Geography
Reichenbach im Kandertal lies in the valley of the Kander river, and the municipality includes a 4.5 km (2.8 mi) long section of this valley and the slopes on either side. However it also extends some 16.5 km (10.3 mi) up the valley of the Chiene river, from its confluence with the Kander to its source below the Schilthorn and Gspaltenhorn. It consists of the villages of Reichenbach, Mülenen (half belongs to Aeschi bei Spiez), Kien-Aris, Schwandi, Reudlen, Wengi, Scharnachtal, Faltschen and Kiental.
Reichenbach im Kandertal has an area of 125.73 km2 (48.54 sq mi). Of this area, 49.41 km2 (19.08 sq mi) or 39.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 30.83 km2 (11.90 sq mi) or 24.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.84 km2 (1.10 sq mi) or 2.3% is settled (buildings or roads), 1.42 km2 (0.55 sq mi) or 1.1% is either rivers or lakes and 41.25 km2 (15.93 sq mi) or 32.8% is unproductive land.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.0%. Out of the forested land, 20.8% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 9.6% is pastures and 29.4% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 8.9% is unproductive vegetation, 21.7% is too rocky for vegetation and 2.3% of the land is covered by glaciers.
On 31 December 2009 Amtsbezirk Frutigen, the municipality's former district, was dissolved. On the following day, 1 January 2010, it joined the newly created Verwaltungskreis Frutigen-Niedersimmental.
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