Chippis

Chippis
Chippis village
Coat of arms
Chippis Show map of Switzerland Chippis Show map of Canton of Valais
Location of Chippis
Coordinates: 46°17′N 7°32′E / 46.283°N 7.533°E / 46.283; 7.533Coordinates: 46°17′N 7°32′E / 46.283°N 7.533°E / 46.283; 7.533
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Valais
District	Sierre
Government
• Mayor	Christian Zufferey
Area
• Total	1.98 km2 (0.76 sq mi)
Elevation	532 m (1,745 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	1,632
• Density	820/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
Postal code	3965
SFOS number	6235
Surrounded by	Chalais, Anniviers, Sierre
Website	www.chippis.ch SFSO statistics

Chippis is a municipality in the district of Sierre in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.

Chippis is first mentioned in the 11th century as Sepils.

Chippis has an area, as of 2009^[update], of 2 square kilometers (0.77 sq mi). Of this area, 0.11 km² (0.042 sq mi) or 5.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.17 km² (0.45 sq mi) or 59.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.48 km² (0.19 sq mi) or 24.2% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.07 km² (17 acres) or 3.5% is either rivers or lakes and 0.17 km² (0.066 sq mi) or 8.6% is unproductive land.

Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 6.6% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 10.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 4.5%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.5% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 1.5%. Out of the forested land, 57.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.5% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.0% is used for growing crops and 3.5% is pastures, while 2.0% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 3.0% is unproductive vegetation and 5.6% is too rocky for vegetation.

The municipality is located in the Sierre district, on the left bank of the Rhone river.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per fess by a bar wavy Argent chief per pale by a pallet wavy of the same, Gules a Cog-wheel of the first, Azure a church of the first and Gules three Mullets of Five of the first.

Chippis has a population (as of December 2015^[update]) of 1,632. As of 2008^[update], 38.3% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010 ) the population has changed at a rate of 2.6%. It has changed at a rate of -0.8% due to migration and at a rate of 2.1% due to births and deaths.