Belfays
| Belfays | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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| region | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | |
| Department | Doubs | |
| Arrondissement | Montbeliard | |
| Canton | Maîche | |
| Community association | Pays de Maîche | |
| Coordinates | 47 ° 16 ' N , 6 ° 54' E | |
| height | 795-980 m | |
| surface | 3.20 km 2 | |
| Residents | 138 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 43 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 25470 | |
| INSEE code | 25049 | |
 Mairie Belfays |
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Belfays is a French municipality with 138 inhabitants (as of January 1 2017) in Doubs in the region Bourgogne Franche-Comté .
geography
Belfays is located at 876 m , seven kilometers east of Maîche and about 29 kilometers south of the city of Montbéliard (as the crow flies). The village extends in the Jura , in a panoramic position on a slope inclined to the west at the height of Belfays, in the north-east of the extensive high plateau of Maîche.
The area of the 3.20 km² large municipality covers a section of the French Jura. The western part of the area is occupied by the low relief high plateau of Maîche, which is on average at 800 m. It consists mainly of meadow and pasture land. The plateau has no above-ground watercourses because the rainwater seeps into the karstified subsoil. To the east, the community area extends over the slope of Belfays to the adjacent ridge that separates the high plateau from the deeply cut Doubstal . The predominantly wooded height is divided into the ridge of Belfays ( 913 m ), the Pré Malade (at 980 m the highest elevation in Belfays) and the summit of Pré Maillot . In between there are various hollows that open towards the high plateau of Maîche.
Belfays neighboring municipalities are Ferrières-le-Lac and Fessevillers in the north, Urtière in the east and Damprichard in the south and west.
history
In the Middle Ages, Belfays was part of the county of La Roche de Saint-Hippolyte . Together with Franche-Comté, the village came to France with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678.
population
| Population development | |
|---|---|
| year | Residents |
| 1962 | 72 |
| 1968 | 63 |
| 1975 | 51 |
| 1982 | 78 |
| 1990 | 78 |
| 1999 | 81 |
| 2016 | 140 |
Belfays is one of the smallest municipalities in the Doubs department. Throughout the 20th century, the population always fluctuated between 40 and 80 people and only increased significantly from the turn of the millennium.
Economy and Infrastructure
Until well into the 20th century, Belfays was a village dominated by agriculture (cattle breeding and dairy farming) and forestry. Even today, the residents live mainly from their work in the first sector. Outside of the primary sector there are almost no jobs in the village. Some workers are also commuters who work in the surrounding larger towns.
The village is located off the main thoroughfares on a department road that leads from Trévillers to Urtière. Another road connection is with Ferrières-le-Lac.
