Bargen has an area,, of. Of this area, 29.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 65.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 4.8% is settled and the remainder is non-productive. The municipality is located in the Schaffhausen district. It is a farming village on the northernmost point of Switzerland. The municipality includes a notable protected natural area, Tannbüehl, which is known for its over 20 varieties of orchids.
Demographics
Bargen has a population of 249, of which 12.4% are foreign nationals. Of the foreign population,, 60% are from Germany, 22.9% are from Italy, 11.4% are from Croatia, and 5.7% are from another country. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -2.1%. Most of the population speaks German, with Italian being second most common and Serbo-Croatian being third. There is also a small but significant population of Poles. The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers make up 18.9% of the population, while adults make up 59.8% and seniors make up 21.3%. In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 65.2% of the vote. The next two most popular parties were the SP, and the FDP . The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Bargen about 73.6% of the population have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education. In Bargen,, 3.86% of the population is attending kindergarten or another pre-school, 8.58% are attending a Primary School, 3.86% attend a lower level Secondary School, and 2.58% attend a higher level Secondary School. , 20.6% of the population belonged to the Roman Catholic Church and 61.7% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church in Bargen. The historical population is given in the following table:
year
population
1850
327
1900
226
1950
203
2000
248
Coat of arms
The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Or a Plumb Sable topped with a Hat of the same trimmed Argent feathered Vert, Gules and of the first.
Industry
Bargen has an unemployment rate of 1.15%. , there were 22 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 9 businesses involved in this sector. 5 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 2 businesses in this sector. 68 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 11 businesses in this sector. the mid year average unemployment rate was 1.8%. There were 12 non-agrarian businesses in the municipality and 5.1% of the population was involved in the secondary sector of the economy while 94.9% were involved in the third. At the same time, 71.2% of the working population was employed full-time, and 28.8% was employed part-time. There were 59 residents of the municipality were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 54.2% of the workforce. there were 42 residents who worked in the municipality, while 83 residents worked outside Bargen and 26 people commuted into the municipality for work. , there are 2 restaurants, and 1 hotel with 10 beds. The hospitality industry in Bargen employs 6 people.
Transportation
The A4 expressway passes through Bargen and enters into Germany after a customs facility.
Places of interest
The "Tannbuel" is one of the most important and well-known conservation lands of the Randen mountains. Hundreds of nature friends visit the area every year, in order to experience the "Frauenschueli"-orchid flush in May and June. The "Tannbuel" is one of the most interesting locations of our region and offers more than "Frauenschueli".
