / 46.76; 9.09