Kinrooi (; li, Kinder) is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

province of

Limburg Limburg or Limbourg may refer to: Regions * Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium * Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands * Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...

, between

Maaseik Maaseik (; li, Mezeik) is a city and municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg. Both in size (close to 77 km2) and in population (approx. 25,000 inhabitants, of whom some 3,000 non-Belgian), it is the 8th largest municipality in Limb ...

and Bree. On January 1, 2006, Kinrooi had a total population of 11,978. The total area is 54.76 km², which gives a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of 219 inhabitants per km². Kinrooi was formed on September 18, 1971, when the four municipalities Kinrooi,

Kessenich Kessenich () is a village in the Belgian province Limburg. It is a section of the municipality of Kinrooi, lying in the eastern end of the municipality. Geography Kessenich is the end of the ''Grensmaas'', the part of the Meuse who forms a natur ...

Geistingen Geistingen is a historic village that is now a submunicipality of Kinrooi, in the Limburg province in the Flemish Community of Belgium. History In the 1st and 2nd century, a Roman camp was located in Geistingen, and the parish of Geistingen has ...

- Ophoven and Molenbeersel were fused. There have been three mayors. The current mayor is Jo Brouns.

History

Before, Kinrooi was a hamlet of the village of

. The flag reminds to that; the clarions stood on the shield of Kessenich. After the independence of Belgium in 1839 it became a little municipality, together with some nearby hamlets. In 2005 there are prehistoric remains found in the center, when it was being renovated.

Economy

Kinrooi's main economic activities are agriculture, tourism and the reclamation of gravel, sand and loam. The downside of this reclamation is that a lot of land surface gets lost. Tourism is also an important resource. Kinrooi attracts a lot of tourists because it has seven nature reserves that harbor rare animal and plant species, it has a marina and because it has several old windmills. Besides, there is a lot of watersporting, in the old gravel pools. One of them, lying in Ophoven, is now the greatest inner harbour of Europe.

Places of interest

* The Lemmensmolen,a mill dating from 1856 * Sint-Martinuskerk, a neogotical church built in 1853

References

External links

*
Official website
Municipalities of Limburg (Belgium) {{LimburgBE-geo-stub