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Bienne

Biel/Bienne
Old Town of Bienne
Old Town of Bienne
Coat of arms of Biel/Bienne
Coat of arms
Biel/Bienne is located in Switzerland
Biel/Bienne
Biel/Bienne
Coordinates: 47°08′N 7°15′E / 47.133°N 7.250°E / 47.133; 7.250Coordinates: 47°08′N 7°15′E / 47.133°N 7.250°E / 47.133; 7.250
Country Switzerland
Canton Bern
District Biel/Bienne
Government
 • Executive Gemeinderat/Conseil municipal
with 5 members
 • Mayor Stadtpräsident/le Maire (list)
Erich Fehr SPS/PSS
(as of February 2011)
 • Parliament Stadtrat/Conseil de ville
with 60 members
Area
 • Total 21.23 km2 (8.20 sq mi)
Elevation (Railway station) 437 m (1,434 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
 • Total 54,163
 • Density 2,600/km2 (6,600/sq mi)
Demonym(s) French: Biennois(e), German: Bieler/in
Postal code 2500-2510
SFOS number 0371
Surrounded by Brügg, Ipsach, Leubringen/Magglingen (Evilard/Macolin), Nidau, Orpund, Orvin, Pieterlen, Port, Safnern, Tüscherz-Alfermée, Vauffelin
Twin towns Iserlohn (Germany)
Website www.biel-bienne.ch
SFSO statistics

Biel/Bienne (official bilingual wording; German: [biːl]; French: [bjɛn]; Italian: Bienna, Romansh: Bienna, Latin: Belna) is a town and a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Biel/Bienne is on the language boundary between the French-speaking and German-speaking parts of Switzerland, and is throughout bilingual. Biel is the German name for the town, Bienne its French counterpart. The town is often referred to in both languages simultaneously. Since January 1, 2005, the official name has been "Biel/Bienne". Until then, the city was officially named Biel (BE).

The city lies at the foot of the first mountain range of the Jura Mountains area, guarding the only practical connection to Jura in the area, on the northeastern shores of Lake Biel (Bielersee, Lac de Bienne), sharing the eastern tip of the lake with its sister city, Nidau, the administrative centre of the District of Nidau. Neuchâtel, Solothurn, and Bern (the capital of Switzerland) lie west, east and southeast of Biel/Bienne. They all can be reached in about 30 minutes, either by train or by car.


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