Laupersdorf

Laupersdorf
Laupersdorf village
Coat of arms
Laupersdorf Show map of Switzerland Laupersdorf Show map of Canton of Solothurn
Location of Laupersdorf
Coordinates: 47°19′N 7°39′E / 47.317°N 7.650°E / 47.317; 7.650Coordinates: 47°19′N 7°39′E / 47.317°N 7.650°E / 47.317; 7.650
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Solothurn
District	Thal
Area
• Total	15.51 km2 (5.99 sq mi)
Elevation	493 m (1,617 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	1,734
• Density	110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Postal code	4712
SFOS number	2426
Surrounded by	Balsthal, Matzendorf, Mümliswil-Ramiswil, Niederbipp (BE), Wolfisberg (BE)
Website	www.laupersdorf.ch SFSO statistics

Laupersdorf is a municipality in the district of Thal in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.

Laupersdorf is first mentioned in 968 as Luiperestorf which comes from an 11th Century copy of the earlier document. In 1179 it was mentioned as de Loppestorf.

Laupersdorf has an area, as of 2009^[update], of 15.51 square kilometers (5.99 sq mi). Of this area, 7.36 km² (2.84 sq mi) or 47.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 7.23 km² (2.79 sq mi) or 46.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.9 km² (0.35 sq mi) or 5.8% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.02 km² (4.9 acres) or 0.1% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acres) or 0.1% is unproductive land.

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.1%. Out of the forested land, 44.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 18.6% is used for growing crops and 20.3% is pastures, while 1.3% is used for orchards or vine crops and 7.3% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.

The municipality is located in the Thal district, in the Dünnern valley. It consists of the linear village of Laupersdorf, the hamlet of Höngen and the Änerholz area with several scattered houses. It is at an altitude of 493 meters (1,617 ft) above sea level and lies 3 km (1.86 mi) in the west of Balsthal (capital of the district of Thal). Laupersdorf is built on the southside at the foot of the Brunnersberg mountain chain in the Jura Mountains.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules, a Number 8 argent.

Laupersdorf has a population (as of December 2015^[update]) of 1,734. As of 2008^[update], 9.7% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of -1.3%.