Guttet-Feschel, Switzerland

Geschichte

Guttet-Feschel is a municipality in the district of Leuk in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It was formed from the union of the municipalities of Guttet and Feschel in 2000.HistoryFeschel is first mentioned in 1267 as Vexli, Veselli. Guttet is first mentioned in 1261 as de gottet.GeographyGuttet-Feschel has an area, of 10.5km2. Of this area, 3.87km2 or 36.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 2.92km2 or 27.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.37km2 or 3.5% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.06km2 or 0.6% is either rivers or lakes and 3.28km2 or 31.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.6%. Out of the forested land, 24.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.9% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.1% is used for growing crops and 9.4% is pastures and 27.2% is used for alpine pastures. Of the water in the municipality, 0.3% is in lakes and 0.3% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 9.8% is unproductive vegetation and 21.1% is too rocky for vegetation.The municipality, located in the Leuk district, was created by the merger of Guttet and Fesche.DemographicsGuttet-Feschel has a population of., 4.7% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of -1.5%. It has changed at a rate of 1.5% due to migration and at a rate of -3.3% due to births and deaths.