Editing Belp (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Belpberg und Gürbetal.jpg|thumb|550px|Belpberg and the Gürbetal (Gürbe Valley)]]

[[File:ETH-BIB-Belp-LBS H1-014183.tif|thumb|Aerial view (1952)]]

Before the merger Belp had an area, {{as of|2009|lc=on}}, of {{convert|17.59|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. After the 2012 merger, Belp has an area of {{Swiss area|0861|mi=on}}.{{Swiss area data|0861|QUELLE}}<!--23.29 - 23.27 km2--> As of 2012, a total of {{convert|13.38|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 57.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while {{convert|6.04|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 25.9% is forested.  The rest of the municipality is {{convert|3.31|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 14.2% is settled (buildings or roads), {{convert|0.49|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 2.1% is either rivers or lakes and {{convert|0.05|km2|acre|abbr=on}} or 0.2% is unproductive land.<ref name=BFS_land>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/data/gemeindedaten.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics] 2009 data {{in lang|de}} accessed 25 March 2010</ref>

During the same year, housing and buildings made up 7.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 4.9%. A total of 24.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 39.1% is used for growing crops and 17.3% is pasturage, while 1.1% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the water in the municipality, 0.3% is in lakes and 1.8% is in rivers and streams.<ref name=BFS_land/>

The municipality is located at the mouth of the [[Gürbetal]] and on the left bank of the [[Aare river]]. It includes the village of Belp, the [[hamlet (place)|hamlets]] of Viehweide, Heitern and Hofmatt. In recent years, a number of new developments have been built including Eissel (1956–75), Montenach (1960s), Schafmatt (1970s), Hühnerhubel (1980). The [[parish]] includes Belp, Belpberg and [[Toffen]]. It is home to the [[Bern Airport|Bern-Belp regional airport]].

On 1 January 2012 the former municipality of [[Belpberg]] merged into the municipality of Belp.<ref name=Mutation>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/02.html Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113231755/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/02.html |date=2015-11-13 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 13 December 2014</ref>

On 31 December 2009 Amtsbezirk Seftigen, the municipality's former district, was dissolved. On the following day, 1 January 2010, it joined the newly created Verwaltungskreis Bern-Mittelland.<ref>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/02.html Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113231755/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/02.html |date=2015-11-13 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 4 April 2011</ref>