Veyras, Switzerland

Veyras
Château de Muzot near Veyras, where poet Rainer Maria Rilke completed the Duino Elegies in 1922
Coat of arms
Veyras Show map of Switzerland Veyras Show map of Canton of Valais
Location of Veyras
Coordinates: 46°18′N 7°32′E / 46.300°N 7.533°E / 46.300; 7.533Coordinates: 46°18′N 7°32′E / 46.300°N 7.533°E / 46.300; 7.533
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Valais
District	Sierre
Government
• Mayor	Gérard Salamin
Area
• Total	1.45 km2 (0.56 sq mi)
Elevation	645 m (2,116 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	1,817
• Density	1,300/km2 (3,200/sq mi)
Postal code	3968
SFOS number	6250
Surrounded by	Miège, Salgesch, Sierre, Venthône
Website	www.veyras.ch SFSO statistics

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

Veyras has an area, as of 2009^[update], of 1.5 square kilometers (0.58 sq mi). Of this area, 0.8 km² (0.31 sq mi) or 55.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.13 km² (0.050 sq mi) or 9.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.48 km² (0.19 sq mi) or 33.1% is settled (buildings or roads) and 0.04 km² (9.9 acres) or 2.8% is unproductive land.

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 24.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 6.2%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.4% of the area Out of the forested land, 4.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 4.8% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.0% is used for growing crops and 2.1% is pastures, while 53.1% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the unproductive areas, 1.4% is unproductive vegetation and 1.4% is too rocky for vegetation.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules, stantant on Coupeaux vert a Warrior Argent holding a spear of the same, in chief sinister a Sun in Splendour Or.

Veyras has a population (as of December 2015^[update]) of 1,817. As of 2008^[update], 12.6% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010 ) the population has changed at a rate of 13.7%. It has changed at a rate of 14.5% due to migration and at a rate of 1.8% due to births and deaths.

Most of the population (as of 2000^[update]) speaks French (1,196 or 84.1%) as their first language, German is the second most common (165 or 11.6%) and Italian is the third (37 or 2.6%).