Balsthal

Balsthal
Coat of arms
Balsthal Show map of Switzerland Balsthal Show map of Canton of Solothurn
Location of Balsthal
Coordinates: 47°19′N 7°42′E / 47.317°N 7.700°E / 47.317; 7.700Coordinates: 47°19′N 7°42′E / 47.317°N 7.700°E / 47.317; 7.700
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Solothurn
District	Thal
Area
• Total	15.71 km2 (6.07 sq mi)
Elevation	489 m (1,604 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	6,019
• Density	380/km2 (990/sq mi)
Postal code	4710
SFOS number	2422
Surrounded by	Holderbank, Laupersdorf, Mümliswil-Ramiswil, Niederbipp (BE), Oberbuchsiten, Oensingen
Website	www.balsthal.ch SFSO statistics

Balsthal is a municipality in the district of Thal in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.

Balsthal is first mentioned in 968 as Palcivallis. In 1255 it was mentioned as Balcetal.

Balsthal has an area, as of 2009^[update], of 15.71 square kilometers (6.07 sq mi). Of this area, 4.62 km² (1.78 sq mi) or 29.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 8.53 km² (3.29 sq mi) or 54.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.26 km² (0.87 sq mi) or 14.4% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.1 km² (25 acres) or 0.6% is either rivers or lakes and 0.18 km² (0.069 sq mi) or 1.1% is unproductive land.

Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 2.2% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 7.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.6%. Out of the forested land, 53.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 6.4% is used for growing crops and 19.7% is pastures and 2.7% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.

The municipality is located in the Thal district. It was a market town and administrative center for the Oberen Hauenstein. It consists of the village of Balsthal, the industrial settlement of Klus and the hamlets of Sankt Wolfgang.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure two Snakes Argent in saltire bowed embowed reguardant.

Balsthal has a population (as of December 2015^[update]) of 6,019. As of 2008^[update], 28.9% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of 1.7%.