America (

Limburgish Limburgish ( or ; ; also Limburgian, Limburgic or Limburgan) refers to a group of South Low Franconian Variety (linguistics), varieties spoken in Belgium and the Netherlands, characterized by their distance to, and limited participation ...

: ''Amerika,'' ) is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

village in the Dutch province of Limburg, known historically for its

peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...

extraction.

Geography

America is part of the municipality of Horst aan de Maas in Limburg, and lies approximately northwest of

Venlo Venlo () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in southeastern Netherlands, close to the border with Germany. It is situated in the province of Limburg (Netherlands), ...

, east of

Helmond Helmond (; called ''Hèllemond'' in the local dialect) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Metropoolregio Eindhoven of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of ...

, and west of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

border. The town is located within the agricultural Peel region of the Netherlands where

extraction has been practiced since the Middle Ages. The town is situated approximately above sea level on the Kabroeksebeek, a stream that flows northeasterly to the Groote Molenbeek stream and eventually to the

Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...

. The area of the town is and the population as of 2019 is 2,030.

History

America was founded in the late 19th century on the Venlo–Eindhoven railway to serve peat extraction in the area by providing transportation for workers and resources. The town's etymology is uncertain, but it is likely the town was named after the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

. Other villages with similar foreign names in the Peel region, including California and Siberia, were founded in the same era. The town's railway station, America Station, opened in 1866 and was rebuilt in 1894. The parish church for America, Saint Joseph's Church, was completed in 1892. The railway station closed in 1938 and the town was captured by the Germans during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

before being liberated by the British on 22 November 1944. America Station was eventually demolished in 1970, although it has been immortalized by the 1993 album ''Station America'' by the local band Rowwen Hèze. In recent years, as peat extraction has declined surrounding America, reclaimed peatlands have been converted as

holiday village A holiday village (abbreviated HV) is a holiday resort where the visitors stay in villas. There is a central area with shops, entertainment, and other amenities.Stanisław Pietkiewicz, Stefan Żmuda: ''Słownik pojęć geograficznych''. Warsaw ...

s and bungalow resorts including Limburgse Peel and Het Meerdal, both operated by

Center Parcs Europe Center Parcs Europe N.V. (formerly Center Parcs) is a European network of holiday villages that was founded in the Netherlands in 1968, and is currently operated by Pierre & Vacances. History Dutch entrepreneur Piet Derksen started a spo ...

Notable people

* Hub van Doorne, founder of manufacturing firm DAF * Jack Poels, lead singer of Rowwen Hèze * Joey Litjens, motorcyclist

Gallery

Sint-Josephkerk (America).JPG, Saint Joseph's Church Station America-c.jpg, Station America in 1945

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Limburg (Netherlands) Horst aan de Maas

Geography

History

Notable people

Gallery

See also

References