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La Chaux-de-Fonds

La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux de Fonds in September 2005
La Chaux de Fonds in September 2005
Coat of arms of La Chaux-de-Fonds
Coat of arms
La Chaux-de-Fonds is located in Switzerland
La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds
Coordinates: 47°6.08′N 6°49.5′E / 47.10133°N 6.8250°E / 47.10133; 6.8250Coordinates: 47°6.08′N 6°49.5′E / 47.10133°N 6.8250°E / 47.10133; 6.8250
Country Switzerland
Canton Neuchâtel
District La Chaux-de-Fonds
Government
 • Executive Conseil communal
with 5 members
 • Mayor Président du Conseil communal (list)
Théo Huguenin-Elie
 • Parliament Conseil général
with 41 members
Area
 • Total 55.66 km2 (21.49 sq mi)
Elevation 992 m (3,255 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
 • Total 38,957
 • Density 700/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Postal code 2300
SFOS number 6421
Surrounded by Fontaines, Fournet-Blancheroche (FR-25), Grand'Combe-des-Bois (FR-25), La Ferrière (BE), La Sagne, Le Locle, Les Bois (JU), Les Fontenelles (FR-25), Les Hauts-Geneveys, Les Planchettes, Renan (BE)
Twin towns Winterthur (Switzerland), Frameries (Belgium)
Website www.chaux-de-fonds.ch
SFSO statistics
UNESCO World Heritage Site
La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle, watchmaking town planning
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Location Switzerland
Type Cultural
Criteria iv
Reference 1302
UNESCO region Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 2009 (33rd Session)

La Chaux-de-Fonds (French pronunciation: ​[laʃodəfɔ̃]) is a Swiss city of the district of La Chaux-de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometres south of the French border. After Geneva and Lausanne, it is the third largest city located completely in the Romandie, the French-speaking part of the country, with a population (as of December 2015) of 38,957.

The city was founded in 1656. Its growth and prosperity is mainly bound up with the watch making industry. It is the most important centre of the watch making industry in the area known as the Watch Valley. Completely destroyed by a fire in 1794 La Chaux-de-Fonds was rebuilt following a grid street plan, which was and is still original among Swiss cities. Karl Marx said about the very special urban design of the city that it was a "city-factory". The famous architect Le Corbusier, the writer Blaise Cendrars and the car maker Louis Chevrolet were born there. La Chaux-de-Fonds is a renowned centre of Art nouveau.

In 2009, La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle, its sister city, have jointly been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status for their exceptional universal value.

The watch making cities of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle have jointly received recognition from UNESCO for their exceptional universal value.


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