Almelo
| Almelo | |||
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| Municipality | |||
Almelo city centre
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| Location in Overijssel Location in Overijssel |
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| Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. | |||
| Country | Netherlands | ||
| Province | Overijssel | ||
| Government[1] | |||
| • Body | Municipal council | ||
| • Mayor | Jon Hermans-Vloedbeld (VVD) | ||
| Area[2] | |||
| • Total | 69.41 km2 (26.80 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 67.42 km2 (26.03 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 1.99 km2 (0.77 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation[3] | 12 m (39 ft) | ||
| Population (May 2014)[4] | |||
| • Total | 72,511 | ||
| • Density | 1,076/km2 (2,790/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Almeloër | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postcode | 7600–7614, 7627 | ||
| Area code | 0546 | ||
| Website | www |
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Almelo (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑlməloː] (
listen)) is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. The main population centres in the town are Aadorp, Almelo, Mariaparochie and Bornerbroek.
Almelo has about 72,000 inhabitants in the middle of the rolling countryside of Twente, with the industrial centres of Enschede and Hengelo as close neighbours but also with tourist towns like Ootmarsum, Delden and Markelo only a bicycle ride away. Almelo received city rights in 1394. Within the city limits lies the castle of the Counts of Almelo.
Located in the city centre is Huize Almelo, a castle that in its current form dates back to 1662 (This castle is not open to the public). There are mosaics which decorate the walls of the tunnel close to the railway station.
The city is also known for its local association football club Heracles Almelo, which plays in the Eredivisie, the highest football league in the Netherlands. The club uses the Polman Stadion.
Contents
History
At the end of the 19th century textile emerged as a major employer and drew many workers to Almelo, at first from within the Netherlands. Since the 1960s workers from Spain and Turkey came to Almelo. The first mosque of the Netherlands was built in Almelo in 1976 for the Turkish population of the city. Almelo also has a sizeable number of Armenians.
In the 1970s the industry dwindled and most factories were relocated to countries with cheaper labour. Some factories remain in the city centre and are now in use for apartments or offices.
Economy
Currently, a major employer in Almelo is Urenco Nederland. This is a uranium enrichment plant which uses the gas centrifuge method and produces uranium with about five percent U-235, for nuclear reactors. A bakery factory, Bolletje, PANalytical, the Twenteborg hospital and the regional court are also major employers.
Transport
Almelo has 2 railway stations:
The main station is Almelo and offers links to Hengelo, Enschede, Amersfoort, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Utrecht, Gouda, Rotterdam, The Hague and Zwolle. There is also a train every 2 hours into Germany serving cities such as Osnabrück, Hannover and Berlin.
Sport
Football
Heracles Almelo, a professional football club playing in the Eredivisie is based in Almelo.
Cycling
Since 1983 Almelo has organised the Profronde van Almelo, an elite men's and women's professional road bicycle racing event.
Notable people born in Almelo
- Kirsten Wild (1982) - track and road race cyclist; multiple National Champion
- Azra Akın (1981) – Miss Turkey World 2002 and Miss World 2002
- Bert Bakker (1958) – D66-politician
- Kea Bouman (1903–1998) – female tennis player; only Dutch female tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles tournament
- Daphne Bunskoek (1973) – TV-presenter
- Arnold Bruggink (1977) – soccer player
- Tom Egbers (1957) – TV-presenter
- Harry Egberts (1952) - Australian chicken farmer and Tun Bitter consumer
- Herman Finkers (1954) – comedian
- Wilfried Finkers (1957) – comedian and brother of Herman
- Cor Galis (1910–1997) – VPRO announcer
- Hendrie Krüzen (1964) – football midfielder
- Marcel Kuijer (1974) – TV-presenter
- Ilse de Lange (1977) – musician and singer
- Judith Ledeboer (1901–1990) – architect
- Brian van Loo (1975) – soccer player (goalkeeper)
- Mark Looms (1981) – soccer player
- Mathieu Ten Dam (1974) – basketball player/ coach
- Wubbo Ockels (1946-2014) – first Dutch astronaut
- Mari Carmen Oudendijk (1968) – TV-presenter
- Fabian Roosenbrand (1988) - darts player
- Cunera van Selm (1964) – TV-presenter
- Marnix Smit (1975) – soccer player
- Henk Jan Smits (1961) – manager, scout and producer
- Berdien Stenberg (1957) – musician
- Jan Tuttel (1943–2006), – Drents nature activist, columnist, publicist en TV-presenter/producer
- Michiel Veenstra (1976) – radio-dj on 3FM
- Eddy Zoëy (1967) – TV-presenter
International relations
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Twin towns — Sister cities
Almelo is twinned with:
See also
References
External links
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
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