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 ...

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 West Flanders ( nl, West-Vlaanderen ; vls, West Vloandern; french: (Province de) Flandre-Occidentale ; german: Westflandern ) is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the No ...

, 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 ...

, 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,

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 i ...

and Wilskerke. On January 1, 2006, Middelkerke had a total population of 17,841. The total area is 75.65 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 RosenberPopu ...

of 236 inhabitants per km². 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 with the first edition in 1959. Since the 2011 edition (2010–2011 season) the race is a part of the Superprestige. Podiums Men Women R ...

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