Gros de Vaud

As Gros de Vaud, in the Swiss Canton of Vaud (French: Vaud ) refers to a landscape whose borders are not clearly defined. Thanks to the fertile soils of the Gros de Vaud applies with its center Echallens as the granary of Vaud.

Geography

The geographical term Gros de Vaud in 1875 coined by the historian Louis Vulliemin, which thus for the core area ( Gros ) of Vaud wanted to create a single name. This heart of the Vaud comprises the region of Vaud Mittelland between Lausanne to the south and the Orbeebene and Yverdon- les- Bains in the north. The eastern boundary are the wooded heights of the Jorat and its northeastern foothills that separate the Gros de Vaud from Broyetal. To the west, the landscape stretches as far as the foot of the Jura, the slightly higher ground, rougher foot of the Jura plateau is no longer to be counted ( on limestone ) generally.

The Gros de Vaud is characterized by a gently rolling plateau with an average altitude of 550 m to 600 m above sea level. M. In this plateau the Venoge is deepened, which has created a 1 km wide and up to 100 m deep valley over time. It drains the western part of the landscape south to Lake Geneva ( catchment area of ​​the Rhône). The watershed between Rhône and Rhine runs through the middle of the plateau of the Gros de Vaud, because the water of the talent that ensures the drainage of the north-eastern part, already flows northward to Orbe ( catchment area of the Rhine ). In the far northeast of the plateau merges into a landscape in which broad, in the comb area often wooded slopes ( Bois de Suchy, Grand Bois d' Essertines ) alternate with the northward to Lake Neuchâtel open valleys of Buron, Sauteru and Mentue.

As Gros de Vaud in the narrower sense, the territory of the county Echallens is designated on the plateau between the Venogetal and the Jorat.

Geology

The plateau of Gros de Vaud is composed of sandstones of the Lower Freshwater Molasse, which were deposited in the period before about 30 to 22 million years in advance of the Alps. Strong uplift events in the West Midlands at the end of the Tertiary led to that existing in many parts of central and eastern Central Plateau strata of the Upper Marine and the Upper Freshwater Molasse were completely removed in the area of ​​Gros de Vaud.

During the several ice ages of the Gros de Vaud was covered by a massive ice sheet each of the Rhone Glacier. Through the ice, the landscape was formed and in the entire area up to 10 meters thick Grundmoränenschicht was deposited. The landscape structures, elongated ridge, running from south-southwest to the north- northeast, indicate the direction of flow of glacier ice.

Climate

Despite its altitude of the Gros de Vaud has a mild and relatively dry climate. In January, average temperatures are around 0 ° C, measured in July to 18 ° C such. Due to the Leelage behind the high Jura, which emerges especially in rain -bringing West and North West locations are relatively low rainfall of around 900 to 1000 mm measured throughout the year by Swiss standards.

Economy and population

The Gros de Vaud is predominantly agricultural. Thanks to the fertile soils ( Luvisols ) prevails agriculture before ( grain and fodder production ), what the region the name " granary of Vaud " earned. The livestock (especially cattle ) has an important place. The meadows are partially lined with fruit trees.

The region is only slightly industrialized. The industry focuses on Echallens and the area in Cossonay, where building materials industry and enterprises of food processing are predominant. In various places gravel pits are being exploited. The southern Gros de Vaud is more and more in the wake of the canton capital Lausanne, of which the industrial zones to the edge of the plateau. The peri-urban communities experienced therefore in the last decades a marked increase in population. In addition to the centers Echallens ( 4750 inhabitants) and Cossonay- Penthalaz (along with 5100 inhabitants ) there are numerous small farming villages that are usually less than 800 inhabitants. In the rural area with good transport links towards Lausanne and relatively low land prices rapidly rise to new living quarters. Many workers commute to the Lausanne area to work.

Traffic

Moderate traffic the Gros de Vaud is well developed. It is crossed by the main roads which lead from Lausanne to La Sarraz to Orbe and Yverdon -les- Bains. Since the early 1980s, the A1 motorway connecting the centers of Lausanne and Yverdon- les- Bains. Today it is the most important transit route between Western Switzerland and German-speaking Switzerland.

In public transport, the railway line Lausanne -Yverdon - Cossonay and the narrow gauge railway Chemin de fer Lausanne- Echallens - Bercher ( LEB) are mentioned. For the dispersion in public transport provide various postal routes.

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