Middelkerke () 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 ...
located 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
West Flanders
)
, settlement_type = Province of Belgium
, image_flag = Flag of West Flanders.svg
, flag_size =
, image_shield = Wapen van West-Vlaanderen.svg
, shield_size =
, image_map ...
, on the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
, west of
Ostend
Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...
. The municipality comprises the villages of
Leffinge
Leffinge, sometimes Leffingen in English, is a historic village in Belgium, now part of the municipality of Middelkerke, province of West Flanders.
History
In 1137 the castellan of Saint-Omer confirmed the gift of the church in Leffinge to the ...
,
Lombardsijde
Lombardsijde, also Lombartzyde, is a district in the Belgian municipality of Middelkerke in West Flanders province, in northwestern Belgium near Nieuwpoort.
Fighting occurred in and around Lombardsijde during World War I
World War I (28 ...
,
Mannekensvere
Mannekensvere is a small rural village in Belgium, located in the Polder region. Mannekensvere is a part (" deelgemeente") of the seaside municipality of Middelkerke. The village is located along the Yser
The Yser ( , ; nl, IJzer ) is a river ...
, Middelkerke proper,
Schore,
Sint-Pieters-Kapelle,
Slijpe,
Westende
Westende is a town in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It lies on the Belgian coast, also called the Flemish coast. It used to be the far west (West-ende: Dutch for west-end) of the islan ...
and
Wilskerke
Wilskerke is a small rural village in Belgium, situated in de Polder region, about 1.5 km from the coastline. In 1977, it became a part ( deelgemeente) of the municipality of Middelkerke
Middelkerke () is a municipality located in the Belgia ...
. On January 1, 2006, Middelkerke had a total population of 17,841. The total area is 75.65 km
2 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 236 inhabitants per km
2.
The first reference of 'Middelkerca' is found in 1218. Before 1876 it mainly was a farming settlement.
In 1902, Middlekerke became the world's first municipality to have their drinking water disinfected by continuous
chlorination Chlorination may refer to:
* Chlorination reaction
In chemistry, halogenation is a chemical reaction that entails the introduction of one or more halogens into a compound. Halide-containing compounds are pervasive, making this type of transform ...
.
Sports
The
Noordzeecross
The Noordzeecross (Dutch for North Sea cross) is a cyclo-cross race held in Middelkerke, Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is border ...
is a February
cyclo-cross race held in Middelkerke, which is part of the
Superprestige.
References
External links
*
Official website
{{Authority control
Sub-municipalities of Middelkerke
Municipalities of West Flanders