Vernayaz

Vernayaz
Vernayaz Show map of Switzerland Vernayaz Show map of Canton of Valais
Location of Vernayaz
Coordinates: 46°8′N 7°2′E / 46.133°N 7.033°E / 46.133; 7.033Coordinates: 46°8′N 7°2′E / 46.133°N 7.033°E / 46.133; 7.033
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Valais
District	Saint-Maurice
Government
• Mayor	Blaise Borgeat
Area
• Total	5.6 km2 (2.2 sq mi)
Elevation	452 m (1,483 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	1,886
• Density	340/km2 (870/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Planain
Postal code	1904
SFOS number	6219
Localities	Miéville
Surrounded by	Dorénaz, Evionnaz, Martigny, Salvan
Website	www.vernayaz.ch SFSO statistics

Vernayaz is a municipality in the district of Saint-Maurice, in the canton of Valais, Switzerland.

In 1913 the municipality was created when it separated from Salvan.

Vernayaz has an area, as of 2011^[update], of 5.7 square kilometers (2.2 sq mi). Of this area, 12.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 54.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 17.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and 14.9% is unproductive land.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Quartered Gules a Cross bottony Argent and Sable a Mullet of Five Or overall a pallet wavy Argent.

Vernayaz has a population (as of December 2015^[update]) of 1,886. As of 2008^[update], 24.5% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010 ) the population has changed at a rate of 12.6%. It has changed at a rate of 12.5% due to migration and at a rate of 0.7% due to births and deaths.

Most of the population (as of 2000^[update]) speaks French (1,413 or 88.5%) as their first language, Italian is the second most common (48 or 3.0%) and Portuguese is the third (47 or 2.9%). There are 23 people who speak German.

As of 2008^[update], the population was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. The population was made up of 646 Swiss men (35.9% of the population) and 241 (13.4%) non-Swiss men. There were 698 Swiss women (38.8%) and 214 (11.9%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 688 or about 43.1% were born in Vernayaz and lived there in 2000. There were 413 or 25.9% who were born in the same canton, while 154 or 9.6% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 311 or 19.5% were born outside of Switzerland.