Cernier

Cernier
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Cernier Show map of Switzerland Cernier Show map of Canton of Neuchâtel
Location of Cernier
Coordinates: 47°3.45′N 6°54′E / 47.05750°N 6.900°E / 47.05750; 6.900Coordinates: 47°3.45′N 6°54′E / 47.05750°N 6.900°E / 47.05750; 6.900
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Neuchâtel
District	Val-de-Ruz
Area
• Total	9.11 km2 (3.52 sq mi)
Elevation	820 m (2,690 ft)
Population (December 2011)
• Total	2,223
• Density	240/km2 (630/sq mi)
Postal code	2053
SFOS number	6472
Surrounded by	Chézard-Saint-Martin, Engollon, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Renan (BE)
Website	www.cernier.ch SFSO statistics

Cernier is the former capital of the district of Val-de-Ruz in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.

The municipalities of Boudevilliers, Cernier, Chézard-Saint-Martin, Coffrane, Dombresson, Engollon, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Fontainemelon, Fontaines, Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane, Les Hauts-Geneveys, Montmollin, Le Pâquier, Savagnier and Villiers merged on 1 January 2013 into the new municipality of Val-de-Ruz.

Cernier is first mentioned in 1324 as Cernies.

Cernier had an area, as of 2009^[update], of 9.1 square kilometers (3.5 sq mi). Of this area, 4.98 km² (1.92 sq mi) or 54.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 3.44 km² (1.33 sq mi) or 37.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.68 km² (0.26 sq mi) or 7.5% is settled (buildings or roads) and 0.01 km² (2.5 acres) or 0.1% is unproductive land.

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 4.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.0%. Out of the forested land, 33.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 4.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 12.4% is used for growing crops and 10.4% is pastures and 31.4% is used for alpine pastures.