Meride is a village and former municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.

[2] The area around Meride is of great interest to geologists and paleontologists, due to a Triassic chalk formation, the so-called Meridekalk.

Excavation projects at the Monte San Giorgio in the chalk have discovered several new fossils.

[2] In 963, the Benedictine abbey of S. Ambrogio in Milan gave their property and farms in Meride to the monastery of San Pietro in Lodi.

During the Middle Ages it was part of the Pieve of Riva San Vitale.

The Terzi shared the grazing and timber rights to the surrounding fields and forests.

[2] In 1483, Meride separated from the mother church at Riva San Vitale, and became an independent parish.

In the same year, the former parish church of San Silvestro, was built on a hill above the village.

The current parish church of San Rocco, was built in 1578, expanded in 1770–72 and restored in 1969–70.

On a hill near the village, a hermitage was built by the blessed Manfredo Settala (12th century-1217).

More recently, the summer tourism industry has gained a foothold in the village.

[6] The age distribution, as of 2009[update], in Meride is; 20 children or 6.0% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 31 teenagers or 9.4% are between 10 and 19.

[3] The historical population is given in the following chart:[2][10] The Church of S. Silvestro is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

The entire village of Meride is listed as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

[12] In the 2007[update] Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 254 registered voters in Meride, of which 201 or 79.1% voted.

[3] There were 133 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 45.9% of the workforce.

In the tertiary sector; 2 or 7.1% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 1 or 3.6% were in the movement and storage of goods, 10 or 35.7% were in a hotel or restaurant, 5 or 17.9% were in the information industry and 2 or 7.1% were in education.

[16] From the 2000 census[update], 219 or 74.7% were Roman Catholic, while 21 or 7.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.

In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two-year middle school followed by a two-year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four-year program to prepare for higher education.

The professional program lasts three years and prepares a student for a job in engineering, nursing, computer science, business, tourism and similar fields.