Blitzingen

Blitzingen
Former municipality of Switzerland
Blitzingen village
Coat of arms
Blitzingen Show map of Switzerland Blitzingen Show map of Canton of Valais
Location of Blitzingen
Coordinates: 46°26′N 8°12′E / 46.433°N 8.200°E / 46.433; 8.200Coordinates: 46°26′N 8°12′E / 46.433°N 8.200°E / 46.433; 8.200
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Valais
District	Goms
Government
• Mayor	Erwin Ritz
Area
• Total	11.8 km2 (4.6 sq mi)
Elevation	1,290 m (4,230 ft)
Population (December 2002)
• Total	90
• Density	7.6/km2 (20/sq mi)
Postal code	3989
SFOS number	6055
Surrounded by	Bellwald, Ernen, Grafschaft, Niederwald
Website	www.blitzingen.ch SFSO statistics

Blitzingen is a former municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. On 1 January 2017 the former municipalities of Blitzingen, Grafschaft, Münster-Geschinen, Niederwald and Reckingen-Gluringen merged into the municipality of Goms.

Blitzingen is first mentioned in 1203 as Blicingen.

Blitzingen had an area, as of 2011^[update], of 11.8 square kilometers (4.6 sq mi). Of this area, 36.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 27.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.7% is settled (buildings or roads) and 34.3% is unproductive land.

It consists of the village of Blitzingen and the hamlets of Ammere, Bodme, Wiler and Gadme.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure, issuant from a cliff Vert a flag per fess Gules and Argent two Crosses couped counterchanged staffed of the third and finialed Or, issuant from sinister a Thunderbolt Or, in Chief two Mullets Or. The lightning bolt (German: blitz) may be an example of canting arms.

Blitzingen had a population (as of 2015^[update]) of 90. As of 2008^[update], 24.4% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of -24%. It has changed at a rate of -4.8% due to migration and at a rate of -14.4% due to births and deaths.