Zelzate () 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

East Flanders , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Province of Belgium , image_flag = Flag of Oost-Vlaanderen.svg , flag_size = , image_shield = Wapen van O ...

. The municipality only comprises the town of Zelzate proper. In 2021, Zelzate had a total population of 13,124. The total area is 13.71 km². Zelzate is divided into two parts by the

Ghent–Terneuzen Canal The Ghent–Terneuzen Canal (Dutch: Kanaal van Gent naar Terneuzen), also known as the "Sea Canal" (Zeekanaal) is a canal linking Ghent in Belgium to the port of Terneuzen on the Westerschelde (Scheldt) Estuary in the Netherlands, thereby providin ...

. There is a

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...

drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable ...

and a tunnel to connect the two sides. Zelzate is known for the nearby polluting industry, which makes it the village with the lowest air quality in the country.Lucht publicaties H7
/ref> Recently

ArcelorMittal Ghent ArcelorMittal Ghent is a Belgian steelworks situated in Ghent near Zelzate, Flanders. It was founded in 1962 by ARBED as Sidmar; the first maritime steel producer in Belgium. History Background Traditionally the steelworks of Belgium had been c ...

(Sidmar) made a major investment which resulted in an emission decrease of 90%.

Notable citizens

Eric Verpaele Eric Verpaele (Zelzate, 2 February 1952 – Ertvelde, 10 August 2015) pseudonym Eriek Verpale was a Belgian writer. He attended a boarding school in Oostakker and studied Germanic and Slavic philology at the University of Ghent. He was an editor ...

(b. Zelzate, 2 February 1952), writer *

Eddy Wally Eduard Van De Walle (12 July 1932 – 6 February 2016), known by his stage name Eddy Wally, was a Belgian schlager singer from Zelzate, East Flanders, and the once self-proclaimed "Voice of Europe". As a crooner and showman, Eddy Wally toured ...

(b. Zelzate, 12 July 1932), singer

Sister cities

The town is twinned with: *

Aubenas Aubenas (; oc, Aubenàs) is a commune in the southern part of the Ardèche department in Southern France. It is the seat of several government offices. The mountainous and rugged countryside is popular for vacation homes. The river Ardèche flo ...

(France) *

Cesenatico Cesenatico ( rgn, Ziznàtic) is a port town with about 26,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about south of Ravenna. Cesenatico's port canal was surv ...

(Italy) *

Delfzijl Delfzijl (; gos, Delfsiel) is a city and former municipality with a population of 25,651 in the province of Groningen (province), Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Delfzijl was a sluice between the Delf (canal), Delf and the Ems (riv ...

(Netherlands) (Not longer twinned with) *

Schwarzenbek Schwarzenbek is a town in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approximately 10 km northeast of Geesthacht, and 35 km east of Hamburg. Schwarzenbeks' coat of arms shows a black wolf on a yellow fiel ...

(Germany) *

Sierre Sierre (; german: Siders, ; frp, Siérro, ) is the capital municipality of the district of Sierre, located in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It has a population of 16,332. Sierre is nicknamed City of the Sun (french: Cité du Soleil) for i ...

(Switzerland)

References

External links

*
Official website
Municipalities of East Flanders Populated places in East Flanders {{EastFlanders-geo-stub